Love Match Read online

  “What are you doing here?”

  Travis’s smile was as bright as her own. “Wow. That was not the greeting I expected.”

  “Sorry,” Maya sputtered. “But … what are you doing here? Did Jordan send you for moral support?”

  Travis slid in next to her on the leather bench. “What do you need moral support for? You’re going to be great.”

  “Thank you. But why are you here?”

  “I’m up for the ad, too,” he said. “Jordan mentioned it to Dad after she told you about it. They’re looking for a girl and a guy for the campaign. He arranged it for me. I didn’t say anything because I wanted to surprise you when you got out of the audition. How did it go?”

  “It hasn’t gone yet,” she said. “I’m still waiting.”

  “Really? Wow. That’s incredibly unprofessional. Let me check in and see if we can do something about that.” Travis stood back up.

  “Travis, no.”

  He shook her off. “It’s okay, Maya. I’m not going to cause a scene. I’m just going to let them know I’m here.”

  Maya watched as Travis sauntered away. Questions flooded her mind as the old doubts came back in. Was Travis using her for this opportunity? Is that what their friendship was about? She worried that there were already plans for them to be the next big media couple. Traya? Mavis?

  There was no doubt in her mind that Nails liked them together for that reason, but Travis was still an unknown. He had as much right to try out for the campaign as she did. And it wasn’t like they’d be competing against each other. It was kind of nice to have his friendly face around.

  Even looking at him from behind, Maya could tell he was flashing that bright Reed smile on his walk to the reception desk. She couldn’t hear what he said to the receptionist, but the woman looked a lot happier than she had the entire time Maya sat in the lobby. Maya envied his charm. She feared it as well.

  The receptionist picked up her phone and made a quick call while Travis returned to Maya. By the time he’d reached the leather bench, a door to the right of the reception desk opened and a frantic-looking man hurried out. He introduced himself simply as Steven and told them to follow him.

  “I’m so sorry we kept you waiting, Ms. Hart,” Steven said. “And thank you for coming by, too, Mr. Reed. We had a minor crisis this afternoon, but it’s been resolved. Since we’re at the end of the day, I hope you two won’t mind sharing the meeting?”

  “Not a problem,” Travis said. “We’re old friends.”

  “Fine with me,” Maya agreed. So far, their friendship was coming in handy.

  “That’s great, Maya,” Steven said as the camera flashed away. “Now try for a smile that’s a little less … strained.”

  Maya relaxed her smile as much as she could. Her face didn’t feel strained to her. The rest of her body, however, was an uncoordinated mess. She really wished that she’d worn her own clothing. It might not have looked as good as Renee’s, but she would have been more comfortable.

  The problem began at the shoes, then worked its way up to include everything else she had on. Maya simply didn’t know how to move in the outfit. It was easy to blame the clothes, but the truth was, it was the camera. And all the people behind the camera.

  Steven, who she’d come to learn was an executive assistant, worked the camera for the test shots. He was friendly enough, but his frantic nature did nothing to calm her nerves no matter how soothing his words. Steven’s boss and a half-dozen agency executives sat at a long table behind Steven, whispering to one another while she posed.

  The initial interview had gone well. With Travis by her side, it was more like a casual conversation. They were looking for “fresh faces,” which Maya was happy to learn just meant “amateurs.” Models didn’t come much more amateur than her.

  The executives had been engaging when they talked about Maya’s recent tournament and the buzz about Travis on the field. Although Maya was “Maya” through the entire discussion, they kept calling Travis “Reed.” It wasn’t unusual to call a football player by his last name, but it sounded weird since they never called her “Hart.”

  Maya stopped going over the interview in her head and tried to focus on the posing. Steven continued to snap away while he gave instructions. “Try to look like you’re having … you know … fun.”

  Maya tried, but this was the least fun she’d had in her life. Every pose felt faker than the last. Balancing on heels with one arm out toward the camera and a seductive expression on her face didn’t exactly scream “Ready to hit the courts.”

