Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 107667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Fuck, what if it doesn’t?
Chapter Thirty-Five
Tennessee
I don’t know what I ever saw in Troy.
Did I really think I could get over D’Artagnan with him?
I was an idiot.
Because Troy is annoying as all fuck.
I never noticed how he speaks over me until now. How he thinks he knows my formulas and my program better than I do. It’s unbelievable, and I’m getting more and more annoyed with each passing moment.
“You designed this program?” Kirby asks me when the AI version of himself is on my computer and I’m pointing out the weak areas in his hips.
“I did,” I say proudly. “I designed it for my master’s program.”
“Wow. This is impressive.”
“Thank you—”
“Which is why we scooped her right up,” Troy says from beside me. I shift to my left leg to put some space between us as I click on one of Kirby’s weak spaces. “We are excited to have such a program in our company. It’ll help a lot of athletes.”
My hand pauses on my mouth as I side-eye him. “I’m sure you mean me since the program is mine and I use it for our athletes.”
Troy looks at me and shrugs. “Same thing.”
“Not really,” Kirby says before I can. “Lose her, you lose the program.”
“Exactly,” I murmur, and I don’t appreciate Troy’s comments or his tone. Like he owns me. Ooh, my daddy would lose his mind, and Dart…well, he’d beat Troy’s ass for sure. I exhale as I bring Kirby’s attention to the weak spot in his pelvic bone. “This is an old break. We can’t fix it and your body already healed on its own, but look at the scar tissue around it. It’s so thick that your nerves are being pressed on, and I believe that’s what is causing the pain when you go into your stride.”
He looks closer. “Shit. Is that fixable? ’Cause this pain is rough and constant when we have long road trips.”
“Not really fixable,” Troy says, and he tries to reach for the mouse, but I don’t move my hand. “Tenn—”
“Excuse me,” I snap, cutting my eyes to his. “This is my client, my assessment. Can you let me do my job?”
Kirby covers his mouth to hide his smile as Troy lifts his hand and steps back.
“Thank you.” I clear my throat and explain the treatment plan for Kirby. I give him a folder of my notes and the scans for him to take to the doctor with him. “We’ll try PT before we try surgery—which, if you’re consistent with PT, I am confident you won’t need the surgery.”
He nods. “Will I come back for more scans to track my progress with you?”
Oh, I adore this guy. My smile is wide as I promise, “I’ll repeat them every three months. I’ll also take extra scans when you practice and at games, just to make sure I’m not missing anything.”
Troy makes a face. “That isn’t included in the IceCats contract.”
“Not yet,” I say simply. “But after my meeting with the coach about his son, he is wanting more for his players, and I offered.”
“That’s not your decision,” he says in a low voice, his eyes narrowing as they hold mine. “Doing all that will pull you away from other teams.”
“Maybe for you. But I am able to do all that for the IceCats and the coach’s son’s team, and I also got through most of my scans for the baseball team in the last week. I am very capable.”
His eyes narrow to slits. “I’m in control of what we do, contract-wise.”
I hold his gaze. “For now.”
Kirby chuckles before he grips my shoulder. “Dart has his hands full with you.”
With a wink, I say, “More so than he even realizes.”
“Good,” he says, patting my back. “Thank you, Tennessee. I look forward to working with you.”
“As do I. Have a good day.”
When the door shuts, I save and close my program before I look over at Troy since I can feel him watching me. “Yes?”
“I feel like there is a divide between us.”
“No? You think?” I ask, my words dripping with sarcasm. “Could it be that you consistently talk over me, talk about my program as if it’s yours…oh, and that you told my boyfriend you can only pull big girls to like you, so he should allow you to have me? Like I’m an object and not a person with feelings?”
Color drains from his face.
“So yes, there is a wedge, a divide, whatever you want to call it. It’s big, thick, and fat right there between us. Where it belongs.”
“We have to work together, Tennie. I am sorry for what I said. I did it out of love.”
I laugh at that. “You don’t know how to love. You know how to control, and guess what? The only time I’m controllable is in bed with my boyfriend.”