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When we reach it, sure enough, Cooper is dressed in joggers and a crisp T-shirt in front of a green screen pretending to throw a football, smiling at no one. Those dimples that hooked me from the first time we met are prominent. It’s unfair that he’s as good at football as he is good-looking. The universe should have gifted one or the other.
His agent, Jagger, stands to the side. He’s dressed in a perfectly pressed suit that fits him like a glove. The man is attractive, and he knows it. Thankfully, he also loves his wife and kids. So much so that he doesn’t always attend these kinds of things.
I place my hand on Jagger’s shoulder, and he turns, his face lighting up in a genuine smile. “Elle!” He wraps his arms around me, pulling me into him.
“How is the family?” I ask when we separate.
Bradley steps next to me with a stack of cookies in his hand. Guess he found the craft services table.
“Great. I forced them here on vacation. My son is in agony without his game console.” He laughs as though he enjoys tormenting his son.
“Oh, we should’ve done dinner. I have Quinn’s latest on my e-reader, but it’s been crazy at work. Tell her I’ve converted the entire Mercy Hospital staff into her fans.”
He beams. “Oh, she’ll love that. I mean, it’s easy to write all those awesome romance stories when you have a real-life hero like me as your husband.” He puffs out his chest.
I laugh. “I’m sure she’d agree with you.”
He laughs even harder, and it interrupts the photo shoot. Everyone working on the set turns toward us.
“Sorry,” I whisper.
Jagger backs up, and I find Cooper staring at Bradley. Bradley’s too busy eating his cookies and looking around as though he’s a little kid at the North Pole.
When I first started dating Bradley, I wasn’t prepared for how much he loves fame. He never shies away from being recognized, and he practically announces who he is when we go places.
I guess whatever was working isn’t now that we’ve interrupted them, so the photographer calls a five-minute break, telling Cooper he needs to change into his next outfit. Cooper holds up his hand to tell them in a second and heads in our direction.
When I hug him, he barely hugs me back.
“I thought it was just you coming,” Cooper says, and I can tell from his tone that he’s not happy.
“Sorry, he said he hasn’t scored an endorsement deal yet and wanted to know what it was like.”
“Nice excuse,” he says so softly that I’m not sure he wanted me to hear him. Cooper greets Bradley and puts his hand out, but they end up having to bump elbows because Bradley’s hands are still full of food.
“Man, this is awesome.” Bradley doesn’t actually say hello or thank Cooper for not telling him to get out. “And you do how many of these?”
Jagger eyes me and nods toward Bradley as if asking “Who is this guy?” I’m not super surprised. I mean, Jagger represents top-tier athletes—for example, Cooper. Bradley is just coming up and hasn’t really made a name for himself yet.
“Jagger Kale?” Bradley’s mouth hangs open. Did he really just notice him?
“Hey, man. Bradley Powers, right?” Jagger says. I guess he does know him.
Bradley’s eyebrows shoot up. “You know me?”
“It’s my business to know you. Thanks for making our man look so good last game.” Jagger puts his hand on Cooper’s shoulder and squeezes.
“I make myself look good,” Cooper says. “Hey, want to come with me for a second?” he asks me.
Bradley and Jagger are now in a conversation about how Bradley can get one of these endorsement deals and Jagger is asking who his agent is, so I sneak off.
Once we’re in the hallway, Cooper takes my hand and leads me to his changing room. The door shuts, and he stands with his back against the door while I look around the space.
“What’s wrong with you?” I ask.
“Nothing. I just…” He shakes his head. “Nothing. So what does this mean for lunch? Another threesome like breakfast the other day after the flu shot drive?”
I sit in his makeup chair, spinning around as if I’m five years old. “I thought you liked him?”
