The Billionaire Player (In Too Deep)

“Have you checked your investments lately?” he asked as soon as I answered.

“No. Why? I was just talking to some of my friends about the market, and I wanted to—”

“Tell me what you wanted later,” he said urgently, the words rushing out. “There’s been a huge spike in the cryptocurrency you invested in last year. Tanner, if we sell now, you’ll be a billionaire. All I need from you is the go-ahead.”

“Go ahead,” I said instantly. “Why are you even talking to me about it? Go. Sell.”

“Stay by your phone.” The call ended, but I kept staring at the device in my hand, my stomach tying itself in knots while I waited for it to ring again.

This can’t be real, can it? No, it can’t be. There’s just no way I’m about to become a fucking billionaire.

My brain went back and forth on the issue as I bounced on the balls of my feet, silently willing my phone to ring. If I didn’t break the thing from how hard I was gripping it before he could even call me back. I couldn’t believe this, though. I didn’t know how people usually found out about these things, but it didn’t feel like it could happen just like that. An unexpected phone call while a person was out watching a game with his friends.

As soon as my screen lit up again, I jabbed at the green circle and brought the device to my ear before it’d even started ringing. “Give me good news.”

“I sold everything,” he said, almost breathlessly. “I sold out the crypto accounts, and after taxes, you’ll have roughly five billion dollars to your name. I have to go, but I’ll call you on Monday to discuss re-investment and financial planning.”

His words were still ringing in my ears long after he’d hung up. I was still holding it to my ear, my entire body locked up as I tried to process what he had just said. Five. Billion. Dollars.

It was just too much for me to even begin wrapping my head around it. That puts me in Jeremiah’s fucking league, and his family have been at it for generations.

Stumbling back inside, I returned to our table shaken and feeling like I was moving in a daze. Steph took one look at me and paled. “What happened? It’s horrible, isn’t it? What’s wrong?”

Jeremiah, Bart, and Shawn had been locked in a debate about something, but as soon as they heard her questions, they stopped talking abruptly and turned toward me. All of their faces hardened when they saw whatever the look was on mine.

“Who are we fucking up?” Shawn made a fist with one hand and burrowed into his palm on the other. “Just point us in the right direction.”

“We’re not fucking anybody up,” I said, my voice sounding distant even to my own ears. “I just made five billion dollars.”

A hush fell around the table, but none of them questioned me before they started shouting and congratulating me. Bart, who was usually the most reserved member of our group, jumped over the back of the booth to get out and came back with a bottle of champagne and five flutes hooked between his fingers.

I didn’t usually drink before the season started, but fuck, this was hardly usual. When he popped open the bottle, I was the first to raise my glass for him to fill it. After telling them about the phone call while Bart poured the bubbly, I collapsed back in my seat, my head spinning all over again now that I’d said it all out loud.

“The next round is definitely on Tanner,” Jeremiah said jokingly. “He sure as shit can afford to pick up the tab tonight, even if we did trick him into getting here last.”

“I knew it,” I yelled over the din in the room. “I fucking knew you guys cheated.”

It seemed like such an insignificant thing in that moment, but I grabbed onto it with both hands because at least it was familiar. That one small comfort was short-lived, though. Not a minute later, Jeremiah cocked his head at me and grinned widely. “What are you going to do now? You’re a billionaire, man. How are you going to celebrate? A cruise around the world? A nice little collection of sports cars? Your own team?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m really not sure, but I might retire from playing and just live for a few months while I figure it out.”

Bart nodded and pushed the black-framed rectangles of his glasses back to the bridge of his nose. “All you’re missing now is a good woman to settle down with.”

Jeremiah’s spine shot straight, and I shook my head before he even said anything. I’d known the guy since kindergarten. Whenever he got the look in his eyes that he had right then, it meant he’d had some idea that was bound to end with me getting in trouble.

“Just hear me out,” he said. “We’re doing a charity event in a couple months. It’s to raise money for affordable housing for local low-income families. Now that you’re going to be joining the ranks of the ludicrously wealthy, you might be interested in participating.”

I looked at him warily. “What’s the catch?”

“It’s for a good cause,” Bart said, also shifting in his seat to look at Jeremiah. “But since it’s coming from you, there has to be a catch. He’s not just going to have to donate money, is he?”

Jer shrugged and spread his hands, pretending to be completely innocent. “There’s no catch. It’s just an auction-style event, where people can pay to spend a weekend with one of the millionaires or billionaires in the city.”

Steph linked her arm with his. “I’m going to be outbidding anyone who tries to buy him, of course, but you should do it. It’s a great charity.”

I laughed. “I’ll think about it, but I have a lot to think about, so don’t hold your breath for an answer.”

It was true. I was always up for supporting charities in any way I could, but even though I hadn’t by any means been poor until now, this sort of money was going to change my life in ways I couldn’t even imagine.

I wasn’t about to commit to putting myself up for auction a couple of months from now when I didn’t even know what was going to happen tomorrow.