“Well, I’m glad you came,” I say, and then he looks at me.
“Let’s play twenty-one questions,” he says to me, and I just look at him, “until I finish eating and then we are going to go on the couch and make out.”
I laugh now. “Is that so?”
“Bed or couch? Either way, one of us is getting naked soon.” He chews. “So how did you end up in Chicago?”
I lean back on the stool and watch him eat. “I went to school, and then I just fell in love with it.” I take a sip of water. “How did you end up in Dallas?”
“They were the ones that paid me the most,” he says, laughing. “Are you happy you are back home?”
I nod my head. “I am. I didn’t know how it would be coming back and taking over for my father. It worked out a lot better than I thought it would. But it isn’t that bad.” He looks at me.
“I’m sure he’s happy you are here,” he says, and I look at him. “I heard about you.” My head goes to the side. “Your father takes care of my finances,” he tells me, and I look at him with my mouth hanging down. “That’s how I got your number. It was in the email.”
“Tim has to take you as a client,” I tell him. “I don’t even know how I’m going to tell them. I might have to bring my mother in or Veronica. Are you close to your parents?”
He nods. “I am but not as close as I would like to be. But I’m working on it.” He chews a piece of chicken. “Murielle doesn’t really like when they come down, so they don’t.” I swallow down the lump in my throat. “It was a rough time for a bit there. I didn’t know how to tell them that she didn’t like having people in her house. I felt like I was choosing her over them, and it killed me.”
“Did you talk to her about it?” I ask, not knowing what to say. I don’t know how I would feel if Dex had told me that my parents were not allowed over. “It put you in a very difficult position.”
“It did. I was kind of left out of certain things and family functions because they didn’t know if I would go or not, and then they didn’t want to put additional pressure on me.” He looks down. “My only regret is Jaxon not knowing them as well as he should. But we are working that out now. I bring him to see them when I can, and we FaceTime my mother once a week.”
“She must love it.” I smile at him when he puts his fork and knife on the plate.
“She does. He tells her all about his week.” He brings the water to his mouth. “How long were you with your ex for?”
“We met while I was in college. The four of us always hung around with each other. He was roommates with Joshua.” I swallow now. “Close to ten years. He called me today,” I say, and I’m shocked that I’m sharing it with him. “It was weird talking with him, but I think it was a good time because it made me see that we weren’t the ones for each other.” I look at him. “I think in the end we stayed because it was easy. What about you?” I ask, and unlike with Dex, I get a burning sensation in my stomach when I ask him this question. I mean, it’s stupid because they have a child together.
“About the same,” he says. “It would be less if she would just give me the divorce.” I look down.
“Where does she think you are?” I ask, and he shrugs.
“I don’t know, don’t care. I’ll be home when Jaxon wakes up, and that is all that she needs to know.”
“But,” I start to say, and he pushes away from the table. “She doesn’t come into this,” he says to me. “This.” He points at him and then at me. “It’s mine. It’s the only thing I have that is mine and mine alone.” I look down, and he puts his finger under my chin, raising it so I see him. “It’s you. It’s only you.” He bends his head, and he kisses me. I swallow back down the dread that I have there. That I’m sinking deeper and deeper with him, and I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to survive this.
Chapter 21
Manning
“I hate leaving you,” I tell Evelyn while she walks me to the door. I spent the night with her in my arms. She stood with me until I was ready to go to bed. She tilts her head back, and I push her hair away from her face as she stands there in her robe naked underneath it. “I’ll call you later.”
“Okay,” she says, giving me one last kiss.
“Lock up,” I say and walk out, and she stands there looking at me as I drive away right when the sun comes up. I fucking hate this. I hate that I had to leave her.
I take my phone out and send Becca a text.
Me: Did you hire him?
I don’t know if she is going to answer me right away, so I put my phone down. It rings right away. “Yes,” she says, and I hear her panting. Becca has been one of the best people to have in my corner. She came to me about five years ago, and if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be as successful. She guided me in the right direction, and I would do anything for her.
