Page 38 of Tempting the Player
Bridget snorted. “Who isn’t?”
“I’ve been brought in by his manager to clean up his image. As you can imagine, that has been a near impossible feat when it comes to his extracurricular activities.”
Was that what they were calling being a general man-whore these days?
“I had managed to keep him away from the…women for the last month, and then you happened.”
The way she said it was like Bridget was a comet that had smacked into Earth. “I’m sorry, but I don’t see how his reputation has anything to do with me.”
“It does.” Miss Gore’s perfectly groomed brows knitted as Pepsi came out from under the table. “The only way I can repair his image is if he has a girlfriend.”
“O—kay.”
“And out of all the women he typically fraternizes with, you don’t take your clothes off for a living or make money posing for pictures, and you’re not a rich socialite who doesn’t know how to use the division table.”
Bridget would’ve laughed at that, because it was true, but a weird feeling was crawling up the back of her neck. “I still have no idea what this has to do with me.”
“If Chad were to settle down, even temporarily, with anyone who is average, it would do wonders to repair his image. His contract with the Nationals is on the line,” Miss Gore explained, and Bridget wasn’t sure if she should be insulted by being called average or not. “And that’s where I need your help.”
Her mouth opened. She hadn’t known Chad was close to losing his contract, and she wondered if his brothers knew. Surely Madison would’ve said something.
“I need you to pretend to be Chad’s girlfriend, only for a month.” Miss Gore tilted her head to the side. “It would involve a few public appearances with him. Of course, it would not be at your expense at all.”
Bridget stared at her. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
She opened her mouth again, but this time she started to laugh—the deep, belly-shaking kind. “Oh my God…”
Miss Gore scowled. “I don’t see what’s so funny.”
“This…” Bridget waved her arms. Poor Pepsi’s head was swinging back and forth between the two women. “I’m sorry, but this is probably the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. Pretend to be Chad Gamble’s girlfriend? Are you on crack? I don’t think anyone in the city would believe that he was capable of being in a relationship with an oven mitt, let alone with a woman.”
Miss Gore’s lips pursed and then she reached up, took off her glasses, and carefully folded them. “According to my records, you owe around fifty thousand in student loans?”
And that sobered Bridget up real quick. Her laughter died off. “Excuse me?”
“Remember how I said I have many tools at my fingertips?” She held the glasses in her lap. “You went to University of Maryland and graduated with a degree in history; however, without a doctorate in that field, there’s not much you can do. You took a job at the Smithsonian, which gets you in the field you love but most definitely doesn’t pay the bills. So, as I said, you owe around fifty thousand?”
What in the hell. To know that this uppity woman had obviously been poking around in her personal business and finances, and was a complete stranger, was mortifying. And it all had to do with Chad Gamble, no less. She was pissed as she squirmed in her chair. “That sounds about right.”
“What if I could cut you a check for that amount today and all you’d have to do is pretend to be Chad’s girlfriend over the next month?”
Bridget leaned forward and then sat back. She snapped her mouth shut. There was no way she could’ve heard the woman correctly, but she was watching her with a levelheaded stare. “You can’t be serious,” she finally choked out on a surprised laugh. “There’s no way you’re being serious.”
Miss Gore didn’t blink. “I’m being completely serious. You have to understand that my reputation and ability to do my job is on the line. I will do anything to ensure that Chad’s image is repaired. Anything.”
Was she being punked? “You’re willing to pay me fifty grand to pretend to be Chad Gamble’s girlfriend?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
There was a part of Bridget that wanted to jump at the offer. Partly due to the fact she couldn’t even comprehend a life where she wasn’t sinking under debt. To be out from underneath that mess would be a true blessing. With the extra money from not having to pay those insane loans, she could move into a nicer area and stop the depressing search for a new job. She could sleep a full night without waking up at four a.m., stressing over how she was going to make ends meet. She’d feel like her life was her own again and not owned by debt collectors. And there was also a teeny, tiny part of her that perked up solely based on the fact that she’d be able to see Chad again.
And dear Lord, she didn’t even want to look too far into that.
But her pride surfaced. There was no way she could be a part of something like this. Her parents would be rolling over in their graves. It was dirty money. “As helpful as that would be, I’m not a prostitute.”
“You wouldn’t be required to have sex with him. Frankly, I’d prefer that there was another woman in the city besides me that he hasn’t had sex with.”
