behind me.
I turned. “Strangling you with the whistle cord while you sleep.”
His lips twitched. “Doubt you’re strong enough, but you’re welcome to try.”
“Don’t tempt me.” I tried not to slump, didn’t want to show any weakness as his eyes raked over me. “Did you need something? Other than some morning banter to go with your coffee?”
“Sore?”
“You have no idea.”
“I bet I do.” He looked behind me like he was searching for something and then faced me again. “You’ve got your physical first thing this morning and then we train some more. Your tryout for the Reign is set for next weekend.”
“Two weeks!” I yelled. “Actually we have less than two weeks!”
“I’ll get you there,” he said softly. “Just remember you have to do your part too.”
“My spleen did its part yesterday,” I grumbled. “Trust me.”
“Can I?” He seemed surprised that he’d said it as he narrowed his eyebrows and brushed a hand through his thick beautiful hair. “Can I trust you?”
I gulped. “Can I trust you?”
“That doesn’t work with me. You can’t answer a question with a question. Can I trust you? Taking you on could ruin my reputation, you know.”
“Or it could make you a genius for signing the highest-paid female soccer player in the world?” I offered lamely.
His eyes drilled holes into me. “Don’t make an ass out of yourself, out of us, alright?”
Us? What was this us business? I was about to say something when a knock sounded at the door.
My tongue suddenly felt thick as I remembered my last physical . . . Focus. I could do this. I could do this.
“I hope you don’t mind, but we’ll be doing a drug test as well,” Matt said flippantly as he left the bathroom.
Hands shaking, I felt tears well in my eyes.
The universe was against me.
Or maybe it was just powerful men with too much of everything going for them who were out to get me.
Or consume me.
Control me.
Own me.
I clenched my hands into fists and followed him out into the living room expecting the worst, when I saw a really pretty older lady with cheerful eyes and silver streaks through her black hair. “You must be Parker!” She walked up to me like she knew me, pulled me in for a hug, and then grabbed my hand and started walking me away from Matt.
Was this normal?
He was looking at his phone.
Hello, stranger danger!
I mean I could take her but . . .
“My name’s April.” She grinned. “This will be fast and easy. It always is. I’ve been working with Matt for the last few years, love his clients, and you look delightful.” Was this the part where she pinched my cheek and offered me a Ricola?
Before I knew it, the elderly woman in the black pantsuit with the pretty gold earrings was shoving me into the bathroom with a little cup. “We do this for every client.”
I bet they did.
It wasn’t unusual.
It still made me sweat.
For reasons I couldn’t talk about.
With shaking hands I took the cup, closed the door, and leaned against it as I let another tear fall before I walked over to the toilet and laughed at my predicament. That guy was a total ass, wasn’t he? I could barely even hover over the bowl and now I had to try to pee in a cup without my legs giving out on me?
Hilarious.
It took me at least ten seconds to get into position, and when everything was over, my legs were burning so much it felt like someone had lit them on fire and then done it again just to be sure they had enough to roast a marshmallow.
I winced, screwed the top on the cup, and then left it on the counter and made my way back out to the living room, where Willow was eating breakfast and Matt seemed to be stewing on the phone again.
“Alright, dear.” April walked past me and into the bathroom. I went in search of some orange juice. Within five minutes, April was escorting me back into the bathroom and doing her physical, checking each part of me and then pulling out a tourniquet. “I need to take some blood and then we’re all through!”
“I hate needles,” I confessed.
“Don’t we all?” She just laughed. “You sit on the stool right there, and I’ll tell you a Matt story about when he was little and refused to get a shot for pneumonia.”
I sat immediately. “You knew him when he was little?”
She scrunched up her nose. “Of course,