Tackling Love's Playbook

Chapter 2

Frankie’s POV

Four hours later, I was sitting in Rhys’ kitchen drinking the best coffee in the world. I looked around the space curiously. I had been to Rhys’ zillion square feet house in a gated housing area a lot of times, but never to his loft in the city. I liked to call it the f**k pad much to my best friend’s consternation. It was where he brought his hook-ups because he didn’t want any of them anywhere near his real home.

A real home that he barely spent any time in, preferring to camp out on my couch during the off season and eat all my food.

“So…” I began only to get a stern look from him that made me clamp my mouth back shut. He was leaning against the kitchen cabinet, gazing far away. I always knew what Rhys was thinking. In fact, most times I didn’t have to look at him to know what was going on in his mind, but right now, I was at a loss. I had no idea if he was about to strangle me or…

Okay, no. There was no other option for me. I was definitely going to get strangled. I kept my eyes glued on his still form. He was in black sweatpants and a worn gray T-shirt I had given him on his birthday three years ago. You’d think an athlete with so much money in his bank account would be able to buy a t-shirt with fewer holes in it.

I was a tall woman at five feet eight inches but beside Rhys who was half a foot taller with impossibly wide shoulders, biceps as big as my thighs and thighs as thick as tree trunks, I always felt ridiculously small.

Rhys’ ocean blue eyes finally landed on me.

“It was really fun to get a call from the team manager and publicist this morning.”

“Really?” I asked hopefully. The bland look he shot me dashed my hopes.

“I also had to explain to our very disappointed moms that the rumors weren’t true because you wouldn’t pick their calls. And it’s not even eight am yet.” I slipped my coffee.

“Must suck to be you.” He shot me a deadly look that had me pressing my lips into a thin line. He sighed and raked a hand through his burnished gold hair. I watched in some envy as the displaced hair settled back obediently in place. My hair could definitely not relate. It looked like a bird’s nest even after half an hour of brushing and product application.

“There are pictures of the both of us on every news outlet right now.” He said. “I didn’t even know we were being photographed all those times we hung out.”

“I always said we should just stay at home and watch reruns of Friends.”

“And I always said your big mouth was going to get you in trouble. Interesting, I guess both of us were right.” I rolled my eyes at him. Drama queen.

“Look, this is an easy fix. You follow me to Howard’s wedding, let him fangirl over you, then we can tell the world that things just didn’t work out because we were so different or one of those ridiculous things celebrities say. It’ll take three hours of your life, tops and then you can go back to your Barbie dolls and tittering light skirts.” He gave me an amused look.

“Light skirts? Seriously.” I shrugged. “I don’t know, but you know what I’m talking about.”

“I wish it were that simple though.” I blinked at him.

“It's not? I’m a little bit confused here.” He walked forward and took the stool beside me on the kitchen island.

“They think that this is the best thing that has ever happened since sliced bread.” I gaped at him.

“What? So what does that mean, that you’re not getting canned for this?” He winced.

“Quite the opposite. I’m being commenced for finally settling down with someone that’s public neutral. That means that the public doesn’t know you and they can mold you into any shape they want and push whatever narrative they want. The public already did half the work by tracing our first known sighting and done apparently, we’ve been dating for two years, in which time I haven’t been seen with any other woman.”

I was sure my mouth was on the floor by the time he was done speaking. I huffed.

“If they could only have been flies on the wall of your f**k pad for the past two years.” He rolled his eyes at the moniker.

“So, let me get this straight,” I said.

“Your publicist wants us to go along with this charade.”

“They don’t know it’s a charade.” I raised a brow at him.

He gave me a look.

“You think I’m going to tell my manager that my ridiculous best friend lied to her coworkers that I am her boyfriend to show them up? Seriously?” I grinned.

“You have to admit, this would make a nice story to tell the kids. An epic how I met your mother tale.”

“You may have forgotten, but we met in a public pool when we were six, Frankie.” I waved a hand dismissively.

“This sounds infinitely better.”

“This sounds like a disaster.” I laughed.

“So we're boyfriend and girlfriend now. Oh my God. Am I no longer allowed to show up at your mansion?”

“Don’t you have to go to work?” he asked, exasperated. I sobered up at that.

“Speaking of which, what am I going to tell everyone?”

“The truth, but with a little tweaking. We are childhood friends turned lovers.” He shrugged. “at least that’s what I kinda insinuated to the team.”

“It’s boring, but okay. I’ve got to go.” I had to get off the stool.

“Not so fast, Frankenstein.”

There was a look in his eyes I couldn’t place. I just knew whatever he was about to say wasn’t going to be good. For either of us.

“I have a team fundraising event this weekend. Suffice to say that you are invited.” I let out a sigh of relief.

“You scared me there for one second. I thought you were about to say…” He butted in,

“Say that we are expected to act like a real couple at the event. A real couple, Frankie.” I nearly had a heart attack at the spot.

“Does that mean I’m going to have to kiss you?” my voice was shrill and horrified. No no no no no. No way.

“You set the wheels of this entire mess in motion, and now, there’s no backing out. Pack some breath mints in your purse for Saturday night, darling.”

God save me.