by Dee Garcia
“She’s all set,” my man said from behind me.
I swiveled around with a chopping knife in hand, to find him and Manny joining me. My eyes shifted between the two, wondering where she was. Manny caught on first and cleared his throat.
“She said she was going to take a nap. Jetlag and all that.”
Right. It made sense. Jetlag was no joke, believe me. I nodded and turned back to the rainbow of peppers laid out on the chopping board.
“Want a beer?” Knox asked Manny as he poked his head in the fridge, the bottles clinking in his grasp.
“Nah, I’m gonna head out.”
“So early? You going somewhere,” I prodded.
What can I say? I was curious.
“Yeah, I’ve got a date at nine.”
“At nine, huh? Must be serious.”
“Actually” – I caught him rubbing the back of his head from the corner of my eye – “this is the first time we’re going out. Why would the time make it serious?”
Now I was really curious. I left the peppers unattended and spun around to face him.
“Really, you don’t know the rule?”
“What rule?” Both Manny and Knox asked, their brows raised high in question.
“The rule. If she can only go out before nine, there’s a great chance she’s seeing someone after you drop her off. But if you’re her after nine o’clock, you’re the main event.”
They exchanged a dubious look, matching smirks curling their lips, and then they laughed.
“Naaah,” Manny drawled, to which I nodded.
“Yesss. Google it.”
“And how would you know about this rule, missy?” Knox questioned, coming to loom behind me.
“Cosmo,” I quipped, pivoting back toward the chopping board.
“Cosmo, my fuckin’ ass,” he growled.
“Alright, I’m outta here before you two start fucking around with your food. I’ll come by tomorrow, in case Maya has any questions.”
“Have a good night, Mr. After Nine O’Clock. I’ll drill you on who she is another time,” I said, giggling as Knox’s lips skated up my neck.
“See ya, bro,” my man added.
When the door shut, his fingers dug into my waist like a vice. “Where were we?”
“You were just about to start seasoning the beef tips.” I motioned toward the fridge.
“And who said that?”
“Me, duh.”
Silly man.
“That little sassy ass mouth of yours is gonna-” he warned, only to stop halfway through as his phone began blaring in his pocket. With a frustrated sigh, he fished it out and took note of the screen. “You lucked out. We’ll continue this conversation when I’m done.”
I rolled my eyes, his threat not fazing me in the slightest, as per usual, and turned back to our dinner. “Yes, Sir, Daddy, Sir.”
“This is Knox,” I said, stepping out onto the balcony for privacy.
The number wasn’t one I recognized, but usually that meant a new client, so I always answered regardless of the time.
“Mr. Carr, this is Ginger Scott, Amari Dorsette’s PA. How are you this evening?”
My eyes just about bulged from their sockets. Amari Dorsette was the quarterback for the L.A. Rams.
“I’m doing well,” I almost stuttered, gazing out at the setting sun on the horizon. “How about yourself?”
“Likewise, thank you. I’m contacting you because Mr. Dorsette unfortunately had to part ways with his personal trainer. We’ve been searching for someone local to replace the loss, and your name came highly recommended from a close family friend of his.”
Holy shit.
“Oh wow. Who was it, if you don’t mind my asking?” I asked, racking my memory through all my clients. I had no idea any of them were associated with Amari or any NFL player for that matter.
“Evelyn Cooper,” she answered sweetly.
Of course, one of my bitchy stay-at-home moms who drove me up the wall. She only worked out because her husband refused to pay for plastic surgery. I had no problem passing her along to Luis when I went touring the U.S. with Hazel. To say I was surprised she’d recommended me didn’t even cover it.
“I’ll have to thank her for the recommendation, that’s for sure. But what can I help Mr. Dorsette with?”
“He’d like to set up an interview to get to know you a little better, and find out what you have to offer as far as a personalized training regimen would go. Does that sound like something you’d be up for?”
“Considering it’s Amari Dorsette, yes, I’m definitely up for that,” I admitted, to which Ginger laughed.
“Great! Are you available any time this week?”
“I’m almost positive I have Wednesday morning free, but I’d have to check my calendar and I’m not at my desk. Would I be able to give you a call back tomorrow?”
“Certainly, that won’t be a problem at all. The number I called you from is my direct line, so feel free to call back whenever you’re ready.”
I could hardly contain my excitement, all but bouncing in place as the possibilities of what this meant slapped me in the face. “Perfect! I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Please thank Mr. Dorsette for considering me, and let him know I’m looking forward to meeting with him.”
“Will do, Mr. Carr, and thank you for taking the time to speak with me. I realize it’s the Fourth, so not many people would be taking a business call at this hour.”
“It’s my pleasure, really. I’ll speak with you tomorrow, Miss Scott.”
As soon as I hung up the phone and fist pumped the air like a rabid maniac, I rushed back inside to tell my girl the news. She was going to flip the fuck out.
“Babe,” I yelled, shutting the sliding glass behind me with a loud smack. “Baby!”
Hazel poked her head out from the kitchen with a wooden spoon in hand, eyes wide from the baritone of my voice. “What the hell happened?”
