by Pamela Yaye
“Okay, but can you get back to Chicago by the end of next week?”
Erin opened her car door and tossed her purse over to the passenger seat. She then leaned one hand on the top of the car and held the cell phone to her ear with the other. “End of the week? Why?”
“Well, we’re keeping it under wraps, but since you’re a part of the senior executive team I can let you know. We’re working out the details of a merger with the Noble Group.”
Erin’s jaw dropped. The Noble Group was one of the largest marketing firms in the country. They had offices all over the United States and in several countries around the world.
“Are they buying us out?” A company that large could buy them if they wanted to, but she would expect Roxanne to sound more upset if that were the case.
“No. This started with discussions several months ago. They really became more interested after you knocked things out of the park with the auto show. They’ve seen the work we can do. A merger will benefit everyone.”
“Wow. This is a lot to take in.”
“I know. That’s why we need you here. We want all the senior executives here in the home office to discuss details if we go through with this. Can you be here?”
“Yes, of course I can be there.”
“Great. Let me know when you book your flight. We’ll plan the meeting for the following morning. Also, plan to stay for at least a few weeks. Will that throw off any of the deals you’re currently working on?”
Erin thought about the upcoming meetings next week and the proposals she had to put together. “I do have a few other tentative dates on the schedule. If we can send one of the senior project managers down here they may be able to handle some of the details while I’m in Chicago. You know, this is really a good example of why we need the Jacksonville office.”
“Forget the Jacksonville office. If we get this merger you’re the front-runner for the Chicago office.”
Erin was flabbergasted. “Chicago? You run Chicago.”
“But I’m trying to get to New York. You know that’s where my parents are. If things work out, I’ll be moving to the New York office and turning things here over to you.”
“Roxanne, I can’t believe you’d recommend me. I’ve only been senior executive for a few months.”
“But your dedication to this company goes back long before you were promoted. You’ve proven yourself. I couldn’t think of anyone better to handle the office.”
Erin grinned and accepted the compliment. Taking over the Chicago office would be a dream come true. Especially if they merged with the Noble Group. But her perfect dream job would jeopardize everything she and Will had planned for.
Chapter 21
“Hey, Will, can you stick around for a second?”
Will, Jacobe and Isaiah stopped talking and faced Coach Simpson. The team had just completed practice and Coach had worn their asses out. Will was looking forward to nothing more than sitting in the steam room, showering and getting home to Erin.
Their argument that morning had weighed on him all day. He didn’t believe for a second Juanita was coming on to him, but he was tired of the tension she inadvertently caused in his relationship with Erin. He was going to have to let her go.
“Anything wrong?” Will asked.
“Just need to talk to you for a second.”
Will looked at his friends. “I’ll catch up with you guys in a second.”
They both nodded, exchanged curious looks, then headed off the court with the rest of the team. Will pushed back his frustration with being singled out to stay behind. He’d hoped to get a second to talk to Jacobe and Isaiah about what was happening with him and Erin. And to tell his two closest friends that he was getting married.
“What’s up?” Will asked after turning back and facing Coach.
“Come with me to my office.”
Will frowned but nodded. He followed Coach through the hall, past the locker room, to the office he occupied. Unease crept up his spine the entire way. What in the hell was this about? He’d followed all of the rules of the lockdown and had cleared everything with upper management before doing anything outside the lockdown rules.
Will was too anxious to sit in one of the chairs in Coach’s office, so he leaned against the table near the window. “Is everything okay?”
“Don’t look so nervous. I haven’t asked you in here to deliver bad news.”
“Okay,” he said slowly.
“I want you to know that you did a great job as the captain for the Eastern Conference team during All-Star Weekend. I haven’t had the chance to talk to you about that.”
The words on Will’s tongue died on his lips. He couldn’t even remember what he’d planned to say. Coach’s compliment threw him completely for a loop.
“Um...thanks.”
Coach chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “You don’t have to sound so surprised. You’ve really stepped up in the past few months. Starting with your acceptance at putting together the team for the All-Star Weekend and by setting a good example during the team lockdown.”
“I understood the reasons for the lockdown.”
“I know, but you helped the rest of the team understand the reasons. You calmed their concerns and took up for the organization. You really stepped up and showed your leadership ability.”
Will grunted and shrugged. “I don’t know about that. I was just being a team player.”
“Don’t wave off what I’m saying. You really have been a true leader. More so since Kevin retired. I’ve heard some of the guys on the team talking about voting on a new team captain before the playoffs. Your name has come up.”
Will pushed away from the wall and sat in the chair across from Coach’s desk. “They’re considering me? Why?”
Sure, he’d been captain during All-Star Weekend, but that was All-Star Weekend. Fun weekend. Not serious games that counted. He wasn’t full-time team leader material. He was the guy who gave his teammates a good time. The person they could count on for a few laughs, but that was about it.
