Chapter 7: Thad

Chapter 7

Thad

I want to hate Kelley. I really do. Or, did. But reading his file, seeing the struggles he has faced in this industry because of it, it was the stark kick in the ass I needed to remember that I have no idea what’s going on in anyone else’s life. I have no right to judge him or any other client because of what they have.

Am I saying I’ll forever be cured of assholedom? No. I’m most likely going to need constant reminders to get my head out of my ass, but I’m hoping I will now be able to remind myself instead of waiting for a potential client to be so close to threatening my job.

“So, I was thinking,” I say.

Kelley perks up. “Thinking what?” The way his voice sounds like sex, I’m guessing he’s not thinking what I was. Not that I haven’t been thinking about him in a sexy way, but that’s not what this is.

“Brady has obviously gone to a lot of trouble to get his partners, hookers, or whatever those two men were here. And it’s obvious he’s not ready for people to know, or maybe if they are hookers, then he doesn’t want that to get out.”

“I’d never say anything, if that’s what you’re getting at.” His interested gaze goes from sexy to angry so quickly. I wish I could say it’s not a hot look on him, but it is. Then again, so is his vulnerable side. And his backside. Okay, and front .

I shake my thoughts free. “No, I mean, we shouldn’t even tell Brady we know.”

“But if we told him he could go stay in that other cabin, he wouldn’t have to come up with more elaborate lies like ‘I’m going to go get firewood, and it’s going to take an hour.’”

I huff. “He used the firewood line on you too, huh? Or did he tell you that I’m so overwhelming as a roommate that he needs a break from me, so he was going to lie and say he needs firewood?”

Kelley’s face falls. “Do I even want to know why he said he needed to get away from me?”

“Nah, he wouldn’t use your mental health against you. He mainly complained about us bickering and needing a break from it all, but I assume he told you I was the problem so you wouldn’t think it was about you.”

He nods. “He probably knows I wouldn’t be able to handle thinking I was doing something wrong or stressing him out.”

“And that’s my point. Kind of. We should keep everything the same, so he’s not uncomfortable about us knowing,” I say. “We’ll keep giving him the excuse he needs to keep sneaking away.”

“You mean with the bickering? Why can’t we tell him we’re cool if he has people to see … or do while we’re here?”

“He’s keeping it a secret for a reason, and what if we say, hey, we know, and it’s cool, but all he sees is the pressure to tell his uncle before we do? I’m not saying I would do that, but I don’t want to put Brady in a position where he feels like he needs to trust me.”

Kelley cocks his dark eyebrow at me. “Not a trustworthy person, then?”

“I don’t know how much I’d trust the bitter guy who appears to not want to be here at all.”

“Fair point.”

“I can’t say I blame him.” I sip more cocoa. “I think all the interns hate me because of my attitude. It’s something I haven’t had much control over.”

“Your attitude or them hating you?” Kelley asks.

I snort. “Both? But no, I think if I analyze why I’ve been like that since I began this job, it might be more of that self-sabotage thing. Like, I’ve already failed at baseball, and this is my backup plan, but … what if I suck at this too? Then I will have failed twice. And I don’t have a backup for my backup.”

Kelley takes a drink. “Hot cocoa maker could be your calling.”

“Ooh, yay. Paying off my student loans with that could be fun. Maybe I could find a place who’ll let me sleep in their back room.”

“Trust me when I say your fear of failing can ruin your career faster than anything else possibly could, so if you can get past that or find a way to deal with it, then you’re going to be fine. Does writing out your goals help? If you can have a list of achievable and realistic goals set, it’s not as daunting as only seeing your main objective.”

“Are you therapizing me now?”

“Nope. I’m telling you what works for me. For instance, instead of looking at the big picture and saying, ‘I’m going to be a great sports agent with a shit ton of clients and financial stability,’ maybe start with ‘I’m going to get myself a client’ or ‘I’m going to impress my boss during this internship so I can be promoted when it’s done.’ Start small and work from there.”

He makes a lot of sense, and maybe by thinking in small steps, I won’t be so overwhelmed by everything. I’m only an intern. I don’t need to be thinking big. All I need to do is put in the work to show Damon that I have what it takes.

“I don’t suppose you’re in the market for a new agent? How’s Merek working out for you?” I’m joking. I don’t think I could work with Kelley without wanting to fuck him.

Only my joke seems to send him back into nervous squirrel mode. He looks terrified.

I laugh. “Calm down, I didn’t mean that.”

“No. I mean. But … well …”

Oh God, he doesn’t actually want me to represent him just because I apologized, does he? Get some standards, man.

“I kind of asked Brady to take over as my agent when the time comes.”

Ah. Weirdly, that hurts, even though it makes so much sense. If he was going to pick an intern, it could’ve been me, but again, I’ve treated him like dirt, so why would he ask me?

