by Pamela Yaye
“I’m not surprised. That’s for the best. Don’t let anyone up in your place that makes your lady uncomfortable.”
Coach Grey and Coach Simpson faced the now-full conference room. Isaiah came in and sat on Will’s other side. The postgame meeting had begun, so Will pushed aside everything except what they needed to do next to keep winning. But he couldn’t help the relief in knowing he’d made the right decision by firing Juanita.
* * *
“Are the rumors true?”
Erin looked up from her laptop on her desk in the Chicago office to Vivien in the door. She raised a brow. “Is what true?”
Vivien looked over her shoulder before coming into Erin’s office and shutting the door. “The big M-word?”
Erin’s heart picked up a beat. M-word. Marriage? How did Vivien find out? “Who told you?”
“Well, there’s only one reason all of the company senior executives are meeting every day. And I saw some of the executives from Noble Group slip into one of those meetings. So, it is true?”
Erin’s one fear was replaced with another. Word of the merger wasn’t supposed to spread. Employees got panicky and started jumping ship if they thought their jobs would be cut.
“I can’t say anything.”
Vivien plopped down in the seat across from Erin. “Just tell me if I should start looking for another job.”
Erin shook her head. “Of course not. You’re one of our leading project managers. If the company were considering a merger, then I would fight to keep you on board.”
Vivien’s shoulders relaxed. “That’s a relief.”
“But I need you to not feed into any gossip about a merger. That spooks people. We don’t need that to happen. Not right now.”
Vivien nodded. Vivien putting things together and figuring out what many of the executives were talking about wasn’t a surprise. She was intuitive and usually picked up on things faster than others. Erin trusted her not to run and spread word of anything she learned.
“You know if this merger happens Roxanne is going to hightail it back to New York,” Vivien said. “She wants nothing more than to be back home.” Vivien’s eyes widened. “That means you would be perfect for the Chicago office!”
Erin couldn’t help but laugh at the way Vivien’s brain worked. “Once again, if that happens then we’ll see. Besides, I’m not sure if I want to take over the Chicago office.”
A wave of nausea hit her. Erin frowned and reached for the pack of saltine crackers next to her mouse and pulled one out. She munched on the cracker, then downed it with some water.
“Why not?” Vivien asked. “This makes perfect sense.”
Taking a deep breath, she felt the nausea return to a low simmer in her stomach and focused on Erin. “Will wants me to live with him permanently. He’s talking about marriage.”
“Is it because you’re pregnant?”
Erin choked on the cracker. Tears came to her eyes and she placed a hand on her chest as she coughed. “Pregnant?” she croaked. She picked up the water bottle and took a sip. She shook her head. “I’m not pregnant.”
“Then why have you been eating saltine crackers constantly for the past week?”
“I’ve been feeling sick.” She held up a finger. “But this morning I realized the half-and-half in my fridge is expired. I threw it out and expect to feel fine tomorrow.”
Vivien raised a brow. “Are you sure? You’re also kind of glowing.”
“I am not glowing. That’s a pregnancy myth anyway. I have never seen a pregnant woman glow. Most of the time they look miserable.”
“My sister glowed when she was pregnant.” Vivien pushed the hair over her shoulder. “I plan to glow when I’m pregnant.”
Erin shook her head. “I am sick because of bad dairy, and if I am glowing it’s because I’m happy. Things are going great personally and professionally.”
“Still, it never hurts to take a test.”
“I’m on the pill.”
“And you’re not too busy to ever forget to take it?”
There was that time while they were on vacation. She’d forgotten three mornings in a row, but had taken three as soon as she remembered, then prayed that it balanced everything out. Besides, she and Will used condoms. Sometimes.
“I see by your expression that I’m right.”
“I’m not pregnant.”
Vivien gave her an if-you-say-so look. “Fine. You know, it’ll be good for you to not be pregnant anyway.”
“Why is that?” Erin picked up another cracker and ignored Vivien’s pointed look.
“Because a baby would make you actually consider his offer to move down there and give up a great opportunity to run the Chicago office.”
“Marrying Will would be just as great.”
“Men talk about marriage all the time, but there still isn’t a ring on your finger.” Vivien stood. “If this merger happens and if they offer you the job, just think about what you’re giving up if he is only talking about marriage and not serious.”
Erin had nothing to say to that and nibbled on more crackers as Vivien left her office. The nausea hadn’t lessened up. She felt even more sick after her conversation.
It’s bad dairy. That’s all.
She looked at the bare finger on her left hand. Will had asked, but he hadn’t made an announcement or told anyone as far as she knew. And he was the king of announcing big things on his social media accounts.
Erin glanced back at her calendar. Kelly was having a party this Friday. Erin had planned to surprise Will and show up. She’d told Kelly to keep the secret. Deciding to give her friend the heads-up this time since she’d been so upset when Erin hadn’t initially told her she was coming to town.
She’d talk to Will this weekend. Tell him about the opportunity to run the Chicago office. Find out if he was serious about them, or if marriage was just another spur-of-the-moment idea he’d had.
