Chapter Two #2
Darn it. Not the direction Alex wanted this to go. But she couldn’t make big decisions based on whether or not they were going to make a moody teenager smile for a minute. It was about the big picture and what was best for their future.
“Why don’t you head home and get a start on your homework. I’ll talk to Janelle and then be right behind you. You can leave your hockey gear here. I’ll bring it with me.”
“Sure.” Em ducked her head and turned. “See you later.” She disappeared out the door and down the hall.
Alex watched her go and then wandered back to her desk and sat down.
She needed to talk to Janelle, but she knew there was no way her partner was going to think this was a bad idea.
Which meant, depending on what his file said, she was doing this.
She was taking Nick Sadler on as a client.
But first, she needed to clear the air about their past.
Nick lounged on the bed in his hotel room, flipping through the channels on the TV, not paying attention to any of them. He was still wracking his brain, trying to figure out when he’d met Alex.
Now that he thought about it, she looked vaguely familiar. Then again, maybe he only thought she looked familiar because he knew they had a history. Alex Dumont. Nope, nothing. It was fucking annoying.
His phone buzzed, and he sat up. He’d dropped it on the console near the door when he’d come in.
He rolled off the bed and his knee gave a twinge.
Along with his lower back. And his left shoulder.
Fuck, he needed to get himself in game shape.
How was he supposed to win the championship with his body like this?
He grabbed the phone. Local number. Coastal Health and Wellness. His heart gave a quick, extra beat. He hadn’t expected to hear from Alex so soon. It had only been a few hours since he’d left the clinic.
He pressed the answer button. “Hello?”
“Can I speak to Nick Sadler, please?” Her voice had a husky quality he hadn’t noticed before. It was unexpected, and slid down his spine in an unanticipated way.
“Hey, Alex. It’s Nick.” Why did he sound like he’d just swallowed a handful of gravel?
“Oh, hi.”
A weird silence descended. Oh, shit, she was going to turn him down, wasn’t she?
Fuck, he knew he shouldn’t have pinned everything on this.
Especially after their meeting had been so disastrous.
After the way things ended, the way he’d made everything incredibly awkward, it wouldn’t have surprised him if she’d tossed his file in the trash.
The thought of which was way more disappointing than it really should be. He’d just really liked the vibe he’d got at the clinic. Especially after he’d spoken with Alex.
Sometimes, being a professional athlete meant people weren’t completely honest and open about stuff. She’d already given him the third degree about his recovery. And, she hadn’t seemed the least bit intimidated while she’d done it, either.
Which is why he had to clear the air. “I’m sorry about the whole jumping to conclusions thing earlier.
You know, about Emily.” He took a quick breath, but didn’t leave her enough time to say anything.
To turn him down. “It’s just that, my ex-wife used a fake pregnancy to get me to marry her, and needless to say, it didn’t end well.
So I’m a little sensitive when it comes to that stuff. ”
Silence.
Shit, he’d overshared. Why the fuck couldn’t he keep his mouth shut?
“Umm, wow, Nick. I’m really sorry. That sucks. I’m sorry she did that to you.” She sounded sincere, which he appreciated. Of course, she didn’t know he’d been a horn dog who humped anyone who looked his way, so someone getting pregnant hadn’t been out of the realm of possibility.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to blurt it out like that.” His cheeks prickled. Fuck, was he blushing again? He couldn’t remember ever blushing before in his adult life. And now twice in a matter of hours. What the hell was wrong with him?
“It’s fine. Really. And I need to apologize to you. For making you think that’s where the conversation was headed.”
“It’s fine. How about we just forget about then? Pretend it never happened.”
“Deal.”
More silence, this time barreling toward awkward at warp speed.
Should he say something else? Not that he had anything else to say. Other than beg her to take him on as a client.
She took a breath, one she probably hadn’t meant for him to hear, and he tensed.
This was it, her decision, the moment she turned him down.
He could feel it in his bones. The disappointment welling inside him was bigger than any he’d felt before.
Which was weird, and he didn’t quite understand why it was so different this time.
“Alright, Nick, I’m going to be frank with you.”
“I prefer Alex.” He couldn’t help himself, not when she handed him such low hanging fruit.
She paused. This time, he could almost hear her confusion through the phone. One side of his mouth ticked up.
“What?”
“I don’t think you look much like a Frank.” He kept his tone as dead pan as possible.
Another beat of silence and then she laughed. A real throaty, from-deep-inside laugh. The kind that felt like being wrapped up in a big old hug.