“You are not going to believe who just called me.”
“Who?” she asked as I bounded up to her and scooped her in my arms, hurdling us back into the kitchen to set her on the counter.
“Amari-fucking-Dorsette’s PA.”
Cue here, where her eyes widened all the more. “Holy shit. Are you serious?”
“Very serious. Apparently, one of my old clients recommended me, and he wants to set up an interview.”
Her arms tightened around my neck, a wide smile stretching across her face. She might’ve squeaked a little too, which was fucking adorable. “This is huge, baby, seriously! Congratulations! When’s your interview?”
“Don’t congratulate me just yet. I told his PA I needed to check my schedule, though, I was sure Wednesday would be good.”
“Either way, Amari Dorsette’s PA just reached out to you because they want you. That sounds like something to celebrate!”
I rubbed the back of my head, my mind still reeling. “We’ll have plenty of time to celebrate when and if he chooses to go with me.”
Hazel smirked and shook her head, amusement etched all over her face. “He will, trust me. He’d be foolish not to.”
“I think you’ll find, kitten, that your opinion is biased.”
“Maybe, but that doesn’t make it any less true. You’re good at what you do, babe.”
Humming appreciatively, I brushed my lips against hers with a smile. “So how ’bout that stir fry?”
“Shit, the beef tips!” she yelped in my grasp and shoved at my shoulders with every bit of force she had, jumping off the countertop onto her feet.
Scrambling toward the stove, she jammed the spoon in the pan and stirred our dinner around vigorously, a small cloud of smoke flying overhead. The sizzle filled the air with the delicious smell of homemade Chinese food, one my girl has mastered the craft of.
“Is there enough for Luis and Reyna too?” I asked, walking the short distance to the cabinet housing our ceramic plates.
“There’s enough to feed the e
ntire second floor, although you and Luis eat like fucking savages, so I’m not sure how much will be left for Maya, Rey, and myself.”
“And Liv, don’t forget Liv.”
At that, Hazel gasped in surprise. “She’s bringing her?”
I nodded with a grin. “Yep. Be nice, will ya? I don’t want you scaring this girl off with your possessive BFF shit.”
“I’m not gonna scare her off. If anything, I’m glad she’s finally bringing her around. Lord knows she was mortified the night she came out.”
Just then, a burst of fireworks erupted from somewhere outside our building. They’d been popping off every now and then, but this seemed to be the real deal. Wouldn’t be too much longer until our friends showed-
Ding, dong!
And there they were...right on time, for once.
Two weeks later, we arrived in Seattle for what would be my second fight of the season. And when I say we, I don’t mean just Knox and me. I mean Manny and Maya, too. I’d told her she was more than welcome to kick it at home since the trip was only a three-day affair, but she insisted on coming along. Even Karley had offered her spare bedroom while we were gone, but again, Maya declined. And who was I to tell her no? It’s not like we didn’t have the space in our suite. If she felt safer coming with us, then so be it. But that’s what worried me...she felt safer with us, not Manny. She’d yet to open up to him. The poor man had been coming over every day, in hopes to show her he was far friendlier than he appeared and to instill some type of trust in her, but she just wasn’t having it. I could understand that she was weary after all she’d been through with her husband, and I’m sure Manny’s intimidating build wasn’t helping either, but something had to give. She’d asked for protection in the event of a worse-case scenario, and Manny was it. I had hope, though, that traveling together would somehow break down her shell, even if it was only a little bit. Baby steps, right?
As for me, Maya had surprisingly opened up a lot. It took some time and we still had a long ways to go; but, after a few days, she didn’t seem as reserved when in my presence, which had been a big concern, given her resistance to Manny. I made sure to steer clear of any Dimitri conversations and tried to keep things as light as possible. I hadn’t broached the Bernie topic either because I wasn’t sure what type of wounds that may open. For the most part, it was nice to have someone around at times when I typically would’ve been alone. Don’t get me wrong, I probably enjoyed my alone time way more than the average person, but sometimes I didn’t know what the hell to do with myself, especially on days when I knew Knox would be working late. She was way easier to get along with than I’d imagined, and although I’d initially thought she was nothing like Bernie personality-wise, she actually was. The witty remarks that would leave her mouth at the most random of times reminded me so much of him, as did the way she smiled, or the simple way she’d used her hands to express herself when she talked. My heart both swelled and broke a little every time. Having Maya here was like having a piece of Bernie in the flesh, and while I knew she could never replace who he was for me, it was nice to feel that familial sense of comfort again, even if it was in a different way.
Reyna and Luis had also taken an instant liking to Maya when they met her on the Fourth. Not surprising, really. Those two liked everyone. I think it’s because they were able to empathize with her on another level. As kids, they’d witnessed their dad relentlessly beat their mom, so they knew what it was like to be vulnerable and afraid at the hand of a manic beast. Luis joked their father was the reason why Rey had gone gay, but none of us found it funny, Maya included. I almost slapped him, considering Liv was there, but my man had that covered.
