Mindy leads us to a table with two stacks of magazines. I sit and begin signing while Ryder places herself beside me, her eyes trained on the crowd, ignoring Mindy’s overbearing attempts to be as helpful as possible.
“Well, I could say it’s funny running into you here, but that would be a lie.”
Ryder slides closer as my eyes drag up to the man standing before me.
He gazes at the giant picture of me hanging over my head as if he’s just noticed it.
Jared Reynolds is a snake poking his head out of a hole, hunting for prey. He needs to move on before he finds out he chose wrong. Again.
“What’s up, Jared?” I ask, returning to the stack in front of me.
“I should ask you. Seems you’re having a bit of a rough go again this season.”
Ryder moves even closer, her hip bumping into my elbow, as one hand grips her middle finger on the other.
His eyes run over her, and I stand, making it clear I’m not putting up with any of his shit. And if he looks at her one second longer, he’ll find out what kind of season he’s having.
“Jared, it seems you still don’t have your facts straight. What do you want?”
He smiles. It’s grossly slick and makes me want to punch it off his face.
“Ahh.” He rubs his pointy chin. “Just wanted to remind you that you still owe me, and someday, I’ll collect.”
“All I did was walk away from a bad proposal. You broke contracts when you couldn’t make good on them. It’s how the business world works, and that’s what it was, business. I don’t owe you a thing.”
He laughs, but it’s full of arrogance and spite. “We’ll see about that.” He gives Ryder one last once-over before he slithers back into the crowd.
“Want to tell me what that was about?” Ryder asks quietly, but her tone is tight.
I scribble my name across a cover and move to the next one. “When I signed with the Stingrays, he wanted me to endorse his product, but it was a bad deal. I turned him down, and he couldn’t deliver what he’d promised his stakeholders. He blamed me for losing money and credibility.”
“How much are we talking about?”
“I don’t know for sure, but apparently enough that he’s still bringing it up two years later.”
We’re interrupted when the CEO ofSportsElitestops to chat and pose for photos, along with a few fans who won VIP passes. Ryder sticks close, observing every exchange.
I finish my duties and push away from the table. “Thanks for the help, Mindy. Unless you need something else, I have a promise to keep.”
Ryder’s eyelids droop, but I sense a smirk hidden in that glare.
“I think that’s it. You’re free to enjoy the rest of your evening.”
There’s a sharpness to Mindy’s dismissal that I know Ryder doesn’t miss when her knuckle taps the back of my hand.
I’m tempted to snatch it, making things perfectly clear to Mindy, but I refrain.
“I’ll see you next week,” Mindy says through a forced smile before turning on her heel and stomping away.
“Man, she has it bad for you,” Ryder says quietly.
My hand unconsciously moves to her lower back, attempting to shield her from Mindy’s dagger eyes.
“Let’s try to stay along the edge where there are fewer people,” she directs.
I lead, but Ryder forces herself between the crowd and me. Further in, groups gather around tables, laughing and dancing in front of a small stage where a DJ mixes music.
I scan the space for Nick, even though I’m certain he isn’t here.
