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He’d been offered the chance to enter the draft in his junior year at Texas, but his mom wouldn’t have it Education had been more important to her than football His coach had told hiood year for quarterbacks in the draft that year anyway

It turned out they were both right He’d finished up his degrees, and he’d been drafted in the second round by his dad’s tearinned when he saw Jahed "Chillin’ You?"

"Doing some paperwork Hey, I went to the stadium today Talked to coach"

"You did, huh? That’s cuz you’re the hot-shit new quarterback, so you’re special as fuck"

Nathan laughed "Yeah, baby, that’s me And you can’t wait for me to throw you a pass since you’re the hot-shit wide receiver"

"You know it And now that the other hot-shit receiver is gone, it’s my time to shine"

"’Bout damn time, isn’t it?"

"Yeah And I’ve been waitin’ on you for a year now You as good as your dad?"

That was the million-dollar question, wasn’t it? Or the ht passes from me for three years in Texas What do you think? You’ve seen h "We’re gonna blow it up this year, Riley"

Jalad his best friend was on the saet your ass over here and let’s play soames"

He looked down at his phone He had a few hours to kill before he met Mia He looked over at his computer and the bills he needed to pay Yeah, that could wait

"Be right there"

MIA WAS WIPED OUT THE FURNITURE HAD BEEN PUT in place just in time for her three o’clock appointue She left all the details about office stuff to Monique, and brought Clyde Motts into their "Oh o" fantastic conference roo her coeether, from financial to contractual to proent as part of her coht in her finance andteam to do one hell of a presentation, and thank God the tech tea up, because the video was a knock-you-right-out-of-your-cleats deh-profile basketball player and hockey player who they’d already signed, along with an ainning pitcher Then she added on the tight end she’d signed, also a huge na to play it cool, but he was in with MHC Management

She still smiled whenever she looked at the letterhead with those initials MHC Mia Helene Cassidy It was her Her baby Her company She sucked in a breath So much pressure to succeed

She could do this She would do this

She found Monique in her office, and leaned against the open doorway

Monique looked up and pulled off her tortoise-fralasses "Well?"

"He didn’t commit, but he will"

"If he’s smart he will And that boy is smart as hell What did Victoria say?"

"I haven’t heard back from her yet I’m sure she’ll text n with us Why wouldn’t he?"

"And yet another reason I need you with me, Monique That positive attitude"

"I’m just a ray of sunshine and utter beauty in your life, Mia"

Mia laughed "That you are"

"Hey, do you want to have dinner tonight? I have a date and he has a really gorgeous friend We’re going to try out this new Korean place that everyone’s talking about"

She shook her head "Thanks, but I already have plans"

"Ooh, a hot date?"

"No Dinner with Nathan Riley"