The Quarterback’s Fake Wife

The eviction notice was taped crookedly to Naomi Brooks’ apartment door. FINAL NOTICE. She stared at the bold red letters until they blurred. Three days. Three days to pay six months of overdue rent or pack up everything she owned. A bitter laugh escaped her lips. Everything she owned could fit into the trunk of an old sedan. She peeled the paper from the door before her neighbors could see it and slipped inside the tiny apartment. The air conditioner had stopped working two weeks ago, leaving the one bedroom apartment suffocating in the July heat. Her younger brother, Ethan, sat at the small kitchen table surrounded by textbooks. “You got the mail?” he asked hopefully. Naomi forced a smile. “Nothing important.” She folded the eviction notice and slipped it into her purse before he noticed. Ethan was only seventeen. Brilliant enough to earn admission into one of the country’s best engineering programs. He deserved to worry about entrance exams, not unpaid rent. “You look exhausted,” he said quietly. “I worked a double shift.” “You’ve been working doubles every day.” She shrugged. “I’ll survive.” She hoped she would. Her phone vibrated inside her pocket. She checked her bank balance. $38.17. Her stomach tightened. Thirty eight dollars. That was everything she had. Six months behind on rent. Medical bills she could barely afford. A refrigerator that was almost empty. Tomorrow’s paycheck was already gone before it arrived. She opened the refrigerator. Half a carton of milk. Three eggs. A bottle of ketchup. Nothing else. “I’ll buy groceries after work tomorrow,” she said. Ethan looked unconvinced. “You’ve been saying that.” “I know.” Because tomorrow always brought another bill. Another expense. Another problem. There was never enough. Never. The next evening, Vantage Steakhouse buzzed with its usual crowd of wealthy guests. Naomi balanced three heavy trays while weaving through the packed dining room. The restaurant catered to celebrities, politicians, athletes, and billionaires. People who spent thousands of dollars on dinner without checking the price. “Table twelve needs another bottle of wine,” her manager shouted. “I’m on it.” “And smile.” She forced one. It felt fake. Everything lately did. As she approached the private dining section, whispers spread across the restaurant. “Oh my God.” “It’s Jaxon Hayes.” “I can’t believe he’s here.” Naomi ignored the excitement. Celebrities came here often. To her, they were just customers. She pushed open the private dining room door. Someone stepped into her path. Strong hands caught her before she lost her balance. “Careful.” His voice was calm and unexpectedly warm. She looked up. Far up. Blue eyes. Dark brown hair. Broad shoulders. An expensive tailored suit. Jaxon Hayes. America’s most famous quarterback. League MVP. National champion. One of the richest athletes in the country. She quickly stepped away. “I’m sorry.” “You okay?” he asked. “I’m fine.” “You don’t look fine.” “I’m working.” A small smile touched his lips. “I figured.” His security team exchanged amused glances. Naomi bent to pick up the napkin she had dropped. “I’ll leave you to your dinner.” She turned. Someone rushed past her from behind. Their shoulder slammed into hers. The tray slipped. Three glasses of expensive red wine flew through the air. Splash. The entire restaurant fell silent. Dark red wine soaked the front of Jaxon Hayes’ spotless white shirt. Naomi froze. Her heart nearly stopped. “Oh my God.” “I’m so sorry.” “I didn’t mean…” She grabbed a handful of napkins and hurried toward him. “I’m so sorry.” Jaxon looked down at his ruined shirt before looking back at her. “It’s okay.” “No, it’s not.” “I ruined your shirt.” “You ruined a shirt.” She stared at him. “That shirt probably costs more than my rent.” “It does,” one of his teammates joked. Jaxon shot him a warning look. Naomi wanted the floor to open beneath her. “I’ll pay for the cleaning.” “You don’t have to.” “I insist.” “You really don’t.” “It was my fault.” “It was an accident.” She blinked. He wasn’t angry. Not even a little. For the first time that day, she smiled. It was small. Natural. Beautiful. Jaxon noticed. Ten minutes later, Naomi stood inside the manager’s office. “I warned you about being careful.” “I know.” “You embarrassed one of our biggest clients.” “It was an accident.” “Accidents cost money.” She swallowed. “I’m sorry.” Her manager folded his arms. “You’re suspended.” Naomi stared at him. “What?” “No shifts until I decide otherwise.” “I need this job.” “You should have thought about that before dumping wine all over Jaxon Hayes.” “I was pushed.” “It doesn’t matter.” Her chest tightened. “No shifts means no pay.” “I’m sorry.” His voice said otherwise. Security walked her outside. Rain had started falling. She stood at the empty bus stop without an umbrella. Perfect. She had lost her job. She had thirty eight dollars. An eviction notice waited at home. She laughed quietly. A second later, tears blurred her vision. A sleek black SUV pulled up beside the curb. The rear window rolled down. “Miss Brooks.” She looked over. An older man in an immaculate suit sat inside. “My name is Arthur Bennett.” She frowned. “I don’t believe we’ve met.” “I work for Mr. Jaxon Hayes.” “If this is about the shirt, I already said I’d pay for it.” “We’re not interested in your money.” She almost laughed. Good. Because she didn’t have any. Arthur stepped out into the rain. “Mr. Hayes would like to make you an offer.” “I’m not interested.” “You haven’t heard it.” “I’m tired.” “So is he.” She folded her arms. “What kind of offer?” Arthur studied her for a moment. “The kind that changes your life.” She had heard lines like that before. They never ended well. “No, thank you.” She turned to leave. “Five million dollars.” She stopped walking. Slowly, she turned around. “What did you say?” “Five million dollars.” Her heart pounded. “This is some kind of joke.” “I assure you, Miss Brooks, Mr. Hayes never jokes about business.” Business? She didn’t understand. Arthur handed her a business card. Everything on it looked genuine. Still, none of this made sense. “Why me?” Arthur looked directly into her eyes. “Because out of every woman in this city, Mr. Hayes believes you’re the only one who can help him.” Nothing about today felt real anymore. She had started the day trying to figure out how to save her family. Now America’s biggest football star was offering her five million dollars. There had to be a catch. There was always a catch. “What exactly does he want from me?” Arthur opened the rear door of the SUV. “Your signature.” “On what?” He met her gaze without blinking. “A marriage contract.” Naomi’s breath caught. The city noise disappeared. Even the rain seemed to fade. Marriage? To Jaxon Hayes? She shook her head in disbelief. “You have the wrong woman.” Arthur smiled. “No, Miss Brooks.” “We found exactly the right one.”