Page 31 of Third Strike Smitten

Me

That’s the one.

Three seconds later, my phone starts ringing. I let it go to voicemail. It rings again but I silence it. When it rings a third time, I know Tara won’t stop until I answer.

“Hello?” I say, trying to sound casual.

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?” Tara’s voice is so loud I have to hold the phone away from my ear. “Fake date? FAKE DATE? Since when do you fake date people? You don’t even real date people!”

“I know, I know.” I press the heel of my palm against my forehead. “It sort of made sense at the time.”

“What does that even mean?”

“I got an email from The Step Forward Foundation yesterday asking me to be their keynote speaker and the invite included a plus one.”

“So, you asked out Killian Haynes?”

“No. Actually, he sort of invited himself.”

Tara laughs, but her tone is more disbelief than humor. “What?”

I rub my hand down my face. “I’m sorry, I’m not explaining this very well. It was late and there was candy and when he saw how stressed I was he offered to go with me, and then he told me the front office is watching him a lot because of his attitude on the field. He’s afraid he’ll get traded and taken away from his brothers and desperately wants to show the organization that he’s a happier, softer guy because of a new relationship…with me.”

When Tara doesn’t respond right away, I continue with, “So, we saw it as a mutually beneficial fake relationship.”

“A mutually beneficial fake relationship?” Tara’s voice drips with skepticism. “Isla, that’s the plot of literally every Hallmark movie ever made. This isn’t real life. This is a fantasy you’ve cooked up in your head.”

“But it’s actually happening,” I finish for her, sitting up straighter in bed. “Tara, I know it sounds crazy, but it makes sense when you think about it. He needs to show the front office he’s settling down, and I could use someone by my side at this gala who can work the room. Think of the money he’ll help raise for the foundation. It’s a simple and perfect setup.”

“Perfect?” Tara laughs. “Isla, you’ve been avoiding commitment since your accident. You don’t even keep plants alive because you’re afraid to get attached to anything. And now you’re going to fake date one of the hottest men in baseball? How is that simple?”

I open my mouth to argue, then close it again. She’s not wrong. I’m the queen of non-attachment. I’ve perfected the art of keeping people at arm’s length. So why did I agree to this?

“Because it’s not real,” I finally say. “That’s the whole point. It’s fake. No strings, no expectations. Just...mutually beneficial pretending.”

“And what happens when you catch feelings? Or worse, when he does? Are you really willing to hurt him the way you know you’ll have to when it’s time to walk away?”

“I won’t catch feelings,” I say, but even as the words leave my mouth, I’m not sure I believe them. “And he definitely won’t. Killian Haynes has dated half of Portland. He’s not going to fall for a flight attendant who teases him about his pitching.”

“Famous last words,” Tara mutters. “But fine. Let’s say I believe you. What exactly does this fake relationship entail?”

I swing my legs over the side of the bed, suddenly needing to move. “We’ll be seen together in public. Go on dates. Act like a normal couple. That’s it.”

“That’s it?” Tara’s voice rises. “You’re going to pretend to date Killian Haynes and you think it’s just going to be holding hands at the movies?”

“Okay, we might have to kiss,” I admit, feeling heat creep up my neck. “For appearances.”

“You might have to kiss,” she repeats slowly. “You might have to kiss Killian Haynes. The man with the piercings.”

I groan. “How do you even know about the piercings?”

“Everyone knows about the piercings, Isla. It’s not exactly a secret.”

“Well, it’s not happening. We agreed—no sex.”

“No sex?” Tara’s laugh is incredulous. “Girl, you’ve got to be kidding me. No sex? You agreed to no sex with Killian Haynes?” She makes a sound like she’s choking. “Isla, have you seen the man? He’s built like a Greek god. And you’re telling me you’re not even going to try to get a piece of that?”

“I’m not—“ I start, but she cuts me off.