“I don’t want to be in Arizona, Cam. I want to be in LAandI want my team to pay me what I’m worth. It’s not that hard.”
“Phoenix to LA is only an hour and a half flight—way shorter than Baltimore to LA—so you could always—”
“The whole point is I don’t want toflyto see my son. I want to drive a short distance to pick him up, and then I want to take him back to my house across town and tuck him into his little race-car bed in his own, permanent room. I want him to live with me part-time, Cam, and I can’t do that if—”
“I know, Rome. You think I don’t want that for you, too?”
“Make it happen, then. Since that’s your fucking job.”
“I’m doing everything in my power. If you want a guarantee you’ll get everything you want, without having to compromise a goddamned thing, then convince Coach to come with you. If you do that—”
“I’m not gonna ‘convince’ Coach to do a goddamned thing. The man bleeds Michigan maize and blue. I’m not going to ask him to risk ruining his legacy by retiring as a Thunderbolt, instead of as a Wolverine, if he’s not one thousand percent sure he’s willing to take that fucking risk.”
“Would it kill you to sell the man on the dream a bit, though? We both know you can sell water to a fish, so all I’m saying is—”
I exhale in frustration. “Look, I’m in the middle of something important here. Is there anything else you called to tell me?”
Cameron lets out a long exhale. “Did you check into the new place I got for you yet? I got a notification a couple hours ago you hadn’t checked in yet.”
Shit.“Oh. Yeah, about that ... I decided to stay at the bungalow all week after all.”
“The ‘Runaway Bride’ didn’t want the place?”
I feel like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar. “She’s staying with me. All week.”
“Roman motherfucking Maguire! We talked about this, and you agreed—”
“I changed my mind.”
“Goddammit. There’s no pussy in the world worth—”
“There is, actually, as I’ve been lucky enough to find out.” I snicker. “Repeatedly.”
Cameron gripes under his breath. And then, “Please, at least tell me you haven’t gone out in public with her.”
“If you want full honesty, then I can’t tell you that.” I give Cameron a rundown of my amazing day with Iris, and he grumbles and complains. “Look, I don’t pull this card on you very often,” I say, feeling intensely annoyed. “But you work for me, remember? Not the other way around. So, fine, you gave me your professional advice about what you think I should do, and I decided to disregard it. Which is my right, since this is my fucking life. Not yours. At this point, it’s time for you take offyour fucking agent cap and put on your best friend cap. Do that or shut the fuck up, man, because I’m done with this goddamned conversation and all your whining and bitching.”
I can practically hear Cameron rolling his eyes across the phone line.
“I’d have thought you’d want me feeling as relaxed and happy as possible,” I rant. “As you might recall, the ‘best sports psychologist in the world’ you forced me to see said me being relaxed and happyoffthe field will help—”
“Will you shut the fuck up already? You’ve made your point.” He exhales. “Goddammit, Rome, you horny fuck. I thought you’d slowed down on the one-night stands.”
“I have.” There’s no point in explaining my white-hot, irresistible attraction to Iris because Cameron wouldn’t understand. How could he, when I don’t understand it myself? Yes, I’m a horny fuck. Always have been. That’s why I had sex with Iris the first time, even before getting back the results of the background check. But after that, it wasn’t simple horniness that inspired me to plan a daylong romantic date today. No, I did that because Iris makes me feel something beyond simple lust. The truth is she touches my heart. She makes me laugh and feel good. She makes me feel protective, possessive, and jealous, even about hypothetical men touching her. And the best part? She makes me feel all of it without her knowing I’m Roman fucking Maguire.
“Anything else you need to talk to me about?” I bark into my phone at Cameron. “Because Iris is waiting for me back in the bungalow, and you’re pissing me off.”
“Where are you now?”
“Outside on the beach. I didn’t want her or anyone else overhearing our call.”
“Has she signed an NDA, at least?”
“There’s no need.”
“Fucking hell, Roman. That’s your dick talking.”
“Maybe, but it doesn’t negate the fact that she’s a trustworthy sweetheart, Cam. Trust my instincts here, okay?”
