Page 28 of The Worst Pucking Deal

“Alright. The guys are almost done, so I’ll text Sawyer and have him come to my office. Then the two of you can discuss how best to run this show.” Tom picks his phone up from the table and taps away on it. “Done.”

“Okay,” I say, unsure of what else there is to say.

“I guess I’ll leave you to it,” Jo says. Walking over to the door, she pauses after opening it. “Come see me on Monday, Lucia. I have a few things regarding your accounts I need clarified before I can hand them over to someone else.”

Sawyer

Tom Redding: Come to my office ASAP!

I sigh and grab my leather jacket, shrugging it on. “The big chief wants to see me, so I’ll see you two later.”

“Sure thing,” Soren says. “Keep us updated on what’s going on.”

Mickey slaps me on the back. “What Soren said.”

Even though it’s the weekend, there are people buzzing around everywhere. I have no clue what half of them do, actually; I think it’s only the cleaners I’ve spoken to before. But I still smile and wave when I make eye contact with some of them on my way to Tom’s office.

“Come in,” Tom calls when I knock on his door.

Stepping inside, I stiffen when I immediately spot Lucia sitting on the leather couch, looking too comfortable for my liking. She’s gathered her red hair in a braid that falls across one shoulder, and she’s dressed in a pair of black pants and a white sweater that hugs her curves perfectly. I narrow my eyes, but instead of having the good sense to look away, she lifts her chin. Her eyes sparkle with the same determination I saw last night, and it’s all it takes for my dick to twitch.

“Good. Good. We’re all here,” Tom says, steepling his fingers together.

“What’s this?” I ask, tipping my head in Lucia’s direction, refusing to acknowledge her with words.

Tom sighs. “I take it you haven’t checked social media today,” he huffs.

I shake my head. “No.” This isn’t new since they all know I barely ever go on there.

“Well, imagine my surprise when Jo called me this morning, disturbing my family breakfast, with news about the two of you making your relationship official last night.”

“We… what?”

He waves me off. “She told me that there was a video that’s gone viral where you dismissed another woman and declared Lucia yours.”

Fuck. My. Life.

“So I called Lucia and asked her to come in so we can discuss how to move forward, since you’re both ready to play your roles now instead of waiting until Monday.”

I glare daggers at Lucia, who just smirks at me. With the self-satisfied look on her face, it wouldn’t surprise me if she’s the one who leaked the video. But she wasn’t recording, was she? Not that it matters. Her job is literally to spin straws into gold, so I’m not putting anything past her.

“That’s not exactly what happened—”

Lucia interrupts me. “Don’t be so humble, Sawyer.” I… fucking what? “I told Tom how you were so eager to repair the damage that you didn’t see a need to wait.”

Tom’s eyes dart between us. “She did,” he confirms. “And I have to admit, it was a pleasant surprise to know you’re ready to be a team player. I was especially pleased to hear you want to extend the relationship instead of ending it promptly after the season ends.”

“Glad it makes you happy,” I grumble, folding my arms across my chest.

“I’m sorry I was the one to tell him,” Lucia says, smiling too widely for my liking. “But I had to tell him about your idea and initiative when he wanted me to sign the contract.”

Tom nods. “And on that note, I have an amended version of yours, Sawyer. If you go ahead and sign it now, we’re good to go.”

“Right.” What the fuck is Lucia’s game? The words she’s saying sound good, but the wry twist of her lips makes it clear she’s working on her own agenda. I’m not going to let her make a fucking fool out of me. If she wants to make me look good in front of the GM, I’ll let her. But I’m still going to find out what the hell she’s getting out of this. “I’ll sign them now.”

The GM hands me some papers, and I don’t even bother reading before scribbling out my signature on the amended passages that are already highlighted.

“You know,” Tom says, gaining my attention. “With this recent development, there’s no reason Lucia shouldn’t join you for your interview on Thursday.”

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