I run my hand down my face and shake my head. “It’s not that good either.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Everyone is leaving
Jordie
“Hey, Carly,” I say, walking into my agent’s office and stopping short when I see her. “Uhh, are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just feeling a little puny. What can I help you with today?”
She looks more than a little puny. Her skin is pale, and beads of sweat dot her forehead, despite the air conditioner being set onigloo. And her face seems a little puffier than usual.
Taking the seat across from her desk, I set down three manila envelopes on the surface. “I got these from some local Houston businesses. I don’t know why they sent them directly to me instead of to my fairy god-agent,” I tell her with a laugh.
Carly snorts. “Because they think you’ll just sign them without having someone look over them. I’ll take a?—”
Before she can finish, her face turns green and she sprints from her chair and into the adjoining restroom with her hand over her mouth. I’m startled, but as soon as I hear retching, I stand to go help her.
“Carly, are you okay?”
I’ve only taken two steps when the door to her office bursts open, and her husband linebackers his way to the bathroom, almost bowling me over.
“Baby, I’m here,” Albert croons.
I nibble on my thumbnail for a second, unsure what to do, before making my way out to the reception area to grab her a drink. There’s a small kitchenette with a soda machine for clients, and I fill a glass with ice and Sprite. By the time I set the clear soda on the coaster on Carly’s desk, Albert is helping his wife back to her seat.
“Sorry about that, Jordie,” she says, her chest rising and falling with the effort to catch her breath. Albert dabs her face with a damp cloth and appears to be stricken with worry.
“It’s okay,” I tell her gently. “I wasn’t sure what you needed, so I brought you a Sprite.”
“Ahhh, thank you, sweetie.” She takes a large gulp, despite her husband fussing at her to take small sips.
“Have you been to the doctor?”
To my surprise, Albert and Carly burst into laughter, obviously both in on some joke I’m missing. “Actually, I’ve been to the doctor more times than I can count in the past three years. We’ve been trying to conceive.” She looks up at her husband with adoration. “We haven’t been successful… until recently.”
“You’re pregnant!” I shriek, pressing my fingertips over my lips. “I’m so excited for you both.”
“I’m more than pregnant. I had a round of IVF and recently found out thatall five embryos took.” Carly places a hand on her stomach. “So I’m having quintuplets.”
My lower jaw rests somewhere near my knees. “Holy shit, Carly. That’s… that’s a whole basketball team.”
She looks thrilled, her natural color returning to her face. Albert, on the other hand, looks like he may puke at any moment. But he swallows hard and hovers over the mommy-to-be, brushing a blonde curl from her forehead.
“I was going to talk to you about it today,” Carly says, draining the rest of her drink and sucking on a piece of ice. “Albert and I are moving to Wyoming soon to be closer to his family. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”
“And you’re probably not going to be able to work with five babies,” I surmise, filling in the blanks.
Her lips tighten into a sad smile. “I’m sorry, Jordie. I know this is your first year in the league, and I’m so honored you put your trust in me. I feel like I’m abandoning you at the beginning of your career.”
“Carly, hush,” I insist. “Taking care of yourself and having healthy babies is the most important thing right now. Don’t worry about me at all. I’ll… find someone else.”
“I think I have the perfect solution for you. I’m sure you’ve heard of Montgomery Sports Management?”
My eyes almost bulge out of my head. “Of course. Tanner Montgomery is a huge name.”
Carly reaches into a drawer and pulls out a folder with the Montgomery Sports Management logo embossed on the front.
