“Hello,” I said as he walked through the doorway.
I started to thrust my hand out for a shake but stopped midway as I got a good look at the man, blinking several times to be sure I wasn’t imagining things. He looked different and familiar all at the same time. He’d always had a trim, athletic build, but his shoulders were much broader than I remembered, and he’d packed on quite a bit of muscle over the years. His previously thick, jet-black head of hair had been cropped short and I wondered if that had been his choice or if it had become habit as a result of years spent in the military. One thing was for sure, the boy I’d once known was undeniably, one hundred percent man now.
“Greg?” I whispered.
He’d been staring at me too, seemingly as surprised to see me as I was to see him, but something shifted the moment he heard my voice and his back went ramrod straight. His expression turned cold and I watched as a wall went up between us. That stung, but seeing his response reminded me that not everything had changed, because it was the exact same look he’d given me the last time I’d seen him. Right before he’d walked away, leaving my heart in tatters.
“Mr. Brooks,” he responded. I winced at his formal tone, as if we were complete strangers meeting for the first time.
“Please, have a seat,” I said briskly. His mouth turned down into a slight frown, but he brushed past me to sit in one of the chairs across from my desk. Shaking off the last of my shock, I moved around the desk and sank into my chair. Greg’s expression was unreadable as he leveled his steel-gray eyes on me and crossed his arms over his chest, but I fought the urge to fidget. I had a feeling he might like seeing me squirm and I refused to give him the satisfaction.
“You’ll have to forgive me, I only found out that my parents had hired a bodyguard for me a few moments ago, and of course, I had no idea that that bodyguard would be you. Had I known—”
“You would have requested someone else,” Greg finished for me. There was no reason for me to deny it. We both were painfully aware of our past and the tension between us.
“Yes, I would have. If you’ll give me the name and number of your boss, I’ll call and get everything straightened out.” I picked up the phone from its cradle and waited, my fingers hovering over the buttons.
“I can’t do that,” he said. I looked up at him in confusion. “Trust me, I wish I could, but unfortunately, there’s no one else that can take your case. Everyone at Hamilton Security is already involved in other cases.”
“There has to be something that can be done,” I argued.
“Not unless you want to hire a different company, but then you won’t have the best.” His words might have sounded pompous, but the look on his face was one of sincere confidence. It was obvious that he believed in his team and in their ability to provide the highest quality care for their clients. I watched as he uncrossed his arms and leaned forward with a sigh. “Look, I’m not any happier about this situation than you are, but the fact is that you need security right now and I’m the only one who can provide it. So, why don’t you let me get to work and I’ll try to stay out of your way as much as possible.”
I stared at him for a few moments as I mulled things over in my mind. I still felt uncomfortable with the thought of having a bodyguard, but maybe he and my parents were right; perhaps I did need security. There were many people out there who were vehemently opposed to having a gay man run for office and they’d been making their objections known, loudly and with increasingly radical demonstrations. I’d be lying if I said their presence at each of my appearances didn’t make me uneasy.
Homophobia was still very much alive and well across our country, with some leaders in Washington, D.C. making it seem like it was the right of its citizens to condemn and persecute those who were different from themselves. It would be irresponsible of anyone in my position to ignore the very real threats that were out there. And then there were the letters. I still had no idea where or who they’d come from. Having a bodyguard would allow me to concentrate on the election without worrying about who might want to cause me harm, not to mention the other members of my team who were part of the LGBTQ community.
I swallowed hard as I pictured anyone hurting Maddie. “Okay. I’ll do it. Just let me know whatever you need.”
He seemed almost relieved, but his shoulders remained stiff as he stood. “I’m going to take a look around, make a few notes, and then I’ll be back.”
I watched as he walked out of the room and then collapsed back in my chair. My heart was racing, and my stomach was tied in knots. I wasn’t happy about having Greg so close, but for the time being, I didn’t have much choice. I may not have had a chance to look into the company he worked for but knew my father would have and he wouldn’t have chosen anything but the absolute best for me. However, the irony was not lost on me that the guy who had deceived me in the past and left me broken was now the one person I was counting on to make sure I stayed in one piece.