“I mean it,” I said when the mirth had died away.“That was strike one.I don’t give strikes.I give pink slips.Don’t make me regret letting you have a strike.”
“You know I’m not like this,” Ace said miserably.
“Mm.”I left one beat.The topic was done.“Have you and Keaton exhausted your research?”
He shrugged.“For now.Brody will slip up.The fact he came here today proves it.He’s too much of an asshole to just pull something off – he has to go and brag about it, too.He’s going to fuck up and we’ll be there.I’m going to speak to the staff at O’Finlays tomorrow and try to see the security footage.Maybe they caught something.”
I didn’t think it likely that he would succeed.The bar was known for having top-level athletes among its customers.They wouldn’t hand over tapes to just anyone.This would likely have to be a police matter first.I wasn’t getting the law involved.We could work on Ridley’s reputation a thousand ways.Police reports would drag the story out longer in the press.
He had a big game coming up.First of the season.Everyone was going to be watching his performance.Judging his age and his capabilities.Whispering about the hint of a drinking problem.He had to overcome this scandal so he could play well.He had to play well so he could beat the rumors that he was aging out of the game.
He had to beat the rumors so he could keep his job – and he had to keep his job so I could keep mine.
“Keaton is mine once he’s fixed your mouth,” I said as I walked out of the door.“Stop trying to steal him from me.”
“I wasn’t…” Ace began.
I turned and gave him a glare that shut him up immediately.
And I walked back to my office to wait formysecretary to come back to me.
Keaton
“Jesus,” I said as I peered closely at Ace’s busted lip.It looked seriously painful.Blood was still oozing out of it, albeit at a snail’s pace.“He got you good.”
“No, he certainly fucking did not,” Ace snapped.He took the ice pack off me and pressed it against his lip, blood and all.He immediately winced at the press of the cold surface against his tender skin, but considering he was still clearly burning on a hot temper, I didn’t have as much sympathy as I might have.
I sighed.“What is it with you two?I wouldn’t have pegged you for the type to rise to someone like that.”
Ace groaned.“I’m not,” he said.His voice was slightly muffled by the ice pack, and he winced again as he spoke.“It’s just… Brody fucking Driver.I don’t know.He must have super asshole powers.”
I snorted.
He glanced at me.“Shut up,” he muttered.“You know what I meant.Not likethat.”
“No, no,” I agreed, holding my hands up in surrender.“I just thought that a super asshole might be, you know…”
“If you add one single word to that joke I will make Harvey fire you,” Ace said sourly.
That dropped the smile from my face.I had to remember who I was talking to.Ace was my superior at work, after all.“Sorry,” I said quietly.I preferred to apologize and be humbled instead of losing my job.Not getting to work with Mr.Harvey anymore would be a fate worse than not being allowed to make jokes.
Not that I was supposed to want to work with him anymore.Damnit.I kept forgetting that I’d decided to try to get out of here.
“He wants you back with him,” Ace said, gesturing vaguely in the direction of Mr.Harvey’s office.
Back with him.The words almost sent a shiver down my spine.I couldn’t deny that seeing Mr.Harvey wade in there and physically pull the fighters apart was… very masculine.Stirring, even.But I couldn’t think about that – especially not right now, right before I was about to go and see him again.I had to try and keepthatout of my mind as much as possible.Locked up inside a separate room inside my head.
If I was ever going to look Mr.Harvey in the eye again without turning into an actual tomato, I needed to not think about how strong and powerful he was.
“Great,” I muttered, realizing Ace was still waiting for a response.
He gave a short laugh.“That bad, is it?”
I glanced up guiltily.There I went again, making myself incredibly fireable.“Oh, it’s not… I just…”
Ace shook his head with a wry chuckle.“I honestly thought you two would be a good fit for each other.Not just because you were the last candidate, but because you have things in common that he’s never had with a secretary before.”
It was my turn to laugh – incredulously.“We have nothing in common,” I told him.“I have very little knowledge of sports and certainly haven’t ever played any, I live with my sister in a tiny apartment which I’m sure is the exact opposite of his living situation, and I actually speak in sentences of more than five words.Plus, I don’t ever grunt when someone asks me a question.”