She ran a hand over her stomach. Bad dairy. Please, God, let it be bad dairy.
Chapter 23
Will arrived at his sister’s place early. The team was scheduled to practice first thing next morning, then fly out for the next playoff game that afternoon. He was worn out after a grueling afternoon of running drills with the team. He wanted to go straight home and fall asleep, but Kelly had called and asked if he was still showing up. Unwilling to disappoint his sister, he stopped and picked up some of the apple turnovers she liked and a twelve-pack of beer.
He had no plans to drink, but he knew Kelly would appreciate it.
She opened the door after he rang the bell. Loud music blared from inside and mingled with the sounds of voices. “Will, you made it!” she said with a grin.
Will frowned and looked over her shoulder at the dozens of people inside. “Kelly, this is more than a small get-together.”
She shrugged. “I know. You know how things balloon out of control.”
“I’m tired and probably not the best company for a party.”
She waved off his words and took the box of apple turnovers out of his hand. “Just stick around for a few minutes or so. You can’t leave right after getting here.”
He sighed and followed his sister inside. He recognized most of the people at the party. Several of Kelly’s friends he’d hung out with. The guy she’d started dating that he’d met during All-Star Weekend. Some of her coworkers were there, too.
He trailed behind her on the way to the kitchen. Stopping to smile and greet some of the people there along the way.
“You need help with anything?” he asked Kelly once they reached the kitchen.
She shook her head and put the apple turnovers on top of the fridge. “I’ve got it.”
“You know those are for the party,” he said.
She shrugged. “I smell them through the box. They’re my favorite, and
I’m not sharing.” She came over and wrapped him in a quick hug. “That’s why you’re the best brother ever.”
Will chuckled and hugged her back with his free arm. He still held the twelve-pack of beer in his other hand. “You’re tipsy.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re not the best brother.”
He hoisted the beer onto the island in Kelly’s kitchen. “I really am only going to stick around for a few minutes. I’ve got a long day ahead of me.”
“I completely understand. Give me an hour and then feel free to slip out.”
“Deal.”
“Hey, Mr. Hampton.”
Will let go of his sister and spun around. Juanita stood in the door of the kitchen. The very last person he ever expected to find at his sister’s house party.
“Juanita? What are you doing here?” He looked from her to his sister.
Juanita pointed to Kelly. “I was invited.”
Shock warred with angry frustration. “Excuse us a second.” He took Kelly by the arm and pulled her into the mudroom next to the kitchen. “Why is she here?”
“Okay, look, it’s not that big of a deal,” Kelly said. “I ran into her at the grocery store the other day.”
“You don’t grocery shop. You order your groceries.”
“I don’t order all the time. And I just needed to pick up a salad mix. I do know how to enter a grocery store.”
He held up a hand. “Whatever, get back to why she’s here.”
“I saw her in the produce aisle. She was crying, so of course I went over to check on her. She said you fired her, and she wasn’t sure why. You’re her biggest client and she was worried you were going to blacklist her to others.”
Will jerked back. “I would never do that.”
“Well, she doesn’t know that. I tried to tell her that, but I also didn’t have the heart to say Erin made you fire her because she was jealous.”
“Erin didn’t make me fire her.”
Kelly raised a brow. “Really?”
“I fired her to make Erin more comfortable.”
“Sounds the same to me.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Will interrupted. “That still doesn’t explain why she’s here.”
“I’m getting to that if you let me finish,” Kelly said with an eye roll. “Anyway, I told her you would be here tonight. I figured if she heard from you that you weren’t going to blacklist her she’d be okay.”
“You invited her here for me?” This was unbelievable. He wanted to strangle Kelly.
“Not for you. For you to talk to her. That’s all. Just get it over with. Let her know you’ll give her a good reference and all that.”
“I told her that when I let her go.”
“She didn’t believe you.”
Will rubbed his forehead. “Fine. I’ll talk to her. Then I’m out. You don’t get an hour from me after pulling this crap.”
He turned Kelly by the shoulders and ushered her back into the kitchen before she could argue. He was already tired, and this wasn’t making things any easier. Juanita waited for them in the kitchen. She anxiously twisted her hands in front of her as she watched them return.
“Juanita, I just want you to know—”
“Can we talk somewhere quieter?” Juanita said. “I don’t want anyone to overhear me beg for a good reference.” She pushed her hair behind her ear. Her big eyes were sad and glistened with unshed tears.
Guilt churned in Will’s gut. Damn! He’d never meant to make her cry. “Sure, we can go in the mudroom.”
He motioned with his head for her to proceed him. Juanita smiled and wiped her eyes quickly before scurrying toward the room. Will glared at Kelly. His sister raised her hands and shrugged before mouthing sorry.
Yeah, he bet she was sorry.
He followed Juanita into the small space. The tears still glistened in her eyes.
