Chapter Twenty-Three

Tristan

“Where the hell is he?” I shouted at Peyton.

“He’s on his way, five minutes out,” she answered without looking up from her phone.

“Can you not talk to Drake for five minutes and actually do your job?” I said to her.

Amy slapped me on the arm and gave me a stern look.

“I need to go over what he can and cannot say with him,” I said in defense. “You know as well as I do that they’ll ask about the next fight, and we can’t answer any questions until we know for sure exactly what we’re going to agree to.”

“Tristan, let me do my job.” Peyton glared at me. “I already have a list, and I’ve sent it over to him. He’ll be prepared when he gets here. Also, Zoey is coming with him, so Amy can talk to her.”

“Great,” Amy said. “I have some ideas and want to pick her brain before we go further with the clothing line.”

Ryder came in the door, his hand folded into Zoey’s. It reminded me of yet another topic I needed to talk to him about—Zoey and what her presence would do. He didn't care, but he needed to hear it from me before the media jumped her.

“Can I get a minute?” I asked as he walked over. He took his hand from hers and extended it out to me.

“Yeah.” He looked over at Zoey and winked at her before walking away with me.

“So, we have to get real for a minute,” I told him.

“About?”

“Zoey.”

“Not your business,” he said.

“Your relationship may not be my business, but preparing you for what is to come is my business.”

“I'm not sure what you’re talking about.” He looked me over.

“It's not so much you that I’m worried about. It’s her. Which will lead me to being worried about you. I need you to be focused, and if for any reason the media goes after Zoey, you’ll be distracted. If we get this Pay-per-view fight, you need no distractions. I think we’re on the same page there. If for any reason they decide to pick her apart, how is she going to handle that? Have you thought about it?”

“They won't.”

“And you know this why?” I questioned him.

“Because I’m not your other clients. I'm not that important.”

“You’d be surprised after last night. I just want us on the same page.”

He nodded and I took that as him understanding the point I was trying to make. I turned and walked back toward the others who had gathered for the press conference.

Ryder walked up on stage and answered as many questions as he could, Peyton stepping in when needed. The press behaved until one finally asked about Zoey. Ryder was vague about the questions and asked for his personal privacy. One particular reporter didn’t seem to want to take no for an answer. He kept asking. Ryder did well, and I was surprised that he didn't get upset. He kept his cool and stopped addressing that reporter altogether.

Once we were done, we set off to find the girls and found them over a drawing tablet as they conferred over designs. They were looking at other fitness wear and discussing how to make it better. Watching Amy talk to Zoey about logos and marketing made me realize she had more talents than I knew about.

“Hey, all done?” Zoey asked as she shut down the tablet.

“Yes, you guys wanna grab some lunch?” Amy asked. “Zoey and I were talking about maybe going to that chicken place down near the Wynn. It has chicken and waffles.”

Her love of food was as infectious as her smile, and before I knew it, I was smiling back at her.

“Chicken and waffles it is,” I agreed.

Forty-five minutes later we were sliding into a booth at the restaurant. We ordered, then sat back and chatted about nothing.

Zoey and Amy gabbed about the newest shoe fad and laughed at how uncomfortable they must be. Ryder watched Zoey as she talked. He smiled when she did. I knew that he was in love with her, but I didn't understand how it happened as fast as it did. They had only known each other a short period of time, but they already acted like they’d been together for years.

I admitted, I was a touch jealous. I wanted to have that type of carefree relationship and not all the stresses that Amy and I faced. It often felt like we’d started our relationship already being parents. We didn't get much quality time together. Granted, my work took up a lot of my time, but so did being a surrogate parent.

Amy was busy with work just like I was, and if she wasn't at work, she was working from home or with her sister. The grown-up stresses bled into our relationship, and it showed. It was good to see Amy with another woman, enjoying a few hours of peace, talking about shoes, clothes, and the things they did for fun. She didn't have to talk about her sister or work. She didn't reach for her phone even once other than to show Zoey a picture. She was free the entire time we were in the restaurant, and it reminded me what kind of woman she really was, and how lucky I was to have her.

After we’d eaten, we walked down the strip and took in the sights and sounds of Vegas. Some of the sights and sounds weren’t so great. We came across two homeless men arguing.

“It's my sock!” the bearded one shouted.

“No, I found it first.”

“Yeah, right off the top of my bag.” The bearded guy stepped closer. They’d been drinking, and it was obvious by the sway in their steps and the slur to their words.

“You want it, fine!” the other shouted, and then rubbed it all over his crotch.

Ryder burst out laughing and tugged Zoey around them.

We also saw a guy walking down the strip in a bra and boxer shorts. If there was one thing about Vegas, it was that alcohol was everywhere and it showed. There were normal groups of bachelor and bachelorette parties walking by, and large groups of college kids. For the first time in my life, I felt a little out of place. Other than the annual bash I held for Tristan Enterprises, I had never been a party animal. I’d often dipped out of parties in college to study. I was too driven to be pulled away for nonsense. Looking back now, I should have partied it up when I had the chance.

“Where’d you go?” Amy asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Just thinking about all the things I missed in college.”

“I get it. I feel like I missed a ton, too, but it's okay. I wouldn't be where I am now if I hadn't.” She reached for my face and brought my mouth down to hers. It was a soft kiss, one that held many promises for the future. I looked into her eyes and wanted to take away every stress she’d ever faced. Make everything better. Could I? Could I be that man? I wanted to be that man for her, but I also knew myself and I wasn't going to make promises that I wasn’t sure I could keep.

She understood my work and how important it was, but would she still feel that way after we were serious? What if we made it to the point of marriage? So many of my friends had lost the freedom to really do this job after marriage, and I wasn't willing to do that. I was constantly on the move, flying from city to city. There was always another person to talk to, to woo. Even if I had more time, I would invest it in the company.

“I'm not asking for more from you,” she said as if she were reading my mind. A skill that, in and of itself, was more than any woman had ever been able to accomplish. It was terrifying and relieving all at the same time.

“I know. And I do want to talk about that at some point, but not here. Not now. Okay?”

She nodded and took my hand, walking faster to catch back up with Zoey and Ryder.