Hidden Gem Short Story Collection (9781301405985) (31 page)

Gavin laughed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to
make you fear for your job or anything. I just…” He made a face. “I
did
start out kind of fucking around with him. I thought
Piersanti was a goofball too, and not a fun one, an annoying one. I
thought he fucking sucked, honestly. On the court, off the court.
But it just…”

“Turned into something different? You got
more Piersanti than you bargained for? You’re both lovers now or
something? What the hell’s going on?”

Gavin laughed with irritation, throwing a
hand in the air. “Christ, Oz, he’s a good kid and I want him to
have a good life, okay? Plus, I can name two dozen NBA players who
can’t score but sign multi-million dollar contracts based solely on
their defense — defense that’s not even as good as Piersanti’s.
Alright?”

Swallowing, Osborne’s gaze flickered to his
hands, which he wrenched in his lap. “Alright. Sorry. I’m just
curious as to why you went from making fun of the guy to being so
invested in him. I have one month for Klein Sports to decide if
they want to hire me out of my internship. I just want to
understand my surroundings and do a good job here.”

Gavin nodded. “I know. But you’re gonna be
fine, Oz, trust me. I’ll make sure you’re fine.”

“Thank you.” Though his eyes remained in his
lap, the frown between Osborne’s brows slowly faded. He rubbed his
nose. “Then can you just tell me, for my own personal curiosity,
why you singled out Piersanti?” He looked up at Gavin. “I mean, I
guess it was serendipity that you were just fucking around with him
and then you discovered real talent but you were like, a man on a
mission that day. You had Piersanti on the brain before you even
sat down, considering you only volunteered to scout the tourney for
Smiley when you heard he was on the roster. So, please don’t mind
me for asking but… who is he to you, really?”

It was Gavin’s turn to swallow as he looked
down at his hands. Upon realizing that he was twiddling his thumbs,
he stopped. “He’s…” Gavin laughed to himself. “Honestly? I’m
envious of him, Oz. He’s younger than me, he was playing
professional basketball while I was warming the bench for Syracuse,
he’s a good kid, he’s happy, he’s in love, he’s got the fucking
life that I want. There. Feel awkward yet?”

Osborne stared at the desk, quiet as he wet
his lips. “A little, yeah. Didn’t expect you to have such… girly
feelings considering… whatever.”

“Yeah.”

“But it’s cool.” Osborne rose from his seat.
“I mean I think you’re leaving some things out, but it’s cool. I’m
not gonna press for any more details because you are… wow. Your
face is really red right now. Are you blushing or are you…
constipated? What is this expression here?”

Gavin shook his head, smirking at Osborne.
“What, you get a small confession out of me and suddenly you’re a
trash talker? What happened to Pants Shitting Osborne?”

“I think you just set him free. Gavin
Hunter’s humility sets interns free.”

“You’re an asshole,” Gavin snorted. “Well if
you want the details, I can give them to you. I just don’t know if
you can handle the truth.”

“Oh, I can handle the truth.”

“Can you?”

“Totally.”

“Alright, you ready?”

Osborne pushed his sleeves up jokingly. “I’m
ready.”

Gavin snorted. Despite the faint laugh on
his lips, his eyes were hard as he watched Osborne.

“Okay, give it to me, brother.” Osborne
nodded seriously. And though he jogged in place, comically clapping
his hands above his head, Gavin’s jaw tightened, his smile fading
fully.

“Piersanti’s dating my ex-girlfriend, Zoe.
They live together in Italy.”

Osborne’s face dropped. The color slowly
drained from his ruddy cheeks. He’d been in the midst of some weird
victory jig too, but he stopped. “Holy shit, dude. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

“Since when?”

“December. Around then.”

Osborne’s eyes darted about. “Dude. That’s…
that’s rough. Why would you help him then?"

“Like I said, it didn’t start that way.”
Gavin busied himself by rearranging his desk, though nothing needed
to be rearranged. “She’s just a really good girl who deserves to be
happy. And if that guy makes her happy, then he deserves to be
happy too. I’ll get him drafted and they can have a good life
together in L.A. She deserves it.”

Osborne had his hand clasped to his
forehead. “Dude. You’re crazy. And I think you’re a masochist.”

Gavin shrugged. “I want her to be
happy.”

“What about you?”

“I fucked up. I missed my chance. Sometimes
that happens."

Osborne shook his head. “Everybody gets more
than one chance. I mean that’s what you told Piersanti.”

“Osborne, are you serious? I was
bullshitting him.”

“But look how it turned out for him.
Everything happens for a reason, dude. If it was meant to be, it
ends up falling in place. And apparently, Piersanti was meant to be
in the NBA. You know?”

