Page 102 of Big Stick Energy
“Isn’t it?” He gives me a quick smile. “They’re both coming to our next game in Boston. That’s the plan, anyway. And how’s your family?”
“Fine, I guess,” I say grumpily. “Theo texted me for no reason at all the other day. Although Tessa has a brand-new reason to hate me. It slipped out that I knew about Dad’s health condition.”
Eric frowns. “And that’s bad because…?”
“Because he toldmebefore her.” It sounds even stupider out loud than it does in my head. “So I won’t be hearing from her for a while. My father took it well, though. He actually apologized for putting me in that position.”
“As he should,” Eric says sternly.
“Yeah, well. He also told me he’d hired Tessa to work in his office.”
Eric snickers. “Wonder how long that will last.”
“Not my problem. Oh—and Maribel wrote me a really nice thank-you note.” It openedDear sister-in-law, and I must have been in a fragile mood, because I almost cried. “You probably got one, too.”
“Probably. Haven’t read my mail in a while. Maybe I’ll do that at my new desk.” He throws the last of the old files into the recycling bin and dusts off his hands.
“Whatareyou using this thing for?” I ask, plucking a spray bottle of cleaning fluid and a rag off the maintenance cart.
“I haven’t decided.” Eric takes the cleaning supplies from me before I can use them and does it himself. “I thought I could hold office hours. It’s an act of professionalism, you know? To make yourself available to your teammates at a set time.”
“Because you’re such a slacker now?” I step back and watch him work. “Office hours could work well for you, but only if you force them to stop calling you at midnight with their relationship drama.”
He stops to look at me. “Stop making so much sense, Kendrick. Maybe I’ll actually try that.”
“You should.” And now I have nothing better to do thanwatch the fascinating way the muscles of his upper arm flex as he squeezes the bottle and then wipes the surface.
Eric’s hotness isn’t really the problem, though. I buried my attraction to him for years and didn’t lose any sleep over it. The problem is the familiarity. The bone-deep memory of the scent of his skin and comfortable slide of his palm against mine when we held hands under the dinner table.
It’s going to be a long season.
My desk phone rings, which is helpful because it startles me out of staring at Eric. I grab the receiver. “This is Darcy Kendrick.”
“Miss Kendrick? This is Arlo at the security desk.”
“Yes?”
“Your mother is here.”
“Wait,really?” My mother has never shown up at my place of employment. Then again, I’ve been stonewalling her for a few weeks. Badly enough, I guess, for her to take the train in from Jersey to perform a wellness check.
“Well, her ID checks out. So does the red hair. Should I send her up?”
I glance up to see Eric watching me, concern in his eyes. “No. I’ll be right down.”
After hanging up, I grab my purse. Sticking my head into Sharp’s office, I tell him I have to duck out, and I ask if he wants me to pick up lunch on the way back.
“Nah, I’d rather go out. Can you get me a last-minute rez at Nobu for three people?” he says. “One thirty would be great. Make sure you’re back in time to cover the phones.”
“We’ll see,” I snap. “I’m not even supposed to work today.”
“Yet, here you are. Actually, I thought of something you could pick up on your way back.”
“What?”
“A stiff drink. For yourself. I don’t know what’s wrong with you this summer, but I fucking hope things improve for you soon. Between you and the hormonal puppies at devo camp, I’ve had about all I can take.”
“Respectfully, sir, bite me.”
