Page 11 of My Merry Mistake
I close the car door and straighten my shoulders, tryingnotto feel like a loser. Also tryingnotto let the compliment land. “Thanks.”
“Okay! Sorry!” A voice calls out from behind us, and I turn to see a tiny woman wearing half a dress walking toward us. “That was my video editor. I forgot to send over the new workout,”—she winces dramatically as she walks up to Finn and grabs his arm, then flicks her free hand in the air—“it doesn’t matter.” She looks at me. “Hi! I’m Kaylee.” She smiles with her full mouth, revealing teeth so perfect and so white I wonder if they’re fake.
“Kaylee, this is Raya Hart,” Finn says. “Poppy’s sister.”
She thrusts a hand in my direction. “Oh! I love Poppy! I sat with her at the game last night. She’ssooosweet!”
I shake her hand, but my face remains neutral. “Nice to meet you.”
“Are you the one who works for the team?” she asks.
“That’s me,” I say, desperately wanting to get back in my car and drive straight home. “I should—” I make a move to go around them, but quickly realize there’s really no easy way to get out of walking to the door with Finn andKaylee. We’re going to the same place.
“That must be so fun,” Kaylee says as we start up the driveway. “Working for the team, I mean.” She squeezes Finn’sarm. “I don’t think I’d get anything done though. Too much eye candy.” She giggles.
Finn’s gaze catches mine, and I quirk a brow. “What do you do, Kaylee?”
“I teach yoga,” she says. “And I’m a fitness influencer?” She says this like it’s a question. I try not to chalk it up to her age, which I’m assuming is younger than me.
“I’m really trying to grow my account and get a couple of brand deals.” She looks up at Finn. “Hoping this one will make an appearance in a few of my videos.”
He smiles uncomfortably, and I squint over at her. “He probably needs to check his contract and see what he’s allowed to do publicly, and most likely without compensation.”
Her eyes go wide. “Oh! I hadn’t thought about that.”
“With professional athletes, there’s a lot to think about,” I say, feeling the sarcasm brim over the words.
I have a bad habit of sizing people up in the first eight seconds, then believing that’s who they are for the rest of the time I know them. I wish I were different.
Or wrong.
I nod as Finn pulls the door open and Kaylee walks in.
“Is this a networking event for her or . . .?” I say under my breath as I walk past him.
“She’s cool,” he says, but he doesn’t look sure.
In some ways, I feel sorry for the single guys on the team. It would be hard to find a real connection with anyone, considering how many women would love to say they’re dating a pro athlete, regardless of who that athlete is.
In Finn’s case, I have less sympathy. The man is a chronic flirt who doesn’t seem to have any common sense when it comes to dating. In the short few months I’ve been working for the team, there’s been a revolving door of women on his arm, most of them taking Kaylee and hitting Copy/Paste.
As soon as possible, I excuse myself and go find Poppy, who is in the kitchen hovering over the caterer, a woman Dallas hired so my sister could enjoy her party.
When she sees me, Poppy’s eyes light up. “Ray! You’re here!” She rushes toward me and pulls me into a tight hug. “Thanks for coming. I know social events aren’t your favorite.”
I pull back and look at her. “They aren’t. Butyou’remy favorite.”
“I know.” She smiles, with a twinkle in her eye. “I won’t tell El.”
I smile back, then the caterer shoots me a wide-eyed, silent plea, and I usher my sister out of the kitchen.
“Oh, I was going to help with the?—”
“Nope,” I say, moving her into the living room and out onto the back deck. “You’re not working today, remember?”
Poppy nods. “Right. Not working.”
“Everything is going to be perfect,” I say.
