Chapter 25
brOOKE
Yes, yes, yes.
I glanced at the email I’d received from Carl Hill, smiling. It had taken him weeks to answer, but he finally had, and Jace would become the face of his company.
This was big, big news. Not only was Jace going to give his entire paycheck to the foundation, but Carl also had agreed to make a hefty donation himself and discuss with Paige the possibility of hiring some of the students.
I sent Jace a quick message to let him know.
It would take a while for him to reply, because the team was on a plane, returning from their away game, which also marked the end of the season. The Lords had finished at the very top and were now moving on to the playoffs for the MLS cup.
I also sent Andrew an email, explaining the outcome. I knew he’d take this in stride, because Andrew was a laid-back guy. Plus, I had secured some other excellent sponsorships for him.
Since I was on a roll, I also wrote to Levi. Honestly, it had also been the most difficult to find opportunities for him, what with his worsening stats. I hoped his agent was having better luck.
I went to make myself a coffee, needing some reinforcement for the afternoon.
Veronica and Sheila were at the machine too. They fell silent the second they saw me, which made me think they’d been talking about me.
“Hello, girls. Any espresso capsules left?”
“Think I saw a few,” Veronica said. She and Sheila went on to talk about some car problems Sheila was having.
“I know a really good mechanic,” I offered. “He’s a bit on the expensive side but does the job quickly.”
Sheila smirked. “Thanks, but I’ll stick with mine. Can’t afford an expensive one. Unlike some, I’m not dating rich soccer players.”
I pondered my next words as I took my full coffee cup from the machine.
“I don’t appreciate this attitude. You made your opinion clear, but this day-to-day hazing is beneath you, frankly. Let’s act like the grown-ups we are.”
They looked stunned, and I rolled my shoulders confidently. I wasn’t going to take anyone’s crap.
Everyone else in management had taken the news well, but I worked with these two daily. If things didn’t improve, I was going to have to do something about it; only I wasn’t sure what. I just didn’t want it to come to the point where I would dread coming to work.
As soon as the workday was over, I practically flew out of the office. I was meeting Franci at one of our favorite ice cream shops.
She was already ordering when I arrived. I bought a cone with pistachio and cookie flavors.
As we sat down at the round, old-fashioned tables, I tried to gauge her mood so I could tell if she needed cheering up, but Franci was looking better than she had in months.
“You have a new haircut,” I remarked, taking in her elegant bob.
“I’m reinventing myself. I have a date later on.”
I was shocked. I hadn’t expected her to take this step for another few months.
“Don’t look at me like that. Date is perhaps was the wrong word. I just need some action between the sheets. I’ve given up on anything else.”
“Who knows? Maybe it’ll develop into something more.”
She gave me a small smile.
“What?” I inquired.
“Well, just a few months ago, our roles were reversed. And look at you now.”
“You’re right.”
It wasn’t that I’d consciously chosen not to have expectations, but between the collapse of my sister’s marriage and my own mistakes, I’d been on the defensive.
“Am I wrong in believing a certain soccer god played a role in changing your mind?”
I grinned. “What do you think?”
“I like Jace even more right now.”
She’d been a big fan from the beginning, but even more so after she’d officially met him two weeks ago.
“Well, it’s a good thing, because I’m completely in love with him.”
“I’m so happy for you. Are your coworkers still giving you trouble?”
“They’re not the friendliest bunch, but I’m not letting them intimidate me.”
Of course, not being intimidated was not the same thing as being on civil terms, and that was what I strived for.
“You always amaze me.”
After finishing our ice-cream, we strolled further down the street, passing one of my favorite stores for interior decoration. The picture frames in the window display caught my attention.
“Can we go in there real quick? Jace is coming back tonight, and I want to surprise him.”
Jace had a lot of family photos pinned to a corkboard in his kitchen, but he’d mentioned once that he wanted to exchange it for something better. This would fit perfectly.
Franci smirked.
“What?” I asked.
“You’ve fallen hard for him.”
I smiled to myself as we headed inside the store.
Jace
“Looks like someone’s waiting for you,” the Uber driver remarked when he pulled in front of my house. Brooke was getting out of her car, waving at me. I climbed out quickly, eager to get to my girl.
First thing I did was kiss her hungrily, not particularly caring that we were out on the street for all my neighbors to see. She tasted like vanilla and pistachios.
