Chapter 27
“You blew in here like your ass was on fire,” the president of baseball operations, Winston Evans, states with a chuckle. “I take it there’s something on your mind?”
“I want to retire,” I blurt out.
“Okay,” he answers slowly. “I’ll admit, that’s not what I thought you’d say, but after yesterday’s meeting, I guess I should have expected it.”
“Wait, what? What meeting?” I ask.
“You didn’t talk to Layla, did you?”
I shake my head. “Extra innings yesterday, and then a weather delay. We got in well past midnight. I didn’t want to wake her — wait a minute. You know about Layla?”
He nods, smirking. “There were rumors, but we didn’t have confirmation until she called a meeting yesterday.”
“Layla called a meeting?” I ask incredulously.
“She felt it was best if she got ahead of things. Went to bat for you, Max. Talked about what an asset you are to the team, and the changes you’ve made this year to your game. She said she can find another job, but we can’t find another you.”
Wow. That was incredibly unexpected. “I — she — no. You can’t find another her.
I’m old. I probably only have a year or two left anyway.
Layla is amazing for this team. She’s improved everyone’s stats because of how she fuels us, and what she’s teaching us about food and energy.
It’s not just a job to her. It’s a lifestyle. You’d be dumb to let her go.”
Winston raises his eyebrows. “I’d be dumb to let her go.”
“I mean, well,” I stammer, grabbing onto the back of the chair in Winston’s office that I’m standing behind. “If you have to choose, keep her. She’s so worth it.”
I hear someone clearing their throat from the doorway, and I turn to find Coach Dunn, the general manager, Mark Dempsey, and the Human Resources manager, Marcia Fritz.
“What if we didn’t have to lose either one of you?” Marcia asks, grinning widely.
“I don’t understand,” I state, confused.
“Layla said she signed a contract with a no-fraternization clause in it. I’ll be honest, I didn’t look at it when I signed it.
Shouldn’t come as a shock that she’d read it and probably memorized chunks of it.
But she’s adamant that she’ll be fired if she gets involved with someone from the team.
I’m not letting her break up with me, so let me retire. That solves the problem, right?”
Mark clears his throat again. “There are concerns about how long the two of you have been hiding a relationship, Max. And we have to think about how this impacts things moving forward. There will be, of course, a new contract that the two of you have to sign stating that in the case of a breakup, you promise you won’t let it affect your jobs. ”
“We didn’t exactly hide anything. The romantic part of our relationship only recently began. I moved her in with me after her apartment was broken into, and I guess one thing led to another. Oh, and we accidentally slept together the night before Opening Day.”
Marcia gasps. “How does one accidentally sleep with someone else?”
Heat creeps up my neck. “I, uh, occasionally get on a dating app under a pseudonym, and meet someone for a night when we’re on away trips. It turns out she did the same thing.”
“That didn’t come up in our chat with Layla yesterday,” Mark comments.
“Uh, that’s because she doesn’t know it was me yet,” I murmur, scratching my cheek through my beard.
“I’ve been meaning to tell her. In fact, I’m meeting her right after this, so I can come clean.
And to tell her I’ve retired so her job is safe,” I say hastily.
My eyes dart between the four people watching me.
Winston and Mark look amused, and Marcia is shaking her head in shock.
Coach Dunn, however, looks a little pissed.
“I fucking knew there was something going on between the two of you when Morales showed up at her hotel room,” he states, his voice deep and booming through the room. “And you both lied to me.”
“We didn’t lie. Nothing was going on at that time.” I pause, a sheepish smile growing on my face as heat climbs up my neck. “It started the next night.”
Mark lets out a loud bark of laughter, and Coach’s lips twitch as he fights a smile. “So when you told me you ran into her the following morning, and she was suffering from a headache, you were just being a nice friend?”
I emphatically nod. “She’d had two run-ins with Morales. She was emotionally drained. I stayed with her for support, nothing else. She needed the sleep.”
“Let’s circle back to the issue at hand, please,” Marcia says.
She drops a folder onto Winston’s desk, one I hadn’t noticed she was carrying.
“We’re rewording the no-fraternization policy and adding a consensual relationship agreement.
