Page 41 of Her New Billionaire Bosshole

Her eyes shift away, focusing on something in the distance. “Yeah. My parents used to take me every year. I wasn’t one of those 4H kids, I just liked going.”

I make a note to figure out what in the world4His, watching as she takes a bite from the corn dog, revealing its pink center. I don’t normally eat processed foods, try to avoid anything that’s not organic. But for some reason, in Sophie’s hand, the corn dog is appealing to me.

In the back of my mind, I know that I have million things I’m putting off for this. I just can’t bring myself to care.

“Come on, Elliot,” Sophie says, holding the corn dog out to me. “Try a bite.”

I sigh, take it from her, and sink my teeth into the dog.

Just like everything else today, I’m surprised by how much I like it. It’s salty, the hot dog’s texture snappy while the bread is soft and chewy, slightly sweet. The whole thing comes together well.

“You’re falling in love,” Sophie says, her eyes meeting mine, holding them for a long moment. “I can see it all over your face.”

Lowering my voice, I say, “Yeah. I’m sure you can.”

CHAPTER 20

SOPHIE

This time, when I walk into the sponsor meeting, I know exactly who it is, and what we’re here to do. When I push through the door, Elliot stands, tugging on his suit jacket, and I glance away from him to keep my body from reacting in an embarrassing way.

When I got home from our little food tour last night, I was on the phone with Olivia for hours. Throughout the entire phone call, she repeated herself, doubling down with every detail I offered, “Sophie.That man is downbadfor you!”

I countered with the evidence — that he’d called that night a mistake. That it would probably be better for us to keep our distance. That he wants to befriendly colleagues.

That while technically not my boss, being seen with him could be complicated.

“Soph,” Olivia said, her voice low, serious for once as she stared into the camera toward me. “I have never seen you this happy. And I think that means something.”

Now, Elliot swings his arm toward me, grinning.

“Ms. Haworth,” he says to the older woman sitting at the table, her gray curls immaculate. “This is Sophie Kendall, our coach and the heart of the Dallas Bolts.”

At that, I flush, heat moving into my cheeks. “Oh, it’s not?—”

“Of course, I know who you are.” Ms. Haworth stands, offers her hand to me. I take it, and it’s soft, warm in mine. “It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you, Coach Kendall.”

“Please,” I say, “call me Sophie.”

We sit down at the table together, Elliot and I, his assistant Skylar, and a few people from Ms. Haworth’s team.

“Go ahead, Jen,” Ms. Haworth says, gesturing to a young woman in a blazer. She stands, her voice shaking slightly as she brings up a presentation.

“Good morning, everyone,” she says. “We’re here today to discuss a potential partnership between the Dallas Bolts and the Haworth Institute. In exchange for our sponsorship of the team,” — she clicks over to a slide with mock-up jerseys, signs on the outside of the stadium, and several advertisements featuring both Dallas players and the Haworth Institute logo — “the Haworth Institute would like a significant presence in the branding and appearance of the Dallas Bolts.”

Clicking to the next slide, she says, “As you may know, the Haworth Institute is a certified B-Corp organization that focuses on helping women move forward. Functioning as a sort of booster club, our members are alumni of the program who provide mentoring to the younger woman just started their careers or entrepreneurial endeavors. We strive to help bright young women find the resources they need to be successful.”

Already, my chest is soaring at the idea of partnering with them.Thisfeels like the kind of sponsorship that the players will feel good about.

I glance at Elliot and realize he’s already looking at me, something like satisfaction clear in his expression. When our gazes catch, he holds mine, and I’m the first to look away, heart pounding.

The look on his face was like he was happy to have made me happy.

And that’s a dangerous thing for me to be thinking, no matter what Olivia said.

The meeting goes on, with numbers and charts taking over the screen. One of Elliot’s lawyers asks to clarify the language in one part of the contact, but other than that, the meeting goes by quickly, and when we’re done, Ms. Haworth catches me at the side of the room, shaking my hand again.

“I have to say,” she says, placing a hand on my shoulder. She smells like roses and patchouli, a rich, comforting scent. “I admire your story, Sophie. The resilience you’ve found is astounding, and you’re clearly a beacon of this community. If you’re ever interested, we’d love to have you mentor one of our women, to join the organization.”