Page 168 of My Lucky Charm

“My . . . uh, grand gesture plan sort of backfired.”

I frown. If I’m honest, I’m slightly shocked Gray even knows what a “grand gesture” is, although I suppose I could argue that he doesn’t if the gesture was to fire me.

“Explain,” I say.

“Can I come in?”

I sigh, then move out of the way—again—and he walks into the apartment. Only now do I realize how small it feels with him standing in my living room. I set the Dr Pepper on the counter and face him.

“So, this is your place,” he says, as if he wasn’t just here seconds ago.

“This is it.”

“Smells like bread,” he says.

I point to the floor. “Bakery.”

He nods.

“Gray, I assume you’re here about my termination email,” I say.

“Yes,” he says. “It’s not what you think.”

“I think you fired me.”

“No, I didn’t.”

I frown. “I got a termination letter.”

“Beverly wasn’t supposed to send that,” he says.

“Well, she did.” I walk into the living room and sit on the couch, pulling a throw pillow into my lap and wondering how everything got so screwed up.

He turns toward me but doesn’t sit. “I want to date you.”

Wait. What?

I try to shake some sense into my brain.

“You . . . what?”

“I couldn’t do that with you working directly for me.”

The words try to seep in, but something—fear, probably—keeps them out. “So, what, you had to fire me in order to do that?”

“No.” He takes a step closer. “I mean, yes, but no.”

“I don’t understand, Gray, can you just—.”

“I didn’t fire you. I promoted you.”

I frown.

“I mean, I didn’t promote you. Coach did.” He sits. “Burke and I went into his office this past week and explained all the ways you’ve been helping not just me, but all of us, and we convinced him to make you an assistant for the whole team.”

“How will that even work?”

“Well, it’s more of a PR type job,” he says. “Fan interaction, social media, and getting the guys opportunities like you’ve been doing for the last several weeks. Not just for me . . . but for everyone. Company-wide.”

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