Relationship Goals

CHAPTER ONE

Abigail

My leg jangles nonstop on the floor, and I twist the leather purse strap in my hands, even though Jean's giving me that look, the one that plainly says Get your shit together. I can't help it, though. This meeting with the owners of the LA Aces is so far out of my wheelhouse it may as well be in the Mariana Trench.

Is that what it's called? I frown.

"What are you thinking about?" Jean asks. I can read her exasperation in the way her brows try to furrow but don't quite make it there, thanks to her overenthusiasm for Botox injections.

"Underwater topography," I blurt. "Is it called topography if it's underwater?" I tilt my head and study the sunlight cascading through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Ah, yes, there's the good old ADHD showing up right on time.

"Suuuure," she sighs. "Listen, these men we're meeting with-" She pauses, her eyes narrowing on me, likely making sure she has my scattered attention. "They're businessmen. Sharks, you get me? Aaaand"-she draws out the word-"they know Richard Grace personally. You need to make a good impression. You know how men talk."

I close one eye, then the other, finally squinting at her.

I know all this. She knows I know all this. Jean's as nervous as I am. Her anxiety shouldn't offend me. She wants me at my best. That's a good thing.

We both want me to nail this project. Richard Grace is the director in Hollywood to work with, and the fact I've snagged a role in his film is everything I've ever wanted. Sure, the press is going wild with rumors that my ditzy personality and less-than-stellar acting chops won't be enough for a part of this caliber-but he believes in me. Enough that he set up this meeting with the LA Aces owners so I could bring "the proper knowledge and gravitas" to his upcoming film about the International Football Federation's corruption scandal.

I can do this. Probably. Most likely.

I inhale deeply, letting oxygen flood my body, trying to calm my nerves. Not that breath work has ever really helped still the constant electric hum of energy that rattles through me every waking moment. People call it a superpower, but they don't seem to understand that sometimes all I want is peace and quiet in my own skull.

If I pull it off, this could be my big break. It could finally mean a role that's more than just the quirky best friend or the manic pixie love interest. I mean, a film about team owners and league officials taking bribes from cities who want to host the international soccer finals? All the top brass were guilty of things like racketeering and fraud, even blackmail. That spells a character I can really sink my teeth into, and Grace sending me out to research with the Aces . . . it means more than just shutting up the press.

I am going to take this moment, this opportunity, and I'm sure as hell going to make the most of it.

My nose scrunches up.

Jean's Italian leather heels tap lightly on the tasteful gray-veined marble floors.

A bird winging past the huge floor-to-ceiling windows catches my attention for a moment, and it arcs over the emerald-green practice field below.

My smile disappears, replaced by pursed lips I'm 99 percent sure will result in new lines guaranteed to be featured in before and after pictures on social media down the road.

Richard Grace is known to be as exacting and demanding as they come, and being cast in this film could change everything for me. It's already generating Oscar buzz, and it won't even come out for another couple of years.

Fear surges through me. What if the press is right? What if I can't pull it off-

"Abigail," Jean says, and her snappish tone tells me it's not the first time she's said my name.

"That's me." I make myself look away from the blue sun-soaked sky out the window and turn on my smile.

"Tell me you're taking this seriously," Jean pleads qui

Ted Lasso meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days in this steamy sports romance about an infamous star soccer player who is forced to fake date a Hollywood starlet, only to develop real feelings for her just as she learns he was pretending and vows to get even.

Abigail Hunt s Hollywood dreams could best be described as slow burn but she s about to graduate from TV sidekick to dramatic actor. When the esteemed director of her breakout role suggests a deep dive for her part by shadowing the head of a struggling pro soccer team, she jumps at the chance to prove she s ready.

Getting asked out by notorious grump and gorgeous star player Luke Wolfe wasn't in the plan, but suddenly her research is getting a lot more...hands-on. Their relationship quickly sets social media on fire, and Luke seems determined to prove he s more than his villainous reputation. But just when Abigail is happier than ever her name in lights and her heart in good hands the other cleat drops: Luke s been coerced into faking their relationship to improve the team s ticket sales.

Furious, Abigail refuses to give Luke the satisfaction of dumping him she decides to get even. Over-the-top dates, treating his games like fashion shows, and befriending the fan club he hates? Count her in. It s only a matter of time until she pushes the right buttons.

She just didn t expect him to keep putting up with it or to say I love you.