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Here it comes. The beginning of the end.
“There’s notypicalin my business, but if there’s an injury, it can cause a storm of trouble, depending on what deal we’ve hammered out. And no, I don’t have Miranda handle these types of issues. She could say the wrong thing.”
He pushed to his feet, tension billowing off of him. “So this could happen at any time, right? Not just football season?”
“I rep football, baseball, and basketball.”
He didn’t say anything, just ground his teeth together, making her stomach twist and burn.
“I know this sucks, Dylan, and I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you that this was a rare occurrence, but I have no control over it. It might not happen to any of my clients over a season, or it could happen to the majority of them. And if it’s not this, there are other things that can go haywire, like deals falling through or an athlete getting called out for steroid use. They’re people, like you and me. They mess up. They get hurt. They do stupid things. And it’s even worse than that. I’m not looking for any hot new clients right now, but when I am, I am at their beck and call. And to be honest, if a game-changer athlete called tomorrow and said they wanted me to rep them, I’d be crazy not to, regardless of my workload. Those chances only come once in a lifetime, and that’s if I’m lucky. And if any of my clients call and want me in Chicago or L.A. or Boston, or anywhere, for that matter, at three o’clock the next day to discuss terms, I’m there. I have to be. I wasn’t kidding when I said it’s a twenty-four-seven job. I’m trying to make it less so, but…”
He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. “I get it. I really do. But I’m not going to lie. At times like this, it does suck.”
“I know,” she said apologetically.
“I mean, you’rereallyon call twenty-four-seven.” He crossed his arms, creating a barrier she felt like a brick wall.
“I tried to tell you.” She rose to her feet as he closed the distance between them.
“I’m sorry,” she said at the same time as he said, “But we’ll figure it out.”
“What?” She couldn’t have heard him right.
“It’s your job, babe. You made a choice to be a sports agent. You’re good because you do whatever it takes for your clients. I get it, and I support your career and all that comes with it, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be times when I want to rip the fucking phone from your hands and throw it into the river.”
He put his arms around her and she tried to remember how to breathe.
“Look, all jobs have their bullshit. I’ve basically been on vacation this past week, but tomorrow I get back to running the bar and planning the annual fundraiser to benefit the Ronald McDonald House. And I’ll have to work late and deal with staff that doesn’t show up and missed deliveries and the rest of the things that go along with running a bar. You’ll have a list of things you hate about my job. That’s life.” He shrugged.
“So…you’re not breaking up with me?”
He shook his head and a small smile lifted his lips. “Over a few lost hours? You’re going to have to do better than that. Pick up another dude if you want to get rid of me. Or treat my friends like shit. Then I’ll kick you to the curb. But you’re not going to get rid of me by working. You’ll just piss me off occasionally.”
Unable to process the whiplash-fast change between what she’d expected and what had happened, she lowered herself to the couch. Dylan crouched beside her.
“You okay?”
She nodded. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“Other than what you’ve shared with me, I don’t know what your dickhead boyfriends have been like, but that’s ridiculous. I’ve had more time alone with you in the past two days than not. But I’m greedy when it comes to you, and I wanted more before I go back to real life tomorrow.” He shrugged.
“So you work a lot of late nights, too?”
He nodded. “Crazy shit happens in bars.”
“That makes me feel better, because crazy shit happens in my life all the time.”
“Stay over tonight? I have to get up at five thirty to meet Carson for a run, but you can sleep later. I won’t wake you.”
“You run with your brother?”
“You are avoiding my invitation, but yes. A few times each week if we both can make it. Which reminds me, my brothers help plan the fundraiser. We’re getting together for dinner next Friday night after Mick and Amanda get back from their honeymoon. I’d really like you to join us. You don’t have to help plan the event, but I’d like you to be with me and get to know my brothers.”
“That seems like a very big deal. Are you sure?”
“A bigger deal than spending the night or cuddling?”
“On par with both. Wait, it’s abiggerdeal because Brett saw me naked, remember? And he knew I was coming up for a booty call.Oh God, Dylan.”