Gavin stared. “Oz, I know we kind of just
had a moment before but you need to leave my office now because you
just ruined it with that fluffy bullshit.”

Laughing, Osborne held his hands up, backing
his way out of the office. “Fine. But you know you want to believe
me. I’m not Pants Shitting Osborne anymore. I know what I’m talking
about.”

“Out, Oz.”

“Alright. I’m out.”

~

Gavin stretched, his eyes fluttering open to
face his white ceiling. He was in his own bed. Processing his
surroundings, he turned to the left and then to the right. Clear.
He raised his eyebrows at himself, nodding his head against his
memory foam pillow.
Good job, Hunter
.

Emerging from his bedroom in a pair of navy
boxer briefs, Gavin turned on the TV. SportsCenter, as usual. He
wasn’t sure if his LCD screen had seen any other channel in the
past year-and-a-half. It was too risky. No matter what program he
turned to, despite how much less coverage she received while
overseas, he saw Zoe. If it wasn’t Zoe, it was a reminder of Zoe.
Like Harper, even Gemma.

But today, to go with his usual bacon and
eggs, Gavin replaced sports with entertainment news.

And within thirty-five minutes, he saw
Zoe.

Whoosh
. He let out an Osborne-type
breath.

There was a story being reported — something
or another about a TV show — but the audio didn’t interest him. He
was too busy seeing Zoe. Finally letting himself have a good look
at her since the breakup. She was so damned gorgeous.

“Christ,” Gavin breathed, half wincing-half
smiling as he watched the old footage. It was from a red carpet,
back when they were still dating because he remembered that saffron
gown, the way her skin glowed against it as she’d twirled for him,
blowing a kiss at him through their video chat before she had to
leave for whatever premiere it was. His mouth parting, Gavin simply
stared at the program, watching Zoe strut about and steal the show,
more beautiful than any other woman in Hollywood with that wild
hair and infectious glee. Even through the TV screen, through
two-year-old footage, she drew a smile out of him as he sat on his
couch.

And sitting there in his boxer briefs, his
breakfast mostly uneaten, Gavin finally let himself watch Zoe, to
think about her and remember her rather than try to pretend that
she never existed or try to replace her with various fitness models
with the same wild, dark hair. He listened to the sound of her
voice, possibly rewinding once or twice to again hear the part
where she laughed. It was kind of freakish but he couldn’t help it.
It made him feel…
happy
. To remember that once, there had
been a girl who could lift his spirits just by speaking and make
his week by simply smiling. Someone who knew every side of him —
the serious one, the goofy one, the one that made jokes about being
in love with Damian. Someone he felt like himself around.

“Shit.” Maybe he had made a mistake by
helping Piersanti. Suddenly, Gavin felt himself hanging on the
stupid words of his intern.

If it was meant to be, it ends up falling in
place.

It could be true. Right?

Gavin shook his head, laughing at himself.
“Fucking Osborne.” He leaned back on the couch, forcing himself to
turn the TV off.

It was definitely bullshit.

CIAO ITALIA! ZOE MERCURY
MOVING BACK TO THE STATES

The Pop Source

June 2

Zoe Mercury is finally
coming home!

After spending nearly a
year in Italy, the bombshell brunette has found reason to come
home. With a starring role in an upcoming drama set to air on
premium cable network, ZINC, Mercury has decided to make her return
to the States.

Surely, this will come as
good news for Mercury fans who missed their favorite Hollywood
party girl during her extended stay in Italy following a month of
filming in the luxurious Sardinian retreat of Porto
Cervo.

But while her reprised
role as a Bond girl brought Mercury to Sardinia, what was it that
made her stay?

The sexy starlet kept
quite mum about her Italian vacation, but close sources report that
Mercury found love on the ancient island — in 22-year-old Lega A
baller, Nicolo Piersanti. Mercury and Piersanti, a former Thierry
Marc underwear model, allegedly met late last year while dining in
the historical town of Ozieri. Friends claim that the two shared an
immediate infatuation and became an official couple in December,
with Mercury moving into Piersanti’s seaside villa.

And coincidentally, the
six-foot-eight Sicilian sweetheart has found reason to make his own
move to the States, too! Piersanti, who was recently signed to
Klein Sports Management, is projected to be taken in the second
round of the NBA draft or signed as a free agent by the Sacramento
Kings or Phoenix Suns. Said Piersanti’s former Sardinia coach,
Andrea Amici, “Nicolo is ready to fulfill his lifelong dreams of
playing for the NBA. He is excited about the prospect of being
taken by a West Coast team, especially the Sacramento Kings. We are
all very happy for him.”

Hopefully, the adorable
couple will find just as much love together in the
States!

According to ZINC, the
untitled Zoe Mercury pilot begins shooting in New York City this
Fall.

*****

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