16. Maeve
Sheryl percheson the edge of my desk. “So you’re saying he kissed you and then a few nights later took you out with his daughter?” Her forehead furrows.
“Yep.”
“Am I the only one who’s confused?” she asks.
“No. You should try being me.” I laugh, but I want to cry. “I think he was hoping that spending time together outside of work would make us more comfortable with our situation.”
She snorts. “Well, it helped that his daughter served as your chaperone.”
“I can’t deny that. It was impossible not to think about her witnessing something she shouldn’t.”
“Maybe she needs to be homeschooled from Trey’s office every day,” she suggests, laughing.
“That’s not happening, so maybe he and I need to learn self-control.”
“If that were so easy, you wouldn’t have kissed him back.”
My head flops onto the back of my office chair. “Good point.”
“How did things go today with you two?”
“He had meetings outside of the office, so I only saw him in passing.”
Sheryl’s stomach growls loudly. Snickering, she slaps her hand over her belly. “Want to grab dinner? I don’t feel like cooking.”
“I wish I could, but I’m going over to Greg and Lillith’s. She emailed me last week and asked me to dinner.” Now I wish I’d said no. All I want to do is go home and chill in my pajamas.
“At least you’ll get a great meal out of going.”
“That’s true. And it’ll be nice seeing them both. I miss Greg being my boss, and Lillith is so nice.”
“Ooh, I have a hypothetical question for you. If you and Trey hadn’t met before he became your boss, would you still miss Greg?”
“Hmm. Yes, I would because he’s a great guy. But I’d enjoy having Trey as a boss a lot more if I didn’t know what he looks like naked.”
She laughs. “But then you’d never know what he looks like naked. Would you want to give up all the memories of the hot sex you had together?”
Would I?
Even though our complicated past makes being his employee difficult, I wouldn’t want us to have never met on Finder.
“No. I’m glad for the time we spent together.”
“At least you don’t have regrets,” she says.
“No, not about meeting him.”
Kissing him back the other night?That’s another story.
* * *
Really, God? How can you do this to me?
Climbing from my car, I slam the door shut and march up the Ledger’s driveway.
“Ugh.” An annoyed grunt passes between my lips as I walk past Trey’s SUV. Had I known he would be here, I’d have made an excuse not to come. But at this point I’m stuck and have to commit to having dinner before I can leave.
I ring the doorbell, and my heart gallops behind my rib cage like a herd of wild horses while I wait for someone to appear.
Lillith opens the door, greeting me with a wide smile and a motherly hug. “Maeve, I’m so glad you could make it. You look wonderful, dear.”
“Thank you. So do you. Having Greg around more must agree with you.”
She nods. “At least for now. Maybe he’ll drive me mad in a few more months.” She hooks her arm through mine. “Come right this way.” We walk through the large foyer and into the open kitchen and living room.
“Maeve!” Gwen calls my name and jumps to her feet. She races over like a blur and crashes into me with a hug.
“Hi, Gwen.”
Her thin arms squeeze me before she steps back. “What are you doing here?” she asks.
Before I can answer, Lillith steps in. “Didn’t I tell you Maeve is having dinner with us?”
Gwen turns her head from side to side. “Nope.”
“There’s my favorite employee,” Greg calls out as he heads toward me.
I smile. “Oh, look. My favorite boss.”
Greg chuckles and draws me in for a brief hug. “Trey, did you hear that? I guess your charm isn’t working on Maeve.”
Trey approaches with his hands shoved into the front pockets of his dress pants. His tie is missing, and the top two buttons on his shirt are undone. Jesus. He looks good enough to eat, but I’m definitely not supposed to notice such things about my employer.
“She just needs more time to realize how lucky she is to have me as a boss.” He smirks.
Funny, I don’t feel so lucky at this moment.
Greg laughs and pats him on the back. “Sure, son. You keep trying.”
“That’s the plan.” Trey answers his father but stares directly at me.
“Let’s adjourn to the dining room. I bet Maeve is hungry after a long day at work,” Lillith suggests.
“I’ve been looking forward to this meal since you first invited me,” I confess while I wait for everyone to choose their seat. I take the closest available chair, which happens to be next to Trey.
“Maeve must be the reason you made lasagna and meatballs. I can’t remember the last time we had that,” Greg says.
Lillith nods. “Yes, she is. I gave her a few choices.”
