Loved by you, p.8
Loved by You, page 8
He did say that.
Leaning forward, he gathered many of the papers we’d gone through today in a big stack, and I was in such a state of shock I couldn’t do anything but watch him. He got them into a folder, and then called one of his girls in. She took the stack with his instructions to file them in the appropriate places. She then left but not before asking me if I needed another drink. I simply lifted my hand no. I couldn’t drink anything right now.
It must have been at this point where Mickey caught on to my silence. He smirked at me, placing his hands on his desk. “Why you looking like that?”
“I, uh,” I paused, pushing my hand behind my neck. “I guess I just don’t know what to say.”
“About what?” he asked, but then he closed his lips, his head going back like he was starting to see. See what was wrong. See that I was suddenly uncomfortable. Sighing, he placed his hands in his lap. “You said you had this squared away with Roxie. A sample agreement was in the documents I gave you to go over with her.”
Fuckin’ Christ. I scrubbed my hand down my face. He put a prenuptial agreement in there? He put one in and I gave the whole thing to Roxie not even thinking to look at the packet. God, had she went through the folder yet? Had she seen it yet? She’d made no mention of it before today…
Standing up, I grabbed my jacket off the side of my chair.
“Where are you going, Griff?”
I slipped my arms into the sleeves. “To go get that thing and bring it back to you.” After getting the jacket on, I pointed at him. “And you should have mentioned that, Mick. Roxie and I don’t need anything like that, so you doctoring one up without my knowledge was completely out of line.”
He stood from his desk, coming around it. “Griffin…” He paused, shaking his head like he didn’t know what I was talking about. Like he didn’t understand the anger I had. He stopped in front of me, his hands placed in front of his waist. “I wasn’t in violation here by providing one for you. That is my job as your agent. A prenuptial agreement is standard in this business when a high profile figure gets married. It’s nothing personal, so please don’t misunderstand. It is my job to protect your assets. It is my job to protect you.”
I fought the dry chuckle tickling at my throat. “You’re talking about Roxie like she’s some kind of predator. She isn’t after my money. She’s not like that.”
“I’m not saying she is, Griffin,” he said, raising his hands calmly. He watched me for a second, and lowering his hands, his lips turned down, his eyes sympathetic. “I told you this is standard. I didn’t give you one assuming she’d do anything of the sort. I gave you one as an agent to his client. Nothing more. I promise you that.”
Hearing that in his voice, seeing the sincerity in his eyes, allowed me to calm down a little. Even still, we’d have to talk about this later. I had to get to Roxie.
“I get it,” I told him, nodding with the words. “Still, we don’t need one. So I’d appreciate it if you’d just respect that. My decision.”
Though he looked like he didn’t want to, he nodded. It wasn’t in his job description to do anything else. He was there to guide me. Nothing more. Nothing less, but before I did go he said one more thing, and I hated to say it, but the words stuck with me. It must have been because it regarded Roxie’s best interest.
“Just do yourself a favor,” he said stepping forward. “Talk it over with her before you shut it down. This doesn’t just protect you. It takes care of her too. It will get her what she deserves. Watches her back if something goes wrong. Just remember that. Just think about that.”
Creaking floorboards from my and Griffin’s bedroom sent goose bumps spiking my skin. I turned off the shower, holding my hand there on the knob while soapsuds slid down my back.
“Hello?” I called, blinking behind the droplets of water clumped on my lashes. No response came, and my heart jumped a bit as the creaks continued. They squeaked closer this time, closer to the bathroom I was currently in.
I grabbed the closest thing I could find—my loofa. It wouldn’t do much but it did have a hard plastic handle on it that could do some damage. “Hello?” I made sure my voice didn’t waver. I’d defend myself if I had to.
The bathroom door squeaked on its hinges when it flew open, and I hunched down, peaking through a crack in the space between the glass shower door and the wall. I hadn’t closed it all the way and suddenly felt grateful for that, but then the image of a skivvy rapist was replaced with the smile of my fiancé when he popped his head into the bathroom, a basketball cap of his team turned backwards on his head.
