Page 36 of Top Shelf

The room erupts into applause again, and I find myself being surrounded by some of the board members for a second, trying to get me talking about what I see for the league. I feel her tug on my hand, and I look down.

“I’m going to run to the restroom,” she whispers.

“You okay?” I ask. She nods.

“Yeah, yeah. Just need a breather.” She smiles. I kiss her hand.

“Hurry back,baby,”I whisper, placing a long kiss right next to her ear. My eyes flick up to his from across the room as she walks away. I turn back to Jim Reddy, a local hockey fan and former player. He played at Ohio State, then coached for a few years in a youth league there before he moved down to D.C. for a job. He’s a nice enough guy, but I find my eyes wandering as I listen to him, toward the bathroom. But she hasn’t come back yet. I chock it up to her needing a little extra time, until I scan the room and notice that Hayden is gone too.

I instantly feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Jim is still talking about the winning record of his youth team when I gently pat his arm.

“So sorry to interrupt, Jim. Would you excuse me for just a moment?” I ask. He nods profusely.

“Oh, yes, sure, sure,” he says.

I slip through the room and out to the right in the direction that I saw her go. The restaurant is dimly lit, and I almost crash into a server with a huge tray as I duck around the corner toward the restrooms. When I get down the long hallway, I freeze when I see him, arms crossed, blocking the way for her to walk past. She’s got her arms crossed too, and her face appears unfazed, but her knuckles are pale, and I can see her foot tapping.

She’s not okay.

I start walking down the hallway toward them.

“So, I’ll ask you again, how long are you and the Calway guy gonna keep up this cute little game?” I hear him ask her. “Do you think I and everyone else who’s here doesn’t know it’s complete bullshit?”

“I don’t have to explain anything to you. You can think whatever the fuck you want,” she says. He scoffs, and I want to fucking deck him. She sees me, and her eyes widen as she looks back to him.

“What are you even thinking, Sadie? That he’s going to what? Take you in? Spoil you? He’s a fuckingteacher.Come the fuck on. No one wants a jobless, homeless, thirty-something. Not even a teacher.”

I chuckle behind him, and his whole body straightens out. He whips around to see me, and his demeanor instantly changes. Men like him are strong only around people they perceive as weaker than themselves. They may try to keep some of their dignity. They might try to come off as unbreakable. But you can always see them shrink into themselves, which is exactly what he’s doing now.

“She’ll have a job within the month,” I say. Then I reach around him and pull her to me. “And she’s not homeless. She lives with me.”

Hayden’s eyes widen, and for a moment, so do hers. But she laces her fingers with mine and stands as close to me as possible. He grits his teeth and looks down at her.

“Look, man,” I say, “it’s time for you to move on. She’s not yours to hold onto anymore. You’ve done enough. I’ve got it from here.”

I feel her eyes on me, but I keep mine steady on his.

Finally, his eyes drop, and he shakes his head.

He doesn’t say anything else. He just brushes past us and back toward the room.

When he’s out of sight, I look down at her, putting my hands on either of her shoulders.

I know I shouldn’t say it.

I know that line is getting blurrier and blurrier by the second.

But I say it anyway.

“I meant what I said,” I say. “I’ve got it from here.”

Her eyes are big and wide and full of fear and worry. I lean forward and kiss her forehead.

“What do you say we get outta here?” I whisper. She nods, her eyes closed as she leans up against me.

“Yes please,” she says.

I take her hand and lead her back to the room. When we get there, Hayden has already left. Levi and Lo spot us and make their way over.

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