“Look, Juanita, I don’t know what you think, but I’m not going to blackball you. Okay? If you need a reference, I’ll have nothing but good things to say about you.”
“But you weren’t happy with my service? I thought I gave you everything you needed.”
“You were great, but it was just time.”
“Why? Did I do something wrong?” She frowned. “It was the coffee day, wasn’t it?”
“Things were a bit...tense between you and Erin. I can’t have that in my home.”
“Erin didn’t want me there?”
He wasn’t going to use Erin as the excuse for why he fired her. He’d made the decision and he was sticking by it. “I didn’t want tension in my home. Erin and I are getting married. We deserve a fresh start.”
“Is it because she knows how I feel about you?” Juanita stepped forward.
Will’s neck snapped back. “Come again?”
Juanita sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. The movement stretched the material of her shirt. He took in what she wore. A button-up blouse with a deep V-neck, short skirt, heels that almost made her as tall as him.
“I knew it. I’ve tried to hide the way I feel about you, but she saw it from the start.”
The walls in the mudroom seemed a lot closer than they were before. “The way you feel about me?”
Her eyes widened, and she pressed a hand to her chest. “I thought you knew?”
“Why would I know? You’ve never said anything.”
“You were always nice to me. You’d let me stay late and make dinner for you. All the comments about how good I took care of your bedroom.”
“I was just being nice.”
She stepped even closer. The scent of her perfume surrounded him. Nearly choked him. “Well, now you know. I can’t walk away without telling you how I feel.”
“Juanita, I’m with Erin. That’s not changing.”
“She isn’t right for you.” Her hands went to the buttons of her shirt.
Will slid back, but bumped into the shoe rack behind him. “Hold up. What you think doesn’t matter. I love her.”
“That’s because you haven’t given us a try,” she said flippantly. “Think about it. You think you want her because she was under your nose for years and you didn’t go for her. Well, the same is true with me. And I promise you, I can love you so much better than she can.”
Will was too stunned to even think. What was going on? This had gotten out of control too fast. Before he could say anything else, Juanita pushed him. He fell back until his butt hit the top of the wooden shoe rack. Juanita had her shirt open and jumped onto his lap in a second. Her knees settled on either side of his hips, her breasts pressed into his chest.
“Hell no,” he protested.
His hands went to her waist at the same time her mouth smashed into his. She’d caught him off guard and took full advantage. Her tongue pushed past his lips, invading his mouth with the taste of strawberries and cigarettes.
Anger and disgust rolled through him. He should have fired Juanita the second Erin said she didn’t trust the woman.
A sharp cry at the door made Juanita pull back. They both turned toward the sound. Will’s entire body froze. The devastated look on Erin’s face made him want to claw out his heart.
Juanita wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned. “I told you he liked the way I took care of him.”
With a shake of her head, Erin turned and ran away from the door. Kelly stood in the spot behind where Erin had stood. Her eyes wide as she looked at Will and then in the direction Erin had run.
Not giving one damn about Juanita, he pushed her off his lap. Ignoring her cry of surprise, he hurried out of the mudroom.
Kelly grabbed his arm. “Will, what the hell? What are you doing?”
He jerked off Kelly’s grip. “Not now, Kelly.”
He hurried after Erin, but by the time he got outside she was already in he
r car and driving off. Will placed his hands over his face and kicked the wall. How the hell was he supposed to fix this?
Chapter 24
Erin didn’t go back to Will’s place. She knew that would be the first place he looked for her. She didn’t book an immediate flight back to Chicago, or call her parents and schedule an impromptu visit home. Instead, she got a room at a hotel near the airport and spent the night alternating between crying and raging.
When her eyes popped open in the darkened hotel room her memories wouldn’t even give her a few minutes of ignorance. A vision of Will with his hands cradling Juanita’s hips while she straddled his lap and they passionately kissed flashed across her vision so clearly it might as well be projected on the hotel ceiling. She closed her eyes, but of course that didn’t help.
She yearned to spend the rest of the day in that bed. Hiding from the ramifications of yesterday. Hiding changed nothing. She couldn’t afford to drown in pain. She wasn’t that person. She had to be strong. Her hand rested over her stomach. New pain sliced through her chest. She had new responsibilities now.
Slowly, she sat up and got out of bed. She pulled out clothes for the day, showered and put on her makeup before taking a steadying breath and turning on her cell phone. The phone lit up like the Vegas Strip. Numerous calls, texts and voice messages.
She deleted Will’s. She wasn’t quite ready to hear his excuses. She called Kelly after seeing her friend’s last text.
Call and let me know you aren’t in a ditch.
The corner of Erin’s mouth twitched with that. It was something she would say. Her friend picked up after the first ring.
“Erin! Thank God, where are you?”
“I’m in a hotel room.”
“Which one?”
“I’m not telling you. You’ll tell him.” She didn’t want to see him.
“No, I won’t. He’s not with me and I haven’t seen him since he ran out of here last night looking for you. Now tell me where you are. I need to see you for myself and make sure you’re okay.”
