The tension in his body releases a bit, and his shoulders droop. He takes a big sip from his beer before answering.
“Pretty much. I mean, it’s my fault you got traded, Damon.” He’s eaten up with guilt, and I just can’t let that stand.
“Jacob. It is absolutely not your fault. No part of that was your fault. You were a child expressing your opinion. There is nothing wrong with that. All of the blame lies with your Uncle Kurt. All. Of. It.” I emphasize that last bit so he can feel it. “That trade was always going to happen at some point. I was not quiet about my feelings – especially regarding management and Kurt, specifically. That’s completely on me. I was young and foolishly thought I was untouchable.”
He looks up, his face brightening. I sincerely hope I’ve taken the weight of his guilt off his shoulders.
“At the end of the day, that trade was probably one of the best things to happen to me and my career. It also set me on a path to getting sober. I would never be the person I am today if that trade hadn’t happened.”
The vulnerable look he gives me reminds me of that eleven-year-old kid. The dad in me wants to hug him. The guy in me knows that won’t go over well. I settle for clapping him lightly on the back.
“You and I are good, man. No hard feelings or anything. I promise you.”
He looks at me for a minute, like he’s trying to judge my sincerity, until finally, with a nod, the worried look disappears and he smiles at me.
“So I guess we should play some pool, then,” he says, his whole demeanor relaxing for the first time tonight.
“Maybe we should put a little money on it?” I suggest, smirking at him.
“Oh, it’s on, old man.”
“I’ll show you old!”
Chapter Twenty-One
Joslyn
It’s Thursday morning, more than a week since my dinner at Damon’s. I’ve been so busy with the fallout from the Bill situation, Jacob being out, and Diana, our HR lady, abandoning ship, that I’ve had very little time to think. Damon’s been out of town since Tuesday, meeting with a couple of prospective coaches in both Minnesota and Boston, so I haven’t seen him much. He gets back today, and I’m trying to control my anticipation.
I genuinely miss him. He’s become such a big part of my life. I didn’t notice until he wasn’t around all the time. We’d gotten into the habit of grabbing a coffee together every morning, discussing our schedules for the day, and using each other as a sounding board. We haven’t had a chance to do that all week. I don’t like it.
There’s more to it than just meeting for coffee, though. I want Damon. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone since… well, ever. Then again, I’ve never been this physically attracted to someone before. I’ve heard people talk about sex and how amazing it is, but I never bought into the hype. I was convinced it was overrated, and people were making a big deal out of nothing. Then, Damon gave me an orgasm on his sofa, and now I have torethink everything I thought I knew because…Wow!I’ve never had an orgasm like that in my life, battery-induced or otherwise. And yes, contrary to my daughter’s opinion, I do know how to take care of my needs, thank you very much. It’s never felt like that before, and now I can’t stop thinking about him.
I refuse to admit it to my daughter, but that vibrator she bought me is getting plenty of use this week. I keep replaying that scene from Damon’s sofa on repeat in my brain, and it’s been my favorite way to get off, which is more than a little disconcerting. I’m very used to ignoring my sexual urges, and now I can’t think about anything else, even if everything between us feels untethered. It’s been keeping me on edge. I’m basically an anxious, horny disaster. Great.
Jacob’s in my office when I arrive. Despite his thirty-one years, he looks older. I wonder if working for his dad was a lot tougher on him than he let on. He’s always been one to put on a brave face. He’d minimize his feelings a lot as a kid, always telling me everything was fine with his dad, even when I knew damn well it wasn’t. I heard the way Tad spoke to his son, and I saw the way he treated him. He and Kurt were cut from the same cloth. I shudder to think what their father must have been like. I was careful to keep my son as far away from Tad as I possibly could, especially once Kurt died. It hurt my heart that I couldn’t do that for Jacob. All I was able to do was give him as much love as I could, but it never felt like it was enough to make up for Tad’s abuse.
He’s obviously been waiting for me, even though he’s currently engrossed in his phone. His long, lean legs stretched out despite his bespoke suit, as he relaxes on my office sofa. Short blond hair, impeccably styled, and neat as a pin. He’s the picture of a wealthy, successful man. It makes me smile to see him like this, in his element and happy. Abby, of course, is delighted to see him. She knows who has the most treats, and it’s not me.He doesn’t even look away from his screen as he grabs a handful out of his pocket and holds it out for her.
“At least make her work for it a little bit!” I say with exasperated affection.
He finally pulls his head out of his phone and looks up at me with a mischievous grin, green eyes twinkling.
“Where’s the fun in that?”
I roll my eyes at him. I’m never winning this fight.
“So, to what new crisis do I owe the pleasure of your company this morning?”
He never stops by first thing in the morning. He’s aware that mornings and I are not friends. It doesn’t bode well for my already busy day.
“Hey now, Ms. Grumpypants. Cheer up! I brought you coffee. And because I’m feeling generous, some of this. See?”
He waves a white and purple bag around like a prize.
“Is that…?”
“Yes, it is. English Toffee straight from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.” He waggles his eyebrows at me enticingly.
