Page 57 of Tempting the Player
He studies me intently as he waits for me to continue.
“I don’t know that much about you. All the conversations we had before were clouded with this big secret you were keeping from me.”
“I never lied to you.”
“Maybe not, but you weren’t completely honest either.” I shake my head. “If we’re going to spend so much time together, if I’m going to trust you, then I want to get to know you. The real you. And I figure it’ll be a slow process if I ask you while on campus because you’re doing your job and all that.”
“That’s it? You wanted to talk tonight to get to know me?” One corner of his mouth lifts lightly and he stares at me in disbelief. “I’m not that interesting.”
“You are to me.” I push back until I can lean back against the headboard. I also need to tell him about the email I got today, which is the other reason I texted, but right now I just want to have a conversation with him that isn’t all about me. I’m so sick of my drama.
“All right. What do you want to know?” he asks, still looking like he thinks the whole concept of me wanting to get to know him better is ludicrous.
“For starters, how’d you get into private security?” I ask, giddy that he seems to be going along with it, and pick up the abandoned nail polish.
“A teammate felt bad for me when I got cut from the team. He knew someone who hired security for concerts at The Hollywood Bowl.”
“Who was performing at your first job?”
“Paramore.”
“Are you a fan?”
“I know a couple songs.”
“Did you get to meet them?” I can’t fire the questions out fast enough.
“No.” He chuckles as he leans and props himself up with one arm. “I never even saw them. I was parked out front the entire time, checking people as they came in and then keeping an eye on the parking lot.”
“Too bad. I love them.” I start singing “Misery Business.” I forgot how much I loved that song.
Hendrick watches me with a smile that suddenly makes me feel self-conscious.
I stop and twist off the cap of the nail polish to fix my smudged pedicure. “So, you worked a few concerts...”
“Yeah, concerts and other events. I wasn’t picky about the jobs I took. I was trying to make as much as I could to send money back to my brothers...” He hesitates. “Working security paid pretty well and I enjoyed it. Especially after I met Logan.”
“Logan?” I bend my leg so I can paint my toes.
“He owns the private security company I work for now.”
“The one my parents hired.”
Hendrick nods. “Yeah. Logan took me on, made sure I got all the training I’d need for higher profile jobs, and the bonus was it was flexible enough I could continue working out and rehabbing my knee to get back to football.”
“Does Logan find you jobs or do you get a say?”
His smile widens. “Are you trying to ask if I took the job knowing who you were?”
Had I been? “Well, did you?”
“I knew about you only in the broadest sense—that you were a famous actress who was attending college in Valley.”
“And you took the job because your brothers are here?”
“Yeah. It was perfect timing with the season and my contract ending. When I was practicing with the team, I only had availability on nights and weekends. Logan was good about working around my schedule. I got a few clients that I’d help out regularly, but I mostly took jobs that were for a single day or maybe a weekend. Until you.”
“Until me,” I repeat softly.
