Page 40 of Truth or More Truth (Throwback RomComs #3)

thirty-seven

. . .

T he dancing and our overnight activities were nothing short of magical.

I’ll spare the details, but it’s clear neither of us regret our decision.

To me, it reveals Bobby decided to go all in on us.

He’s not holding back any part of himself, and I’m glad for that.

I know he’s nervous things won’t work out—not just for our sake but also for Kelli.

But like I told him yesterday, it’s not going to work if he thinks it won’t.

“You ready?” he asks as we pause for a moment outside the luxury suite he and Diego rented at the football stadium. I can’t begin to imagine how much it cost.

I squeeze his hand. “Bring it on, B.S.”

“In the spirit of full disclosure,” he says, “my middle name actually is Sebastian.”

The laugh that spills out of me is more of a snorting fit. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. Fitting that my initials really are B.S., right?”

I tilt my head up and kiss his cheek. “You’re not full of it, Bobby Joe … I mean Bobby Seb. Everyone knows you’re a straight shooter.”

“As straight as they come,” replies a wry voice from behind us. I don’t need to turn around to know it’s Jimmie Zane, but I turn anyway .

Jimmie takes my hand and presses his lips to my knuckles. “Melissa, it’s an absolute pleasure to see you again.”

“Knock it off,” Bobby says with a roll of his eyes.

“Dude, I can’t win with you,” Jimmie complains. “If I’m rude, I’m wrong. If I’m polite, I’m wrong. What do you expect me to do?”

“He makes a great point, Bobby.” I shrug. “Maybe cut him a little slack.”

“Fine.” Bobby huffs. “Polite is the way to go.”

“Thank you,” Jimmie says with only a trace of sarcasm in his tone. “I appreciate your opinion on the matter.”

“Sure you do,” Bobby bites out as he shows the stadium worker our tickets and leads us into the suite.

Jimmie wastes no time heading to the in-suite bar and ordering a beer.

“Little punk kid,” Bobby mutters. “I don’t know why I put up with him.”

I spin him to face me. “He just needs some guidance.” I smooth down his tie. Leave it to Bobby Jacobs to wear a suit to a football game. “It seems like he hasn’t had much of that in his life. I’m glad he has you to help him.”

Bobby’s face softens. “Yeah?”

“Uh-huh. He’s just a kid, Bobby—barely old enough to legally drink but not old enough to make wise decisions without some good people helping him.

Just pretend you’re his dad or his coach and think about what kind of support he’d need from you in that role.

” I pat his chest. “Now, let’s get some food. I’m starving.”

“How are you starving? We just ate lunch two hours ago!”

“Yeah, but it was the first meal of our day, so it was actually breakfast.” I shimmy my shoulders to remind him why we didn’t eat breakfast at a normal time.

His cheeks pink, which I absolutely love. Not much flusters this man, but somehow I’ve managed to mess with his equilibrium.

“This is lunch,” I declare. “Bring on the hotdogs and nachos!”

“You are good for Bobby.”

“Yeah?” I say to Carmela, one of the foundation employees, as my eyes search out my boyfriend, who’s chatting with one of his baseball clients. “What makes you say that?”

“He smiles every time he looks at you, which is every ten seconds. I don’t know that I have ever seen him smile. Not that I’ve spent a lot of time with him, but when he has been in the office with Diego or Ash, he is all business all the time.”

I nod, knowing exactly what she means, because he’s the same when he’s in my office.

Carmela fans her face. “But that dimple …” She blows out a breath.

“Good for you. Keep hold of him. He is not only handsome but a good man. I have always known this because Diego wouldn’t have anything to do with him otherwise.

Even though he can be frowny for no apparent reason, he is always kind to everyone in our office.

And you cannot tell him I told you this, but when Isaac’s dad passed last month,” she surreptitiously points toward her co-worker Isaac across the room, “Bobby paid for his funeral and for Isaac and his family to fly home to Mexico for it. They wouldn’t have been able to go otherwise.

Well, I think Diego would have covered it, but Bobby jumped in first.”

Tears fill my eyes at her words. “That’s really sweet, but I didn’t have anything to do with that. We didn’t get together until a few weeks ago.”

“I know. I was just making sure you know the kind of man Bobby is, though I think you already knew that. But the other reason I know you’re good for Bobby is he has been patient with that young hockey player throughout this game, even though the kid has been obnoxious and over the top about …

well, everything. I overheard you talking to Bobby about him when you walked in.

Bobby does not realize how much people look up to him and the positive impact he has on them without realizing it, and I’m glad you are helping him see that. ”

“What are you two ladies talking about?” Diego asks as he saunters up to us with a souvenir cup of beer in one hand and a soft pretzel in the other. I tear off a piece of the pretzel and pop it into my mouth .

“Bobby’s dimple,” Carmela replies without hesitation.

I choke on my pretzel, and she pats me on the back while Diego laughs.

“It is a work of art, is it not?” Diego asks. “Too bad not many people get to see it. But it’s been out and about all day today.” He nudges me with an elbow, since his hands are full. “And I think we all know why.”

“I don’t want you to go.” Bobby’s arms are looped around my back as we say goodbye at the bottom of the stairs outside the plane a few hours later.

“And I don’t want to leave you. But I have to be at work in the morning, and you need to catch the red-eye back to L.A.

in a few hours to get back for Nanette’s follow-up appointment tomorrow, so we don’t have a choice.