“It’s just me,” he said, stepping into the warm room.
Placing my loofa down, I put my hand on my chest, laughing a little now that I knew I wasn’t in danger. I slid the door open a little, poking my head of wet hair through the space. He’d made it to the glass door by the time I had.
“You scared me,” I said, giving him a kiss when he leaned in. I left out the part about me seriously about to use a plastic loofa to defend myself. That was kind of embarrassing.
He chuckled when he stepped back. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
I shook the apology off, happy to see him but kind of surprised. He had a game tonight. He should be with his team all day. Not here. I pushed the suds into my hair that were making a journey down my forehead and burning my eyes. “No big, but what are you doing here? Tiptoeing around and being all creepy and stuff.”
His laughter hit again, but he ended it kind of abruptly, losing my gaze when he looked around the bathroom. Lifting his hat, he smoothed his hand over lengthy blond strands before placing it back down. “I forgot my lucky socks,” he said, referencing to the ones he wore every game.
I frowned, tilting my head. “I packed those in your bag last night, though. I think.” I couldn’t be certain but I thought I had. I never forgot such a thing. His Gram made them for him, a present when he moved away to start his career.
“Yeah?” he questioned, blinking a bit. His wonderful smile hit again. “I must have missed them. Anyway, I’m glad I came back. I got to see you.”
This man and his words. I shook my head at him.
“What are you doing up so early?”
Shrugging, I leaned my arm on the door. “I’m just getting an early start. I’ve got some stuff to go through for the wedding. You know we’re meeting with Troy tomorrow?”
I hoped he hadn’t forgotten. I was really excited about him getting to meet the man I hired as our planner. That smile of his went wider, and I knew he hadn’t let the appointment escape his mind despite how busy he was.
He reached into the shower and slid a hand on my naked shoulder, pulling me closer so his lips were near my ear. “It’s at eleven o’clock, meeting for brunch, and wear a nice shirt,” he said repeating the instructions I’d given him for the meeting. “I even remember what dress you were wearing when you told me. That white one with the pink flowers on it. I remember because the color of them brought out the natural tint of your lips, the ones I couldn’t keep my eyes off of while you were speaking to me.”
My face warmed. God, this guy.
He popped a kiss on my lips and pulled back. “I’ll see you at the game tonight?”
“Of course.”
Before he left he pointed behind him toward the door. “Hey, um. Did you get a chance to look through those papers? For the wedding? I noticed you moved them to the dresser.”
I shook my head. I’d turned around to start the shower again, and the bathroom filled with steam. When I realized he couldn’t see me shaking my head, I opened the shower door I’d closed. “Nope. I just moved it. I swear I’ll get on them though. Did Mickey ask you about them?”
He was quiet for a second. “Uh, yeah. He might have mentioned it.”
“Oh.” Crap, I didn’t want to get him in trouble. “I’ll make sure to get everything all taken care of right away. All my important documents are in a safety deposit box back in Wisconsin.”
That was one thing my mom had done for me before she passed away. I was glad. It made something easier for me instead of held me back. I wouldn’t be that way anymore by things I felt were behind me—held back. “I’ll have my grandmother ship them over. She still lives there and I’ll make sure Gram gets your things over.”
“Hey, don’t let me rush you,” he said, lifting his hand. “Mickey works for me, remember? He’ll wait.”
I still didn’t want him bugging Griffin if I could help it. Griffin went to leave, but I called out to him again, pushing those pesky suds back into my hair once more. “Why don’t you check your sock drawer? For some replacements socks, I mean. Just in case you can’t find your lucky ones.”
I winked, which caused him to lift his lips, but like a smile I think I saw before only slightly. Closing the door, he trapped the heat in, allowing me to finish my shower.
I was eating a basket of cheese sticks when a familiar face made an appearance. I didn’t see many of those, as I didn’t know anyone in this town. The surprise making me jump, I choked a bit on a gob of crunchy breading and cheese in my mouth.
Kerry Donavon’s eyes went wide. Leaning in, she placed a well-manicured hand on my shoulder. “Roxie, are you all right?”