“Why are you panting?” I ask and see that it’s almost five a.m.
“I work out from four thirty to six, seven days a week,” she says, and I shake my head. “This is what I have to do in order to eat cake, chocolate, and carbs. The question is, what are you doing up?”
“I’m on my way home,” I say. Two days ago, I went to her house and told her about Evelyn. She didn’t like it. Only because she didn’t want Murielle to hold it over my head. So she set a plan in motion, and hopefully, I’ll be free in the next month.
“Where does Cruella think you are?” she asks. She gave Murielle that nickname three years ago when she tried to get Becca fired.
“No idea. I didn’t see her at the game. I’m going home now. I’ll be there for Jaxon, and then I have no idea.”
“Well, I’ll see you tonight,” she tells me, and I don’t say anything. “You forgot, didn’t you?”
“What are you talking about?” I say.
“There is an ugly sweater party tonight. They do it every year before Thanksgiving. Nico invited me,” she says, and I suddenly remember. “He knows I am going to have the up-and-coming rookie sign with me, so he’s wooing me,” she pants out. “Anyway, I’ll see you tonight.”
She hangs up, and I get out of the car when I get home and walk in, carrying my jacket. I walk to my bedroom and slip into the shower. I slip on shorts and a T-shirt and get into bed, falling asleep until Jaxon wakes up at eight thirty.
He slips into bed with me, and I cuddle him while he watches television. He lets me sleep an extra hour before he complains he’s hungry. I get up, walking down to the kitchen to start the coffee and make him breakfast. I’m cleaning up the mess when Murielle walks into the kitchen, kissing Jaxon on the head.
“Look who decided to come home,” she says, and I look over to see if Jaxon heard her. He is oblivious as he plays a game on the iPad that I told him he could play. “You’re going out often these days.” She brings the cup of coffee to her mouth, and I don’t even bother answering her. “What time should I be ready?”
“For?” I dry my hands and shut the dishwasher.
“The ugly sweater thing. I have yours upstairs in my room,” she tells me.
“Can’t you take your car?” I ask, and she just looks at me.
“It’s a team function, so the press might be there. What is it going to look like if we don’t show up together?” I roll my eyes at her. “Jaxon, do you want me to get Elizabeth to come and watch you tonight?” He looks up and nods.
“Dad, are we still having a guys’ day tomorrow?” he asks, and I nod. I grab a bottle of water and walk to the living room, turning on the television. I’m itching to call Evelyn, but I wonder if she’s up already. I wonder what she’s going to do today. I grab my phone and check the highlights of last night's game. When I hear Jaxon walk up the stairs, I follow him to my room. Locking the door behind me, I call Evelyn.
“Hey,” she answers, and she sounds like she is out shopping.
“Are you out?” I ask her.
“I’m out with my mom. She wanted to go have lunch, and then we decided to get manis and pedis. How are you?”
>
“I’m good. Tired but good. We have Jaxon’s game at one,” I say. “I have a team function tonight.”
“Okay,” she says, her voice getting soft, and I wish she was coming with me. I wish that I was walking into the party with her. “Talk to you later,” she says and hangs up. I get up when I hear a knock on the door and see it’s Murielle, and she hands me the sweater.
“What the fuck is this?” I say, looking down at what looks like a moose head.
“It’s a moose head.” She points at it. “You put the head in the front and the ass in the back.” She turns and walks away. “I have the glam squad coming at one.”
“It’s a small get-together,” I say. “Just the team’s members.”
“There are going to be pictures taken, and I need to look my best,” she says, walking away.
“Then I suggest you get a bag and put it on your head,” I mumble and close the door.
Jaxon’s hockey game is uneventful, and he runs into the house to take a shower. I do the same, and I’m slipping on my shirt when I hear Murielle yell my name. I grab the moose head and walk out, stopping when I see her. “What the fuck are you wearing?” I ask, and she turns around as though I said that in a good way; she wears black nylons and thigh-high boots. “You don’t think a leather skirt is extreme?”
