Cam’s smile grew. “Sounds perfect.”
Chapter 18
Fromthemomenthemet Alex in the hall on the suite level until they reached the restaurant and headed to their table, tucked in the back, Dawson made sure all that came up was the regular small talk.
He asked about Alex’s wife and his two daughters. Dutifully laughed at a fun little anecdote about how Marisa, his four-year-old, had somehow gotten into his wife’s makeup and had smeared it all over the brand-new cream-colored dining room carpet they’d just had custom made.
They’d briefly touched on the game, Alex making soothing noises about the miss, and reminding Dawson about how that kick had been technically out of his range. “And you almost made it, man,” he said, patting him on the back as they sat in the back of the Uber.
But finally they made it to the restaurant and settled down at their table, Dawson picking up the wine list more because it felt good to have something in his hands when Alex leaned in and earnestly said, “I’m so glad I came this weekend.”
“Are you though?”
“It was a good game. You guys lost, but it was close; anyone’s game, really. Six and one is still fucking amazing, Daws.”
“Yeah,” Dawson agreed. Didn’t mention that seven wins in a row would’ve been even better. They both knew that, and the thing was, Alex wasn’t even really wrong about the argument he’d made. Ithadbeen close, a hard-fought rivalry game that could’ve been anyone’s, right there at the end. If Aidan had had ten more seconds, they could’ve done one more pass, and then Dawsonwould’vemade that kick.
Sent them to overtime, and then all bets were off.
“To be honest, I thought you’d be more upset about it,” Alex said, leaning back in his chair, studying Dawson’s face carefully.
“That’s because you’ve been obsessing about how last season went,” Dawson countered. Aware also of how stupid that sounded, because it wasn’t like hehadn’tbeen obsessing over how last season went.
“Dawson, we’veallbeen, that’s why we did what we did. We were worried about you. Well,Iwas worried about you.”
“Yeah,” Dawson said bitterly, “Simon was just worried about his bottom line.”
“About that—it wasn’t about that for me.”
Dawson tapped the wine list. “Are we talking about it now?”
“I thought that was why I came. So we could talk about it. Hash it out.”
“Maybe I brought you to Toronto to fire you in person,” Dawson countered. He was still mad. Though the anger had mostly faded, leaving behind a deep and pervasive hurt.
Alex just shrugged. Looking more resigned than upset by that statement. “Maybe, but I don’t think so.”
The waiter arrived then. Dawson had yet to open the stupid wine list, even though he was holding it, so he asked for arecommendation, and after a quick back and forth, they took his suggestion for a cab that would pair well with steak.
“First, before anything else, I want to say I appreciate younotfiring me the way you did Simon,” Alex said, sounding like he’d rehearsed that particular opening. “You could’ve.”
“Yeah, I could’ve,” Dawson agreed. But he’d known Alex a long time, and unlike Simon, Alex had never given him an uneasy feeling in the back of his mind.
“But you didn’t. You gave me a chance to explain myself. So I will. I didn’tlikewhat Simon suggested, but, Daws, we’ve known each other a long time, and I’ve never seen you like you were last year.”
“Last year was shit,” Dawson agreed.
“No, it was, but it was worse than that. You were—I don’t think you even realized how bad you were. Brynn told me that one day she came over to pick something up from your apartment and you were just sitting there in the dark, on the couch, staring at nothing. We wereworriedabout you. I wasn’t sure you’d be able to face a tryout situation.”
Dawson couldn’t recall that exact memory, but he didn’t think it would probably help to admit he’d done it so many times they all blurred together. How often he’d hidden in his empty, awful apartment, in the dark, and wished everything and everyone would just go away.
“But then,” Alex continued, “this job fell into your lap. Marty wanted you and nobody else when the Thunder kicker retired. I was so happy and so fucking relieved. And it was like you woke up for the first time in months. You moved here and started over, but the prosecutor kept wanting to drag you right back to that place. That was the last thing you needed.”
Alex sounded genuinely torn up about it.
“It wasn’t right to keep it from me. You should’ve let me make the choice.”
“You’d have told me it was your responsibility to do what you could for the case. For all those other people who’d had their money stolen, too.”
