CHANGING THE PLAYER: Charleston Pirates #1 by Chance, Jacob (digital e reader TXT) 📕

I’ve built it from the ground up. Most days it still seems surreal that I have employees and that I’m able to pay their salaries.

“Sure. It’s the two dresses I dropped off at the beginning of the week, right?” Margot asks.

“Yes. I have a couple of events I have to attend this week.”

“Don’t sound so excited,” Margot says before spinning around and leaving me alone with my thoughts.

It occurs to me exactly how much Flynn and I will have our work cut out for us. We need to be convincing enough around the people we know that they don’t question the legitimacy of our relationship. But we also can’t go overboard at first.

Anyone familiar with Flynn won’t believe he suddenly fell for me after knowing me for so long. We’ll start off slow and let our fake relationship build just as if we were dating for real.

I let out a groan. This is going to be a lot of work and I’m going to earn every penny of that twenty thousand dollars he promised me. As much as I didn’t want to agree to the price, that money will benefit me greatly. I’ve been saving up to have a baby, but the timing never seems to be right. And with no man in my life, I need to do it through artificial insemination, which doesn’t come cheap. No pun intended.

As a single parent, I’ll be the only provider. If I want to take maternity leave, I need to make sure I have plenty of savings to utilize. I also need to make sure my business is running stronger than ever. After all, I have employees depending on me to pay them.

Part of me is afraid to take that step because I don’t want my business to backslide. It’s a risk, for sure. This is a cutthroat world, and it seems like someone is always waiting to swoop in and try to steal the most lucrative clients away.

I like to remind myself that another agent can’t steal away one of my clients unless they want to leave. If someone is going to fire me and go with another agent, they’re going to do it regardless of what I do for them. Some athletes think the grass is always greener on the other side, and no matter what I do for them it would never be enough.

Those same people typically bounce from agent to agent and team to team because they’re always looking for more money, more notoriety—just more.

Professional sports can be a fertile breeding ground for narcissism. Many athletes I’ve come across aren’t satisfied with, or grateful for, what they already have. Flynn has never been that type of person. He’s always been one of my easiest clients as far as pleasing him goes, and as such, also one of my favorites. While he does come with his own set of issues I’ll have to manage as his “girlfriend,” at least he’s not an asshole.

He has a great sense of humor, so I know the added time I’ll be spending with him will be filled with laughter. And at least we’ll have fun. We may have too much fun. Which is where one of my concerns comes in. How do I spend so much time with him and remain emotionally distant?

He’s like a vacuum sucking in everything and everyone around him. I hope I’m strong enough to resist his powerful allure. He’s everything a woman could want in a man, and I’ve always been extremely careful to keep that professional barrier between us to avoid any temptation.

If he weren’t my client, and he wasn’t so much younger than me, I’d give him a whirl. But he is both of those things. And now, with me pretending to be his girlfriend, that barrier will no longer be there, which scares the fuck out of me.

* * *

Sundays are always my favorite day of the week. My work often bleeds over into each Saturday, but I’m religious about making sure I get one full day of rest each week. Except for today.

The crowd’s wild cheers have me tempted to cover my ears. The Pirates’ fans are notorious for being among the loudest in the league. This isn’t the first football game I’ve been to, but it’s definitely the first I’ve attended as part of a fake relationship charade. In my mind I replay the phone conversation I had with Flynn yesterday.

“Nadia, I'm sending over a ticket for the game tomorrow.”

“Why?” I ask.

“I was thinking it would be a good way to lead into our relationship.”

“I’m your agent and everyone knows that. It’s not like we’ve never met before.”

“I know. But wouldn’t a woman who was interested in a guy want to watch his game in person?”

He’s got a point.

“Fine,” I grumble. “Sundays are my only day to myself.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt your free time. You can console yourself by counting the money I’m going to pay you. I’ll give you five thousand up front.”

“Flynn, money doesn’t magically fix everything.”

“Sure it does. I’ll see you tomorrow after the game. I’ll text you and let you know where to meet me.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t sound so glum. You’ll have a great time. I’ll add in another ticket so you can bring a friend.”

“Did you forget my best friend’s family owns your team? I don’t need a ticket. I’ll sit in their box.”

“Nadia, have you ever attended a game like a real fan and sat in the stadium seats?”

I sigh. “No. I always sit with Sadie.”

“That’s what I thought. I’ll send over the tickets. Talk later.”

“Flynn,” I call out, but he’s already gone.

And true to his word, two tickets were dropped off to me at my office along with a personal check for five thousand dollars.

“Whoo,” Sadie shouts beside me. It’s difficult to believe the Pirates super fan sitting next to me is the same Vice President of Operations I met with two days ago. Wearing a tight team tank top with her blonde hair loose and