by M. E. Carter
“I mean, you don’t even read!”
“Whoa there, turbo. I read.”
“Sports magazines and the comments on your social media don’t count.”
“You know I don’t follow social media. I hate that crap. What are you all fired up about anyway? It isn’t like I met the woman. I just sat there and played games on my phone while I let my knee rest.”
Huffing, Kate turns her attention back to her friends, muttering something about last minute additions to her game plan and a color-coded map. I ignore her rant while I begin rummaging through her bag of tricks for a water. Dear Lord, what does she have in here? Three granola bars, a bag of beef jerky, two candy bars, and four waters. What is this, a camping trip? Grabbing one of the waters, I twist the cap and just as I’m about to take my first swig from the bottle, I see the door swing open from the room where the panel was held. Out walks the woman who had emceed the talk, followed by the two authors. Some of the people in line begin to murmur as the authors walk down the hall.
I attempt to grab my sister’s attention while taking a drink of water by nudging her with my foot. Her response is a kick to my shins. My response to that is a mumbled “fuck” before I decide to screw with her.
“Excuse me,” I say, stepping out of line and toward the authors. The blonde who did most of the talking stops and smiles my way. I’ve seen that smile before; it’s flirtatious and inviting. Normally, I’d flirt back but it isn’t her who has my attention.
“Hello to you. Tell me who you’re sitting with today, handsome. We need to talk about my upcoming series. I think you’d be perfect for the cover.”
“Sorry, I’m not a model,” I reply before turning my attention to the woman in red to her left. “You’re Adeline Snow, correct?”
The woman stares at me, eyes wide, but no sounds leaving her mouth. No, the only sounds around us are those of my sister repeating “ohmygodohmygod” over and over.
“I’m Spencer. I was in your panel and wanted to tell you I’m looking forward to visiting your table with my sister, Kate. She’s a huge fan. You should probably watch out for her; she’s a little crazy.”
I didn’t think it was possible for Adeline’s eyes to go wider but they do, right before she lets out a long deep breath that sounds like a balloon deflating. Squeaks and all.
Chapter 5
Aggi
This isn’t happening. THIS ISN’T HAPPENING!
I cannot be standing in front of Spencer Garrison, gold medal winner, skateboarding legend and every book boyfriend I’ve created.
Who did I piss off for this to happen? This is what I get for using the last of someone else’s parking meter last month, isn’t it?
Is it because I saw a penny and didn’t pick it up, so I won’t have good luck?
There’s really no God is there? It’s just Zeus and, and . . . those other ones, and I’ve been smitted. Smitten? Smoten? Smote? Whatever.
Regardless, this is bad. This is so bad.
And now seconds, no hours have gone by while I stand here, frozen and sounding like a deflating balloon. Because that’s the sexy kind of impression I want to make when meeting the man I never wanted to lay eyes on for real.
How could this get any worse?
Donna nudges me with her elbow. “Adeline, the man is speaking to you.”
That’s how. That’s how this could get worse. By making a fool out of myself in front of an entire hallway full of readers.
READERS!
Oh geez. Okay, breathe Aggi. Breathe. He’s just a man. A hot, talented, smart, amazing man who smells so good. Ohmygod he smells good, I just want to lick him . . .
FOCUS Aggi!
Do not lean in. Pretend he is the hairy barista at your favorite coffee shop. Look up slowly . . .
Nope. Definitely not the hairy barista. Let’s try this again. Close your mouth, relax your eyes, deep breath, now speak . . .
“I write books,” I blurt out. Spencer looks at me like I’m a freak of nature because obviously I am. Fortunately, Donna is there to save the day.
“He knows that, honey.” She grabs my arm lightly and turns back to Spencer, laughing like I’m the funniest thing she’s ever heard. “That’s our Adeline. Always making jokes for the readers. Aren’t you, Adi?”
No. I never even attempt jokes. Just conversation is bad enough. But I can’t think, and in this moment, I’ll grasp onto anything Donna has to say as long as she gets me out of here quickly.
“Yes.”
Spencer furrows his brow, and all I want to do is summon Dr. Strange to come bend time, so I never leave that panel room and end up here. Because THAT’S not a totally weird and dorky thought at all.
“Okay, um . . .” Spencer clears his throat, obviously uncomfortable now. “I’m gonna, uh, go back to my sister.” He gestures over his shoulder and begins moving that way.
“Okay, BYE!” I accidentally yell and wave like an idiot, then turn on my heel as quickly as possible and speed walk away, not looking behind me.
Why is this happening? How is this happening? Why is Spencer Garrison of all people here at a signing?
I barely register the sound of footsteps following me, but I hear her voice. “Adi.” It’s Donna. She’s practically chasing me, yet another strange thing because Donna doesn’t run. At least, not in heels. Probably on a treadmill or in a marathon or something. She looks very muscular and fit and what am even thinking about right now?
“Adi, slow down.” She reaches me and grabs my arm, steering me away from the front door of the hotel which is my path to freedom from my worst nightmare come to life, and straight into the restaurant and a back table.