There will still be strict guidelines on fraternizing between a superior and subordinate, as well as a requirement for no unprofessional behavior, such as PDAs and excessive socialization.
Because you and Layla are not in danger of violating the superior and subordinate rule, as long as you both sign the consensual relationship agreement, we have no problem with the two of you dating. ”
Speechless, I stare at the four of them in complete shock.
This is not how I thought this conversation would go.
I figured they’d try to talk me out of retiring, claiming I was so much more important than Layla.
I was ready to fight for her with a bunch of different arguments.
How she has so many years ahead of her, and she can grow with the team.
I know my game has improved greatly since I began following her meal plans, and now I understand how important it is to fuel my body the correct way.
And how so many guys on the team have accepted her as one of their own.
A sister of sorts. Bottom line is, I was ready to throw down the gauntlet to ensure Layla got to keep her job.
“Where do I sign?” I blurt out, making everyone laugh.
“Still want to retire?” Winston asks sarcastically.
“Uh, no. As long as Layla still wants me after I confess everything, I’d really like to stay with the Raptors,” I answer.
“Good,” Winston replies. “We aren’t ready to lose you just yet.”
Marcia hands me the folder. “Take this. The two of you need to read it together and make sure you agree with what we’re proposing. Actually read it, Max. Don’t expect her to read it and give you a summary.”
“Can I go?” I ask. “I need to go meet her to confess everything, and hopefully she still wants to date me, or this is all moot.”
“Just know, if you break her heart, and she quits because of you,” Coach says, lowering his voice, “I’m booting you from the team to get her back.”
“No offense taken, Coach. I would do the exact same thing,” I say with a smile, jogging out of the room. I can’t believe this. I get to keep my job, and the girl? Fucking awesome.
An hour later, I’m waiting for Layla to arrive.
She requested we meet in front of the ballpark.
With a game in a few hours, there are tons of people around.
The stadium is right in the middle of a bustling section of Denver, full of tons of restaurants, bars, and breweries.
The gates will open soon for anyone wishing to watch batting practice, and as I scope the area for Layla’s arrival, I take a deep breath.
God, I hope she forgives me. That we can move past this.
“Is that you, Sunshine?” I hear a call from behind me, and turning, I find Layla grinning broadly at me.
Even better, she’s wearing my jersey. Grabbing the hem, she shifts it around as she spins in a slow circle.
“You like? Figured I could rep your number. And don’t freak out, but I bought a Holloway jersey and one of Dante’s as well.
I’d hate for my boys to think I’m playing favorites. ”
“Layla,” I breathe, my eyes dragging slowly down her body. Wearing a white tank top under the jersey, cutoff jean shorts with frayed edges, and pink Converse on her feet, she looks perfect. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
She beams up at me, then stands on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek.
“Thank you. So do you want to go first, or should I? I think we have a lot to talk about. Did anyone tell you I went to the management team yesterday? I assumed you’d hear about it, and that’s why you were so off when I saw you earlier. ”
“No, they didn’t tell me until I barged in there an hour ago,” I murmur. “I told them I wanted to retire.”
Her eyes widen in horror. “What? No! That’s not what I wanted! You’re doing so well here. You need to stay, finish out your contract, and get an extension!”
I shake my head. “I don’t need any of that.
I don’t want it. Not unless you’re there with me.
Layla, I love you. I’ve fallen so desperately in love with you.
I don’t want to hide it or sneak around.
I want everyone to know that I’m taken. I need to have you by my side.
Waking up next to you, traveling to games, you sleeping on my shoulder on the flights.
I want your makeup all over my bathroom, the weird drawings you make with your hair in the shower, and all the red fruit we can find for our murderous guinea pigs.
I want it all, Peaches, but only if it’s with you. ”
A sheen of tears covers her eyes as she laughs breathily. “I love you too. And I want all of that too.”
I let out a huge exhale of relief, sweeping her into my arms, and burying my face in her neck. I hold her tightly for a moment, then realize I still haven’t confessed. “Layla.”
“Hmm?” she murmurs.
“There’s something I have to tell you first. Remember before I left, and you corrected me about the number of times we’ve had sex?”
She grins. “I do remember that. Took you long enough, Max Everett Callahan.”
What the fuck? My mouth drops open. “You knew?”