Page 18

Chapter 18

Annie

OCTOBER | Balance: $50,262

I sat at my desk, a lump forming in my throat looking at the next meeting on the calendar.

2 p.m. Nick Oberbeck transition

My coworker Dev appeared in the doorway. “Ready? I booked us the conference room.”

“Yep. Let’s do it.” I stood and straightened my skirt. Jessie had tailored it to fall perfectly. I liked feeling feminine and powerful in skirts, but my office ran cold. I’d added some tights with a line up the back that morning to give myself an extra confidence boost. When I’m having what should be a mental health day, I like to dress better than I feel. It lifts my mood.

Nick was coming down the opposite hallway, led by our receptionist, Retha. “Can I get you anything to drink, Mr. Oberbeck?”

“Just water’s great,” he said with a polite smile. Why did he look so good? He was business casual: a polo and some nice slacks with a stylish fall jacket. He carried a large paper shopping bag.

Dev and I waited at the conference room door to usher Nick in.

“Mr. Oberbeck, great to see you,” Dev said, shaking Nick’s hand.

“You know it’s just Nick, Dev,” Nick said, giving Dev a half-bro hug, then turning to me with his arm open. “Annie.”

I stuck my hand out. “Nick, good to see you again.”

He pinched his lips as he shook my hand, studying my face. “Yeah.”

“Shall we?” Dev extended his hand to the conference table.

Retha entered with two bottles of water and a Diet Coke can for me. She set it in front of me with a wink.

“Thanks, Retha,” I said sweetly, thrilled to have a little DC bolstering for this difficult meeting. Except only two of us knew it was difficult, and they were me and Nick.

“I come bearing gifts,” Nick said. “Dev, I feel bad that we have to split up, so here’s a goodbye gift. And Annie, a welcome gift for you.”

“Oh, you shouldn’t have!” I said as Nick handed us each a large box.

“Oh, my wife will be so tickled! She loves you,” Dev said as he pulled out a signed jersey. “Thanks, Obi.”

I pulled the same out of my box and fought a full body flush as I caught Nick slipping me a covert wink. “Guess I’ll have something else to wear to games,” I said.

“That’s right, you will,” Nick said.

Dev had already briefed me on what was coming up on Obi’s calendar for the next few months. The meeting was just to formalize the handoff. We went through the established agenda items.

One event in February was discussed.

“You’ll be there with me, right, Annie?” Nick asked.

I looked to Dev. In Nashville, I mostly stayed on the back end with contracts and the true legal work. Athlore was more hands-on, acting as a hybrid between agent, attorney, and PR.

“She will,” Dev said. “Right, Annie?”

“Yeah, of course,” I said with a smile, willing my chest not to go red. Don’t think about how the very attractive young man across the table has seen your vulva, Annabelle.

“That settles all of that. New business, Miss Markham?”

I cleared my throat. “Goran Skate reached out to me yesterday about having you collaborate on a goalie workshop they have coming up in November. The offer isn’t small.”

“Oh, sure,” Nick said. “I’ll do it pro bono.”

I froze. I’d make a nice commission if he accepted the contract. A few thousand bucks. That commission alone would be enough to knock out one of Mom’s old medical bills that was gaining interest in collections. My stomach turned.

I gave a polite laugh, my leg bouncing under the table as I fought to keep my calm exterior. “Ah, maybe you should look at what they’re offering.”

“Goran trained me for free when I was coming up. I know some kids can’t afford it. I’ll do it for free and fund any scholarships they need.”

Something inside me swelled and died. Swelled because God, why was he such a nice guy? Like the epitome of doesn’t forget where he came from. Died because I needed that money. My shoe squeaked as my leg bounced, trying to figure out if it was even right for me to push Nick to make a different choice.

“It’s pretty competitive,” I said weakly.

“You heard him,” Dev said. “This is great PR if he picks it up.”

Nick shrugged. “Doesn’t need to be PR. I just want to help out.”

I forced a smile as a warm hand met the top of my thigh under the table, stilling my bouncing. Nick’s thumb brushed over my tights, a gentle stroke that stopped my breath. “Okay, I’ll reach out and find out what sort of figures they need to run the camp.”

Nick chewed his lip, studying me. His hand continued its delicate path on the top of my thigh, making me clench. “Actually, maybe show me the contract.”

Silence hit hard and fast, the air conditioning the only sound in the room.

“It’s whatever you want, Nick. But don’t let Annie bully you into anything,” Dev said.