” I give him a quick kiss. “We’ll see each other in a few weeks, though.

And in the meantime, we’ll be burning up the phone line. ”

“Wrap it up, lovebirds!” Diego calls from the top of the stairs. “It’s almost our turn to take off.”

Bobby kisses me soundly and then reluctantly lets me go. I wave at him from the top of the stairs before ducking inside so the stewardess can close the door.

“You’re over here by me,” Diego calls out and pats the empty spot next to him.

I settle into the cushy leather seat and buckle myself in. “Let me guess, I’m sitting by you so we can talk about Bobby.”

“My favorite topic of conversation.”

I chuckle. “I doubt that, but I’ll let it slide.”

“Good. Now, I don’t need to know about what goes on behind closed doors …” He cocks an eyebrow. “Unless you want to tell me?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Absolutely not.”

“Eh, I had to try. I have to live vicariously through somebody these days. I never dreamed it would be Bobby Jacobs, but here we are. ”

“You’re not dating anyone?”

“No, I am not dating anyone, and I won’t be until my divorce is final.

I do not believe it’s right to do otherwise.

Which is a shame, because Lola is dragging things out and demanding many, many things I have no intention of giving her, considering she slept with one of my former teammates.

If she wants fifteen million dollars and a vacation home in Belize, she should ask him for it, not me. ”

“Makes sense to me.”

Diego spreads his hands wide. “Of course it does. But we’re not here to talk about me and my troubles.

We are here to talk about you and my boy Bobby.

How was your weekend with him?” He rubs his hands together.

“Are you ready to tie the knot yet? I need to be a best man, Melissa. It’s my turn.

I have been in two weddings in three months, and I was runner-up in both.

But since Bobby has no brothers, I will be in like Flynn. ”

“You ever wonder who Flynn is?”

“All the time. I figure he must be some strange little Irish man. But you are changing the subject. Answer my questions, por favor.”

“The weekend was great.” I sigh and nestle my head into the leather headrest that seems to be formed perfectly for me.

I hope Diego doesn’t want to chat the entire ride, because I could easily fall asleep in this seat, and let me tell you, I need the sleep.

“I couldn’t have imagined it any better than the reality. ”

“That is what I love to hear.”

When Diego is silent for a few seconds, I turn my head toward him, because I can’t imagine he’s done talking about Bobby and me. He looks like he’s debating whether or not to say what he’s thinking.

“Spit it out,” I order him. “You know you’re going to say it, so don’t keep me waiting. As much as I enjoy talking to you, I also enjoy sleeping, and I intend to do some of that on this flight.”

“Ooo, didn’t get much sleep last night?” He waggles his eyebrows.

I poke his leg. “Stop it. Now you’re the one changing the subject. ”

“Would you really move to L.A. for Bobby? If you fall in love, I mean.”

I nod. “I would. I don’t want to leave my parents and my friends in Chicago, but I’m a fully healthy adult who can fairly easily adapt to living somewhere else if it means I can be with the man I love. Bobby doesn’t have that luxury.”

Diego purses his lips. “What if he did?”

My eyebrows draw together. “What do you mean?”

“Bobby has spent the last thirteen years of his life sacrificing for Kelli and Nanette, and rightfully so. He also doesn’t regret a minute or penny of it.

But what he forgets is those two love him as much as he loves them.

I think they would happily make sacrifices for him to help him get the happiness he deserves, if he’d only give them the chance. ”

My eyes widen. “You’re saying you think they’d be willing to move to Chicago with him?”

“I do.”

“Have you mentioned this to him?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Bobby is a proud man. He sees himself as their protector—their provider. Disrupting their lives is not something he would easily consider. This isn’t a conversation to have lightly with him. And I’m not a good person to initiate it.”

I press my hand against my chest. “Well, I don’t think I’m a good choice for that conversation, either.”

“No, no,” he pats my knee. “I’m not saying that.

I think the idea needs to come from Kelli.

He’ll initially shut her down, but she’s a lot like him.

If she doesn’t get what she wants, she will keep going after it.

And usually, if he knows something will make her happy and won’t hurt her or turn her into a spoiled brat, he’ll end up giving it to her. ”

“But how do we …” I shake my head. “You know what? I don’t need to have a part in this.

I don’t want Bobby to ever feel like I’ve manipulated anything to get him to move.

In fact, I’m not sure that them moving to Chicago is the best idea anyway.

Kelli has her friends and school and her soccer team.

Nanette has her … well , I’m not sure what she has, but her medical team is there, and I’m assuming she has friends and maybe family.

I don’t really know. But none of what they decide to do is up to me.

I need to stay out of it. I appreciate your thoughts on it, but I’m not going to ask you to do or say anything one way or another.

However, I do want to know why you think he won’t want to hear it from you.

He loves you like a brother. You know that. ”

“I do know that. And that’s part of why he won’t listen. Him moving to Chicago will benefit me greatly, because I love him and want to see him more often. I have a … what’s the word … some kind of interest?”

“A vested interest.”

Diego snaps his fingers. “Yes, I have a vested interest in him moving to Chicago. He’ll think I’m trying to get him to move just to be near me, which I know won’t work, because I’ve always tried to get him to live where I live. Yet he still lives in California, much to my dismay.”

I settle my head back against my seat. “Well, you do what you gotta do, but leave me out of it from here on out. I don’t even want to know if you talk to Kelli or she talks to him about it. I only want to hear about it from Bobby himself.”

“Aye-aye, senorita.”