Page 4 of Unpredictable
“Either you tell me what’s going on, or I’m calling a doctor.”
I dabbed at my face with the towel, taking longer than necessary as I debated my response. Landon was tenacious—it was one of the reasons I’d hired him. He was also a good friend. I knew he’d just keep pushing, and I simply didn’t have the energy to fight.
“I didn’t get much sleep last night. But I’ll be fine.”
“Last night? Honey, you’ve been sporting dark circles for weeks.”
He’d noticed? Of course, he’d noticed. Another reason I’d hired Landon—his meticulous attention to detail rivaled my own.
“Here’s what we’re going to do,” he said, taking control. “One of the interns is with Taylor. She’ll be fine—” He waved away my protest. “And if she isn’t—well, she had it coming.”
“My behavior was completely unprofessional.”
He sliced a hand through the air. “We’ll send her some flowers.”
I wanted to laugh but knew better. If Taylor Long blabbed about this, I was screwed. I could lose a lot of business based on my outburst.
“I’ll meet with Amanda Jackson,” he continued, and I opened my mouth to protest. “Nope.” He held up a hand. “It’s that, or I call a doctor.”
“Fine.” I gnashed my teeth. Maybe I needed to delegate to Landon more often—he certainly knew how to take control in a crisis. I’d already been considering giving him a larger role.
“Meanwhile, you’ll go home and get cleaned up, get some rest. I’ll pick you up later for your speech at the wedding expo.”
I sighed, knowing there was no use arguing. It was something I couldn’t skip. I was the keynote speaker after all.
“Fine.” I gathered my things. I hated admitting defeat, but if I was going to make it through the wedding expo, I needed to get my head on straight.
I didn’t know how I would manage—being surrounded by smiling faces and some of the biggest figures in the wedding industry on the West Coast—but I would. If I could survive losing the love of my life, I could handle anything.
Chapter Two
“I’m so sorry to interrupt,” a woman said, and I glanced up from the menu. “But would you mind taking a picture with me?” She held up her phone, flashing me a bright smile.
I’d selected this restaurant, hoping for some privacy, but also knowing better than to expect it. Even though I’d long since retired from the Hollywood Heatwaves, fans still sought me out for pictures and autographs. Though it could be tiresome at times, in all honesty, it was flattering. I was humbled that they remembered me for my role on the football team, as well as the work I’d done since.
I forced a smile. “Sure.”
She stopped one of the waitresses and asked her to take the picture for us. I stood and wrapped my arm around the fan, smiling for the camera.
“Thank you.” She grinned up at me after the waitress had returned her phone. “Thank you so much, Mr. Hayes. My son is going to be so excited when I tell him I met you today. He’s a huge fan of the Heatwaves. A huge fan of yours.”
“My pleasure.” I smiled, and she stared up at me for a moment, in a daze.
“Think the Heatwaves will win tomorrow night’s wild-card game?”
I lifted a shoulder, my lips twitching with a grin. “I guess you’ll have to tune in to find out.”
“I guess I will.” She glanced toward the floor, and her eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a hummingbird. “I always do when you’re commentating.”
When she met my gaze, her neck was red as if she hadn’t intended to admit that. I chuckled, no stranger to having women hit on me. Though, her bashfulness was refreshing. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it.”
“Well, um. Thankyou. For being so gracious about the picture.”
“It’s always nice to meet a fan.”
When she lingered, I scanned the restaurant for Olivia, wondering if she’d gotten caught up in a meeting. It wouldn’t be the first time since she’d started working at Harlow & Phillips. A quick glance at my phone showed no missed calls or texts from her, but I worried all the same.
“You wouldn’t be—”
