Read On the Surface (In the Zone) for Free Online Page B

shrugged.
    After a moment, Tim said, “You know what? I’m feeling generous today, so let’s do this like an assembly line. You hand me the item, tell me the name of the kid and I’ll sign it just for him.”
    Erin grinned. Tim wasn’t as dumb a jock as she’d assumed. She put her phone away, more interested in the drama here than finding out Tim’s last name. She could do that later.
    The man stuffed the grocery bag in his pocket. “It’ll be even more efficient if you just straight out sign the stuff.”
    “But I’m sure the lovely lady behind you doesn’t mind waiting.”
    “Oh, no,” Erin said immediately. “I’m fine with it. Take as long as you want. The Big Brother program is so worthwhile.”
    She was going to be so late getting back, but she’d already given in to a flat-chested extortionist and didn’t want to let this scam artist get away with his loot.
    “Look,” Scammer said, his posture stiff. “I don’t see what the big deal is. Just sign the stuff and I’m outta here.”
    “I will sign.” Tim gave him a pleasant smile. “As soon as you tell me what names to inscribe.”
    A brief staring contest ensued. Other people had started following the conversation by now. The other player had stopped signing to watch.
    “Okay, shit. I’m not really a Big Brother. Is that what you wanted to hear? I made it up. I just need you to sign all this stuff for me so I can sell it. My job pays shit and I need the money.”
    Erin noticed the price tag on one of the jerseys. One hundred and thirty-eight bucks. Outrageous. The guy couldn’t be too down on his luck if he could afford to shell out that kind of money. She wondered how much Tim’s autograph added to the selling price. Probably a good amount, considering the trouble this guy was going to.
    Tim smiled like a disappointed father. “There. Don’t you feel better now that you told the truth?”
    Erin could almost see the steam coming out of the guy’s ears.
    “Are you going to fucking sign or not?” he asked.
    Erin flinched at the language and the attitude. Already in a surly mood from having to deal with Alana and that little girl, she opened her mouth. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”
    Several heads turned toward her. Scammer spun around. His face had turned a deep red with thin white lines around his mouth and across his forehead.
    Uh-oh.

Chapter Five
    As Erin faced the autograph scammer, she realized with not a little trepidation he had about seven inches and eighty pounds on her.
    “Who the hell asked you?” he said. “Shut the fuck up and mind your own business.”
    He raised his hands, fingers pointed toward her and she thought, You’re not actually going to touch me , are you? And then he did. He gave her a shove, not a hard one, but hard enough to make her stumble backward.
    She didn’t think twice. She had two brothers and had learned a long time ago to stick up for herself.
    She pushed him back.
    He looked shocked at first, then gave her another much-harder shove. This time, she fell backward to land on her rump. Her wrists didn’t like that, but she didn’t pay much attention to the pain because Tim immediately grabbed Scammer by the shoulders and hauled him backward onto the table where he flailed briefly, like a turtle on its back. The next moment, the little instigator was on his feet, but on Tim’s side of the table.
    As Erin got up she noticed the Barracuda staff trying to hold Tim back. They weren’t very successful. He got in a couple of good punches, grunting something she couldn’t make out, except for a few F-bombs. Several male fans, including the other hockey player, egged Tim on with colorful language, while many had their phones out to take video.
    Suddenly, Tim seemed to regain control. He blew out a breath as staffers surged forward to help the “victim.” The jerk was cursing and crying and Erin would have bet he’d never been in a real fight before. She got a little satisfaction from the fact that