“Wonderful idea, Maeve. I don’t get to eat cheese very often, but any time I do, it”s a great day,” Greg says.
“Help yourselves,” Lillith says, waving her hand at the food in the middle of the large table.
“Maeve, what would you like?” Trey asks, picking up my plate.
“A little of everything, please.” I watch as he dishes out lasagna, meatballs, and garlic bread. He sets the plate in front of me. “Thank you.”
Once everyone has taken their share, I dig in.
And it’s just as good as I anticipated.
“Lillith, everything is delicious,” I say.
“Thank you. I’m glad you think so.”
“Maeve, want to know who my favorite player on the Coyotes is?” Gwen asks.
“Of course I do. Who is it?”
“Niall O’Rourke. He’s an enforcer, which means he’s really good at checking other players.”
I laugh. “I’m also a big fan of Niall’s.” A small, secretive smile settles on my lips. I haven’t told Trey about my brother playing for his team yet, but it seems like it’s about to come out.
“Maeve, tell Gwen why you’re such a big fan of his,” Greg chimes in like I assumed he would.
A flash of annoyance hits me, but I dispel it just as quickly. This was bound to come out sooner or later. And if Trey and I were dating, I’d have told him long before now.
“Please tell me,” Gwen prods for a reply.
“He’s my older brother.”
Gwen beams at me. “Really?”
I nod. “Really. I also have a younger brother who plays football in college right now. But I think there’s a good chance he’ll end up in the NFL.”
Gwen’s eyes are as large as quarters. “Wow!”
Trey nudges his leg into mine. “Why didn’t you tell me who your brother was?”
Turning my head, I meet his curious gray stare. “At first, for obvious reasons. And then, I figured I’d tell you at some point, but I hadn’t worked out when.”
“Now that I know, I can see the resemblance between you,” he says.
“Yep, we all have blue eyes. But my little brother Rogan has dark brown hair.”
“You’re a wealth of secrets, Sunshine.” His voice goes soft as he whispers my nickname.
I laugh. “I’m really not. I’m an open book to most, but you’re my boss, so…” I shrug.
“Niall has been a great addition to the team,” Greg interjects.
“He loves playing for the Coyotes,” I say.
“I’d love for him to finish his career with us,” Greg adds.
“As the new owner, I’ll keep your opinion in mind, Dad,” Trey drolls.
Greg chuckles. “I’m sorry, son. I’m still adjusting to this retirement gig. That’s why the saying ‘old habits die hard’ exists.”
“I get that. I still have to remind myself to drive to my new office every morning instead of my old one.”
“How’s Isaac doing with his new role?” Greg asks.
“Great. We had a meeting last week, and he’s handling his promotion like a pro. I’m pleased with how smoothly everything is running.”
“Are you missing your old company?” I ask.
“Sure, in some ways. But I have a fantastic assistant now who makes my new job more enjoyable.” He winks.
Aware that everyone suddenly looks my way, I roll my eyes and play off his compliment. “If it weren’t for your dad, I’d probably be out of a job right now.”
Trey laughs. “I wasn’t planning to fire you or anyone else. At least not until I had a chance to evaluate everyone’s performance.”
“Maeve, I bet you’ve already proved how invaluable you are to Trey,” Greg says.
“Oh, for sure,” Trey says, nudging his thigh into mine once more. Except this time, he leaves it. The warm, steady pressure reminds me of how solid his muscles are under his skin. “There are dozens of tasks Maeve simplifies for me daily.”
“That’s nice of you to say, but I think that’s a gross exaggeration,” I counter.
“What’s my dad like as a boss?” Gwen pipes in.
I let out a quick laugh.
Trey pretends to loosen the collar on his shirt and rolls his neck from one side to the other.
“He’s a good boss. He can be demanding at times, but he says please and thank you for the most part. And he hasn’t yelled at me yet.”
“Sounds like you’ve got some room for improvement, son,” Greg teases.
Trey throws up his hands. “I guess I’m still a work in progress.”
“You’ve been doing great,” I say, smiling. I don’t want him to think otherwise. No one realizes all he’s been dealing with behind the scenes.
I know how difficult it’s been for me, and I’m not holding the future of an entire professional sports franchise in my hands.
His eyes are filled with warmth as he looks over at me and gently bows his head. “Thank you.”