“I missed you,” she whispered, and fuck if I’d ever get tired of hearing these words from her.
“Did you forget your key?” I asked. I’d made her a copy a few weeks ago.
“Oh, no, I just arrived.”
Taking her hand, I led her inside the house. A paper bag dangled in her hand. I assumed it was takeout, but once we were inside, she made a come-here motion with her finger, leading me into the kitchen.
“I got you something.”
She took out a huge photo frame. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was multiple smaller frames built into one, like a puzzle. She pointed with her thumb to my corkboard of pictures.
“Thought we could put your pics inside here.”
“Babe, I love this. Thanks.”
“Want to put them up now, before we order something to eat? Or you want to talk about the game first?”
“You really want to hear about the game?”
“Only if it helps you unwind.”
“You’re amazing.” I placed my palms on either side of her face, kissing her forehead. “Let’s arrange the pics.”
She was much better at it than I was. I managed to crinkle two photos at the corner before Brooke declared she’d do it.
Since she insisted, I talked to her about the game. Surprisingly, it did help, probably because instead of dissecting everything from a technical point of view, I just laid out why I felt so shitty about it. We’d won, but no thanks to my performance.
“I don’t like disappointing the fans or my teammates. Generally, I just don’t like letting down the people who put their trust in me.”
“Jace,” she said softly. “I understand why you feel like this, but everything has ups and downs.”
“I know. I just can’t help feeling this way.”
“What do you think?” she asked once she’d filled the frame.
“I love it.”
“I think I’ll buy a second one, but smaller.”
I kissed her temple. “Sure, babe. Whatever you like. You’re doing a great job redecorating this place.”
“Redecorating? It’s just some frames and plants. Oh, and those comforters last week. And the paintings.”
I felt her suck in a breath, and I tilted her head back a notch so I could look her straight in the eyes.
“Brooke, I love that you do all that. You’re making this house feel like a home. I don’t think I’ve called a place home since I was a kid.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. Without my parents, the house we lived in just didn’t seem right anymore. Then I kept moving, and I think Val’s house was the closest that felt like home, until now. So, just buy whatever you like, okay?”
“You should know better than to say those words to a woman.”
“I have sisters who love to shop. I know exactly the risks involved.”
“Remember that sentence when you come in here one day and don’t recognize anything.”
“Hey, as long as you don’t try to buy me a butt-ugly ottoman like the one at your house, we’re good.”
Her eyes widened before she playfully shoved me away. “That’s it. You just lost your chance at sex for tonight.”
“It’ll be my pleasure to work my way back in your good graces.”
I laughed, pulling her into my arms.
“I love coming home to you, Brooke.”
She sighed happily, and I tightened my arms around her. I had no idea how something as simple as having her in my house could make me so happy.
“How do you want to celebrate your victory? And Carl’s decision?” she asked.
“We can celebrate however you want. And thank you for making that happen, babe.”
“Hey, it’s all you. I presented him all facts impartially.”
“Yeah, but he wouldn’t be interested in the foundation if you hadn’t talked to him about it.”
“True.”
“So, how do you want to celebrate?”
“Maybe we can go out tomorrow.”
“Isn’t that when you go to happy hour with the girls in your department?”
She pulled out of my arms, wrinkling her nose.
“No. Right now I’m not looking forward to spending time with them outside work to be honest. They’re still not over the fact that I’m dating you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shrugged. “It’s not that bad.”
Everything in her body language contradicted that statement. Brooke was sociable and outgoing, and I knew just how much she valued getting along well with her coworkers.
“Brooke. I want to know when something’s bothering you. Even if we can’t find a quick fix, we can brainstorm about solutions. I’m your person, remember?”
She smiled, nodding. “I know, but this will pass. I just think I have to grit my teeth through it, you know?”
“That sounds awful. I don’t want you to have to grit your teeth through anything. I want to protect you from anything and anyone who tries to hurt you. I’ll talk to Graham—”
“No, you won’t.”
“I’ll talk directly to Sheila and Veronica, then.”
“Jace, they are my coworkers. I’ll deal with it.”
This situation was clearly making her uncomfortable, and I didn’t want her to feel like she had to make apologies for being with me.
I loved her. I’d always been the kind of guy who went with the flow and didn’t think much about the future.
Now, I not only wanted to think about the future, but I had a clear vision of it. I wanted to give Brooke my last name.