Even the Score

by Beth Ehemann

  I was with him the day he got the call from the hospital that his wife’s car had been T-boned by a drunk driver. By the time we got to the hospital, she was already gone along with the baby that had lived safely inside of her for eight months. I stood in the corner of the room behind him as he sobbed, both meeting and saying good-bye to his tiny son’s lifeless body. I stood behind him with my hand on his shoulder when he held his wife’s hand and said good-bye. We’d shared more intense moments in the three years since he’d hired me than I would have ever guessed possible, and a lot of those moments were spent not saying a word at all.

  “How are things on your end?” I asked cautiously, unsure whether he wanted to talk about it or not. “You’re on the field again. Is that a good thing?”

  He grabbed another handful of pretzels as he thought about my question. “It is a good thing. The field, the road, the guys . . . they’re all good distractions for me.”

  “I bet.” I thought carefully about what I was going to say next, knowing that as a healthy, twenty-seven-year-old man, he’d have to deal with this question eventually. “You ready to start dating again?”

  His head snapped up; his eyes locked on mine. “Not even close. Not even a little close.”

  Justin and I were in very similar spots in our lives, but for very different reasons.

  CHAPTER 10

  Danicka

  I walked from my bathroom to my bedroom and back again three different times before I remembered what I was looking for. Plucking my favorite lipstick from my purse, I returned to my bathroom feeling frazzled, something I absolutely hated. All this job offer stuff with Andy happened so damn fast and unofficially that I had no time to even think straight. When he’d asked when I could start, instead of telling him that I needed two weeks like a normal responsible person would do, I blurted out that I could start that Monday. I’d never started a job under circumstances like this before, but I was ready. I just had to do one thing first . . .

  I’d spent Sunday evening sitting with my laptop and a giant smile as I crafted the most professional “Fuck you, I quit” letter that I could come up with, minus the actual fuck you part. I printed out two copies—one for each of the Leighton brothers—and carried those, along with an empty box, down to my car and headed over to empty my office.

  As the elevator climbed up to my floor, I closed my eyes and said a small prayer for a nice, quiet exit. The elevator dinged, and I held my breath.

  The lights were still off when the doors opened, and I exhaled in relief. I ducked into my quiet little corner, closed my door, and started downloading everything that I could onto my flash drive. I pulled some old files out of my drawers, not even looking at them as I stacked them in the box, figuring I would just reorganize everything on the other end. I was desperate to get out of that building. In a perfect world, I would load up my few things, leave the notes, and be on my way over to Shaw Management before Jack or John even got in.

  As I squatted down and pulled folders from my bottom drawer, I heard the elevator ding out in the hallway. My heart thumped loudly in my ear as I stilled, listening to see if I could tell who it was. The familiar noise of a garbage can on wheels rolled by my office, and I breathed a sigh of relief, willing my body to move faster and faster. Just a few minutes later, all of my files, frames, and random personal junk were tucked safely in my box.

  I took one more glance around the room and smiled to myself. It felt so good to leave that damn place behind, and I was more than ready for a fresh start. I threw my purse over my shoulder, breezed into John’s and Jack’s offices, where I dropped the notes on their desks, and practically skipped back to the elevator. Just as my finger was about to push the button, the elevator dinged, and my mouth fell open, letting out a small gasp.

  Shit. So close.

  “Good morning, Dani—” John greeted as he stepped out of the elevator, freezing midstride when he noticed my box. “What’s that?”

  “Uh . . .” I cleared my throat, mustering up all the courage I had in my whole body. “It’s my stuff, John. From my office. I cleaned it out, and I’m leaving.”

  He frowned and pushed his glasses back up on his nose. “Excuse me?”

  Courage, Dani. Courage. Remember how they treated you.

  “John, things have been really uncomfortable for us since last month when everything went down with Cole, we both know that. I’m doing us both a favor and bowing out quietly.”

  He cocked his hip to the side as he put his hands on them. “What the hell are you thinking?”

