“Sit.”The demanding tone he uses is one I imagine him using on his teenage son.
I do as he asks because I’ve heard that tone from my own dad, and it usually means there’s no arguing.
“What?”
He lifts his gaze.“We’re going to need to plan a very public proposal?—”
ChapterTwelve
Easton
Jagger stands and picks up the desk phone, pressing some buttons.“Hey, Janet, I need someone to bring me Foster, Hayes, and Decker.Can you make it happen?”
Ripley’s assistant must say something because he hangs up.
“Why would I do a public proposal?And why are you calling them in?”
“Because you’re acting like a bunch of rookies.Did you really think you’d go to the courthouse, marry this Hadley woman with your kid in tow, and no one would leak it?Now I’m thankful for the bullshit stories about you sleeping with the Trojans’ new general manager that brought me here so I can stop you from making a bigger mess of things.”He paces again.
“This isn’t any different than Hayes, or Foster, or Decker?—”
He raises his hand.“Hayes pretended to be in a relationship, he didn’t actually get married, and people forgave him because he did it for three orphaned kids so they could stay with the woman he loved.Foster knocked up his best friend’s sister, and it could’ve gone down a lot worse.And Decker is with the manager’s daughter, but they had something going on before… but you, you’re making plans without thinking of the repercussions.”
“No one has to find out.”I lift a shoulder.
“You’re Easton fucking Bailey.The shortstop for the Chicago Colts.Do you think no one is going to see this Hadley with a baby and do some digging and find a marriage certificate?Come on, you’re smarter than this.”
I rock my head from side to side.Okay, he has a point.I guess I’m a bigger deal than I think.
A knock lands on the door.
“Come in,” Jagger says.
My three friends come in, each of their sets of eyes falling to me first, then Jagger.They all stay by the wall as if they’re scared to come in any farther.
“You three knew?”Jagger crosses his arms.
They each side-eye me, then nod.
“And no one thought to tell Easton,hey, why don’t you give Jagger a call?No one wanted him to learn from your lessons?”
Right now I’m envisioning Jagger as the meanest drill sergeant during basic training, the one everyone hears about before they go in, praying he won’t be theirs.
“It only went down last night,” Hayes says.“And?—”
“And you were all too worried about fucking your wives and fiancées before the season started to guide your friend out of trouble.”
“With all due respect, it’s Easton.He’ll do what he wants,” Decker says.
My eyebrows draw together.I guess he has a point.
“There isn’t a lot of reasoning with him,” Foster adds.“Plus, it’s not really my business.”
“He’s your friend and teammate.It is your business because this will all blow up in his face.The speculation once people catch a whiff of something going on and the rumors that will turn into bullshit and then spread into crazy stories.”Jagger sets his gaze on me.“You’re doing this no matter what?Can I talk you out of it?”
I shake my head.“Hadley needs me, and I need her.I made the deal, so…”
“I don’t get you guys.”He puts his hands on his hips.“Do you love her?”