After taking a long draw of my cup of Coke I was, then laughed at myself. Giving myself a quick pat on the chest, I got back some of my dignity. “Sorry. You just surprised me. I’m good, though. I swear.”
And she had surprised me. Coming up from behind, she touched my shoulder mid-chew. Her long lashes fanned as she tossed her back with a short laugh. “Oh, thank god. That was a close call. I just wanted your attention not to kill you.”
I waved my hands, even more embarrassed for this poor woman’s panic. “No, that’s all me. I guess I’m kind of jumpy today.” I had to laugh inside at the reason why. Griffin being all sneaky this morning. I was glad he came though as I got to see him before the game tonight. He and his team warmed up below, the crowds around them in the stands just as amped as the players. All games were like this, loud and exciting, and though I wasn’t terribly into sports seeing Griffin do what he did best excited me. He tossed me a wink every once and a while acknowledging me, and that made feel all kinds of special. I loved supporting him, and took great pride in the fact that he both needed and wanted me here.
“Good, good,” Kerry said with a laugh. She had her pumps on, as well as a set of tight black jeans and a matching top, looking both classy and fly. “Well, all that and my reason for coming over seems rather underwhelming. I saw you and wanted to invite you to sit with us.”
I blinked. “Us?”
“Mmmhmm. Me and some of the other wives and girlfriends of the team, like we talked briefly about. There’s no need for you to be over there sitting by yourself. We’ve got plenty of room.”
I did recall her saying that about her section, but my heart leaped at being taken out of my comfort zone. I was kind of introverted. I could meld into any group I believed, but actually actively seeking new situations to place myself in wasn’t something I did. Not to mention, if Griffin sought me out in my usual spot he wouldn’t see me. I thought to decline, but then Kerry put her hands out, helping me up and saying, “Come on. Come on. The game is about to begin.”
I felt placed in a corner so I did, gathering my things. Fortunately, Griffin chose that exact moment to face my way, his hair sticking to his brow after he just caught a pass from another player. He pushed his hair back out of his face, his hands on his waist and looking confused. But then I pointed to Kerry with a shrug as she guided me along the courtside line, her hand motioning to make sure I kept up. At the sight, a smile moved over Griffin’s lips and I assumed he recognized my kidnapper. He gave me another wink before handing the ball off to a teammate. I had his support and wasn’t the least bit surprised. It was he who told me to step out and make friends with some of the other player’s spouses/ girlfriends. And with basketball players, they definitely were. Long legs met my sight before faces did, smooth and lotioned to perfection from under skirts and short dresses. Lengthy lashes found me second, intrigued by the new girl one of their friends brought to them. I suddenly was very aware of my apparel under their gazes. This was a basketball game why weren’t they wearing basketball stuff?
I gave a swift tug to my jersey, trying to remain calm.
“Ladies,” Kerry said, bringing me to her by the arm. “This is Roxie. She’s with Griffin Chandler. You may remember his proposal not too long ago.”
Though the two ladies eyes flashed it wasn’t in a bad way. In fact, they both smiled with it and that seemed quite genuine. A light skinned girl with brown eyes holding a gorgeous flare of hazel placed out her hand. “I’m Sam. Number thirteen is with me. Kirk Kinsey. We’ve been dating for a little over a year now. Congrats on your engagement. You’re going to have to tell us all about you and Griffin. He sounds really nice.”
“What she means to say,” the woman beside her said. She reminded me of Kerry a bit with the worldliness she put off. A dark beauty, she had her hair up in a tight ponytail. “Is how can she get her man to finally pop the question too. She’s with the brother a year and already getting stir crazy.”
Sam’s eyebrows flicked up. Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms. “Whatever, Eddie.”
“Girl, you know I’m just giving you a hard time,” she said, giving Sam a nudge until she laughed too. Then Eddie shook my hand. “Eddie Kline. Though I’m no longer a member of the basketball wives club, I fully support the relationships.”