Guiding me to a table by the window, she plunks down in the chair across from me and spouts off some sort of instructions to the waitstaff. I can barely hear her as I sit with my elbows on the table, face in my hands.
Suddenly, a glass of water is placed in front of me. “Drink.” Donna’s demanding tone has me looking up at her. Her normal, friendly smile is missing, replaced by a scowl. It’s the same look my best friend Todd’s mom used to give me when I would come in from skateboarding wearing a dress.
“I always wore shorts underneath,” I grumble as my shaky hands pick up the glass to take a drink.
Donna’s expression suddenly changes to confused. “What?”
“Never mind.” Placing the drink back down, I take a deep breath and try to center myself again. I want to believe this isn’t happening, but it is. Or it did. I’m not sure which quite yet. Is it over? He said his sister is looking forward to meeting me. That means I need to get mentally prepared to meet Spencer Garrison again. Oh boy. I might need a Xanax for this. Or at least to get out of these heels. The chances of me faceplanting have skyrocketed.
Donna waits for me to finally make eye contact before asking the question I was hoping to avoid. “Wanna tell me what that was about?”
Like a deer in the headlights, I do what comes naturally. Avoid, avoid, avoid. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Pursing her lips, she clearly isn’t buying it. No one ever said sales was my strong suit. “Adi . . .”
“Fine.” I throw my hands up and take a deep breath. “I just freaked out, okay? Do you know who that was?”
“Hopefully my next cover model.”
I lean forward and hiss, “That was Spencer Garrison. Five-time X Games gold medalist and skateboarding legend. He has sponsors all over the world and has started a foundation to bring extreme sports to underprivileged kids to help ward off health problems and give them an outlet for their energy. He’s like, he’s like . . .”
Her eyes get wide as I search for the words. “He’s your muse!”
I press my lips tightly together, willing myself to play it off right. “No. No he is not.”
“Yes he is!” she practically squeals. Clearly, I need to add acting lessons to my to-do list. “I’ve seen the online discussions. People have been trying for years to figure out where you
get your inspiration from, but his name has never come up because you’ve never written about skateboarding. And this is why, right? You didn’t want anyone to find out.”
She is a little too excited about figuring out my deepest, darkest secret.
“Adi, this is amazing! Your muse’s sister is a super fan! Do you know what this means?”
“My world is coming crashing down around me?”
She points at me with another smile on her face. “HA! You just admitted I’m right. No. This means you have an in with him. It means you can get the exclusive with him for all the covers you want. Plus, can you imagine the kind of marketing you can do?”
I feel my breathing get heavy again. “No. No way will I ever do marketing with Spencer Garrison. Just . . . no.”
Her face falls because Donna doesn’t get it. She’s beautiful and smart and confident. She could flirt her way out of a paper bag. I’m just me. Nerdy girl with a love of bright Converse shoes and ’50s vintage style. I love architecture and history and watching the X Games with my equally nerdy best friend, Todd. I have a pen name for a reason—to keep me hidden because I don’t want this kind of attention. “Adeline Snow” has a hard-enough time keeping the dorkiness at bay. “Agnes Sylvester” will screw it all up and make me look like a complete fool.
But of course Donna has one of the strongest business minds in the industry and doesn’t let go of her ideas easily.
“Well, we’ll just table this discussion for later.” She picks up a menu and opens it, pretending to be looking through all the lunch options, when really, I’m sure the cogs in her brain are spinning at a rapid pace. “For now, let’s just have a nice lunch and get you mentally prepared for the signing, okay?”
I nod and grab my own menu, knowing there is literally no way to prepare me for another meeting with Spencer Garrison. Even if his sister has only one book and I can be done with her in thirty seconds, there is a high probability I can make that thirty seconds the most uncomfortable of all our lives.
•••
Donna did most of the talking during our hour-long lunch and honestly, I’m not sure what it was about. Something to do with her new release. I think it’s a complete reverse on the stereotypical broody billionaire romance with a woman as the one with the cash. That sounds like something Donna would write, and she’ll pull it off well.
But truthfully, most of my thoughts were about conversation starters for when the man, who I’ve inserted into every romantic idea of my life, and of course his sister show up at my table. At first, I was wishing the universe to strike them down with a twelve-hour flu bug, but then my Catholic guilt kicked in and I started praying for forgiveness.
I’m a mess.
I think I’ve come up with a few ideas. Basic things like: “Hi. How are you?” “How was your flight?” and “Would you like to give me babies?” I’m desperately hoping that last one is not the one that pops out of my mouth, but with me, you never know.
I’ve been going through the motions for the last however long, signing books for fans and that’s helped. Seeing them just as nervous as I am has calmed me a bit. Like we’re all in the same boat. The assistant who was assigned to me has only looked at me strange twice, so I assume I haven’t spouted off too much weird stuff.
Looking up at the next reader, I find myself smiling back at an adorable woman wearing a shirt covered in books that reads “I’m in a serious relationship . . . with books”. She looks so delighted to be here, like it’s Christmas morning. I love being part of giving her that feeling.
“Hi, how are you?” I ask kindly and hold out my hand. “I’m Adeline Snow.”
