Page 98 of We'll Meet Again

Ronald M. Fletcher

Commanding

Chapter 27

Billieopenedblearyeyes,swollen from crying. Even though it had been days since Ethan left her, she still reached over to the other side of the bed out of habit, finding only the empty sheets and a harsh reminder that she had not dreamed it. He was really gone.

She pushed herself out of bed and began getting dressed for work. Robotically, she went through the motions of pulling her trousers on, buttoning up her blouse, and twisting her hair into a claw clip. When she was finished, she hardly remembered doing it. The last thing she recalled with any real clarity was the sharp, stabbing pain when Ethan told her goodbye. She wasn’t sure how the world could keep turning, how life could just go on, when she so desperately needed it to slow down so she could pick herself up off the floor.

She slipped out the front door quietly in order to avoid Tessa offering to make her breakfast, and made her way down the street toward the Hive. Like poking at a bruise, she looked up at Ethan’s window, imagining him there and waving at her, or the way he would come out the door with a coffee for her. But the curtains were drawn, and the only person who emerged from the building was Mrs. Harvey, his elderly neighbor. She beamed and waved to Billie, who attempted a smile - though it turned out more like a grimace - and waved back.

“Morning, Mrs. Harvey!”

“Good morning, Billie!”

Both women continued on their way. Billie wondered about the last time she’d greeted a neighbor. She was fairly certain she had never done it, not until she met Ethan. Then she considered the cost of moving.

Her workday passed in a haze. The transfer window opening did provide some distraction and kept her busy, but she lacked focus, having to read emails several times before she registered what they said and misfiling several items of paperwork, which she thankfully corrected before anyone noticed.

Just before she signed off for the day, Tony approached her desk. “Billie, there are some files of players I’m interested in pursuing on my desk. I’ve got a meeting in a few minutes, can you go grab them and start looking into their current contracts?”

She didn’t even feel the need to remind him that in the time it took him to ask her to get the files, he could have walked them out here himself. She just got to her feet.

“Sure,” she said blankly.

He blinked. “Well…alright then.”

He headed for the conference room. She swept into his office on autopilot, spotting the files right away, stacked up next to his computer’s monitor. Heaving a sigh, she picked them up. When she did, her hand nudged the mouse, which made the screen light up. Tony had left his email inbox open. She started to head back to her desk, but Ethan’s name in one of the subject lines caught her eye. Curious, she checked who the sender was. He was a representative at Chelsea.

She glanced at the door. Tony was in a meeting at the end of the day, which meant he was likely taking whoever it was out for drinks afterward, especially if they reached an agreement. There was time for her to check the email if she wanted to. Holding the files close to her chest like a shield, she used her free hand to click on it.

Her eyes widened as she scanned the screen and took in the email chain. The first was the representative from Chelsea reaching out to let Tony know the club was interested in Ethan, and Tony declined. The Chelsea rep came back with an offer attached, and again Tony refused. The last email was the most damning. Another offer, but Billie was copied along with Ethan’s agent, Martin. The problem was Billie was certain she had never received that email. And Martin must not have because if he had, Ethan would have told her about it, as the date on the email was before they…before he left.

Just to be sure, she checked her phone, scrolling to the right date, and scanning through subject lines. She definitely did not receive that email. She re-read the way her email address was typed by the sender, but everything was spelled correctly. So why hadn’t she received it? And furthermore, why did Tony’s emails insist it was Ethan himself who was uninterested in a transfer? Hastily, she snapped photos of the screen. She’d send them to Martin herself if she had to. She scrolled through them to make sure she had everything before tucking her phone into her pocket and then she went to mark the message unread again.

The sound of footsteps made her straighten up. Her heart thundered against her chest, whether from fear or rage, she couldn’t tell. Likely, it was a healthy mix of both. But this was the final straw. Tony could fuck up her life all he wanted, but she would not allow him to ruin Ethan’s chances. She drew herself up to her full height, so she looked confident when he walked into the room.

“Forgot my phone,” he said. “Find those files alright?”

It was a needless question. She was holding them in her arms. To make a point, she set them back down on his desk.

“This message from Chelsea about buying Ethan’s contract,” she said. “Why didn’t I receive it?”

He narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb. Why didn’t I get that email, Tony? And am I the only person who was blocked from it?”

“How about you explain what you’re doing going through my computer?” he shot back.

“Stop avoiding the question!” she cried. “What have you done?”

“I did what I had to!”

He paused, as if surprised at himself for answering. Taking a deep breath, he met her gaze.

“I told you before that I had plans for this club, Billie,” he said. He started towards her like a panther on the prowl. “And I will do whatever it takes to make it happen. Whose business is it if emails get lost in cyberspace?”

“But they weren’t lost, were they?” she challenged. “Tell me, did you do the hacking yourself or did you hire someone?”

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