Chapter Eighteen
ADRIAN
Boston
I may have taunted Isobel with the idea that she’d be the one who couldn’t stop thinking about me, but it was the other way around. A fat cherub had shot me in the ass when we were at that conference over Valentine’s Day, and I was a total goner now that I’d been inside her.
My fascination that started years ago had morphed into a full-blown obsession with one ten-minute tryst in the copy room. The same room I’d met her in, and now could never step foot inside without getting a raging erection.
She’d canceled our dinner plans that night; Sloane calling her in for a last-minute meeting at the end of the day. But I hoped she wasn’t using it as an excuse to avoid me again. Isobel seemed to scare easily, but I hoped my transparent pursuit of her made it clear I wasn’t trying to string her along.
I lingered in the office long after Sam left, scanning over the pages he and Kristine had submitted for final approval. Part of me kept hoping Isobel would find me after her meeting, but as 6:30 rolled around, I knew I needed to get home.
I concentrated on the slow-moving traffic the entire drive through downtown, but the further I distanced myself, the more my mind kept wandering. How was Isobel getting home after work? Would she be vulnerable waiting for her ride when the building had emptied for the day? Did Sloane know she didn’t have a car?
As I parked down the block from Ma’s house, my fingers itched to text her, but I wasn’t sure what the boundaries were. Did she want me to text her? Should I pretend something inside me wasn’t fundamentally changed after what happened this afternoon? Was I acting like a pathetic douche?
I didn’t have a fucking clue what the answers were to the first two, but I was thinking a resounding yes on the third one.
A thump on the passenger side window startled me and I glared at the person standing on the sidewalk. Until they crouched down, and my brother’s amused grin greeted me.
“Get outta the car, you fancy fuckah’.”
He was so eloquent. And to think people often couldn’t tell us apart when we were younger. Half a dozen words out of his mouth and it was never hard to guess.
I shoved my phone into my pocket and climbed out, locking the car before I joined him on the cracked sidewalk. “Such a lovely greeting. I’m never disappointed by your hospitality, asshat.”
“Pot meets the fuckin’ kettle. Pops is in fine form today. We betta get back in there before Ma loses her shit.”
Fuck.
“How long this time?”
Sometimes his lucid moments would last days, but on his bad days, he was a little unpredictable. He’d been more melancholic lately, especially when we mentioned grandma, but Ma took the brunt of it on the days when he was agitated.
“Past few days,” he replied with a shrug, looking more concerned than I’d have liked to see. If Hutch was rattled, something was wrong. “I got tha tickets for this weekend from Patty down the block. I’m hopin’ that’ll pull him outta this funk.”
“It’s not just a funk, Hutch. Eventually, this is what he’s going to be like all the time. Do we need to talk with Ma about that assisted living facility again? ”
He sighed, clenching his jaw and running his palm down his bushy beard. “Yah think I don’t know that, Ad. I live here with him every day. But Ma won’t consider it. He took us in when he didn’t have to and made sure we all had a roof over our heads. She’s not gonna leave him in a place like that.”
He was right. I knew he was. And I hated thinking that it might be the best place for him, but taking in your son’s young widow and your grandsons was a little bit different than advanced dementia and a heart condition. And while I knew she could handle the medical stuff, she also worked crazy hours. Once Hutch decided what he wanted to do now that he was retired from the military for good, there wouldn’t be someone home all day to help keep our ornery grandfather in line.
“Just think about it. We can convince her if it gets to that point. And you know I’ll help find the best place.”
“We don’t need your money,” Hutch sighed, and I knew they didn’t. Pop’s pension and Medicare should cover most of it, but my money could make sure he was comfortable. I’d take a demotion and work remotely until we could find him somewhere that wasn’t a shithole. Despite Isobel’s insistence that I didn’t, I did have a heart. And loved my Pops something fierce. He’d protected our family without question when we needed it, and I’d make sure he had whatever he needed until his last fucking breath.
“Just know the offer is there if he needs it.” I’d do anything for my family. And it’s not like I lived an extravagant lifestyle. Other than half a dozen expensive suits and my car, I lived well within my salary.
“Noted,” he responded, his voice gruff. “Anyway. Pen has a conflict with her mom this weekend. Anyone yah want to invite to fill the empty seat?”
I sighed, knowing we’d never hear the end of it if Pat found out we didn’t fill all four seats for the game. He and Pops had gone in together before we’d even been born to get 4 season tickets to the Sox, and they had yet to spend a game empty. If neither of our families were using them, there were plenty of people in the neighborhood who’d jump at the chance to buy them from us.
“Gimme an hour and I’ll let you know. I think I might have someone from the office who’d be down to fill the spare seat.”
“I thought your intern was into lacrosse or some shit.”
“He is. But I’m not asking him.” I knew I could tell my brother about Isobel, but I wasn’t ready for the shit I knew he’d give me over inviting a woman.
