“All right, are we gonna talk about our feelings or are we gonna play ball?” I ask, clapping my hands together, anxious to get sweaty on the court. I’ve been off since I saw the mystery woman standing in my hotel this afternoon. So off that I actually had to go back to my suite and get off before I could return my focus to where it needed to be. On work.
Ten minutes in and I’m already covered in sweat. I’ve been working out in the gym, but that’s nothing compared to hitting the hardwood with my friends. Cameron tosses the ball to me, and I dribble toward the basket. Ben is there, playing defense, making damn sure I don’t have a shot. “How’s work?” he asks, his eyes focused on my dribbling hand.
“Not bad. Had to fire someone yesterday, which fucking sucks,” I reply, pivoting and dipping around him. Ben blocks me with his hip, a total foul, but since we’re not playing by standard rules, I let it slide.
“Damn, only a week in and you’ve already had to fire someone?” he asks, just as I pass the ball to Cameron, who’s making a move for the basket.
“Yep,” I reply, returning the love and getting a little pushy on him.
Cameron catches the pass and makes an easy layup shot, putting us ahead by two.
“Dammit, Dec,” Ben chastises our friend.
“He cheated anyway,” Declan argues with a smile, elbowing Cameron in the chest.
“Nice shot,” I tell my friend, giving him a high five.
“Thanks,” Cameron replies, moving over to defend Ben as he tosses the ball inbounds. “You know, my sister’s looking for a job.”
Before I can even get a word out, Declan speaks up. “Marley? Is she still hot?”
I almost answer him. Yes. Yes, she is hot as fuck, but I keep my trap shut.
“Watch it,” Cameron practically growls his words across the court.
“What? She is? I saw her earlier in the year when she was home for your parents’ anniversary dinner,” Declan replies, dribbling and passing the ball to Ben.
“I’d date her,” Ben states matter-of-factly, focusing on the basket.
“No, you can’t. She’s too good for the likes of you dogs,” Cameron replies, reaching for the ball but unable to snatch it away.
“This is true, but I’d still hit it,” Ben says, and all I see is red.
“What the fuck?” I demand, charging toward him like a bull does a red flag.
“I’m kidding, Morrison, calm down,” he defends as I approach. “Just trying to get under Smith’s skin.”
I can tell by the look in his eyes, he wasn’t serious. Well, he may have been serious, because Marley’s hot as fuck, but I can tell by the look in his eyes that he was teasing. “Yeah,” I respond, grabbing the ball and dribbling toward the basket.
“What was that about?” Declan asks, a big smile on his face.
“What?”
“You were ready to beat the shit out of Ben. Why? You got a thing for Marley?” he asks, not relenting in his quest for dirt.
“No, of course not. She’s Cam’s little sister,” I insist, taking a shot and watching it sink through the net and ignoring all the eyes I feel watching me.
“Yeah, but what does that matter?” Declan asks, coming over to stand next to me.
I risk a glance at Cameron and find him watching me intently. The wheels in his brain are definitely turning, and the best thing for me to do is shut this down immediately. “I’m not interested in Bob, guys. Stop trying to fuck with our heads because you’re losing.”
Declan snorts. “If you say so, Morrison. Now, take the ball out and let’s finish this game.”
It’s late on Friday afternoon, and I’m ready to be done for the week. Of course, I’ll have contract notes to look over from legal so we can send our final offer to the linen supplier. But that’ll wait until this weekend. Right now, all I want to do is clear out my inbox and head up to my suite. I slept for shit last night, no doubt thanks to the ribbing the guys gave me last night over Marley. Ever since we split from the court, I’ve thought of nothing but her.
“I’m heading out, Mr. Morrison, unless there’s something else you need,” Jane says from my doorway.
“I’m good, Jane. Thank you.”
“All right, then I’ll leave you to it,” she replies.
Just as she turns to vacate the doorway, I say, “Jane, do you have plans tomorrow night?”
She seems shocked by my question before composing herself. “Oh, uh, no.”
“Come have dinner with us. We’re gathering at Mom’s house at five. We’d love to have both you and Roland.”
Jane’s eyes fill with unshed tears. “Thank you, Eli. I’m not sure how Rol will be feeling, but if he’s up to it, we’ll be there.”
I nod, hating the pain I see laced in her eyes. She’s been a big part of this business for a long time. My family thinks of her as family, so when she’s hurting, we’re hurting. ALS doesn’t have a cure, and I know Rol is only going to get worse. The meds he’s on help, but ultimately, they’re only prolonging the inevitable. I just hope they’re able to steal as much time with each other as possible in the meantime. “See you tomorrow, Jane.”
She waves before exiting my office. Before I forget, I whip out my phone and send a message to Mom, letting her know we may have two more at dinner. She replies right away, hopeful the Haskins will be able to attend dinner tomorrow night, just as I knew she would.
With that done, I finish sending the last two emails. Just before I power down my computer, one arrives in my inbox from Carol in HR. I click on it and read her message.
Mr. Morrison,
I’m pleased to inform you we have made an offer, which was accepted by our first choice for marketing director. She’s young, fresh out of college, but is eager to start her career in her chosen field. I do admit, she was a hard sell. At first, she politely declined the offer we made, which we thought was more than generous. After meeting with Cliff and Jane, we decided a counteroffer was necessary.
I am happy to report Marley Smith, a Merlot native, will start on Monday. I believe she’s going to be a true asset to the company and am excited to see what new ideas she brings to the table.
If you have any questions, please let me know. Otherwise, I’ll bring her up on Monday morning to introduce her to you.
Enjoy your weekend.
Carol
I read and then reread the email a second time. No way does that say what I think it does. Does it? My new marketing director is Marley? Bob? Cameron’s sister? The one I haven’t been able to stop thinking about?
“Fuck.”
This is a bad idea.
Chapter 6
Marley
I barely slept a wink last night, and so far, I’ve changed my outfit four times—only to settle on the one I laid out last night to avoid this very thing. Oh, well, I still have plenty of time. My inability to sleep had me up and in the shower an hour earlier than I needed to be.
Going through my mental checklist, I make sure I have everything. Phone, iPad, purse, and I toss in my phone charger for good measure. I don’t know what the day is going to hold, and I want to be prepared for everything.