Page 75 of Gross Misconduct

“Bah! We all do things we wish we could take back. This will pass, and you’ll be fine. And if anyone gives you grief today, they are going to have to deal with me.”

She was sweet, and I could see why Jill liked her so much.

Ethan, Tangi, and Maddy arrived while Wolseley was telling me about her restaurant. The food sounded delicious, even if meat wasn’t involved. I noted that Jill remained mostly silent. I guess having me here wasn’t her idea.

“Have you ever thought about meal prep for athletes? You could be hitting up football, hockey, baseball players, you name it. It’s big business. I know some that are vegetarian, and this would be a game changer for them,” I said as I scooted over to make space for Ethan. Tangi sat next to Wolseley, but more importantly, I was now directly across from Jill.

“I haven’t, but I’m not sure I’d have the time.”

“It is big business,” Ethan added. “A few guys on the team are doing it.”

“And you could make it out of your kitchen and deliver it,” I said.

I could see Wolseley’s wheels turning. She was definitelythinking about it.

“I won’t rule it out,” she said. “Thanks for the idea.”

I thought to engage Jill in conversation, but decided against it. She clearly wanted nothing to do with me, so I ordered my food and ate it. I chatted with Ethan, Tangi, and Wolseley. I couldn’t help but notice that Jill was quiet, and I hated that my presence caused that. I probably should have stayed home, but it was too late for that.

We’d just finished eating when two kids came up to the table and asked for a picture. I figured the kids just wanted Ethan in the picture, but the smaller boy seemed perplexed when I didn’t get up.

“Me too?” I asked.

The kids both blushed. “Yes, please.”

We took some pictures with the kids and signed some napkins since we didn’t have anything else. A few more kids came around and not a single parent gave me a dirty look. That was good. I even chatted up some kids and their parents. My mantra was that kids should always be treated with respect, and these kids were loving it. I’d seen guys be rude to kids in the past, and it reflected badly on the game. Many years ago, I’d been one of those kids, and never had a player been rude to me. I was following that lead, no matter how shitty of a day I’d had.

“I insist on paying for breakfast,” I said when the server came around with the bill. Everyone tried to snatch it from me, but I had a firm grip on it. The server came around, and I paid and gave her a healthy tip.

I thanked them for inviting me and headed to my car. I snuck one last look at Jill and was sure she was looking at me. I wanted to go back and tell her I’d do whatever it took to make it up to her, to win her back, but too much was still between us. Instead, I got into my car and drove home to the empty condo that awaited me.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Jill

“Ithink he’s sweet.”

Wolseley and I had the afternoon to ourselves, and when I suggested a walk-through Stanley Park, I thought she’d say no after our huge breakfast, but here we were, walking along the seawall, and I was trapped into this conversation.

“He also sleeps with his teammates’ wives.”

She looked over at me and frowned. “He made a mistake, and that sucks. Are you going to punish him for it forever?”

“Maybe,” I said in a singsong voice.

“Ugh. You’re so close-minded,” she said as she pulled out her phone and took some pictures. So far, most of her pictures consisted of food, menus, or the three of us, but now she’d moved on to the scenic fare.

“And you’re too open-minded,” I shot back. Wolseley was always the first person to forgive a transgression, whether it was warranted or not. I didn’t have enough brainpower to count the times people had taken advantage of that. And still, she forgave them.

“All right, let me take another approach,” she said, pulling up the collar on her wool coat. “I saw the way he looked at you during breakfast. The guy is head over heels, and because you won’t give him a second chance, you’re going to blow it. What if he is your soul mate? How will you know?”

“I love you, and you’re a sister to me, but you’re so off course with this. I can’t trust Jeremy. I have no idea if he will ever tell me the truth. And while you think he has eyes for only me, he also has eyes for a lot of other women.”

“I’m about to push you over this seawall,” Wolseley said. “I think it’s time you start living a little. And that means taking some chances. I think you don’t think you deserve to be happy, or maybe you’re afraid of getting hurt because of your mom. Well, that’s bullshit. Why can’t you take a chance on Jeremy and see where it goes? And if it doesn’t go anywhere, that’s okay too.”

I huffed, but I hated that she had a point. As different as we were, we always seemed to make sense together. “He let me down.”

Wolseley put her arm around my shoulders. “They all let us down. It’s up to us how far down we’re willing to go, and in the grand scheme of things, this isn’t very far. He screwed up long before he met you. Give him a chance to redeem himself.”

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