“Can I have a few days to think about it?”
“Sure, I suppose you have many options available to you.”
“Yes, thank you. I just need to adjust some plans, maybe.”
“Will you be in touch by Monday?”
“Sure. Yes. That sounds fine. I will call you back at this number on Monday.”
I couldn’t see the woman on the other end of the line, but I imagined she was leaning over her desk as she quietly asked, “Is it true that you’re dating Colton Crawford?”
My mouth hung agape as my fingers twitched.
“You can’t always believe everything you read,” I replied coldly, ending the conversation immediately.
Was this how it was always going to be now that I’d been tied to the sports superstar? My career blacklist nulled and voided with a single picture.
“I’m going to need that tequila. No margarita required.”
Chapter Eighteen – Colton
Sunday had come and gone and I was still sitting in a luxury hotel on the outskirts of LA. My agent snuck in sponsorship deals during the trip, which required my time there to be extended. Though I loved the weather and lifestyle of Hollywood, I missed Ashfield.
I missed the land, the mountains, and the smells. And, fuck, I missed Autumn fiercely. Everywhere I went, I swore that I saw her. Even at a local sushi place my agent and I dined at the night before, I stumbled over myself when I thought Autumn had walked through the doors. At second glance, it was clearly not her.
I’d reluctantly video called Autumn on Sunday when I learned my stay was going to be extended. She pretended to be okay with the change in plans, but I could tell by her eyes that she was disappointed. It was the same reason we hadn’t put a label on our relationship or talked any further about our path. We went day by day.
She’d mentioned the job offer to a prestigious group that had an office in Knoxville, but she said she didn’t think it was the right place for her. It was clear there was something she was hiding, but I had my own issues going on.
Sadie wanted to meet and I wasn’t sure that was the best idea with the way the press was still buzzing about with the pictures of myself and Autumn. But she was persistent. And that left a bitter taste on my tongue. My fear of her trying to use me to get ahead in her life, whether that be money or status, seemed more plausible every day. I was going to have to nip this in the bud once and for all.
“Colton, my man,” Lex, my agent, said as he strutted into my hotel room like he had zero cares that he had extended my trip by three days already. I was itching to get back to Ashfield. “We have another test spot today for-”
“For what, Lex?” I spun around, the vein at my temple bulging as I approached the agent that had been with me my entire career. “What is it for this time? A daytime talk show? A game show? Man, I don’t want to be a part of any of this. We agreed to the cooking show because there was experience with other retired athletes hosting similar segments, but you know that none of this is me. When I decided to retire that was to take a step back and enjoy life, not find myself just as busy.”
Lex held his hands up in defeat. “You’re right, man. I was only trying to help you get your feet wet so you’d have options. Right now, everyone wants you. I already have contracts for multiple spots that you tested for the last few days.”
My hand shot through my hair, leaving it in spikes as I sat on the edge of my hotel bed.
“Fuck, man. Look, how much longer do you need me here?”
Glancing down at his phone, he scrolled through what I assumed was his calendar before saying, “Another day or so? You have a magazine shoot after the test today and then the Hockey Network was hoping you’d be able to guest host the LA game tomorrow.”
“Okay. Then after that, no more. I’m tired, Lex. One or two gigs every once in a while is fine. Sponsorships I’m okay with. Just. . .slow down. Alright?”
“Alright. I hear you. I’ll let our contacts know.”
“Also, I’m going to need a plane ticket to Knoxville on Friday. And I need you to help me coordinate a meeting.”
Lex began typing away on his phone, arranging the items I needed. Looking up at me beneath his fuzzy furrowed brows, he asked, “Who is the meeting with?”
“Sadie.”
“Who?” he asked as the pitter-patter of him touching the keys on his phone stopped.
I turned away from him and faced the windows. Off in the distance, there was a mountain range. Rocky and brown, they didn’t look as resplendent as the ones in my backyard. I sighed, draping my arms over my thighs and hanging my head low.
“My sister.”
The flight to Tennessee had been quick and painless, even though I’d flown commercial, which sometimes could be hard to do if someone recognized me. After the flight, I grabbed a rental and drove straight to the restaurant where I had agreed to meet Sadie.
“Sir, can I get you a glass of water while you wait?” the server asked as he stood at the end of my table. I’d kept my back to the room and tugged the brim of my cap down farther as news of my signing with the Hockey Network went worldwide. I’d be able to work mostly from wherever I decided to call home, so long as I had a green screen and power. They were willing to bend over backward to have me on the weekly show.
There was still talk of me co-hosting a baking show on the National Food Channel, but that would only require my commitment for a couple of weeks a year. It was still a gig that made zero sense to me, but the team behind it seemed excited.
But my face was all over the place, this time for my career, which was better than for my relationships, but I knew that people were still curious about Autumn. The paparazzi that stood outside my hotel in LA floundered around me, trying to get information. Originally, I had planned to ask her to come along with me, but I’d second-guessed myself. We hadn’t defined our relationship and that would surely put us on another level.
But spending the week with her instead of having to text and video message would have been far better. God, I missed her. More so than I ever thought possible.
“No, thank you. I’ll wait until my guest arrives.”
“Okay. I’ll check back with you.” I couldn’t see him, but based on the sudden breeze I felt at the base of my neck, I was certain the teen had scurried away at breakneck speed.
While I waited, I scrolled through my phone, my thumb hovering over Autumn’s number. I had missed our call the night before because I was live at the hockey game. We’d messaged, but she seemed a bit distant, taking longer and longer to respond. Of course, I was to blame for her hesitancy. I still hadn’t told her when I would return. A lot of that depended on how this meeting went.
If Sadie seemed as genuine as I hoped, then there was a good chance I’d want to stay in Knoxville and spend some time with her. If I had even the slightest inkling that she had something malicious or selfish in mind, I wasn’t certain I could return to Ashfield right away. I’d need another day or two to wrap my head around everything that had transpired. And that I was still an orphan with no family. As much as I wanted to see Autumn, I knew that she’d have questions. Ones I wasn’t prepared to answer.
“Excuse me, Mr. Crawford? Your guest has arrived.”
