Page 41 of Face Off
“It was thoughtful of him.”
“And unwanted.”
She pins me with a look as Brooks pulls out a chair for me between him and Camden. I feel Doug’s gaze on me, making my skin crawl as he takes a seat across from us. His hair is spiked like a frat boy at a kegger, while his button up is slightly wrinkled and rolled at the sleeves, paired with some flat-front khaki shorts. Heck, pair it with a visor and he would have the perfect frat guy uniform. Didn’t he get the memo that this was a classy dinner?
“So, Hayley, Doug here has been telling me what a wonderful job you’re doing with the team. Prevented a lot of in-season injuries so far,” Jim says around a bite of his filet.
“Yes. It’s been an adjustment, but I think the guys are responding well to my presence and therapies.”
“That’s not all they’re liking,” Doug mumbles under his breath as he takes a pull of his beer.
Brooks’ hand squeezes my thigh gently as if he senses my building anger. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
“I just think that many are suggestive to your therapies because you are… well I mean, look at you. I know I’d be taking advice from my doctor if she was fucking me on the side.”
I slam my fist down on the table before pushing my chair back and standing. The rage simmering below the surface is now at the forefront.
“Douglas,” Kathy and Jim scold at the same time my father hisses my name.
The nerve of this guy. Strolling in here with that cocky ass smirk on his smug ass face, insinuating that I’m anything but professional. And in front of my parents and Camden at that. Allof this because I refuse to give him the time of day. I can handle a few jabs as a woman in the medical field, especially working with athletes, but as soon as you start spewing lies, I’m done. Please God forgive me for what I’m about to do.
“With all due respect, Mr. Richards, but my personal life has no correlation to my professional life,” I say, my knuckles turning white as I tighten my fist on the top of the table. “Doug here however is insinuating otherwise. And maybe that’s because I turned him down after he called me a slut and grabbed me inappropriately the other night. But I can assure you that my personal relationship with Mr. Miller here has no effect on the work I’m doing within the team.”
Doug’s once smug, menacing smile turns to one of disgust as his stare bores into the side of my head. His clean-shaved jaw tenses as he grits his teeth. Just as he’s about to open his mouth to rebut my claims, the sound of my father clearing his throat interrupts.
“Hayley, if I may have a word with you?”
Nodding in agreement, I follow him down the hall to a room he has turned into his makeshift office. It doesn’t shock me in the least that he has made a home away from home here. Guy’s a workaholic. I can’t even remember a time throughout my childhood that he wasn’t taking a conference call or meeting when we were on a family vacation. The Skipjacks are his life. His legacy. And they wouldn’t have been this successful if he didn’t sacrifice.
I take a seat in a chair, sitting in front of the desk, my father pacing behind it. Stopping, he shoves his hand through his salt and pepper locks before releasing a disgruntled huff. Cat’s out of the bag now. I’ve told him openly I’m dating Brooks.Not only that, but I’ve told him how slimy the guy he thought was my “perfect match,” really is.
Silence fills the small space as we ensue in a stare off. Neither one of us willing to start.
“So, this thing between you and Mr. Miller is real?” he starts, a slight distaste in his tone.
“Yes.”
“And you’re expecting me to just give you my blessing,” he says, anger lacing his voice.
“I’m not asking for anything. I’m telling you. Brooks and I are dating,” I say before releasing a bated breath. “And if you’re going to be firing anyone due to violating any clause, it will be me you’d have to fire. Brooks isn’t to be traded or retaliated against. I’m not a teenager anymore, Dad. You can’t tell me who I can or cannot fall in love with.”
A loud sigh leaves him as he takes a seat behind his desk, leaning back in his chair and thrumming his finger on the desktop. I know why he doesn’t want to me to get involved with a player. My heart has continued to be trampled on by one for years after Camden was born, but he has to see that this is different. I’m different. Brooks and I are different. Sure, he has his demons, as do I, but he has shown me time and time again that he isn’t the person I thought he was in the beginning.
I’ve tried to fight the attraction to Brooks. Keep in the back of my mind that he could hurt me just like Boyce had done. Yet, he has been nothing but genuine. Accepting my past even though I haven’t been fully open with him, and most importantly, accepting Camden.
“When we get back to Seattle, I’ll start clearing out my office,” I start to say, swallowing the lump forming in my throat. “I’ll continue to work until you found someone to…”
“No,” my father interrupts. “If this is what you want, Hayley, then I’ll have the lawyer addend your and Brooks’ contract, but you’ll both have to sign a disclosure agreement.”
I nod, smiling slightly as I feel like for the first time in my life, my father isn’t controlling me. I go to stand to join the rest of the dinner party when my father stops me in my tracks.
“One more thing, Hayley… Did Doug really call you a…”
“Slut? Yes, I’m afraid your golden boy coach did.”
He nods. “Where and how hard did he grab you?”
“Hard enough that the tenderness on my wrist has finally stopped throbbing.”