“I think I look good,” she says, and I shake my head, walking down the stairs. I kiss Jaxon after he helps me put the head and ass on.
“I want to take the Porsche,” Murielle says of the two-seater car I don’t really take anywhere.
“Get in the BMW,” I say, “unless you want to drive yourself.” I smile at her. She glares at me but gets into the car, and her smell makes me ill. I pull out and make my way to Nico’s house. The whole time, she is on her phone.
“Why didn’t you park in the driveway?” she huffs when we have to walk far. “These boots are not for walking.”
“Your mouth should not be for talking,” I say, and then the front door opens.
“Welcome,” someone tells us. “Please come in. The party is right down there.”
She grabs my hand as we walk in, and I shake it loose as soon as I see Nico to hold it out and shake his. He is wearing a green sweater with Christmas trees and snowflakes all over it with stay cool written in white. “There he is, the captain.” I smirk at him as he takes my hand. He is the youngest owner in the whole league, and he isn’t just an owner. He is hands-on. He is there when trades are decided, he is there when we lose, and he is there when we win. If anyone deserves the cup to come to him, it’s Nico. “Is that a moose?” he asks of my sweater, and I nod. “There she is, the woman behind the man,” he says, and Murielle’s whole face lights up. I have to refrain from rolling my eyes. “You look fantastic. Have you been working out?” She nods at him.
“Oh, her trainer rides her hard,” I say, chuckling at my inside joke. I grab a water bottle from the passing waiter.
“Hello, everyone,” I say, looking over and seeing Becca walk in. She is wearing black jeans and a shirt that has lights all lit up on it.
“Who invited her?” I hear Murielle from beside me, and I see Nico side-eye her and then look at me.
“I did,” he says. “Becca,” he says, taking her hand. “So glad you could make it.”
“I have to say, Nico,” she says, grabbing a glass of wine from a passing waiter, “there is nothing quite like when you want something from me.” She takes a sip of her wine. “It is legit the best feeling in the world.” She smiles and looks around. “Well, that and when I make you pay through the ass. It’s right up there.”
Nico throws his head back, and he laughs at her. “If I ever get married,” he says, “I’m going to want you to negotiate the contract.”
“Deal,” she says to him, smiling. “Hey, Manning,” she says to me, and I just nod.
“Excuse me,” Nico says. “I see some of the guys arriving.”
“I’m here also,” Murielle says when Nico walks away.
“I’m fully aware,” Becca says to her. “I must have missed the memo. I thought it was an ugly sweater costume and not an 80s drag party.”
“You’re such a fucking bitch, Becca,” Murielle says and looks at me. “I’m going to the bar.” She comes close to me for a kiss, and I bring the water bottle to my mouth. She looks around to make sure that no one saw before she walks off.
“Please tell me he has something,” I ask Becca, and she looks at me.
“He’s working on it,” she says. “I told you it would be done. It’s been two days.”
I look at her, drinking my water as Miller gets there with Layla, both of them wearing beer pong sweaters with glasses pinned on them. Ralph gets there with Candace by his side. She wears a sweater with an elf, and he wears a sweater as Santa.
“We should get a picture,” Candace says, and I shake my head. “Do it for the Gram, Manning.”
“No,” I say, and she looks at me. “Fine, but one picture.”
She claps her hands, and I stand in the middle with the guys beside me. I see Murielle coming our way with Nico behind her. “That is a nice one,” she says, and then Nico looks at us.
“Couples,” he says, and Murielle is the only one happy about it. “Okay, let’s get the captain first.”
“Why don’t we take a group shot?” I tell him and look at the guys who just stare at me.
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” Miller says. “We should get all the guys over here and take it.” He looks at Ralph. “Let’s go round up the guys.”
