“Yes, but Rachel prefers to remain private,” Jamie explained patiently.
“Love should not be hidden,” the Frenchman proclaimed.
She swallowed, hoping it was so brief that no one saw it. But, as Jamie had assured her, people at work, who thought she was home with an upset stomach, were probablyworkingand not watching baseball, so she was probably safe.
Didier reached across Erik and her to push at Jamie’s leg. “You should hire Rachel for your new business.”
“What new business?” Rachel frowned at him. He hadn’t told her he was thinking of starting anything new. Not that he owed her that, but still.
Jamie rolled his eyes. “Didier thinks I should start giving motivational talks on YouTube.”
“Shirtless,” Erik interjected.
“No.” She scowled at the thought of millions of women seeing him half-naked, ogling his beautiful chest.
He raised his brow, a pleased smile quirking his lips, as if he could read her jealous thoughts.
“I’m just saying you’ll undermine your authority if you appear without a shirt. No one will listen to your wisdom.”
“Je ne sais pas,” Didier said, shrugging one shoulder. “Perhaps they’ll listen more.”
“No.” She flashed the Frenchman a stern look before returning her attention to Jamie. “Are you seriously thinking of doing motivational talks?”
“No.” He sat back, looking faintly amused. “Didier is just stuck on turning me into the next YouTube sensation.”
She stared at him. She knew this look, the pleasant but distant—almost vacant—expression that she’d seen in so many of the photos when he was in public. This wasn’t Jamie. “You’re hiding from this.”
He raised his brow, looking for all the world like he was bored. “Darling, I don’t hide.”
“Yes, you do.” She faced him fully. “Is it because you don’t want to do this or because you really, really do?”
He opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say seemed to fade away. The mask he wore dropped, and his brow furrowed with confusion. “I don’t want to be a motivational speaker, but I do admit that the idea of motivating people on an individual basis does have its appeal.”
“Then you select only the clients that you want, making sure that they meet certain criteria.” Biting her lip, she thought about everything she’d noted about him. “You’d probably only work with people you cared about. I can’t see you working with jerks, anyway, especially if you’re trying to help them get to where they want to go.”
He frowned at her, but he said, “Go on. Finish your thoughts.”
Feeling like she was given free rein to express herself, she continued. “You wouldn’t want to just be a cheerleader for people. You’re no cheerleader, you’re the team captain.”
“He is,” Erik said.
They all looked at the kid.
Erik just shrugged. “Well, he is. Everyone across the leagues talks about how he’s a solid guy that will always help lead you to victory.”
“Yes.That.” She snapped her fingers and turned toward Jamie. “You don’t want to just motivate people. You want to lead them to victory because you believe everyone can be a winner. You help them figure out how towin.”
He stared at her. “You just came up with all that?”
Feeling herself blush, she retracted a little. “Did I go too far?”
“Fuck no.” He took her hand and brought it to his chest. “You verbalized what I’ve been thinking about for a few days.”
“Donc, c’est décidé.” Didier gestured at them. “You will go into business together.”
“Together?” Rachel gaped at him. “I have a job.”
“But this”—Didier gestured at them again—“is perfect. Together you make the perfect team.”