“Yeah, but I wish you didn’t have to,” Armi challenged him.
Unfazed, Hayden leaned against the desk. “You’re cute when you pout,” he teased.
“Stay with me this weekend? Please?” Having Hayden in his house would be the bow on the present of the week they’d shared since coming home from the scouting trip.
Hayden’s eyes dimmed. “I can’t. I haven’t been home the whole week. I have mail and dry cleaning to pick up, and I have to check out what died in my fridge.”
“Okay, so go tonight after work, and then you can come home to mine.”
Hayden cocked his head. “Or you could stay at my place. Would you mind?”
Puzzled, Armi felt as if it were some kind of test. “Why would I mind? I don’t care where we stay. I want to be with you. But it sounds like you might have a problem with that?”
Hayden pointed to the ringing phone. “I have to get that. We can talk later.” He picked up the receiver. “Armand Winters’s office. How may I help you?…Oh, yes, Mr. Anders. He’s right here. One moment, please.” His pushed the hold button. “It’s Russell. I think you need to confront him on his little plan that failed.”
“I know I do,” Armi scowled. “But I want to do it in person, not on the phone. Maybe I’ll go visit him, and then after, stop by my house to pick up clothes for the weekend. Meet you at your apartment. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good. I’ll leave you to your call.” Hayden walked out.
Armi picked up the receiver. “Russell?”
“What’s going on? Why are you screening my calls?”
“I’m not. That’s part of Hayden’s job—to answer my phone. How are you feeling?”
“Like shit. I thought I’d have seen you by now.”
“I was planning on coming over this afternoon, if that’s okay. I want to talk to you about some things.”
“About time. It’s been a whole week,” Russell grumbled. “I saw the scouting reports. Those two kids might have some promise.”
That reluctant approval was about what Armi expected. “Yeah. I’m going to leave now. I should be there in less than half an hour, depending on crosstown traffic.” Russell lived in a pretty town house on the Upper West Side. “Can I bring you anything?” It must be hard for an active man like Russell to be alone and laid up.
“Lucy has me covered. You’ll stay for dinner. We can talk then.”
It sounded like a command rather than a question. “Uh, I’m sorry. I have plans.”
“Plans? Like a date?”
“Russell, I have to go. There’s someone here to see me. Be there soon.”
He hung up and pulled up the article fromOut in Sports. He was less concerned about how he was portrayed than if Hayden was mistreated. He read through it twice and called Hayden. “Could you come here, please?”
Hayden opened his door. “Something wrong?”
“Did you read the article? TheOut in Sportsone.”
“Not the whole thing. I’ve been doing the weekly reports.”
“There was no mention of you. And it was pretty favorable to me. I mean, a little of the what-does-he-know-about-football nonsense, but on the whole, it was positive.”
“Really?” To say Hayden looked relieved was an understatement.
“Yeah, really. I think both of you have gone on to have productive lives. Mistakes happen. You’re not that desperate seventeen-year-old kid anymore. We all grow and learn to move on.”
Hayden left his chair and kneeled by his side. “Don’t ever think about changing who you are for me. I like you exactly the way you are.”
The air between them sizzled, and pressure built inside him to say what had been tumbling around in his chest. He’d never imagined he’d be in this position, but he couldn’t do it in the office. Hayden deserved so much more. Armi swore he could feel the blood beating in his veins.
