Stroke It (A Standalone Sports Romance) Read online

  “Sure thing, Dad! You do realize that I’ve already been invited to the Masters in April, right? So, relax.”

  “Whatever, man. Just take your shot.”

  “I get what you’re saying, Matthew, but this is the time for me to brag. I’ve gotten into the Masters; this is all just additional money in the pocket and the chance to show off. I got this stuff down pat. I could practically do it in my sleep.”

  I turned from him and approached the green, thinking about my shot. I looked off into the fairway and planned my swing. It was going to be a good one, but I thought I had it in one shot, I was that confident about it.

  I didn’t know why I couldn’t feel that confident when I was in the majors. That was the time when I usually choked, and I hoped again that I would be able to get passed it that year. There had to be a reason for it. I was determined to overcome it this time. I would not let that stupid feeling to take over me. It was not going to control my life forever – I had it in me to be truly great, and that’s what I wanted.

  I took position on the green as Matthew handed me a 2-iron club. I swung the club, and the ball went flying. Just like that, it bounced along and went right in the hole.

  I turned to him and said, “See what I mean? I got this.”

  He gave me a high five, but didn’t give me the benefit of a smile.

  I left the tournament with a huge grin on my face because I was the victor. It felt good to be back on top, and it was the one thing that I truly loved about tournament time. It was the leat stressful time to be a golfer; I didn’t even have to worry until I got to the majors. I considered this to be playtime for now. Matthew sometimes got on my back, but I wasn’t the least bit worried now – things were going as planned.

  We sat down and waited for our beers to arrive; the waitress wasn’t long before she came with the beer. There was nothing better than having a cold beer after a long game out in the sun, and I almost wished we could have beers during the game.

  “Well, congrats, man; you had a great game out there. So far, so good.”

  “And you were bitching about my score.”

  Matthew laughed, “I’m doing my job. It doesn’t matter how good your game is – if you don’t watch that score, it can turn around in a blink of an eye.”

  “Yeah, I know. But right now, it’s not a big deal.”

  “It’s always a big deal. Don’t get cocky.”

  I laughed and took a sip of my beer. The day was great, I couldn’t have asked for better weather, a better game, and now we were celebrating with beers. Life was good.

  “So, you have been talking to Hailey?” he asked.

  “Well, we talked last night. She just let me know when she was arriving. I sent you her itinerary.”

  “Good. I’m looking forward to seeing her.”

  I laughed, “Are you, now?”

  “Well, she’s a cool chick, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah, I do; we get along really well. It was more than I could hope for in a situation like this. I really like how mature she is.”

  “A wild difference from you, right?”

  “Easy there, I’m doing alright these days.”

  “Cheers to that.” We clinked the mugs of beer together.

  “I’m glad things are going well for you, Caleb; I think this is going to be your year, and Hailey is definitely a great addition to help you along.”

  “I agree.”

  Just then, Matthew’s phone went off, and he looked down at it. “Oh, shit. Hailey is here.”

  “She has your number?” I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. How close were these two getting? I watched as he texted her back and wondered what they were talking about.

  “Weren’t you supposed to pick her up?”

  “Yeah, I thought so, too. But she just messaged that she got in early and is headed to the Hilton. She didn’t want to rush me away from the tournament. So, I guess we have time for another beer.”

  “Sounds good.” I was getting no texts from Hailey and wondered why. I wasn’t expecting her to text me, but now that she was texting Matt, I couldn’t help but wonder why she didn’t feel comfortable enough to send me a message as well. Maybe it was because she still thought of me as just a boss. I was her boss, but I had no problem with having a friendship with her as well; it would help us if we felt comfortable around each other. Maybe I would mention it to her to make her aware that we didn’t have to behave like it was all business just because I had hired her.

  The waitress arrived with another round of beers, and we got back into talking about the tournament. It wasn’t long before Matt was talking about Hailey again, which totally irritated me. He started in again after he got another text message from her.

  “We’re going apartment hunting tomorrow.”

  “Who’s we?”

  “Hailey and me.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Hailey is looking for an apartment for her sister. She won’t be arriving until she has some place to live. So, we are going to find a place for her and get her settled.”

  I couldn’t even believe what I was hearing. I was definitely not cool with Matt just taking care of all of Hailey’s needs. Shouldn’t that be my job? I knew we weren’t really dating, but I was the reason she was here, so why wasn’t she leaning on me at all for help. I took a sip of my beer, lost in thought and clearly ignoring Matt.

  “Do you have a problem with this?”

  I looked over at Matt. “Are you joking? Of course I do. It’s not cool.”

  “Why? What’s the big deal? It’s another errand. I thought you would send me on it, anyways.”

  “I want to go with her instead. She’s here for me; we are working together.”

  Matt laughed, “Already getting possessive, aren’t you, Caleb?”

  I didn’t respond. I wasn’t sure why I felt possessive of her – she was in no way mine. I just didn’t like how close the two of them were getting; it was a little weird for me. It was about time I started putting my foot down.