  “Excuse me?”

  He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples with his fingertips. “I really have no idea what you’re thinking. Your clients aren’t going to be too happy that you’re abandoning them, and there’s no way any other agency is going to take you on now. You’re dumber than I thought you were.”

  “First of all”—I stood up as tall as I could, lifting my chin—“I’ve already been hired at another agency. Second, every single one of my clients knows that I’m leaving. They also know why I’m leaving. Not only do they all support me, they’re going with me, so I’m pretty sure you’re the dumb one here.” As my confidence grew, my knees shook less and less. It was an overwhelmingly freeing feeling to know that once I stepped into that elevator, I would never have to take it back up to that office again.

  “On that note, I’m gonna head over to my new office.” I smirked at him as I got into the elevator, taunting him just a little bit. “Good luck with everything.”

  He narrowed his dark eyes at me, watching every move I made. The sides of his jaw ticked in anger, and for first time ever, for just a split second, I was worried about my safety. I swallowed the growing knot in my throat and pushed the Lobby button, not taking my eyes off him.

  “Good luck to you, too, Danicka. You’re the one who’s gonna need it.” He lifted the corner of his mouth in a deranged smirk just as the elevator doors closed. As soon as the elevator started moving, I exhaled deeply, propping myself up against the elevator wall. That was not the interaction I wanted to have on my way out the door, but I was so relieved it was all over. I was happy to end the Leighton Management chapter of my life.

  I drove happily, bopping my head and singing every song on the radio, over to the Shaw Management office. My heart was still racing, and I definitely would have liked my week to start off on a better note, but I was ready to kick some serious ass and make a name for myself with my new job.

  Tapping my foot nervously on the elevator floor, I watched the screen as it made the long climb to the forty-second floor. The doors slid open, and I was greeted by Ellie’s smiling face.

  “Hey! Welcome!” She gave me a big, warm grin, and I instantly felt like I was home.

  “Good morning.” I smiled back. Ellie and I had only talked for a very quick second the day of my interview, but I’d been the only woman in the entire office over at Leighton, so I was ecstatic to hopefully have a built-in friend here.

  She clasped her hands together and pulled them up under her chin, raising her eyebrows. “Are you excited?”

  “Very. Beyond. Totally.”

  We both laughed as she stood up from her desk. “Let me show you where you’re going, and then I’ll show you around the office a bit.”

  As she came around the desk, I noticed her bright blue heels. “Oooh, cute shoes!”

  She looked down toward her feet and back up at me. “Thanks! I’m a bit of a shoe hoarder.”

  “Me too.” I nodded with excitement. “We can do some damage on our lunch breaks together sometimes.”

  “Uh-oh, I might have to ask for a raise,” she joked, elbowing me playfully as she walked past. I followed her to the other side of her desk, opposite Andy’s office. The setup for the office was actually pretty great. When you stepped out of the elevator, you walked right into Ellie’s desk. To the right were the waiting area and Andy’s office, to the left was going to be mine. There were another couple of doors in the back corner, b
ut I wasn’t sure what was behind those yet. Ellie opened the door to my office and stepped back. I walked into the room and immediately over to the large, floor-to-ceiling window on the far wall.

  “This view is amazing!” I stared at the antlike people down below.

  “There’s really not a bad view in the whole place,” Ellie said, walking up next to me. “Down in the corner is the supply room. Copy machine, fax machine, extra paper, files we no longer use, junk like that . . . and next to it is Ethan’s office.”

  I looked over at her, tilting my head to the side just a bit. “Ethan?”

  “I’m sorry.” She closed her eyes and shook her head quickly. “You probably haven’t met him yet. He’s our contract attorney. Our final set of hawk eyes that reviews every single contract to make sure everything is perfect before it’s signed.”