“Which is why we let her still stick around.” Kerry winked, causing a round of laughter from the small group. Eddie stuck her tongue out at her, but I could see she took the jab in could stride. The joking nature of the group surprised me, but only in a good way. I figured they’d be quite a serious group, but these ladies reminded me a lot of the ones back home. Just way better dressed than myself and my motley crew of roller derby girls I supposed.
Kerry let them know that she invited me to sit with them and the two ladies made room. I kind of felt like the mascot of the group in my ball cap, jersey, and jeans, but they didn’t call attention to it, nor did they give me a hard time about it. They just wanted to know more about me, the new girl on the scene.
“I’m from the Midwest,” I told them. “Griffin’s from Texas. This is all so different, you know?”
“Girl, we’ve all been where you are,” Eddie said, the other women quickly agreeing with a nod. “The important thing is to never lose sight of each other. You’re going to get a lot of hate. Especially the first few years.”
“Yes,” Kerry agreed. “But you’ll make it through. The only thing that can ever stand in your way is yourself.”
“That and groupies,” Eddie spat.
“Mmmhmm,” Sam cut in with a nod. “And jump offs.”
“Speaking of,” Eddie said, whipping around. “Where’s your friend, though? Mia?”
Sam smacked her lips, rolling her eyes as she crossed her legs. “She ain’t been my friend since she tried to hook up with Kirk.” When the pair went into a lengthy discussion about what a back stabbing heifer Mia was, my mind started to spin, but then I got a kind smile from Kerry.
“Don’t mind the pair,” she said assuring me. “Just remember what I said and you’ll be fine,” she paused, pointing at me. “You. Remember you and that man out there on the court. Everything else? Cake.”
She shook my shoulders, and I couldn’t help smiling. I shared a common ground with these ladies, and maybe having a few allies in this new experience I was in wouldn’t be so bad. I had to laugh at the irony. Griffin Chandler just had to be right all the time.
The game went underway, and the fans were in a frenzy tonight. Our team had some stiff competition and because of that, the scores stayed pretty tight. We’d get a little bit ahead, but then the opposing team would be right back on our heels. Things were tense, and even Eddie let up on poking Sam a little and redirected her jabs to our team.
“Oh, come on!” She’d shout, and every time number nineteen would cringe out there, shaking his head before getting back into the game. Eventually, I started to wonder about that and Kerry let me in on the secret. Number nineteen, Trent Irving, was Eddie’s ex husband. I made sure my laugh had been out of earshot.
As a new player, Griffin didn’t play nearly as much as he did in college as team captain, but the time he was out there, he shined, working up a sweat and hustling like the best of them. The pride swelled on my face, but nothing in compared to the way Kerry looked at a Kendrick. She wasn’t vocal. She didn’t need to be. Anyone with eyes could see the love and appreciation in her gaze. Even more heartwarming, was the way he looked at her, a small smile on his face whenever he had the chance to give her one. I couldn’t help but see Griffin and myself in the pair. I had a strong feeling this business ate more couples up than it left whole. I had a feeling the lady giving me advice took a strong dose from herself, and that left me hopeful for my own future.
I left to get popcorn just before halftime. I know that sounded odd, but I liked watching the shows that performed. They had some great singers sometimes too. Griffin was well aware of when I made my exits, so when I came back I got that handsome grin the moment I made it back to my seat, him seated on the bench in that particular moment of the game. He’d get more playing time. I wasn’t lying before. The world was noticing him and when you had that star power it couldn’t be ignored.
Kerry dipped her hand into my popcorn bucket before I barely had a chance to get myself situated and I giggled. “Did I miss anything?” I asked her.
“They’re making it hard for us,” she said. “But I think we got it.”
Sam nodded, concurring. “Yep. I love my Kirk, but her Kendrick always gets us out of scrapes. Always.”
She didn’t have to tell me that. I’d seen it myself. Watching Kendrick lead this team was something else. He had the respect from his fellow players both on the team and off. As the boys hustled, I saw them in the formation of a play. Kirk passed Kendrick the ball, the point guard dribbling to the set up, getting closer and closer to the hoop, and from above the seconds ticked away toward the end of the second quarter. Ten... Nine... Eight…