Murielle comes to me and wraps her arms around my waist, and I’m about to tell her to get off me when her foot twists in some sort of way, and I wrap an arm around her to stop her from falling on me. “That looks great,” Nico says and takes the picture.
Chapter 22
Evelyn
“This is lovely,” my mother says from in front of me as we have dinner together. “Spending the whole day with you and now dinner and a movie.”
I smile at her. For the whole day, we walked around the shopping mall, got manicures and pedicures, then decided to see the new romantic comedy and then get dinner. “I will admit,” I say, “that this is one of the things I missed about being home.” I grab my glass of wine as she laughs.
“One of the things?” She tilts her head, just looking at me. “Well, as much as I hate why you had to come home.” My mother was the one who flew out and helped me pack up and move. She didn’t say anything mean or that she knew it was coming. She just did what was best for me. “I’m happy you are here.”
I look down at my phone that hasn’t buzzed since I spoke to him, and it concerns me how much I’m bothered by it. “So tell me what’s on your mind.” I look up at her. “Something is going on. You’ve been quiet of sorts.”
I think about how to answer this question because the last thing I want is for my mother or anyone in my family to be disappointed in me. “I met someone,” I say, my heart beating in my chest at the same time as my stomach falls.
Her eyes go wide, and the smile fills her face. “I had a feeling it had to do with a man. Is it the one who called you before?”
I look at her, and my mouth opens. “You eavesdropped.” I tried really hard to lower my voice as much as I could, and I thought with the jets of the water and the vibration of the chair, she wouldn’t be able to hear me well.
“You were right next to me.” She pushes her hair over her shoulder. “How was I not supposed to hear?” She rolls her eyes, and I laugh. “Now tell me all about him. Where did you meet him?”
“I met him at the bachelorette party,” I say, and I leave out the fact that I had a one-night stand. “Then I saw him again.” I stop talking. “I ran into him at a restaurant.”
She puts her hands together. “Do you like him?”
I swallow and have to take a sip of my water before I answer this. “I do,” I say, my palms getting sweaty. “A lot. More than I should.”
“Oh, don’t say that.”
She swats her hand in the air. “I knew five minutes after meeting your father that he was the one for me. From the minute I met him at that house party from across the room, I knew I had to meet him.”
“We had a connection, that is for sure,” I say, “but it’s a bit complicated on his end.” That’s all I will say about it because I get a sick feeling in my stomach when I think about it.
“What does that mean? Complicated on his end?” she asks, and I know she would have.
“He is just going through things with . . .” I stop talking, trying to come up with the words. “I like him, Mom,” I say, my voice going low. “Like he comes over, and I wait for him. I am anxiously waiting for him. I want to talk to him all the time.”
“That is usually a good thing,” she tells me.
“I feel like I’ve known him forever,” I finally say. “And it’s so dumb because I haven’t. But I don’t know how to explain it.”
“He settles you,” she tells me, and I tilt my head. “Like pieces to a puzzle, Evelyn. You keep searching for that piece of the puzzle that is missing. The piece that makes it complete.” I take the last sip of my wine. “Why does it sound like you’re fighting this?” I want to tell her it’s because I know deep down I can’t accept the fact he’s married. Deep down, it kills me that he goes home to her. Even if he tells me that she doesn’t come between us, it’s always in the back of my mind.
“I’m just scared,” I say, and she smiles now, looking at me.
“Love is scary, Evelyn. It’s easy when it comes, but it’s scary when you fight for it.” She takes the last sip of her water, and the waiter comes over and brings us the dessert menu.
My mother doesn’t bring it up again. She knows me and knows that I have to play it out in my head. When I drop her off at home, she begs me to come over tomorrow for lunch and will not take no for an answer.
I walk into my house after nine with my hands full of bags. Things I really don’t need but bought anyway. I take my phone with me when I unload everything, and when I slip into the bath, I’m on edge, and I have no idea why. None whatsoever.
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