  “Great.” I nodded with a smile. Turning away from the window, I looked at the stark office. A large table with a folding chair sat in the middle of the room, but not much else. I’d been so enamored with the window that I’d forgotten to ask about it. “Sooo, the furniture . . .” I peeked at Ellie out of the corner of my eye, praying that she would tell me this wasn’t Andy’s final decision on office decor.

  Her eyes bulged. “Oh! I forgot!” Without saying anything else, she scampered out of the office, which was a feat in and of itself in those heels, returning quickly with a catalog. “Andy left this with a note on my desk this morning. He had to fly out for a quick meeting before the sun came up so I don’t even want to know what time he was here.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Anyway, he said to give this to you and that you should pick out anything you want, he’ll make sure to have it delivered and all set up for you this week.”

  “Sweet. Thanks!” I took the catalog from her.

  The phone rang from Ellie’s desk, and she looked toward the door and sighed. “Okay.” She turned back to me and smiled. “Fun’s over. Time for me to get back to work. We’ll chat more later.”

  “Looking forward to it.” I nodded sincerely.

  She left my new office, closing the door behind her as she went.

  Closing my eyes, I took a deep, cleansing breath, completely content with my new surroundings. I had no furniture, no computer, no shelves of any kind, but I didn’t care one bit. I was already in love with my new home.

  CHAPTER 11

  Andy

  A four a.m. flight was never a good way to start the workweek. I’d run to the office like a zombie to grab a few files I forgot to bring home Friday, left a couple things on Ellie’s desk, and was off to the Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, for a meeting about a possible shoe deal with running back Marcus Johnson. The meeting went well, and I had a feeling I’d be getting some details on an offer in the next couple of days, but by six p.m., when my flight landed back in Minnesota, I felt like I’d run a marathon. I was wiped out.

  Totally wiped out.

  Not only had it been a long, exhausting day, it was made worse by the fact that I didn’t get a chance to say good-bye to the kids in the morning when I left. Plus, they’d been gone at Blaire’s all weekend, so I really hadn’t seen or talked to them much in a few days, and that always made me feel more off-kilter. As soon as the plane landed and I got to my car, I called home.

  “Hello?” Logan’s voice said.

  “Hey, buddy! How are ya?”

  “Dad! Good. Are you on your way home yet?”

  “I am. My plane just landed. I have to swing by the office to grab a few things so I can work later”—Logan sighed dramatically, but I ignored him and continued—“after you’re in bed. Don’t worry, when I get there, no work until you’re sleeping.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise. Did you guys eat already?”

  “Yep, Gloria made enchiladas.”

  “Sounds good. Did you save me some?”

  “Yeah.” Logan paused for a second, then whispered, “But be careful, Dad. She made them a little spicy this time.”

  “But you like spicy food.”

  “Yeah, not like this. I’ve been in the bathroom twice already. Even I can’t stand the way I smell, and normally I like my own farts.”

  I laughed so hard that my shoulders shook. “That’s my boy. All right, buddy. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

  We hung up just as I was pulling into the parking garage at my office.

  “Six thirty,” I said out loud to myself, glancing quickly at my watch. “If I do this fast, I can be out of here and home by a little after seven.”

  Just as I expected, all the lights were off in the office, and it was quiet when I stepped out of the elevator. I made a mad dash for my office, grabbed the files I needed, and was on my way back to the elevator when I noticed a light glowing under Danicka’s new office door.

  What the hell is she still doing here?

  I walked over slowly, leaning my ear close to the door. Taylor Swift music was blasting, and Danicka was singing right along . . . loudly. Smiling to myself, I shook my head and knocked on the door. Instantly the singing stopped, and the music turned down. The door opened slowly, revealing a red-faced Danicka.

  “Sorry,” she apologized, trying to hide an embarrassed grin. “I didn’t know anyone else was here.”

  “Don’t apologize, I just want to know when you’re going on tour so I can get tickets,” I teased, smiling down at her.

