“Screw you! You think just because you… you look like that and, and can throw a ball with some skill that it gives you the right to torment people? Screw you, Tatum Valor!”
His mouth drops open in surprise for a beat before it firms back up and his eyes go hard.
“I think you’re the one who’s screwed if you don’t agree to this deal. I’m not fucking with you, Savy. I’m asking you to help me and help yourself at the same time. And for the record, I don’t go around tormenting anyone. Think about this, as my girlfriend, you would have the whole team backing you up if your sister tries anything against you.”
I swallow hard at those words and feel a tiny spark of hope that he actually means what he says.
“No one’s going to believe that you would date me. Fake dating might work in books and movies but there’s no way we could pull it off in real life. I’m not the girl who gets the quarterback, Tate. Everyone will see right through it.”
That grin of his is starting to tug at his lips again as he holds something out to me.
“Take this. Wear it and leave the selling of us to me. Trust me, I got it.”
I take the jersey he holds out and clutch it against my chest. My brain is telling me that there’s no way this is going to end well and of course, it will be me who takes the biggest hit from any fallout but if he really thinks it will work, I want to know more.
“How, how will this work? I mean, what are the rules?”
He cocks his head to the side sending a shock of blond hair over his forehead and sort of smirks. “What do you mean? Have you never had a boyfriend before, Savy?”
I bite hard on my bottom lip as my skin flames red again and give a tiny shake of my head, making his eyebrows shoot up. Before he can laugh at me, I rush out, “I meant the fake dating. What do I have to do? Um, what do you expect from me as your…girlfriend?”
TATE
Fuck, this girl. She’s clueless but in a cute kind of way. She’s all stammering words and blushes when she lets her indifferent mask slip. I’m still a little bit pissed that she thought I was fucking around with her to torment her. It makes me wonder who’s been messing with her for her to have such a low opinion of men. Time’s ticking and I need to get back into the dressing room so I lay it out as fast as I can for her.
“I expect you to do what all girlfriends do. You come to my games in my jersey and cheer for me. You meet me in the hall after the game and gush about how awesome I played. Then we go to one of the after parties, make the rounds, dance, make out in front of everyone to cement the rumors and then I take you home. It’s that simple. People will believe what I want them to.”
Her skin is flushed with another blush and her eyes are huge behind her thick glasses as she squeaks, “Make out?”
It makes me laugh again. “Yeah, Savy, boyfriends and girlfriends kiss and make out. It’s a thing, trust me.” I scan her from head to toe taking in the tan corduroy skirt, thick navy-blue tights, and oversized cardigan covering a white blouse with a frown. “You probably have time to go home and change into something a little more stylish, like jeans or leggings if you want and you could let your hair down too.”
She looks down at herself and then hits me with a disapproving look. “No! You don’t get to tell me how to dress. There’s already enough red flags in this fake relationship as it is. This is me, take it or leave it!”
There is a bite to her tone and I kind of like that she’s standing up for herself so I just nod in agreement.
“Right, I got to run. Give your name at the ticket booth and they’ll tell you how to find your seat.”
I start backing away and I’m feeling pretty good about the deal I just made. I get to keep the skanks off my back for a while and I get a built-in tutor to help me get my grades up. This is going to work out aces for me. I lift a hand in the air and wink at her.
“Make sure you cheer extra loud for me, girlfriend. I’ll see you after the game!”
When I hit the door and yank it open, I glance back one last time and see Savy holding my jersey in a white-knuckled grip. She stares down at it and it’s hard to see from this distance but it looks a little like fear on her face. The door swings closed, cutting off my view of her so I push it and her from my mind, it’s time to get my head in the game.
I catch a dark look from Coach as I slide into the locker room for being late but I take it in stride and drop down next to one of my best friends and roommate Jude Dixon.
“You get her sorted?” He asks with a smirk as his tattooed fingers take out his eyebrow ring. He drops it on the locker shelf with the rest of the metal he has to take out before every game and shuffles his hands through his already insanely messed white-blond hair.
I offer my fist for a bump. “Yeah, she took the deal. Start spreading the word, Tate Valor is off the market.”
He bumps me back with a laugh. “Of course, she did. Bitches would pay you for a gig like that. I still don’t really get it, man, but I’ve got your back if this is the way you want to play it.”
I give him a sharp nod and then push all thoughts of my fake girlfriend from my head. I’ve got a game to win and that needs all of my focus right now.
I take a brutal hit in the second quarter that has me walking it off as the defense takes the field. We’re up by twelve and I’m feeling good about how the game is going so I take a minute to look up into the stands in search of my new fake girlfriend. I have to bite hard on my lip not to bark out a laugh when I spot her. She looks like a little mouse surrounded by screaming hyenas. She might be a mouse but she was brave enough to show up so it’s a start for now.
Jude runs in two more touchdowns in the second half for the win, making it our fourth victory in a row and putting us at seven to one for the season at the halfway mark. We do our media requirements, Jude more than me with all his endorsements, and then head to the showers.
When we finally make it out to the hall where all the family and girlfriends wait, I’m ready to call it a day and head home but I know that’s not an option. I need to hit the after party and flash my new girl around for a bit to make this deal fly. I spot Savy leaning against the wall at the very end of the hall, all alone. I push past a few women that try to get my attention and keep my eyes on her. I catch her eyes going wide behind her glasses when she spots me and flash her a grin.
