Page 117 of Off Camera
“Maverick. His height comes in handy.”
We step into my office. I sit on the couch and stretch out my legs. My stomach rumbles, and Reid gives me a knowing look.
“What? It’s good timing.” I unload the containers and shake my head at the mess. “This is an alarming amount of food.”
“Like I said: whatever doesn’t get eaten is going to a good home. I promise I won’t waste it. Now dig in, Sinclair. I don’t want to hear another word out of you until you’ve had at least eight bites.”
Any retort I have dies on my tongue. I slurp down the tum kea chicken soup and dig into the mixed vegetables next. Ten minutes turns into fifteen, and I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I reach a breaking point after devouring half an order of pad se-ew.
“I’m full,” I say. “I can’t do anymore.”
“Thank you for letting me feed you.” Reid takes the carton from me, and I blush. His fingers brush against mine, and a jolt of electricity jumps through me. “Take a break.”
I drop my head on the pillows, ready for a nap. “This might have been counterproductive. I don’t want to do anything else the rest of the day.”
“What else is on your agenda?” he asks.
“I’m doing a player profile on Malcolm, so we have an interview scheduled. I also have a meeting with our ticket sales manager this afternoon.”
Reid looks at me. “Avery.”
“Yes?”
“We need to talk about what happened at the game.”
“No, we don’t.” I stand up and grab the empty containers, dropping them in the trash can and organizing my desk. “I’d prefer to forget about it.”
“Hey.” He stands from the chair he’s sitting in and touches my wrist. “Did I do something wrong?”
I want to laugh.
What Reid did is the furthest thing from wrong.
It was the most selfless thing a man has ever done for me, and I’ve been grappling with how to thank him. How to tell him how much I appreciate what he did and the things he said.
Thank you for standing up for me to that sexist prickdoesn’t seem sufficient.
“No.” I turn to face him, and he’s frowning. “You were... perfect. Wonderful. Every other lovely word you can find in the dictionary? Your picture would be under it. But what happened at the game isn’t new. It’s something I’ve experienced for years, and I’m going tokeepexperiencing it. You heard it on my date the night we met. You heard it again on Sunday. My ex used to say shit like that, for fuck’s sake. There’s a large number of people out there who don’t think women belong in this world I’m a part of, and I have to live with that.”
“It’s bullshit,” he mumbles, tugging me to the couch. “Fucking bullshit.”
“It is,” I agree. “You remember what Andrew said. He told me to tone it down. I’m doing too much. I’ve always felt like… like I take up too much space. Like my dreams are too big. Like I’m wrong for wanting to be the best in an industry that tries so hard to make me feel small and shove me in a tiny box.”
“You don’t take up too much space, Avery,” Reid says around a shaky breath. “You should take up more. All of it, if you can, and the last place a person like you should ever be is in a fucking box.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, and my hands tremble as I rest them on my thighs. “Ever since I’ve been involved with football, working in the NFL headquarters has been my goal. I considered the Thunderhawks a stepping stone. I figured I’d stay here a few years. I’d build a reputation, then I’d really make a name for myself in New York. I don’t think that’s going to be happening anytime soon.”
“What about a different goal? One that doesn’t involve sexist assholes who deserve a trip to HR?”
“I’ll dream up something new eventually. Maybe it’s here. Maybe it’s somewhere else. I don’t know yet.” I sneak a glance up at him, and he’s already staring at me. “For now, this is enough. Our bet is still on, Duncan, and if you think I’m going down without a fight, you have another thing coming.”
His lips twitch into a smile. “Did you look at the numbers I gave you?”
“I did.”
“And?”
I sigh, defeated. “You’re still ahead of me. Yes, you’re allowed to gloat, but don’t get too excited. We still have a long way to go.”