  “I think we’re good,” one of the executives said, finally. Maya thanked everyone, then sat in an empty seat beside Travis on the side of the room.

  “Your turn,” she said quietly to him through a forced smile.

  “Don’t know that I’ll be able to beat that, but I’ll do my best.”

  “Flatterer,” she said. “Lying flatterer.”

  He patted her on the cheek. “Just wait to see how bad I can do.”

  Travis was actually pretty good at modeling. His poses came across naturally. He seemed comfortable in front of the camera. It made sense, since he’d grown up in the public eye. He was born at the height of Nails’s career, when the media was interested in every aspect of the superstar’s life. A simple Google search netted enough pictures of Nails and his children to make a scrapbook for each year of the boys’ lives.

  Maya was glad to be off to the side of the room. With Steven positioned between her and Travis, she had a pretty good view of what the executives saw. She was also close enough to hear a whisper that came out a bit louder than one executive probably anticipated.

  “Reed’s got a good look, but there’s nothing behind the eyes.”

  The two executives on either side of the bad whisperer nodded in agreement. Maya tried to see what they meant, but she didn’t have a clue. Travis’s eyes looked like they always did: hazel with tiny flecks of green and perfectly adorable.

  She shook herself out of it. That wasn’t the way friends thought about each other.

  Maya felt like she’d been up there for hours, but Travis only went a few minutes before one of the nameless execs said, “Thanks, Reed. You can sit back down beside Maya.”

  “Thanks.” Travis did as instructed.

  “You were great,” Maya said with complete honesty. She chose to leave out what she’d overheard. It wouldn’t help him any to know about it.

  “Now you’re the liar.” He playfully swatted her on the nose.

  “That’s what we’re looking for!” the loud-whispering executive said. Maya was surprised to find everyone in the room looking right at them.

  “Could you two take some shots together?” another executive asked. “Give us some of that chemistry on display in that photo on the Wall.”

  Maya didn’t know what the woman was talking about. When she looked at the picture on the Wall, all she saw was herself and her friends walking out of a club. The rest of it had been manufactured by whoever had written the article. But if “chemistry” would get her the job, she’d do what she could. It wasn’t like being intimate with Travis was that hard to do.

  Travis stood first and held out a hand to Maya. “You ready for this?”

  Maya took his hand. “Guess I can’t screw it up any worse.”

  “There’s that positive attitude I love.”

  They both smiled as they walked in front of Steven and his camera. For the first time, Maya understood what the amateur photographer had said earlier. This smile felt completely genuine.

  “Let’s start with—oh, that’s good.” Steven’s camera clicked away.

  Maya wasn’t sure what was good about it. She and Travis were just smiling and looking at each other. They both played into it, smiling wider and suddenly laughing for no reason at all.

  “Let’s see some smolder,” one of the executives suggested.

  Maya and Travis let out one last laugh. How were they supposed to be serious with direction
s like that?

  Travis raised his eyebrows in a silent dare. She winked in turn to accept. Their laughter ended. This part was easy. Maya just remembered the first time she’d seen Travis. How he’d come to her rescue when his dad was about to kick her out of school. What he looked like shirtless by the tennis courts later. Before she’d grown suspicious of his intentions. Before her feelings got all confused.

  Maya didn’t feel the “smolder.” What she felt was warm and sweet, not hot and passionate, but it was deeper than friendship. She wanted to cover him in tiny kisses, not high fives and fist bumps.

  As the camera continued to click, their hands explored each other’s bodies, always aware that they weren’t alone, but more intimate than they’d normally be in a public setting. They had to sell that image if they wanted the job. But this was more than just a chance at a gig. This was something.

  Finally Maya understood what the executive had been talking about in seeing it behind Travis’s eyes. She saw something in there now, beyond the hazel with the green flecks. She saw the same thing she knew he saw in hers.

  They were never going to be just friends.

  Where was Cleo when Maya needed her? Or Renee for that matter?