“Because you’re the guy who won us the championship last year.”
“I hit the last shot.”
“But you also scored twenty-two points and had twelve rebounds and twelve assists. You were the MVP of the game. This year, you’ve performed in every game as if it were a playoff game. You’ve stepped in to be not only the best player on the team, but also the one others know they can come to.”
“I wasn’t asking for extra attention.”
Coach laughed. “Will, you always get extra attention. The media love you. You’re on social media all the time.” He held up a hand before Will could interrupt. “But you don’t use your million followers just to promote foolishness. You bring attention to causes. You stand up for people who are being discriminated against. And you give pretty good tips on the best places to eat.”
Will chuckled and rubbed his jaw. “That’s just because I believe in that stuff. I don’t do it for attention.”
“That’s what makes you a great leader.”
“Why not Jacobe or Isaiah? Wouldn’t they be better as captain?”
Coach shook his head. “I disagree. Jacobe has settled down, but he’s still a bit of a hothead on the court. Isaiah is one of the leaders on the team, but he’s not the one the rest of the guys naturally gravitate toward.”
Will thought about what Coach said. He knew he was a great ballplayer, but a leader of the team? Could he be the one the rest of the guys looked up to?
“I know you want to be a coach one day. This is a good step toward that. Show people you can help lead a team, and when you’re ready to move on to the next step in your career, you’ve already proven yourself.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
Coach leaned forward and rested his arms on the desk. “Because I know y
ou tend to shy away from responsibility. I don’t know why, but I don’t think you should shy away this time. I’m with this team for the long haul. We’ve come a long way, and we’ve got a long way to go. I’ve watched you improve and grow into your abilities. I believe you can do this, regardless of what you may believe. Stop doubting yourself. You can do this.”
* * *
Will thought about Coach’s words for the rest of the day. Dozens of thoughts and revelations went through his head. He’d wanted nothing more than to pull Jacobe and Isaiah to the side and ask them what was up, if Coach was mistaken, and tell them about himself and Erin, but the locker room hadn’t been the right place. Everyone was still hyped up and excited about the playoffs. The right time hadn’t presented himself.
So when he walked through the door of his home and saw Erin’s red heels where she’d obviously kicked them off near the door, he smiled and picked them up. It didn’t matter if the time hadn’t been right to talk to his friends. His lady was here. He could talk to her. That was something he didn’t think he’d ever get tired of.
He found Erin in the kitchen. Her tablet in one hand, the other hovering over the handle for the microwave as the seconds ticked down. She looked up from her work when he walked in. Will held up her shoes.
She cringed. “Sorry, my feet were killing me.”
He chuckled and looked down at her red-painted toenails. Then his gaze traveled back up her smooth legs until the edge of the skirt of her business suit stopped his perusal.
“I’d be happy to take care of more than your feet.”
He placed her shoes on one of the chairs at the table and crossed over. He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her lush curves against his. He kissed her softly, reveling in the way she leaned into him.
“I like the sound of that.” She leaned back and smiled. “What’s got you in such a good mood?”
“I got good news today.”
The microwave beeped. The reminder to take the food out. He let Erin go so she could remove the frozen meal she’d heated up.
“I did, too,” she said. “You go first.”
She peeled back the plastic on the small tray, and the smell of orange chicken filled the kitchen.
“Don’t eat that. Let’s go out for dinner. Or order something in.”
“It’s already heated.”
“And throwing away a frozen dinner is not that big of a deal. Besides, if we both got good news, then we should go out and celebrate.”
He slid away the tray of frozen preservatives and pushed it farther down the counter. He loved Erin, but he did not understand how she could eat those things.
Erin held up a hand and shrugged. “Fine. Let’s go out, but first you have to tell me your good news.”
“Coach pulled me aside after practice today. With Mike’s arrest and conviction, we’re out prospects for a team captain,” Will said. “Coach Simpson thinks the guys will suggest me before we go into the playoffs. They say I’m a leader on the team.”
Erin’s eyes widened, and she grinned. “I hate to say I told you so.”
“Since when do you hate saying that?”
Her brown eyes sparkled, and she shrugged. “You’re right. I love saying it. I told you so! Will, you have to stop listening to what your dad says. You’re a natural leader. You just have to accept that.”
He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her forward. “I know that. It helps having someone on my side to remind me to get out of my own head.”
“I’ll always be ready to snap you back to reality.”
“That doesn’t scare me nearly as much as it should,” he said with a laugh. He kissed her again. He couldn’t get enough of her lips. The feel of her. He hated that he’d taken this long to finally step up and accept the way he felt about Erin.
“Now my good news,” she said.
“Shoot.”
“Our office is considering a merger with Noble Group. Which means a promotion for me.”
Will lifted her up by the hips and spun her. She gripped his arms and laughed. “That’s awesome.”