Nick’s brow furrowed, his hand stalling. “Annie’s not a bully. I can make my own decisions. I’d like to see the contract, and get more information on how to fund scholarships.”

“Of course, I didn’t mean—” Dev sputtered.

I put up my hand to stop them arguing. “I’ll get you both, Nick.”

Nick hesitated, glancing between me and Dev. “Great.”

“That’s the last thing I had, unless either of you have something else,” I said.

We wrapped the meeting and shook hands, Dev and I taking our boxes.

“I’ll walk you out, Nick,” Dev said.

“Actually, Annie, do you have a minute?” Nick said.

“Sure, of course.”

“Let me get that box for you,” he said, taking it and gesturing down the hall. “Your office this way?”

“Yeah. Third door on the right. I’m just going to stop in the restroom if you don’t mind.”

“I’ll wait for you in there.”

I was in a daze in the bathroom, turned on by his hand on me during the meeting and trying not to panic about the Goran Skate deal. Who was I to get between Nick and the community that raised him? I’d have to hope something else would come up soon for one of my other clients. But he wasn’t likely to get something that big again soon.

I steeled myself while washing my hands, bringing the Markham smile back.

“You wanted to talk?” I said breezily as I came back into my office.

“Close the door.”

His tone made me want to start cussing him out. Since when did he think he was the boss of me? But I was at work, and people didn’t know just how involved we’d been in the past. I needed to be the peak of professionalism. “Oh, sure!”

I closed the door and he stood, stalking toward me.

“Nick,” I hissed as he got closer, into my personal bubble, then holding my waist and putting me against the wall behind the door.

“Tell me to stop,” he rumbled, low. “Tell me you don’t want me close and I’ll stop.”

His hand landed next to my head. “Well?”

My chest heaved an adrenaline-charged breath. “What did you need to see me about?”

“Did you think more about my offer?”

Another ragged inhale from me. This was both hot and confusing. “Y-yes.”

“And?”

I straightened, drawing myself to my full height. He didn’t back down, and I wasn’t going to either. “I thought about it, and I think not.”

“Then you can say goodbye to that Goran Skate deal and your commission,” he said.

The evil eye has never burned out of me so hard in my life. My voice came out as a low growl. “You listen here, Nick Oberbeck. If you think you’re going to come into my office and extort me for sex, you can get the fuck out of here and off my client list.”

His dominant veneer was broken in a second. He shrank back, running a hand through his hair. “Fuck. That is extortion, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Nick. That’s extortion. And extorting a woman who works for you for sex is not a good look.”

“Shit. Annie. I didn’t mean that. Fuck. I’m just . . . the guys keep giving me advice and telling me how to be and frankly, they are probably not the best people to get advice from. All I know is that I think about you all the time and I’m both mad at you and obsessed with you and I just, Annie, fuck!”

He’d been pulling at his hair so hard that it stood out at all sorts of angles, giving him a harried look. I stepped toward him and he flinched when I extended my arms. It was a little funny and kind of endearing in a sad way. He was beyond flustered.

“I’m not going to smack you, bub,” I said, wrapping him up in a hug.

He sighed into my shoulder. “You’d be right to smack me. I’m acting like an asshole.”

“Yeah, you are,” I laughed. “But I don’t think you’re trying to be one.”

Nick squeezed me tight, resting his head on my shoulder. “Thank you.”

It was so dang sweet and charming and he really was so lovable despite his misguided attempts at winning me over.

I separated from him, holding him at arm’s length. “I know you think you’re obsessed with me, Nick, but it’s just the idea of me. We really don’t know each other. We were together for a few days.”

Nick shook his head. “We had a connection, Annie. Chemistry. A shared wavelength. Those don’t happen every day. Didn’t you feel it too?”

I worried my bottom lip with my teeth, gazing into his earnest eyes. “Yeah, I felt it.”

He shifted closer to me. “Don’t throw it away. We could both get what we need. Some affection. Some friendship. Some . . . benefits. I could be really good to you.”

In a perfect world, I could say yes.

But the world isn’t perfect. So I let him down easy. “I hear you, bub, but you know we can’t.”

He chewed his lip, casting his eyes down. “You know I want to argue with you and tell you all the reasons we can.”

I gave him a wry smile. “But you know I’ll win, because I’m right. Let’s look at this contract. You can decide whether it’s a good fit for you. I’m okay with whatever direction you want to take it. I’m sure lots of kids will appreciate it if you sponsor some scholarships.”