I pulled out my notebook and pretended to be busy, but I could feel Lincoln coming closer. While I kept up a nonchalant air, my insides tightened into knots. I braced myself for the impact of his apparent annoyance with my presence.
“Enjoying the show?” he asked, stopping beside me.
I glanced at the scene of muscles bunching and glistening skin. “Half-naked, sweaty guys working out? Sure. Every woman’s dream.” I then hit him with a saccharine smile and got the satisfaction of seeing his jaw tighten.
He didn’t move, so I asked, “Anything I can help you with, Lincoln?”
He glowered at me so hard, I was in danger of melting. “You didn’t have to be here at six in the morning. You’re not TMZ.”
I sighed. “Is this how it’s going to be the entire time? You, hot on my heels like a helicopter parent listening to everything Jaden tells me?”
“First of all, he’s a grown man who can do whatever he wants. I stick around to protect his best interests because that’s what he pays me a shit ton to do. And this morning isn’t about you. I came to remind Jaden about an appointment later.”
“What appointment is that?” I asked, aiming my pen at my notepad.
Lincoln eyed the notepad as if it were a vile creature from Hades. “None of your business.”
“I beg to differ. Jaden Cole is my business for the next few weeks.”
“Then he can tell you.”
I huffed and dropped my trusty notepad. “Since you’re of no use to me, goodbye, Lincoln." I gave him a sugar smile and went on to ignore his existence as he had ignored mine earlier. From my periphery, I caught his withering stare. A part of me wantedto break and call a truce because this friction between us was ridiculous.
Lincoln didn’t say another word, just turned and walked away. I watched his retreating form through the glass door until he disappeared. The moment he was gone, my shoulders sagged as the tension drained from my entire body. I hadn’t realized how tightly I’d been coiled. I even breathed easier. Lincoln was going to drive me crazy.
I shook off the thought and did what I was sent to LA to do. Observe my subject. He was laughing with one of his teammates as they good-naturedly ribbed each other. He seemed to get along with everyone in the room. So, my initial impression of him was right.
Eventually, my gaze drifted to the parking lot. I did a double-take when I spotted two people between a car and an SUV. One of them was tall and wore a hoodie with the hood obscuring his face. Odd for such a warm morning.
The other was a dark-haired woman. Even from this distance, she looked familiar. I squinted, trying to make her out. She looked like a pop star who was being shoved down all our throats recently. I’d even written a few pieces about her… against my will. She even had the same platinum-blonde tips.
It was her! Nyla Monro, who went by Phoenix Sky. At first, I found it strange for a rising pop star to be in a random gym parking lot. But then I remembered that this was no random gym, and celebrities were everywhere in this town. She could be one of the players' girlfriends. Maybe the person in the hoodie was that player, and their interaction was innocent.
However, the longer I observed, the less convinced I became that their meeting was all that innocent. What was it that she handed to the mystery guy? Moreover, why were they looking around like they expected to be caught doing something naughty?
“Interesting,” I murmured.
“What is?”
I jumped and spun around to make eye contact with a pair of dark brows. “Jaden. Hey.”
“You alright, Ava?”
“Sure. I was just…” I glanced out the window. The girl had disappeared—I would love to have confirmed that it was who I thought she was. But the guy was walking back to the building, and his profile was barely visible.
“Do you know who that is?” I asked Jaden, pointing to the figure in the hoodie.
He squinted. “Yeah, that’s Tanner Boyd. Tight end for the Chargers.”
“Your rival?”
He shrugged. “Sure, but our biggest rival is the 49ers.”
“Right. Is Tanner dating anyone?”
“There are rumors that he’s been seeing that singer…”
“Phoenix Sky?”