“Brady is a good choice,” I relent. “He’s going to take over the company one day. No doubt about it.”

“It’s not that I wouldn’t want you, but?—”

“Kell, it’s okay. It makes complete sense. Besides, I’m thinking I shouldn’t represent baseball clients anyway. I’m sure you’re not the only one who will have the stats and rookie career I would kill for. And you’re smart to get in with Brady before his client roster becomes too big and he can’t take on any other clients.”

Even if he’s an intern like I am, he already has two clients, including Kelley.

It’s weird that I’m unhealthily jealous of Kelley when Brady is the one who’s actually doing my job better than me and getting ahead already, but at the same time, I wouldn’t want the kind of pressure that Brady has on his shoulders.

He’s the nephew of the boss. He has secret three-ways, famous dads, and basically lives in the shadow of his NFL quarterback brother. When I say he’s the next big sports agent, it’s because he has to be.

When I played baseball, I was happy I wasn’t the best of the best. The best had way too much pressure on them. I’d strive for a happy middle, and I think that’s what I want from this job too.

Maybe this is why I never made it in baseball. All the athletes I know have that competitive edge. That need to be the best. I don’t have that. I want to be good, and I want to prove myself, and I loved being on a team that was number one. But that competitiveness? I only had it when it came to winning. Not me. The whole team.

“I went and made things weird again, didn’t I?” Kelley asks. He shifts uncomfortably.

“No. You didn’t. You just made me realize something is all.”

“That you really do hate me?”

“No. And again, I’m sorry I ever made you feel that way. I’m realizing that to do this job, I’m going to need my clients to know that while I’m not the hotshot that Brady is, I do know how to put in the work and get them the deal that’s right for them. I don’t need to be the best. I only have to be the person they need, and I like that.”

Kelley finishes off his hot cocoa. “That is a really healthy way to look at your position because I have no doubt that the intern bullpen is full of eager guys willing to stomp all over the others to get ahead.”

“I might have been eager to do that with baseball, but not this.”

Kelley blinks at me, as if he’s trying to figure out if I’m being serious or not.

“Don’t worry. I never kneecapped a bitch with a baseball bat. Even if I did, I think I’d have to kneecap about an entire team’s worth if I even wanted to qualify for Triple-A baseball.”

“Good to know. Even if I’m now a little scared of you.”

I finish off my drink, too, and then stand and offer to take his mug back into the kitchen. “Just the way I like it.”

I move to the sink and start rinsing the cups when Kelley follows me into the kitchen.

“You are intimidating, you know.” He leans against the entryway, arms folded. “That might be something you could work on.”

“I’m intimidating?” I put on an angelic smile.

“Argh. No. When you smile, you’re plain scary. But the scowl is what I found intimidating the most.”

I slump. “Okay, so I can’t smile. Or scowl. And that leaves me with …”

“Maybe you could be an over-the-phone agent.”

I’m trying really hard not to laugh. “Is Kelley Afton calling me … ugly?”

“No. Shit. The opposite. You’re too hot to even be able to concentrate, and—” His eyes almost bulge out of his head. “Holy hell, that’s inappropriate. I didn’t mean—well, I did mean. You’re hot as fuck, but I meant that … oh my God, I’m gonna go to bed and pray an avalanche hits me.” He turns to leave, but I’m hot on his heel. And hot everywhere, it seems.

At least in the eyes of Kelley Afton .

I knew he was checking me out. “Why are you running off so fast?”

“To die of embarrassment.”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Just because you find me so incredibly hot and attractive. Soooo irresistible. But not when I smile. Or scowl.”

He stops and turns his head toward me, almost hesitating before saying, “No. The scowl is very hot. But … intimidating.”

Even though he thinks my smile is scary, it’s hard not to at that.

“Fucking hell,” he mutters. “Your genuine smile is hot too. Can you go back to being an asshole to me so I don’t find you this attractive?”

I move closer to him. “But where’s the fun in that?”

Kelley’s tongue darts out to wet his lips, and the urge to lean in and cover his mouth with mine is almost unbearable.

Telling him I’m going to be more professional and then trying to kiss him really could get me fired. But … it’s not like he’s my actual client. I’m not his agent; I never will be his agent. So, is it really that wrong?

Apparently, it is.

Kelley steps back. “I should … go to bed.”

“We both should,” I agree.

There go those deep brown eyes again, trying to pop out of his head.

I smother my amusement. “Separately. Of course.”

Kelley swallows so hard I see his Adam’s apple bounce. “Yes. Separately. That is also what I thought you meant.”

“Good night, Kelley.”

“Good night,” he whispers.

Before he can disappear inside his room, I stop him for one last thing. “Thank you again, by the way. Not only for forgiving me for being a dick but for actually giving me some good advice.”

“Anytime.”

I might take him up on that.