Page 34 of In The Game

I tried searching for her on and off for years. I couldn’t get this woman off my mind…still haven’t. God, she’s so different. Not only the weird, cagey attitude. She looks different too. Still drop-dead gorgeous, but more mature now. And much thicker and sexier than I remember. It suits her.It really fucking suits her.

I want to know what she’s been up to, where she’s been all this time, why the hell she walked out on me, but first I need to know more about her son. And who is this other guy? Right on cue, the asshole, who can’t seem to keep his hands off her, leans down and shakes the young boy’s hand. “Good seeing you again, Arthur. Be good for your mom.”

Could I be mistaken, is this the child’s father? Are they separated? I almost lose it when he leans forward and kisses her cheek, whispering something in her ear. Her back stiffens and she nods with a tight smile. She pulls back while I step forward, ready to knock his teeth out.

“I will!” Arthur shouts. I relax at the little voice. My body is pumping with adrenaline and testosterone, nothing would please me more than sending my knuckles through this guy’s face, but her son is here. Fuck,who is the father of this kid?

My head is spinning.

“Raleigh, do you have a second?” I ask.

“No, I don’t.” She grasps the boy’s small hand and walks away from me.

What the actual fuck?I don’t even know what to say. I should chase after her, but I’m too stunned to move. I stare as she disappears into the hallway outside the metal doors, and when I turn around, a hand is thrust in front of me.

“Rob Waters, Chief Operations Officer at Method Marketing.”

I shake it firmly. “Barrett Conway.” I motion to the door Raleigh and Arthur ran out of.

“That your girlfriend back there?”

I can tell this guy’s had a few drinks. And the fact he gave me his job title tells me he’s got a big ego.

“Ha! I’m working on it. She’s a catch. Sweet, has a good kid, she’s smart…sexy.”My jaw clicks.“I could do a lot for a woman in her position. I don’t know what her problem is. Usually they’re the ones chasing after us, right?” He raises his glass like a cheap toast.

Oh no, motherfucker. Don’t lump me in with you.

I already know Raleigh is way too good for him. She’s probably too good for me, but that won’t hold me back. I nod and smirk, trying to play along. “So, how do you know her, then?” I press.

“She’s my executive assistant.”

Is this guy for real?

At least I know how to find her this time. I offer a fake chuckle. “That’s not an HR nightmare for you?”

He takes a sip from the highball glass of amber liquor. “Not when you sign HR’s paychecks.” His grin is smarmy. “There’s benefits to being C-level, right?”

What, abuse of power?

I clink my glass to his and bait him to see how he responds. “Bet she looks good bent over in those tight skirts when she’s running around the office getting your coffee and filing memos.”

He smiles and gives a slight shake of his head before taking another sip. “You have no fucking idea.”

It would be so easy to coldcock him. Instead, I grit my teeth and say, “It was nice to meet you” and walk away to search for Sully. He’s my go-to whenever I need advice. We’ve played together for over a decade and know each other better than we know ourselves. He understands, more than anyone, how bad I’ve been searching for this girl. I interrupt his conversation with someone else and excuse us, leading him to the corner of the room.

“Come on, man. We’re supposed to be mingling and kissing ass, not—”

“She was here! Raleigh. I saw her.”

“No shit? Where?” His head swivels around.

“She took off as soon as she saw me.” Tonight, she certainly lived up to the meaning ofhername. She bolted like a deer in ameadow. “She’s got a kid.”

“Oof.” He grimaces. “That sucks, man. I’m sorry.”

I shake my head. “There’s no ring on her finger. But—” I lower my voice. “I think he might be mine. I mean, he could be. Pretty sure the time frame matches up, he’s the right age. Shit, he even kinda looks like me! I’m freaking the fuck out, man.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “What? That’s a stretch. There’s no way. You would have known. She would have told you, right?”

---