  Travis had been kind enough to give her a ride back to campus so she didn’t have to take the bus. The whole drive was awkward and uncomfortable as they both tried to avoid the obvious—there was no better word for it—chemistry between them during the shoot. Once they reached the dorm, she practically bolted out of the car to get away from him and tell Cleo everything. But the dorm room was empty and Renee wasn’t answering her phone.

  They were probably at the dining hall, where it was usually too loud to hear most ringtones. Maya thought about going there, but she didn’t need prying eyes watching and eavesdropping ears listening in.

  The ring of her own cell phone cut through her tension. Maya was about to yell into it with relief when she stopped herself. It wasn’t Cleo’s or Renee’s name on the caller ID. It was Jordan’s.

  “Hello?”

  “Congratulations,” Jordan said by way of greeting. “You booked the campaign.”

  Maya wasn’t sure she’d heard her right. “I’m sorry?”

  “You got the job! You’re the new face of Esteban’s line!”

  “Seriously?” Of all the things that had happened to Maya since she got to the Academy, this was the single most impossible to believe.

  “It was unanimous. They e-mailed your photos over to Esteban and he agreed immediately. They’re going to send me the contract tomorrow.”

  “Contract?”

  “I can look over it for you if you’d like, but I’m going to need a commitment if we’re going to go forward on any other jobs. I don’t offer freebies to all future clients, but I like you, Maya. If the terms are acceptable, I’ll messenger it over along with a formal agreement for us to work together. You can sign the Esteban contract and take some time to look over mine. I’ll be in touch.”

  Jordan ended the call before Maya could even say “Thank you.” This seemed to be standard operating procedure with the agent. Get in. Get out. Don’t leave time for questions. Maya wasn’t crazy about that method, but she couldn’t argue with the results. She booked her first ad campaign!

  The sudden pounding on her door was much more intense than Renee’s had been the night before. “Who is it?”

  “Your costar in the Esteban ad campaign!”

  Maya flung open the door and threw herself at Travis. They hooted and hollered as they embraced, drawing girls out from their rooms and into the hall. Cell phones came out as people snapped up the moment for posterity, and future postings on the Wall.

  “We better get inside.” Maya pulled Travis into her room and shut the door before realizing that probably looked a whole lot worse. But she didn’t care. She booked her first job. She was going to get paid!

  “Jordan called you, too?” Maya asked. Neither of them could sit down. They both had too much energy.

  “No. My dad. He’s handling my deals until I get an agent. But he told me you got an offer, too. I turned the car around and came right back to celebrate together.”

  Maya felt horrible. She didn’t even think to ask Jordan about Travis. Then again, it wasn’t like there had been time to get a word in. “Did you get any details? Jordan hardly told me anything.”

  “Not at all,” Travis said, still beaming. “Those will come with the contract. Maya! We’re getting contracts!”

  Maya loved to see his reaction to the news. Travis grew up in this world and he was still as excited as she was about it. That made it even better.

  “Maya, we’re going to be in print ads! Web banners! Billboards!”

  In that moment the full scope of this campaign fully hit her. Their pictures would be everywhere. Her friends back home would see them. Nicole would have to look at her face anytime she went to Esteban’s boutique.

  And Jake would have to see her with Travis everywhere he went.

  Chapter 10

  “I’m going to get you back, Maya! I’m going to get you back!”

  Jake’s voice echoed through Maya’s sleep-hazy mind as she woke. It wasn’t so much a dream as a memory. Jake had sworn that it wasn’t over between them. That he wouldn’t let it end. But he had.

  Jake had completely avoided Maya since the day she almost dropped out of the Academy. If that was how he defined “getting someone back,” he had a few things to learn about the English language.

  It was what she’d wanted, of course. She’d used that alone time to focus on her game, and the results had been impressive. But Travis ultimately ignored her wishes and moved past the dark time. Jake had sworn he was going to do the opposite of what she’d wanted and then he failed to even do that. There really was no second-guessing him.