  “Ha. Ha. Very funny,” she said playfully, rolling her eyes and stepping back. She had on a pair of tight black workout shorts and a Dave Matthews Band T-shirt that had slipped down, exposing her tank top strap and a tanned, sexy shoulder. I forced myself not to stare at that shoulder as I walked past her into the office.

  Shock registered on my face as I spun around the room. “Whoa! What the hell happened in here?”

  Not only was there a brand-new white desk, chair, and file cabinet, there was also a computer and bookshelves, even curtains and other girlie decorations.

  Danicka shrugged. “I’m getting all set up. I didn’t want to waste a whole week waiting on new furniture, so Ellie and I ran to Staples and picked out something they had in stock. Then we flirted with a couple of the guys until they agreed to come over and set it up for us right away. Sooo, voilà.” She beamed proudly and waved her arm toward her new office.

  “This is amazing,” I said incredulously as I planted my hands on my hips, taking another look around. “The furniture, the computer, the curtains . . . wow! I can’t believe you got all this done in one day.”

  “Well, I’m not completely done, but I’m hoping I will be in just a couple hours. I have a few more files to organize, and I want to hang my degree on the wall, but it’s definitely a good start.” A tiny, satisfied sigh left her lips as her dark eyes sparkled. Happiness radiated off of her, and I could actually see how relieved she was to be away from her other job.

  “I feel bad that I didn’t have a chance to get you really nice furniture, though. This all happened kinda quickly.”

  “Don’t feel bad about that. Not at all.” She shook her head. “I’m more of a beer girl than a wine girl anyway. It doesn’t take a lot to please me. As long as I have a desk to work on, I’m good to go.”

  Before I could respond, she straightened up. “And when they carried the bookshelf in, I noticed there was a big scratch on the side, so I argued and got them to take half off. Saved you about two hundred bucks. Then I put it against the wall, so no one would see it anyway.” She giggled, clearly proud of the deal she’d finagled.

  I laughed, too. Proud of my new negotiator. “Well, I’m impressed.” My eyes scanned her desk quickly, pausing at the black mug in the corner that held her pens. I picked it up to read it out loud. “I Love Balls . . . ?”

  Danicka cringed, pinching her eyes tight. “My friend got me that a long time ago.”

  “Sadie?”

  She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “How’d you guess?”

  I let out a quick laugh as I set the mug d
own. “She just struck me as someone who would buy her friend an I Love Balls mug.”

  “She definitely is.”

  “Anyway, I’m really happy that you’re here and that everything worked out, Danicka.”

  “Please.” She reached out and gently touched my arm before quickly pulling back. “Call me Dani. And thanks. I’m happy, too. Excited to get in here and really get going tomorrow. I already have four meetings set up.”

  My eyes widened. “You do?”

  “Yeah, just local clients,” she said nonchalantly. “Nothing major, but I wanted to bring them in, show them my new office, and just make sure everything is good with them for now.”

  “Nice.” I was shocked. I knew that she was assertive and could definitely hold her own, but I had no idea she was that much of a go-getter. Between the office and the appointments, I really was blown away. “Well, don’t stay too late, and if you need to, have Jerry, the night guard who sits at the desk in the lobby, walk you to your car.”

  “Thanks, but I’m fine.” She bit the corner of her lip, trying to hide her smile once more.

  “All right.” I took a step toward the door. “I gotta get home to my kids before they kill me, but I’ll see you bright and early in the morning.”

  “Can’t wait.”

  I left her office and smiled to myself as I got to the elevator and heard the music turn back up, all while secretly wishing she’d wear that outfit again tomorrow. And every day after that.

  CHAPTER 12

  Danicka

  Despite only getting a few hours of sleep the night before, I woke up the next morning energized and ready to head to my new office. I couldn’t wait to park my ass in that new white chair with the cute teal-and-gray cushion and make some new deals.

  “Don’t be mad!” Ellie called out, scaring the crap out of me as I exited the elevator.

  I whipped around, nearly dropping my coffee and bag on the floor. “What?”