He nodded, slapping my shoulder before he started up the steps to the front door, using the handrail to pull himself up. His gait with the prosthetic was improved from the last time I was at home.
While he was distracted, I pulled my phone out of my pocket.
Adrian: Are you free Saturday afternoon?
Isobel: Trying to pencil in a booty call?
Adrian: Not exactly.
Isobel: Not a no either. But yes, I’m free.
Adrian: I’ll pick you up at 11.
Isobel: And we’ll be doing…?
Adrian: It’s casual. You’ll need sunscreen and a hat. Wear something red and sneakers.
Isobel: Casual as in business casual? I don’t remember ever seeing you out of a suit .
I didn’t remind her of when we went hiking in Maine, but I kind of liked it when she busted my balls. And did other things with them.
Adrian: We can save that for after work next week. But I’ll be wearing jeans and a Sox T-shirt.
Isobel: How will I ever recognize you without your cufflinks?
Adrian: I’m sure you’ll recognize your seat from last week.
Isobel: In your car?
Adrian: On my face.
She didn’t respond right away, so I tucked my phone back in my pocket, joining my family for dinner. I wasn’t sure how many we had left with Pops, so I wouldn’t take anything for granted.
The rest of the week in the office seemed to fly by with stolen looks and an abundance of self-restraint, at least on my part. The truth was, we were both too busy with our own projects to sneak away to talk about whatever was going on. Evan and Chase had gone quiet, but I was too distracted to track down my wayward author now that his book was going to print.
Sloane had been meeting with each of us to get a feel for how prepared our interns were for their interviews in the coming weeks. She’d also had several meetings with Isobel privately, and while I was dying to ask what they were about, I respected her privacy. If she wanted to tell me, she knew how to find me .
Saturday morning was already a bit of a disaster. Pops seemed to be more lucid, but Hutch was stuck doing damage control with his preteen daughter and bitch of an ex-wife. Despite him being stationed overseas for a good chunk of her childhood, Penny was a daddy’s girl. And when his ex’s temper came out, he was left to play mediator between the two of them.
That meant I was left to wrangle Pops into his game gear and get him in the car before I picked up Isobel.
She knew about my grandfather from our brief conversation in Maine, but I hoped his presence in my passenger seat wouldn’t be a total surprise. We really hadn’t dived into too much childhood emotional trauma at this point, so she didn’t know he’d spent most of my life as my only male role model.
It probably would’ve been easier to just tell her where we were going and with who, but I never did things the easy way. And part of me knew if she didn’t accept Pops, dating her wouldn’t work out, anyway. He was part of who I was, and while he’d likely be a bit of a cockblock on our first official date, I’d already told her I didn’t want things between us to be only physical.
“Where are yah takin’ me, Ad?” Pops grumbled from the passenger seat as I turned off the freeway towards Isobel’s neighborhood. “I know I’m losin’ my marbles, but even I know how tah get tah Fenway. Tha green monster is thattaway.”
“We’re pickin’ someone up, Pops. Remember Pen isn’t comin’ today?”
He frowned, and I watched him process what I’d said. Hopefully, today he didn’t have trouble remembering his great-granddaughter. It broke my heart when he didn’t, but the little sweetheart took it in stride when he had trouble around her.
“Ah. Yeah. She’s with the she-witch today. I remember.”
There wasn’t any love lost between my brother’s ex-wife and our grandfather. Respect was everything to his generation. And Hutch’s wife getting knocked up by her husband’s best friend while he served his country overseas was the ultimate disrespect. There was no way he’d ever look at her the same way again.
“He’s meeting us at the park. But I invited a friend from work to come with us to the game today. You haven’t met them before.”
He nodded, looking a little less wary, but I knew sometimes it was easier for him to be around new people. They didn’t have any preconceived notions about who he was. And they also didn’t expect him to remember shared experiences. I just wasn’t sure exactly how much he’d bust my ass over our guest being a lady.
Bringing someone home with me hadn’t happened since I was in high school, so I was sure he and Hutch would have a field day giving me shit.
“Is your friend a Sox fan?”
Hesitant to answer, I kept quiet, even when he turned slightly to face me as the car slowed next to the curb in front of her building. Isobel was leaning against the brick, her foot propped up while she typed on her phone.
Pops followed my gaze and then burst out laughing. “Only you could fall for a Cubbies fan, Adrian. I would say I hoped her taste in men was better than her taste in baseball teams, but she is spendin’ time with you.”
The worn Chicago Cubs hat pulled down over her twin braids wasn’t a surprise, but it also wasn’t staying. I grabbed my extra hat from the back seat and leaned forward to shove it into my back pocket.
“Yeah, yeah, old man. Just don’t embarrass me.”
“I think you probably do that enough by yourself. You don’t need my help.”