She grabs my hand and shakes it vigorously. “Oh my gosh, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m Kate, and I think I’m one of your biggest fans.”
I laugh at her boisterous attitude. I like her already. I could use some of her energy. She’d be better than a Red Bull.
Handing me her first book, I take it and try to personalize it a little bit like I always do. “To Kate, So great to meet my biggest fan!” followed by my scribbled signature.
“I hope it’s okay that I have more than one book,” she says, looking a bit flustered and nervous as she pulls more paperbacks from her cart. “It’s been my dream to meet you for so long I didn’t want to waste the opportunity.”
“No, it’s fine,” I respond, ignoring my assistant who is rolling her eyes. I know she was told there was a three-book limit, but if I’m the biggest celebrity in someone’s life, I want them to walk away feeling special, not like I shuffled them through.
Her face lights up as she hands me another book. “Oh thank you. I just love your books. I’ve grown up around extreme sports so when I found your books, it was like every teenage fantasy come to life for me.”
“Me too,” I admit. “My best friend and I used to have X Games parties complete with face paint and streamers.”
“Have you ever been to the games?” she asks, handing me yet another book.
I shake my head. “No. But I’m thinking I might need to next time they’re in my neck of the woods.”
“Oh my gosh you should! My brother gets me tickets every time, so if you need help navigating your way around or meeting some of the athletes, I’m your girl!”
She looks so excited, she misses the puzzle pieces clicking together in my brain. I just know the complete picture is about to come together in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .
“There you are.”
And there he is.
Spencer Garrison.
My muse.
My dreamboat.
My fantasy come to life.
The only man I have ever hoped to never meet.
I chance a glance over at Donna, who of course is watching this entire exchange happen while also interacting with her own readers. She winks at me, simulates taking a deep breath no doubt as a reminder for me to not pass out, and turns back to her line, smiling wide in greeting.
Breathe, Aggi. Breathe.
“Oh! I was looking for you,” Kate says to her brother. Her brother. Of course my muse’s sister is my biggest fan. You can’t make this stuff up. “I know you met Adeline Snow in the hallway earlier, but I was just telling her she should come out to the next X Games. You could show her around, maybe introduce her to people, right?”
He looks at me, with those deep blue eyes, and I can hardly concentrate on what I’m doing. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”
“Great! Just track me down when you need to get hold of him.” Kate continues to babble, completely unaware that my brain has basically stopped working. Then she slaps herself on the forehead. “Oh my gosh, who am I kidding? You won’t know how to find me. I’ll just email your assistant when we get close to the games and she can either hook us up or tell me to buzz off. That’s probably better, right? Adeline?”
I snap out of my thoughts so quickly that I forget how to sign my own name and somehow end up scribbling “probably better” across Kate’s book.
“Oh shoot. I’m sorry, I got distracted.” Understatement of the year. If the hair standing on the back of my neck is any indication, Spencer is still staring at me. Probably because I’m acting like a total freak around him. “Let me grab you another copy.”
“No!” Kate yells and then says sheepishly, “No, it’s actually perfect. I love that it’s not exact. It’s like this moment in time has been immortalized. I know that sounds weird, but it’s why I don’t buy signed books online. For me, it’s the moment I’ll never forget.”
She blushes prettily, and I’m hit hard by her words. This moment right here has been immortalized for her, like it’s been immortalized for me because of her brother. This is her dream come true, and I’m ruining it by being stuck in my head. Even if she doesn’t know it, I do.
Taking a deep breath, I look at her, really look at her and smile. “I absolutely agree with you. And I appreciate your take on this moment so much.” Closing the book and handing it to her, I add, “And yes, please email my assistant whe
n it’s closer to the games. I’d love to meet up for coffee or a meal.”
Kate beams at me. “Really?”
“Of course! I always have time for my biggest fan.”
She squeals and bounces on her toes. “Oh thank you! So much. Oh! Before I forget, can we get a picture?”
“Absolutely.” I stand up and walk around my table, determined to keep my focus where it needs to be . . . on my reader and not her super-hot, I-want-him-to-father-my-babies brother. I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate my thoughts on him.
But as I should expect, my good intentions come to a screeching halt. As I walk around my table, my heel gets snagged on the bottom of my banner and down I go . . .
Right into Spencer Garrison’s very strong, very muscular, very good smelling arms.
So much for my focus.
Chapter 6
Spencer
I stood back watching my sister in line for Adeline Snow like the awkward teenager I used to be. The woman sitting at the table with her readers is not the same woman I spoke with in the hallway a few hours ago. This woman, the smiling and engaging beauty who laughs along with her fans, is fascinating. I can’t take my eyes off her. Well, and she’s gorgeous. And slightly awkward still. There was a moment I was sure she was talking to herself, but she raised her chin, threw her shoulders back, and put on her game face.
I know it well. It’s one I’ve mastered over the years. Being a professional athlete has its perks but also its downfalls. The biggest perk is doing things like this trip with my sister or buying my mom a house in the country. Traveling and meeting celebrities was the highlight of my teenage years and dating models and other athletes a huge upside to my early twenties. Now, as an almost thirty-year-old man, it’s doing things for my family that I consider the perks.