  “Tell her to stay at the airport. I’m going to get her, just don’t let her know it’s me.” I got up without waiting for a response and left my beer behind.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Hailey

  I was glad I had taken an early flight into Miami because the day was beautiful and should be enjoyed. I was tired from the flight, though, and was looking forward to relaxing by the pool at the hotel. I had messaged Matt and told him he didn’t need to pick me up as I had come early and didn’t want to put him out. I could easily take a shuttle to the hotel. I knew he was probably with Caleb because they had a tournament match that day. If I had to guess, they were probably celebrating with drinks afterward, and I didn’t need to intrude.

  I made my way over to the baggage claim and waited patiently. It was then that I got a text back that said that I would be picked up after all. I didn’t know why he insisted on coming to get me, but that was fine. I wasn’t about to argue about it. I didn’t mind waiting. I collected my bags and headed over to the doors where I would be picked up.

  I took the time to do some research on Caleb, mainly to see what he was up to and to see if there was any news. As soon as I punched in his name, a bunch of articles written about him popped up. It was something to see, for sure. I clicked on one and opened an article about him that was full of praise.

  It wasn’t the last article that I pulled up that was full of praise for him. Everyone seemed to love him and enjoy his success as an athlete. Throughout every article, however, despite what a great player he was, the one thing that came up was a problem he experienced at the Masters. Every single year, he seemed to choke just when it counted. It was unusual, and I found it surprising that someone so confident would have a problem like that one. It just didn’t make any sense.

  As I continued to read, I learned that everyone believed him to be the new golden boy of golf and always believed and hoped he would win, but his success was
still out there. He had yet to win the Masters, despite his many efforts and achievements.

  I frowned as I continued reading. I felt bad for Caleb as I knew that it must be terribly embarrassing to continue to have the same problem without a solution to the problem. It was probably because of all the pressure he was under on a daily basis. I could imagine the pressure at the Masters, especially when he knew everyone was watching to see if he would screw up again. No wonder he went out and partied so much.

  Judging by the news, people were waiting to see if he was truly his father’s son and would go on to be just as great as Curtis Harris. I hadn’t realized he was from a legacy – everything was all starting to make sense now. I looked up his father, as well, and saw that he was a huge winner, having gone on to win the Masters multiple times. He was a legend in golf, and it was no surprise that his son went on to do the same thing. That was what happened in their world.

  I knew what it was like to want to make your parents proud of you, and I didn’t even have the same amount of pressure that he did. I knew, though, that I had taken a path my parents didn’t agree with and because of that, it was up to me to prove them wrong. That was a lot of pressure on its own, so I could sympathize with how he was feeling. People were literally waiting with baited breath to see if he would fail again or not.

  I hoped that one day Caleb and I could be friends, as we shared so much in common. If we were able to be friends, then working for him wouldn’t be so awkward. It would make the overall experience so much more comfortable.

  As I was putting my phone away, I looked up to find Caleb getting out of the car. I was pleasantly surprised to see him come to pick me up and wondered why Matthew hadn’t warned me.

  “Hi, I hope you don’t mind that I came to get you instead.”

  I smiled. “Of course not. It’s so nice of you to come for me. I hear some congratulations are in order.”

  He smiled warmly, “Yes, thank you. It was a good day.”

  “I hope I didn’t take you away from your celebrations.”

  “Of course not; there is always time for that later.”

  It was nice to sit for a moment while he drove me to the hotel. He chatted amiably about the tournament while we drove. It was all very interesting; I had never been to a game before, and I wondered if I would be attending any of his tournaments.

  I felt proud of him since he won, and I wondered why he had come to get me when he had been having a few drinks with Matt. I had no problem getting to the hotel on my own. I had only been planning on relaxing and getting settled once again.

  When we arrived at the hotel. I grabbed my bag from the car trunk and started walking towards the door.

  “Thank you for dropping me off. Just call me when you need me.”

  “I was hoping we could go to the beach, actually. We’ll be seen by others, and it will make things a little more official. It will be the second time we are seen together. Plus, it’s gorgeous out, and you will love the beach.”

  I was exhausted, and the last thing that I wanted to do was to go to the beach, but I didn’t know how to say no to him. He was the boss, and this was exactly what I was being paid for.

  He noticed my hesitation. “It will be relaxing, I promise. And I have chilled champagne.”

  I smiled, “Okay, sure. I just need to change.”

  “No problem. Take your time; I will just wait in the lobby for you.”

  I nodded and hurried away. I took the elevator up, feeling anxious about our day out. It would be a little more public because we wouldn’t just be around a bunch of drunk people. I needed to look my best just in case pictures were taken. I wouldn’t want people to think that Caleb was with a homely girl.

  It was something that I was going to have to consider every time I went out in public, that people would see me and judge me. They would expect Caleb to be with a beautiful and classy woman, and I had to always play the part. That meant looking my best at all times. It made me really nervous. I hurried from the elevator and went to my room. I didn’t want to leave Caleb waiting for too long.

