Chapter 9
brEAKING: TANNER LONG SPOTTED WITH GIRLFRIEND AT HOSPITAL EVENT Relationship status confirmed?
Alaia
It’s crowded in the parking lot of the hospital. There are news vans parked willy nilly all over the place.
They aren’t what scares me. The drove of people who cheered and ran toward our car when we arrived are the scary part. What will they think of me? Will they believe this charade?
Tanner squeezes my hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t let any harm come to you.”
“Harm?” I gulp. I was worried about how his fans would react to me – the boring, small-town girl – as his girlfriend. Should I be worried I’m going to be mauled?
“We can sneak in the rear entrance if you want.”
I motion to the fans inching closer and closer to the car. “We’re not sneaking anywhere.”
“If you don’t want to do this, I understand.”
I need to stop being a wimp. I agreed to help him repair his reputation, and I’m not one to back down once I’ve given my word – screaming fans or not.
“It’s fine. But if you abandon me, it won’t be.”
“I would never abandon my girlfriend.” He winks and my heart does a little flip.
He folds out of the car. I order my body to get itself under control as I wait for him to come around to open my door. There will be no developing a crush on my fake boyfriend.
No real feelings is what we agreed to. And I plan to stick to our agreement. I know better than to develop feelings for him. The second I care for a man – boom! – he decides to take over my life and decisions. Sometimes, even before I care for him.
Tanner easily maneuvers through the crowd. He’s not rude or pushy. He glides through the people until he’s opening my door.
He leans down. “You sure about this?”
“No. But we’re doing this anyway.”
He smiles and my heart decides little flips are not enough. It does cartwheels. I’d love to see him smile down at me every day.
Fake. This is fake.
And for a reason. Tanner’s a player. And a goofball who thinks life is a game.
I grasp his hand and he hauls me out of my seat.
“Tanner!”
“Tanner!”
“Is this your girlfriend?”
“Who is she?”
“Where does she come from?”
“How long have you been dating?”
“Are wedding bells in your future?”
Tanner ignores the barrage of questions as he walks us into the hospital. The paparazzi don’t follow us inside. Phew. My shoulders drop as the tension and worry about being scrutinized leaves me.
“Wow. Is it always like this?”
“Nah.” He escorts me into the elevator. “Usually, these events are low key. I don’t advertise when I’m visiting some poor kid in the hospital who’s a football fan. I show up, meet him, and am on my way before the press is any wiser.”
Huh. I expected Tanner – who appears to revel in the attention from fans and the press – to make sure everyone knows about his every move. I assumed he posted his agenda on social media.
I need to stop making assumptions about this man. There’s a chance – a slight chance – there’s more to him than I thought. More to him than being a goofball player.
“Why the press today then?”
“You can thank Belinda, the PR guru who’s trying to ruin my life.”
“I think she’s trying to help you.”
He blows out a breath. “I know.” The elevator dings to indicate we’ve arrived at our floor. “You ready for this?”
The door opens before I have a chance to reply. Several children in wheelchairs are waiting in the hall for our arrival. They cheer when he steps out of the elevator.
Tanner kneels in front of the first boy. “Hey, I’m Tanner. What’s your name?”
While the boy answers, Tanner motions to a man standing near the nurse’s station. He appears next to Tanner with a jersey and a pen.
I’m curious and make my way to the nurse’s station. There are boxes of jerseys, posters of the Seals, and press images of Tanner.
The man who handed the jersey to Tanner returns. I stick out my hand. “Hi. I’m Alaia.”
“I’m Jason.” He ignores my hand. “And I know who you are. Exactly who you are.”
Ah, he knows my relationship with Tanner is fake. He must work for Belinda. And he’s not impressed.
“How can I help?”
“You don’t have to help. I have this covered.”
Someone’s grumpy. I decide to ignore him. He obviously doesn’t think much of me.
I scan the area while I contemplate how I can help. The boys and girls are now lined up as they wait for Tanner to reach them. Excellent. I have an idea.
“Hi.” I kneel in front of the boy next in line. “I’m Alaia. What’s your name?”
“I’m Nate. Are you Tanner’s girlfriend?”
“I am.”
“Wow. You’re the luckiest girl in the world.”
I beam at him. “I am.”