Speaking of my man… Ever since Maya’s arrival, he’d been...quiet. He didn’t really interact with her too much either, which resulted in an crapload of tension when the three of us were in a room alone. I’d asked him why a few times and he simply shrugged it off without further explanation. For some inexplicable reason, I felt like there was something he wasn’t telling me and I couldn’t figure out what the hell it was. Of course, my mind went off to places like, had Brie continued texting him? Had he answered? Were they seeing each other when he was supposed to be “working?” Those questions hit me over the head at least once daily, but I stuffed them away before they had the opportunity to fester. I didn’t want to be one of those crazy, insecure girlfriends, especially when Knox had never been anything but honest with me.
So, with all that being said, imagine the amount of tension in the SUV as Manny drove us from Seatac International to The Grand Hyatt. Knox sat up front with him while I lounged in the back with Maya, watching each of them carefully. Manny was focused on the road, though, every so often, him and Knox would mumble something I couldn’t make out over the music. Knox was constantly checking his email in hopes to find something from Amari’s PA since the interview had gone so well. And Maya, well, she was quiet as a mouse, her nose stuck deep in some smutastic novel Karley lent her. It’d been like this at every point through the trip...and I didn’t like it. Why did it feel like we were playing some unspoken game of boys versus girls? The boys were buddy-buddy and I was stuck with our guest because she didn’t trust the one person who could keep her safe at best, and my boyfriend was acting far more reserved than was the norm for him. Okay, so stuck was a harsh word, considering Maya had grown on me quickly, but it just felt like she was solely my responsibility. Not quite fair to me, if you add in the fact we were here because of me. I had a fight tomorrow night. How was I ever going to concentrate in that cage if I was worrying about these three getting along?
I really didn’t think it could get any worse. But it did, obviously, and it happened very quickly.
So quickly that when Manny pulled up right in front of the Hyatt’s entrance and I hopped out onto the sidewalk, I hadn’t been expecting the rush of emotions that came when I craned my head back to observe the building. The last time I’d been here – correction – the last time we had been here was The Finals. A good memory to some degree, but also one that involved Jason. This was the hotel he’d drugged us at. This was the hotel where he and Lexi left me in the bathroom, and kidnapped the man I hadn’t realized I was in love with yet. I’d woken up with a pounding head, taken in my surroundings, and was hit with the reality that Knox was in life-threatening danger when he was nowhere to be found in our suite. That memory was one of the many I wished I could erase.
“Never heard from him again.” Manny’s voice was beside me suddenly, as though he’d been reading my mind.
I turned my head to regard him and nodded because he was right. After Manny left us here that night, he went back to the warehouse to take care of Jason, and we never heard from him again. Thank God.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come down to anything like that this time.” That was Knox, the man as in tune as ever, even when I couldn’t read him right.
Manny hummed and then the two disappeared to the back of the Tahoe to handle the luggage. That’s when Maya came to stand beside me, her small hand wrapping around my arm.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, and again I just nodded because what was I supposed to tell her?
Her eyebrows quirked ever so slightly, as though she didn’t think there weren’t any truth to my words, but she didn’t press me. Instead, she stole a peek at the building herself and I wondered if being in the city made her think of New York. I could’ve asked, but I didn’t, and she didn’t tell either, so we left it at that.
If only it were so easy to leave everything behind.
The unease that had quickly flourished didn’t lessen any as we checked-in, made our way up to the twentieth floor, and dispersed to our rooms. Something suddenly felt uncertain. I don’t think it was so much being here that had me on edge, but more of what Knox had said. I couldn’t fathom having to relive something like that again. I’d had enough fear and sorrow throughout the years to last a lifetime.
No more, please.
“What a
re you gonna do now?” Knox questioned from the en suite bathroom.
“I don’t know, probably make sure Maya is settled. Why?”
“After that, wanna go down to the beach?”
“The beach?” I could not have sounded more confused. “Why?”
“To make some new memories. I’ve never been to an all pebble beach before.” He shrugged.
Neither had I. The thought behind his intention was sweet, too, and at this point, anything that would take me away from this nagging feeling was welcome. Plus, it was probably one of the only times we would have to be alone. That is, of course, if Maya didn’t come with us.
“I’ll be ready in five,” I said with a soft smile before padding out of our room to where Maya was, across the small hallway.
The door was slightly cracked open, prompting me to knock.
“Come in,” her voice rang out.
Poking my head in, I found her unpacking her duffle bag.
“You know we’re only here three days, right?”
She nodded, hooking a shoulder. “I hate living out of a bag. OCD and all that.”
“I can relate, trust me. Listen, Knox and I are gonna head down to the beach. Wanna come?”
“I’ll pass. I can’t remember the last time I traveled so much. I’m actually kinda tired.”
I knew that feeling all too well. “It’s definitely not for everyone, and to think that’s all I did with The Underground. So glad it’s a different story this time around.”
Maya plopped down on the bed with a yellow sundress in hand. “My dad probably loved that, though, huh? All the traveling. When my mom was still alive, he’d promised her they’d travel the world once I had gone off to college.”