“You can walk the rest of the way,” I threatened as my eyes met Isobel’s through the windshield. She smiled hesitantly, her eyes darting between me and my surprise passenger.
“And miss you makin’ an ass out of yahself in front of a pretty girl, not on yah life. ”
“Behave.”
“Why would I do that?” He laughed while I checked my side mirror, swinging open my door after the traffic had cleared. She didn’t live too far away from the ballpark, so we could have walked from here, but I’d splurged on a season parking space in a lot near Fen a few years ago when Pop’s stamina had declined.
“Hey,” Is said while I walked toward her, my eyes taking in the tight red t-shirt and frayed jean shorts she was wearing. Add in the double braid under her traitorous ball cap and she looked years younger than what separated us.
“Hello, gorgeous,” I greeted, enjoying the pink creeping up the side of her neck.
I snatched the edge of her cap, carefully pulling it off before I leaned in and brushed a soft kiss across her lips. Pops had already guessed I had a thing for her, so there was no point in holding back my affection.
“Hey,” she argued, reaching for her hat, but I held it behind my back. “That’s…”
Distracting her with another quick kiss, I pulled my worn cap from my back pocket and pulled it down over her hair.
“You can have this back later. But you’re wearing mine today.”
“Should I be worried about what’s on this one?” She asked, lifting the brim of my hat and trying to pull it off.
“Don’t you trust me?” I teased, stepping back to capture her hand and tugging her down the few steps to the sidewalk.
“You really want me to answer that question?”
“Probably not, but let’s get going so we can find our seats before it gets too crowded.”
She tugged on my arm, reaching up to scratch the thick stubble on my cheek while she threw me a naughty smirk. “I thought this was my seat.”
“Later,” I chuckled. “After I show you what a real ballpark looks like. ”
Despite his protests about letting a lady sit in the front seat, Isobel insisted on climbing in the back, patting Pop’s shoulder before she settled into the leather seats.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. O’Neill. Now I know where Adrian gets his handsome smile from.”
Pops grinned, smirking at me as he turned slightly. “He wishes he had my looks. Poor boy got some of those pansy ass, pretty boy genes from his Ma’s side of the family. Always felt sorry for him and his brotha.”
“How unfortunate for him,” Isobel quipped, meeting my eyes in the rearview mirror. “I can only imagine how devastated he is that he won’t get to be a silver fox like you.”
She was pouring it on thick, and we both knew that Hutch and I looked just like him, but I’d let them have their fun.
“Yeah, some of the ladies around the neighborhood still think I’m a piece of man candy, but my heart hasn’t been up for grabs for a long time.”
Isobel mouthed Man Candy, and I tried not to laugh, but the wink she followed it up with had me smothering a fake cough into my fist.
“Anyway. Pops, Isobel is the one who went with me to that conference a few months back in Maine.”
“Ah, so you’re the one who Adrian has been chasin’ for years and still won’t give him the time of day. I would try to sing my grandson’s praises, but I’ve gotta feelin’ you’ve seen him cram those size twelves in his mouth enough times to make an educated decision.”
Pops knew I didn’t have the best verbal filter around the family, so I knew he was commenting based on that, but he’d be disappointed if he knew how I’d treated Isobel the last several years. I was disappointed enough in myself, but Isobel didn’t throw me under the bus like she could have. Hopefully, the recent changes in both our behavior would stick, and we could see where things went between us .
“So how long have you had terrible taste in ball teams, Ms. Isobel?” Pops laughed as we thankfully got through traffic and into the parking lot a few blocks away from Fenway.
“Pops,” I warned, but Isobel just laughed, indulging him.
“I know the Cubs are an acquired taste outside of Chicago, but I’ve loved them since my dad took me to Wrigley the first time when I was about five or six.”
“You from Chicago?” he asked as I steered into an open parking spot, shifting into park and unbuckling my belt.
“No, sir.” She responded with a smile. “Small farm town in central Iowa.”
“Shoulda guessed,” he grinned, turning to glance at her over the seat. “Only a sweetheart midwestern girl could put up with my grandson. None of the Southie girls would put up with his charming bullshit.”
“Adrian’s charming?” Isobel asked, deadpan. The only sign she was joking was the way she chewed on the corner of her lip while my grandfather’s laughter filled the car again.
“Oh, I like this one, Ad. She’s not gonna put up with nonsense.”
As I made eye contact with her in the rearview mirror, her light eyes dancing, I fell a little bit deeper. Isobel was dismantling my armor as much as I was trying to dismantle hers, and the more we both uncovered, the more real things became.
What started as a drive to rile her up and explore our physical connection had morphed into something I wasn’t sure I was ready to identify, but I was helpless to resist.
“She definitely is not, Pops. And I think I like that about her the most.”
His weathered hand covered mine on the center console and squeezed. Isobel had just cemented my grandfather’s seal of approval in one brief car ride, and it felt like another part of my life clicking into place after being untethered for so long.