“How’s everything going with your office romance, Mom?” Lily asks Joslyn.
Joslyn turns surprisingly red-faced at the question. I can’t imagine her being embarrassed. She seems like a person who’s always in control.
“It’s going well, actually.” She answers evenly, but the blush is still there. Now I’m wondering because I want to know who’s on the other side of this office romance.
“Damon is such a silver fox. You’re so lucky. I bet that man is delicious in bed.” Mel says in a wishfully dreamy voice. I did not see that coming, but also, cool. Damon is good-looking. I mean, he’s not Liam hot, but he’s attractive. Also, Mel is clearly a different girl outside the office, and I’m here for it.
“Eww. That’s my dad. That’s not a mental image I need, Mel!” Lexi complains, taking a big gulp of her drink.
“Ohhh. Sorry, Lex. I always forget that part.” Mel shoots her a sly grin. She doesn’t seem to be very sorry, which makes me chuckle.
“Please! Do not put sex and my dad in the same sentence. Gross.” Rolling her eyes, she takes another sip of her drink.
“Yes, let’s talk about anything but that!” Joslyn exclaims, looking relieved. Lily smiles to herself but changes the subject.
“Mel, how’s the job? It’s got to be a million times better with that Matilda lady gone.”
“You have no idea. She was so unpleasant. I’m learning so much. Don’t tell my family but I like hockey better than football.”
“Wow, won’t that get you disinherited or something?” Lexi quips. Mel laughs.
“Probably not that but my brothers would probably stop talking to me.”
“Is that a bad thing? Speaking as someone who has an interfering brother.” I snark. It makes Mel and Lily chuckle. It’s easy to spot who has brothers.
“But Walker’s such a sweetheart! My firm takes care of his finances. He’s a dream client. Always polite and never inappropriate.” Lily says, amused by my eye-roll and sour face.
“He’s always inappropriate around me. When we were kids, he used to Dutch oven me regularly. It was nasty.” Even Joslyn laughs at that story, so we go around the table and tell each other sibling stories until we’re laughing so hard we’re crying. I haven’t had this much fun since college.
I find myself hoping that these ladies become a more permanent fixture in my life.
Liam
Meetings have taken up most of my Saturday, and now I’ve got nothing left in the tank. The lunch meeting with my agent and my new sponsor went very well. Then, I met with a financial firm that Coop recommended. Trusting people with your money can be tricky in this business. It’s important to me that I get the finances under control before my parents get back. I’m finally realizing how stressed-out Mom must have been about everything.
I just got my first sponsorship deal and I’m psyched about it. It’s a small local firm that sells protein powders and drinks. I’m trying them out this week, so I’ve got a case full of samples in my SUV. I figure I’ll rope Walker into trying them out with me. Maybe I can get Maddie to come up with a morning shake recipe using their product, too.
I grab some samples out of the trunk before heading to the parking garage elevator. This building is so convenient because I can take the elevator straight up to my floor from the parking lot and skip the lobby entirely. That’s nice if I’m too tired to deal with people, like tonight.
I can’t wait to just collapse on the couch and do absolutely nothing. We have the weekend off, which is rare, so I plan to enjoy it. Some of the single guys are going out, but I’m not feeling it. Walker won’t go either. He doesn’t drink during the season, so he stays away from the bar scene. He’s pretty serious about his training regimen. I’m not quite as dedicated, especially after a win, because sometimes a beer really hits the spot.
The smell hits me first. Rotting garbage, funky shoes, and sweaty men. Basically, it smells like our locker room. My stomach twists and I cough, trying to breathe through my mouth.
“Walker! What the fuck is that smell?” I shout as I maneuver through the door with my arms full of sponsor samples. No answer, but I hear video game combat from the living room. I spare a thought of gratitude to my mom for always keeping my place clean. I’m on the struggle bus lately with Walker. He’s so much messier than I remember, and it’s annoying as hell. Today it looks like he’s done nothing all damn day.
“Walker!” I yell again, my irritation increasing. He’s camped out on the couch playing Call of Duty with his headphones on. No wonder he didn’t hear me. There’s food and dirty dishes all over the coffee table, and it smells even worse in here. The drapes are closed, and it’s dark despite it being a beautiful sunny afternoon. I accidentally breathe through my nose and my stomach rolls.
Between the smell and the mess, I lose my battle to contain my anger. I’ve had enough. I’ve been busting my butt to change my life so Maddie can see me as a potential partner, and this asshole is fucking it up. Fuck that.
I yank his headphones off and toss them aside.
“What the fuck, Liam?” he yelps and then starts cursing. I reach for the controller, but he contorts his body to keep it away from me. “I’m in the middle of a battle!”
“Then get out of it. We need to talk.”
“Well, fuck. Now I’m dead. Thanks for that.” He huffs as he turns off the game and tosses his controller onto the coffee table. It lands with a thud right next to a plate with a half-eaten sandwich.
“Don’t care. It’s just a game.”