After we’re finished with dinner, I help Lillith load the dishwasher.
“My son seems taken with you,” she says, catching me off guard.
“I don’t think that’s the case at all. He probably wishes he had a meek assistant who isn’t so free with her opinions.”
“I mean, he’s personally taken with you,” she clarifies with a smile.
“Oh.”
What should I say?
“You don’t seem surprised,” she continues.
“It’s not one sided, but we’re keeping things professional between us.”
For the most part.
“I see.” Though her reply is calm, she looks worried, and I feel compelled to elaborate.
“We met before he became my boss. The first day he was in the office, I realized who he was, and it was extremely shocking. But now I’m used to it.”
There’s a fine line between elaborating and flat-out lying. In my rush to alleviate Lillith’s concern, I’ve drifted into the latter territory.
“I’m glad things are working out. Greg misses going to the office, although he’ll never admit it,” she says.
“You can tell him he’s missed by many—myself included.”
“I’ll do that. Knowing he may be gone but he’s not forgotten will be nice for him to hear.”
“Trey told me about the retirement celebration and he asked for my help. Is there anything you had in mind? Do you want it to be a black-tie affair or something more casual?”
“Preferably black tie, but that will depend on what venues are available on such short notice.” She shakes her head. “You’d think with all the time I’ve been waiting for him to retire, I would’ve planned this party well in advance.”
“Don’t worry. Trey and I will find the perfect place to hold it.”
She smiles. “I already feel better knowing the two of you are working on it together.”
Trey walks into the kitchen and moves up beside me. His arm brushes mine, making my skin tingle. He glances between Lillith and me. “You two look like you’re up to no good. What are you plotting?”
I snicker. “Don’t be paranoid, Trey.”
“We were discussing your dad’s party,” Lillith says.
“Mom, I told you it’ll be taken care of.”
She pats his cheek. “I know you did. And now that I realize Maeve is helping you, I feel less concerned.”
Trey glances at me and shakes his head. “Do you believe this?”
I laugh. “In your mom’s defense, guys aren’t usually the best party planners.”
“That might be true, but I was smart enough to ask for your help,” he points out.
I nod. “Fair enough.”
Lillith unwraps two pies she must’ve baked earlier. “Would you like some, Maeve?”
Glancing at the clock on the wall, I check the time. “Actually, I hate to cut out early but I need to get going.”
“I’ll send some pie home with you, then,” she says, adding some to a plastic container before I can object.
“Thank you. I’m sure Niall will be trying to get his greedy paws on it before I can.”
“I sent enough for both of you.” She winks.
Greg and Gwen wander into the kitchen to see what’s going on, giving me the perfect opportunity to say my goodbyes to everyone at the same time.
I hug everyone, with the exception of Trey, and profusely thank Lillith for the delicious meal.
“I’ll walk you out,” Trey offers.
“There’s no need. I can find the door.”
He opens his palms. “Help me out here. My parents will kick my ass if I don’t.”
My gaze swings between Greg and Lillith, finding them both nodding. “Fine,” I relent.
“Thank you for sparing me,” Trey says, wrapping his hand around my arm.
“Bye, y’all,” I call out just before we disappear from sight. Their shouts of goodbye follow me to the front door.
When we step out into the night air, Trey’s palm slides down my arm, and his fingers close around my hand, and for a minute we’re James and Mae once more. We walk together in silence and stop beside my car.
Trey earnestly stares into my eyes. “Is there anyone who doesn’t fall under your spell, Sunshine?”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“No, you wouldn’t, because it’s not something contrived that you do on purpose. It’s just who you are deep down inside. You’re a ray of sunshine everyone gravitates toward. Even my mom loves you.”
What about you?
“I don’t know what to say. ‘Thank you’ seems inadequate.”
“You don’t need to thank me.” He raises his free hand, skimming the back of his fingers down my cheek. “I’m glad you’re in my life.”
My throat fills with emotion. “I’m glad too,” I husk.
He leans forward, his lips slowly lowering to press a gentle kiss to my forehead. He straightens up to his full height and takes a step backward, opening my door. “Drive safe, Sunshine.”
“I will.” I slip behind the wheel. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” Shutting me inside, he moves away from my car as I back out. And just like the nights when we first met, he watches me drive away.
But unlike those nights, I know this really has to be the last time, and I can’t keep putting myself in these situations.
It’s just too painful.