It’s not a complete lie. At this moment, at this place, I feel pretty lucky. I glance over at Tanner, who’s in a lively discussion with a girl. His hands are motioning as he talks. He’s the reason I feel lucky.
No real feelings allowed, I remind myself before asking the boy, “What do you want Tanner to sign for you? I can offer you a poster, a picture, or a jersey.”
His little nose wrinkles. “I can’t afford a jersey.”
I pat his hand. “It’s a good thing you’re not paying for it. Be right back.”
I stand and make my way to the nurse’s station, where I grab a jersey. I notice Mr. I Have This Covered is now flirting with a nurse and ignoring Tanner. As long as he’s not judging me, he can do what he wants.
I walk back to the line. Tanner stands and intercepts me before I can hand the jersey to Nate. He herds me toward the other side of the hallway.
“You don’t have to help.”
“What am I going to do? Stand around and look pretty all day?”
His eyes heat. “You are pretty in your dress.”
I slap his shoulder. “Knock it off. You’re here to impress the kids, not teach them about s-e-x.”
“I’m all about teaching kids the important things in life.”
His gaze dips to my mouth and sparks explode in my stomach. I want his mouth on mine. I want to feel his lips. Find out how he tastes. How he smells.
“Kiss her!” Nate shouts and the other children join in. “Kiss her! Kiss her!”
“Kissing only if it’s strictly necessary,” I manage to remind Tanner. My body rebels at the words. It wants me to forget all about the stupid no kissing rule.
He cups my chin. “We wouldn’t want to let a bunch of sick kids down.”
My breath hitches. “You do have a point.”
“Ahem!”
Tanner ignores Jason clearing his voice as his head dips toward mine. I lick my bottom lip and he moans.
“AHEM!”
Jason hurries toward us. He clasps Tanner’s shoulder and pulls him away.
“You’re supposed to be cleaning up your image. Not making things worse,” he mutters.
“This is my girlfriend. I kiss my girlfriends.”
“We both know this isn’t your girlfriend.”
My stomach dips. Good reminder. Jason may be a jerk, but he isn’t wrong. This is fake. I need to remember this is fake before feelings get involved. I don’t want to develop feelings for Tanner or any man.
I need to keep my eye on the prize. An idea for an article that can save the Gazette is what I need.
“You don’t know shit,” Tanner grumbles before marching away. He kneels in front of Nate and I rush toward him with the jersey.
“Don’t forget this.” I shove the material into Tanner’s hands.
Nate squirms in his wheelchair. “I can’t afford it. My parents… they ah… they worry about how they’re going to pay for my hospital visits. I hear them argue when they think I’m asleep.”
Tears well in my eyes. I sniff and force them back. This isn’t about me. This is about Nate.
“Don’t worry.” Tanner glances around before leaning close to Nate. “The team gives me the jerseys for free for promotion.”
A smile lights up Nate’s face. “They do?”
“Yep. And I’m giving it to you. Shall I sign it?”
“Yes, please.”
I hand Tanner a marker, and he signs the jersey before handing it to Nate, who clutches it to his chest. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Tanner narrows his eyes. “You are a Seals fan, aren’t you?”
“The Seals are the best!”
Tanner ruffles his hair. “It was nice meeting you, Nate.”
He stands but he doesn’t move on to the next child in line. He holds up a finger before digging his phone out of his pocket. “Give me a sec.”
“What are you doing? The kids are waiting.”
“This won’t take long.”
I glance over his shoulder. I gasp when I read the message he’s typing. “You’re going to pay for Nate’s care?”
He shrugs. “I can afford it. His parents can’t.”
“Don’t make light of your actions. This is a big deal. It’ll change their lives.”
“Good. No one deserves to have money problems because they’re ill.”
“I could kiss you right now.”
He waggles his eyebrows. “I won’t complain.”
I giggle and slap his chest. “Go away. You have a line of kids waiting for you.”
“Don’t say I didn’t offer,” he sings as he swaggers away.
I observe as he chats with the next kid in line. Maybe there’s more to Tanner than being a goofball. Maybe he can be serious. Maybe goofball is a charade he plays for the rest of the world.
This is not a good revelation to have. Player Tanner, who’s always in trouble, is easy to resist. Serious Tanner, who wants to help out sick kids, is not.