Page 95 of Fierce Storm
What am I even thinking by proposing anything to Sal? He’s myboss. I wasn’t lying when I said that him being Easton’s father-in-law didn’t bother me, but being my boss should.
Easton and I kept our sibling relationship a secret for years with him worried people would assume I got the job because of him. What would they think if they caught me with Sal? I’d never be able to progress within the Storm franchise without people questioning my true worth.
Hell, I’d probably never be able to progress within any football franchise without someone mentioning our relationship and using it against me.
Our relationship? God, I’m making this out to be so much more than it is.
Focus, Keeley.
You are a strong independent woman. Men do not make you go crazy and overthink things that aren’t even a possibility yet.
I laugh out loud, almost snorting at how ridiculous I’m being. I don’t need a man for anything. I never have. It’s time to remember that.
After taking a deep breath, I bring my mind back to the task at hand, and it’s only when I realize I’ve been washing the same arm for the past few minutes that I remember why I don’t take baths that often—too much time to think.
And nobody needs that.
For the next week, it does in fact revert back to business as usual between Sal and me with work being the only thing we discuss. If and when I see him. If I was a dreamer, it would have been easy to believe I imagined our moment. Only I’m not a dreamer; I just got what I asked for. For life to return to normal.
Since we’re in the thick of training camp, I expect to see Sal out and about, watching practice or catching up with the management team. I don’t. He’s MIA, and while I’m generally not a needy person, it makes me wonder if he’s away because of me.
And we can’t have that.
KEELEY: You better be in New York or I’m going to get a complex over you avoiding me
I laugh at my own joke. If he is avoiding me, that’s more on him than it is me.
I put my phone away, assuming that if he is in New York, he’ll be busy. Only it’s less than a minute later that he responds.
SAL: I wouldn’t dream of doing that. I’m on my flight home. D’Angelo Construction needed me.
KEELEY: You’re a busy man, Mr. D’Angelo
SAL: What can I say? I get shit done. Shit that my team can’t seem to manage without me.
KEELEY: You are the boss
SAL: Don’t you forget it.
I smile before pocketing my phone again and watching the end of training, a smile on my face as Easton and Zane chat comfortably on the other side of the field. I’m just about to head to my office when someone loosely covers my eyes from behind.
“Guess who?”
Thomas’s voice is like a song in my ears, and I jump before spinning around to face him. “You’re here!”
“I’m here. Wes called me to come in and meet with him. He wants to talk to me about something. Any idea what?”
I zip my lips because it should come from Wes, but they’re restructuring the coaching staff and there’s an opening for a new quarterback coach. Obviously, Thomas would be perfect for it.
“I know nothing,” I lie, while a giddiness runs through me. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
“Mmm. Okay.”
“Thomas, my man,” Luke calls out the second the whistle blows for the end of the session, jogging over. “Did you forget you retired last season?”
“How could I when you continue to remind me?”
“That’s because you shouldn’t have retired. When are you going to admit that you’re bored?”