“I have to go back to Chicago next week to meet with the other executives and discuss the merger. It’s not final, but if we can come up with a game plan moving forward, this could be great for my career.”
“How long will you be in Chicago?”
“A few weeks at least.”
He nodded. “That’s good. It’ll give you time to pack your stuff and close out the lease for your apartment.”
The excitement in her eyes diminished. “I won’t have time to deal with all of that. Besides, that can come later.”
Later when? She’d said she wanted to marry him. Which he took meant she was ready to give up her apartment in Chicago and move in with him. But he didn’t want to ruin their good news.
“That’s cool. We’ll work it all out later. I’ll miss you, so let me know as soon as you’ll be coming back.”
“You sure you’ll be okay while I’m gone? Who’s going to feed you frozen meals while I’m out?”
“No one, thankfully.” He was about to say that Juanita used to stay late and sometimes make meals for him, but that brought him back to this morning.
“And another thing. When you get back, Juanita will be gone.”
Her eyes widened. “Why? If it’s about this morning...”
“It’s about more than this morning. I want things to be good between us. This is going to be your house, too. If she makes you uncomfortable, then she has to go.”
“She only makes me uncomfortable because she wants you.”
He shook his head. “None of that matters. I’ll let her go at the end of the week.”
Her brows knit together. He saw the need to argue warring in her eyes. Then she took a breath and nodded. Maybe she didn’t want to ruin their night, either.
“You’re right. Let’s go out and celebrate.”
Chapter 22
Will was sitting in the team conference room scrolling through an Instagram feed on his phone when Jacobe came up beside him.
“You and that phone, man. What are you looking at now?” Jacobe slid into the seat next to Will.
“Engagement rings,” he answered. He stopped on a picture of a huge five-and-a-half-carat diamond ring. “Is five carats too big, or too small?”
“Depends on the woman. Some like huge rings, some like smaller ones. Why are you looking at engagement rings?”
He looked up and met his friend’s eyes. “I asked Erin to marry me.”
“What? When?”
“The other week when we were on vacation in the Caribbean.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“When I got back things were hectic. Coach told me about the captain thing. Then there was the hustle of getting Erin back to Chicago. Then I thought, why tell everyone when I haven’t even given her a ring. I’m going to surprise her with it when she gets back next week.”
“Marriage. Man, are you sure? I mean, you two haven’t been together that long.”
“You weren’t with Danielle long before you asked her to marry you. And don’t give me the ‘you two knew each other in college’ spiel, either. I’ve known Erin almost my entire life. We finally hooked up. She’s the one I want.”
Jacobe nodded and rubbed a hand across his jaw. “I can’t argue about any of that. If you’re sure she’s the one you want to marry, then, hey, who am I to judge? I wish you both the best.”
Will relaxed, unaware that he’d gone stiff as he’d waited for Jacobe’s reaction. He hadn’t told his dad. He already knew what Calvin’s response would be to the news. She’s a nice girl. You’ll only disappoint her. Kelly had lit into him right after Erin went out of town. Accusing him again of stealing away her best friend and threatening to kill him if he broke Erin’s heart.
“
I appreciate that,” Will said. “Everyone isn’t happy about the arrangement.”
“Who isn’t?”
“My sister, for one.”
“I’d think she’d be happy. Her best friend is now a part of the family. Isn’t that a dream or something women have?”
Will laughed. “I don’t think so. It’s my own fault. She and her college roommate were close. I got in between that.”
The one quick hookup that hadn’t ended as neatly as he’d liked. Kelly’s roommate had taken her anger about her and Will ending out on Kelly. Her sister had lost a friend, but even before the breakup Kelly had complained. Saying her roommate no longer wanted to hang out with her and how she couldn’t trust her with her secrets because she’d just spill them out to Will later.
“This thing with Erin is different, though, right?” Jacobe asked.
“It is, but she doesn’t see that.”
“Then you’ll just have to prove her wrong.”
“I hope so. Hey, Kelly is having a get-together at her house this Friday.”
“You know we can’t party.” Jacobe pointed to Coach Simpson and Coach Grey entering the conference room with a few other members of the team. They were meeting to go over film from the first playoff game. The Gators won, but it had been a tough fight. “We’re in the middle of the playoffs.”
“Not a party party. Just hanging out. A few friends, everything chill and low-key. Erin is out of town. I’m getting bored at home alone.”
“Juanita isn’t offering to keep you company?”
Will scowled. “Why would you say that?”
“Because that woman looks at you like you’re a piece of meat. I’m surprised you didn’t have any trouble with her after Erin stayed with you.”
“You think she’s interested?”
“Honestly, I thought you’d been hitting that for a long time.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“You don’t kiss and tell, and I get my kicks in my own bedroom.”
“Well I’m not sleeping with Juanita, never did and never will be. I let her go last week. She was causing Erin to feel uncomfortable.”
