“You saw the plans, right?” The marketing team at Pennington’s had already drawn up a schedule for us even before the contracts were signed. As long as the schedule didn’t interfere with Baird’s training or matches, we were penciled in to do photoshoots and video shoots for the social media campaign. Everything from an engagement announcement to bridal wear to our wedding gift list to the actual wedding (oh my goodness, we were going to get married in front of the public!), to our honeymoon.
It was starting to become a reality.
My dad was right. What we were doing was kind of insane.
My chest felt tight.
“Maia.” Baird reached for me. “Are you okay?”
“We’re getting married.”
He embraced me, pressing my cheek to his hard chest. The feel of his strong, wet body cut through my panic. I’d never been more aware of him, and I didn’t know why it had to happen now of all times. “I promised you everything would be okay, and I meant it.”
“None of that funny business in here!” a belligerent male voice echoed through the pool area.
Baird turned in the water and I stood on tiptoes to see over his shoulders. An elderly gentleman was easing himself into the pool, glaring daggers at us.
“I’m hugging my fiancée. Only a pervertpervertsa hug,” Baird snapped back in annoyance.
That was the thing about my now fiancé. He was as laidback as a sunbathing walrus until someone upset a woman he cared about.
The man stuck his finger up at us before pushing off into a swim.
“What a turd,” Baird muttered, turning back to me. “You all right?”
I gently eased out of his delicious arms. “Just a momentary panic. If you hadn’t noticed, I’m quite a private person. I think I’ve posted five photos on socials in the last two years.” Baird, much to Hilary’s delight, already had a substantial social media following.
Many of his followers were women. Who were probably going to lose their minds when we announced our engagement.
The thought dredged up my main concern on Baird’s part in this plan: his playboy ways and just how difficult he was going to find it to abstain for three and a half months. Pennington’s wanted us to pick a venue from their selection for an August wedding. They would have to pull some major strings to host this wedding so quickly. But at least it would be over with by then. Once we completed the honeymoon shoot, of course.
“We can still make this go away,” Baird offered quietly. “If it’s too much.”
And lose my job?
Irritate his club who were already at their wit’s end with him?
“No. We’re too far in it now. Let’s swim. Swimming helps.” I pushed off before Baird could stop me.
The pool had always been the one place I could drown out the negative thoughts that often consumed my headspace when I was younger. Will didn’t know that was why I swam every week. I realized that I’d kept a lot of myself from my ex. Maybe because deep down, I’d known he wasn’t the right man for me? That thought hurt, so I pushed harder in the water until it faded.
For once, Baird didn’t try to joke or playfully pull me out of my worries. He let me swim, like he really understood that’s exactly what I needed.
There Baird McMillan went again, surprising the heck out of me in the best way.
Unfortunately, this … this was not a surprise.
Standing awkwardly at the edge of the cafeteria watching Baird flirt with the redhead who was sitting in what should be my seat, I felt a flush of agitation. He leaned in and whispered something in her ear that made her guffaw. She slapped his hand and squealed, “You’re so bad!”
Ugh. Could this scene be any more cliché?
A sick feeling churned in my belly.
Baird’s flirting had never bothered me before. It was almost a weekly occurrence for me to exit the locker room and find someone practically draped over him.
But here we were on the cusp of the biggest lie either of us would ever undertake, and he couldn’t stop himself from flirting with another woman on day effing one!
Sometimes, just when I thought Baird wasmore mature than everyone assumed, he’d do shit like this and remind me of our age gap. The level of my annoyance shocked me as it propelled me forward toward the table to slap some sense into him.
