My brows furrow. “Huh?”
“You can answer any random game stat, but that stumped you?” A gust of wind howls past his mic, mixing with his laugh. “Does the soccer star know how to swing a club?”
I bite my tongue. Golf is one of the many sports I watch, but I’ve never played. Deals are signed on the course, according to Trevor, which makes golf a vital business skill. Sadly, it’s a business I’ve never been fully accepted into.
“Yeah,” I cough out, hoping he can’t hear my doubt. “I can golf.”
Garrett hums, and I’m sure he sees right through my lie. “Perfect. Let’s set something up when I’m back in Charlotte for the next series. I hope you answer next time too. See ya.”
“Bye.” The call ends, and I stare up at the ceiling.
This guy’s making me work for this opportunity. I’m excited for the challenge.
Chapter Thirteen
“Men are notoriously ficklecreatures. They may think we’re the unpredictable sex, but they’re sorely incorrect. And Cade Owens, the sweet guy, is not an exception.”
I watch a semi-truck whizz by. “I know one man who isn’t fickle.”
“Bullshit.” Mallory rubs the continuous glucose monitor on the back of her arm. “Who?”
“Kenneth Gray,” I announce, my voice rising like a game show host. “Boyfriend extraordinaire. The guy who spent three years waiting for you to pull your head out of your ass and love him too.”
She tries to put up a brave fight against the lover-girl allegations, but one mention of his name has her melting into her seat. “He just knew a good thing when he saw it. Can you blame him?”
Soft rock flits through the speakers of her old Honda as we get closer to Charlotte. Mallory’s meeting her graduate advisor, Dr. Martin, at an autoimmune disease conference to present her research on type 1 diabetes. Carpooling was one of my favorite parts of living together, so I jumped at the opportunity when she offered.
“But you didn’t hear him, Mally. It wasn’t like trying to decide which flavor of ice cream to order.” I go silent, trying to find the right wordto describe the hostility, fear, and exhaustion Cade revealed during our meeting last week.
I wasn’t expecting him to change his mind about filming for Loc & Key. His email wasn’t enthusiastic, but he agreed to miss today’s optional practice.
Prying information about Cade from Mallory isn’t something I do out of respect for our friendship. Especially because she’s a locked vault when it comes to things I tell her in confidence. Still, I can’t help myself.
“He hasn’t talked to you about anything?” I ask.
Grimacing, she clicks on the blinker and moves into the left lane. “Honestly, not much. Kenneth might know more than I do, and we’ll keep trying, but that’s who Cade is: just smile, don’t make people worry, and it’ll all be okay. Which historically ends in flames. But today will be good for him. A day of pampering and baseball? That’s exactly what he needs.”
I try to believe her as she pulls into the studio’s parking lot. Test calls from Garrett Blane don’t make me as jittery as spending an afternoon with Cade.
“I’m nervous,” I admit.
“I know, but you look cute. The sleek puff is peak professionalism.”
Opening the vanity mirror, I smooth my edges. Hair loss is one of my many PCOS symptoms. It’s exacerbated by stress, which isn’t great because I’m constantly in a state of distress. With the long days, late nights, and occasional travel, keeping my hair braided is best for my lifestyle. Until I have a few hours to braid my hair this weekend, I’ll be curly and free.
“How’s the new medication?” she asks.
The bottle of Metformin rattles as I shake out a pill. It’s the newest addition to my regimen to help with insulin resistance, whatever that means. Sarabeth, my dietitian, and Mallory, my best friend who happensto be a dietitian, have explained it many times. All I need to do is take it every morning and night, along with my Spironolactone every morning. That one is for decreasing testosterone levels, which is supposed to help my acne and facial hair.
I shrug. “So far so good.”
She squeezes my knee with her free hand. “I know work’s a lot, but are you making any progress on lowering your stress?”
I’m running on fumes and hardly sleeping, but I really am trying. Sarabeth recommended a few life changes that are doable, like drinking two cups of spearmint tea a day and walking after meals, so I’ve added that.
“I can’t slow down, Mally. Getting this promotion would change everything, and I’m so close I can almost taste it.”
Signing Garrett would be icing on the cake for the promotion.