  I threw my bag on the bed and unzipped it. I dug through it, trying to locate my bathing suit. I pulled out a hot pink bikini and a wrap to go along with it. I was glad I had sandals with me, as well. It was a cute outfit, and I was sure it would show off my best features. I slipped into it quickly, thankful that I had waxed earlier that week. I didn’t need to worry about that. I looked in the mirror and touched up my makeup after my long flight and pulled my hair up in a clip. I tied the wrap around my waist and slipped into my sandals. I was all ready to go and looking forward to a glass of champagne. I hurried back out of the room and headed downstairs.

  I found Caleb sitting on a couch drinking coffee when I arrived. Well, the rich certainly are well taken care of, I thought.

  “Hi, I’m ready.”

  He looked up and smiled at me approvingly. “You look fantastic, Hailey.”

  “Why, thank you. What do you plan on wearing to the beach?”

  “Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m covered.”

  We went back outside to the car, and I put my beach bag in the back. Caleb smiled at me as we climbed in. He was so handsome that I found it hard to breathe sometimes. It wasn’t a long drive to the beach, and when we got there, I almost laughed. I had assumed that we were going to grab a couple of lawn chairs and sit on the beach. What I didn’t expect was to find a beautiful beach house.

  “Wow.”

  “Don’t get too excited; it’s not mine. It’s my father’s, but why not go to the beach in style, right? The huge house had a beautiful patio on the front with chairs on it. We walked up to the porch, and he let us into the house. The inside was more breathtaking than the outside.

  “I’m going to go change. Make yourself at home. There should be some champagne in the fridge; if you don’t mind, you can put it on ice.”

  “Sure, no problem.”

  I watched as he left the room and spun around. What a life, I thought. I made my way to the kitchen and opened the fridge to find it fully stocked, just in case. I grabbed a bottle of champagne and found a bucket to add ice to it. I brought it out onto the patio and set it down.

  I opened my bag and grabbed my sunscreen, and started to apply it all over my body. I was just finishing up when Caleb came outside. He was shirtless, and I couldn’t help but look at his six pack and the muscles in his arms. He definitely spent a lot of time in the gym, and I could appreciate the view.

  “Do you need some help with that?”

  “You can do my back, if you don’t mind. I can never get it.”

  “Sure.” He grabbed the bottle as I turned around. He squirted the sunscreen onto his hand and then started rubbing it into my back. I flinched from the cold sunscreen. It always felt cooler when someone else was putting it on. It was a little awkward having him put sunscreen on my back, but I couldn’t help but smile when he did. It felt nice to have him rubbing my back. He took his time and made sure every inch of my skin was covered.

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem.”

  I turned around and took the bottle from him. “Do you need some?”

  “I took care of that when I was changing, but thanks.”

  He went to the bucket and pulled out the champagne. He pointed it out towards the water and popped the cork.

  “Oh, I forgot glasses!” I said, embarrassed.

  He chuckled, “No problem, let me get them.” He went back inside and returned with two flutes. He proceeded to pour us both a glass of champagne and handed me one. I took a sip and sighed. It was the most delicious champagne I had ever had.

  “Wow.”

  “That good, is it?”

  I giggled, “Yes, oh my goodness. Thank you.”

  “I’m glad you like it.”

  Sitting out there with him truly was relaxing, and I was glad that I had agreed to come out. The beach was still full, despite the houses that littered it. It was a beautiful day with the sun
beating down on my skin and the sound of the ocean all around them. I leaned back in the lounger, enjoying the company and the delicious champagne.

  The day at the beach went well. We sat on the patio for awhile drinking champagne, and I even got a little buzz from it. At one point, he asked if I wanted to go for a dip. He grabbed my hand and led the way off the patio and across the beach. The sand was hot beneath my feet as I ran across the beach.

  A few people recognized Caleb and came running up to him. They got pictures with him on their phones, and it was obvious that they were taking pictures of us while we were in the water together. I was sure we would see some social media posts the next day – we might even find ourselves on the cover of a magazine. I felt both excited and nervous all at the same time. Things were starting to get interesting.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Caleb

  In the water cooling off from the hot day, I couldn’t stop looking at Hailey. She was so hot in the pink bikini. Her stomach was flat and toned, and her full breasts were practically calling to me. I couldn’t stop staring at her round bum, which her bikini bottom was hugging nicely. She was incredibly sexy, especially when she would laugh – and she laughed a lot. All I wanted to do was collect her in my arms and never let her go.

  How did I get so lucky that this beautiful girl is going to be in my company for a few months? I kept having to remind myself that it was just pretend, but she was a great person to pretend with, that’s for sure. She was everything you could want in a situation like that.

  I wasn’t the only one checking her out, either. Men on the beach were checking her out more than I was getting checked out. That was a different feeling for me. They were probably wondering if she was some kind of celebrity that they didn’t recognize. Where had I plucked this new girl from? The questions were probably already circulating the social media sites. Who was the mysterious girl hanging out with Caleb Harris? She was getting a lot of attention.

  Thankfully, she was there with me and couldn’t be taken away. Though I doubted that she would want to be taken away; she seemed pretty happy in my company. Her cheeks were flushed from the sun, or maybe it was the champagne, but she had never looked more beautiful.