  Jake stayed on her mind as she got up and ready for her day. She worried about how he’d react once word got out about the ad campaign. There was no doubt he’d hear about it. That’s how things worked in the Reed household. Nails would brag to anyone within the sound of his voice about Travis’s new campaign. Maya had to make sure Jake got the news from her.

  Finding Jake would be a problem. He wasn’t big on sticking to schedules. He was rarely where he was supposed to be. That’s why Maya was surprised to find him in the weight room by the football field during his regular time for weight training.

  Jake had his back down on the weight bench with arms up, pushing against a barbell. His chest rose and fell with each rep, muscles straining against the pressure.

  Maya smiled a greeting at the guy standing over the bench, spotting Jake. He smiled back, but didn’t say anything. They both knew better than to distract a person lifting what looked to be Maya’s body weight at least.

  Once Jake reached the final rep, his spotter helped him guide the barbell onto the hooks above him. With the heavy weapon finally out of his hand, Maya felt it was safe to speak. “Hi,” she said.

  “Travis isn’t here,” he replied. His spotter raised his eyebrows and slipped off without saying a word.

  “I was looking for you,” she said.

  “You were?” The smile on Jake’s face crushed her a little. It was like nothing had happened between them. Her emotions went right back to when they’d been together.

  “Is it that big of a surprise?” she asked.

  “A pleasant one,” he said as he stood. “I mean … to come all the way across campus to search me out…. It must be important.”

  “It is,” she said as he moved closer. She could feel the heat rising off his body.

  “Is it about … us?”

  There was hope in his eyes. It killed her to see it there. It made what she’d come to say all that much harder. It also snapped her out of the moment.

  Maya took a step back. “It is, but it isn’t. It’s actually about Travis.”

  She now felt a different kind of heat coming from him. “Go on.”

  “Have you heard about the Esteban camp
aign?”

  Jake rolled his eyes. “It’s all Dad’s been talking about. ‘Travis is going places.’ ‘This is only the beginning for Travis.’ So?”

  “Did he mention anyone else?”

  “No,” Jake said. “But he doesn’t usually talk about other people when the subject is Travis.”

  Maya took a deep breath. “I’m in the ad, too. We’re both in the ad together.”

  Jake didn’t say anything, but his eyes did.

  “I mean … not together, together. It’s not like we went in as a team. It just sort of … happened.”

  Jake shook off the anger in his eyes. He replaced it with a smile like he didn’t take any of it seriously. “Yeah, that’s how Travis works, isn’t it? Things just kind of happen around him.”

  “You don’t really believe your brother set this up, do you?” Maya asked. Somehow she didn’t think they were talking about the ad campaign.

  “I don’t know anymore,” Jake said with a shrug. “Travis used to be my best friend; he had my back even when we were competing against each other. I have no clue who he is now. Not so sure about you either.”

  Jake sat back on the bench, turning away from Maya. He pulled the pin out of the barbell so he could add some weight. “But, hey, I’m fine if you’re dating. I don’t get why you’d be with someone you can’t trust, but that’s your thing.”

  “We’re not dating,” she said. “And Travis apologized.”

  “Not to me.” Jake walked away from her, going through the rows of additional weights stacked along the wall. “But it’s okay. He doesn’t usually apologize when he gets his way these days. I’m used to it.”

  The thing that bothered Maya most wasn’t that Jake was twisting everything; it was that he was so blasé about it. He could have been talking about his class schedule for next semester. He was usually much more emotional about things that mattered to him. Complete apathy was a long way from screaming that he was going to get her back.

  “Well, I just wanted to tell you that Travis and I would be working together,” Maya said. “Now that you know, I guess there’s nothing more to say.”

  “Thanks for coming by,” Jake said, pleasantly enough that it landed like a proverbial punch to the gut. He selected a pair of medium-size weights and brought them back to the bench, making it clear that the conversation wasn’t going to distract him from his workout.