Page 27 of Turn Me On
Maddox smiles but then looks away. “And Priyam and I looked at your pics on Insta,” he adds, surprising me. “The press shots. We talked about who you are—which I don’t entirely know yet but I’m learning—and I said you’re a good guy.”
“I am.” I certainly want him to see me that way. It feels vital for this next step in my career.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he turns to me again, pulling his gaze from the hills and locking his eyes with mine. “Good. Then we’re being honest.”
But have I been totally honest? I haven’t lied but I haven’t shared all my reasons for needing this to happen. Maybe it’d help him do his job. His business style is so forthright.
“So, the thing is—”
But someone steps up to us just as I begin and, in a warm and friendly voice, tells Maddox, “Hey, I need to take off. I’ll see you back at your place.”
“Cool. Make sure to turn the floodlights off in the backyard,” Maddox says, then turns to me. “And Bryan, this is Zane Archer with the San Francisco Dragons. Zane, this is my buddy, Bryan. We went to college together.”
We shake. “Good to meet you, Bryan.We need to talk baseball sometime. But for now, I have a question about our buddy here,” I say, letting go to curl my hand around Maddox’s shoulder.
“Hit me up,” Bryan says amiably, and Maddox watches us closely, carefully.
“How many rules does he have in his house?” I ask. Bryan breaks into a grin as I continue, squeezing my agent’s shoulder. “Now I know about the floodlights, but I’m guessing, let’s see, no shoes on the hardwood floors, if you finish the oat milk, you need to replace it within twelve hours, and no matter what, no sleepovers without prior approval from Mr. LeGrande.”
The eye roll from Maddox is nothing short of epic. “I don’t forbid sleepovers,” he says.
“But everything else is true,” Bryan stage whispers.
I thrust my arms up in victory. “Called it! I knew he drank oat milk. Is his home super minimalist?”
“Monochrome as far as the eye can see and barely a thing in sight,” Bryan says, grinning.
Maddox clears his throat. “Maybe I will revise that no sleepovers rule.”
Bryan scoffs. “Nah. You’re not that cruel.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna have to side with Bryan on that one. No way would you do that,” I chime in.
Bryan grins, looking delighted, then says, “And on that note, I’m outta here. Good meeting you, Zane.”
“You too, Bryan.” Once he’s gone, I turn to Maddox. “Good guy.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“It’s fun seeing someone giving you a hard time. And it’s kind of like bumping into your teacher outside of school or your doctor at the supermarket.” I let myself tease him a little, thinking Bryan’s ribbing might have warmed Maddox up a bit.
“I sure hope you don’t think of me like a doctor or teacher.”
“You know what I mean. I’ve only seen your super-agent side.”
“That’s not true,” he says softly, before putting his professional mask on again. “You were about to say something? Before Bryan came over?”
I was, but he’s cool again so quickly, which worries me. “Are we good?” I ask, not bothering to mince words.
He blinks. “What? Yes. Why would you ask that?”
I don’t want to play games. “That night at dinner, you said I was a hard man to read. But that’s you tonight, Maddox LeGrande. You’ve become so…serious and polished.”
He swallows, nodding, seeming to take that in. When he speaks, his voice is lower—more vulnerable than I’ve heard him before. “I have to be…around you.”
My senses go on high alert. “Yeah?”
“Yes. I absolutely do.”