“Get what?”
“Get how you got caught up in this mess with Sinclair and why you’ve gone along with it this whole time. You’re a spitfire, aren’t you?”
“Not even remotely.” I laugh, which masks the truth of what I’m saying. I’m going to do my best to be what Blaise wants me to be. My trip to California, an opportunity to literally run for my life if I chose that, knowing that Donovan would be taken care of, only built my confidence in how I feel about Blaise.
I do love him.
And I do need to hold him accountable.
And I do want another baby.
And I do agree that the safest, smartest, most reasonable option is to go through a surrogate. It was a miracle that I conceived Donovan. Not just a miracle, but fate. I doubt it will happen again if we want it to.
I do need to do everything I can to ensure the longest, healthiest life I can for my family.
Blaise is standing next to me but engrossed in a conversation with one of Tamara’s other guests. But I wrap my arm around his waist, and without missing a beat, he throws his arm around my shoulder and pulls me in.
Tamara’s eyes soften. “You’re going to be good for him,” she says with a smile.
“Yeah, I hope so.”
“No, I mean, you better be good for him because he’s costing us a stupid amount of money right now. And you better not be planning on jetting off again any time soon, because we’re starting him on ten-hour PT tomorrow. He needs to be at the training center at eight, and he’s going to need dinner ready for him when he gets home. He needs to be a damn machine when he comes back. Got it?”
I nod solemnly. I’m an okay cook, but I don’t think Tamara is the one to ask about what he needs to eat, not after she paid for not only my ring but is also apparently slipping Blaise an extra stipend off the books to help with daily expenses. I do a quick flip of my mental rolodex and decide I’ll talk to Cadence about it. Ask her what she feeds Dominic.
I stare Tamara down hard to hold back a giggle at the thought of whether or not there’s canned quarterback chow out there, and my eyes start to water when I realize Dominic probably gets the senior formula.
I swear Tamara is reading my thoughts when it pops into my head that clearly, Dominic is eating Cadence, but Tamara doesn’t say she’s psychic, and there’s nothing I can do to stop my brain.
The stadium beyond the glass walls of the owner’s suite grows louder, and we look out to watch the boys take the field.From my peripheral, I catch Blaise slump, so I squeeze his hand.
“We’ll get you back out there soon,” I assure him, even though he’s the one who’s gotta put the work in. But the motivation is there. He’s going to do it.
On my other side, Tamara says in a low voice, “Sinclair says your people are working out what to do about these emails he’s been getting. Are you sure they’ll be able to handle it?”
I grin, but I keep it just a lift at the corner of my lips. Tamara is incredibly subtle; I need to be, as well. “I’ve been assured they’re the best of the best.”
“Any chance you’d tell me who it is who’s praising them so highly?”
“Emerson Michaels.”
That has her turning her head. I guess she hasn’t been paying attention to the sports gossip columns this week. “Oh, you do know some people. If anything changes, you let me know. And, Sinclair?”
“Yes, ma’am?” Blaise replies over my head even though Tamara is no taller than I am.
“Gimme that baby. In this box, he’s mine.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Chapter 33
Blaise
Leo McConnell is the scariest-looking motherfucker I’ve ever seen in my entire life. It’s a surprising assessment, considering how many men have forced me to eat astroturf over the years, and this man is pale and quiet and scrawny, but Jesus. He’s got white blond hair like a movie villain and bright blue eyes that look like they shoot laser beams, and everything about his demeanor tells me he’s a robot.
I casually take Donovan from Tilly, but I’m not sure how to also protect Tilly. When she received a message from Emerson that she needed to be at Aubergine & Ash at seven o’clock tonight, I assumed some of his vegan California film people were going to be in town and needed dinner and maybe some costumes fitted. Since Emerson is among the many people saving my ass until my next big paycheck comes in — and making sure I getto keep it this time — I wasn’t going to begrudge him any weird demands he put on Tilly, but I also wasn’t going to let her go alone.
Besides, why wouldn’t he want his bougie friends to meet me? I’m great.
