Page 24 of Puck Drop
Sebastian shakes his head at me, his eyes looking like they’re about to fall out of his head. “I thought you weren’t with anyone since you moved to Austin.”
“I wasn’t.”
The wheels are turning in his head. I can tell that he has lots of questions that he doesn’t know how to put into words, so I decide to give him a helping hand.
“We were together for a few months before I left New York,” I explain. “After that, there was a lot going on. I was in negotiations to transfer here. I tried calling her, but, apparently, her father had blocked my number with the phone carrier.”
Sebastian nods along like he understands what I’m telling him while it’s obvious that he’s still confused.
“So you didn’t talk to her in, what, months?”
“Six months,” I confirm.
He chokes on his pizza. “You haven’t talked in six months, and she just decided to move here for you?”
When he puts it like that, it does make seem a bit, what’s a good word for it here, unbalanced, maybe.
“She needed a new start in life,” I shrug. “It’s not like her life would be over if things didn’t work out between us.”
“Wow…” Sebastian is at a loss for words. He takes another bite of food, obnoxious in the way he chews.
“She’s a really nice girl,” I insist. “And I was happy to see her.”
That makes him to rush when he swallows so he can speak. “You didn’t look so happy about it last night. And you didn’t even tell the guys about her. If she’s your girl, they should know. They’re all chomping at the bit to ask her out.”
My jaw clenches at hearing that. “They can’t ask her that.”
“Why?” he scoffs. “Jealous?”
“No,” I scowl at him. “There are rules about staff fraternization. She could lose her job.”
“Not if she goes out with a player,” he rushes to say with a mouthful.
I swear to God, I think I saw food flying out of his mouth when he mumbled the words. But he does have my attention.
“What do you mean?”
Sebastian taps his chest with his fist when he looks like he is about to choke on his food. An almost silent burp follows.
“When I walked in this morning,” he explains, “I ran into the HR lady. I asked.”
“What the fuck,” I mutter. “Asked what exactly?”
“I asked if players were allowed to date the office girls,” he shrugs.
My jaw goes slack as I stare at him. “Just like that?”
“Yeah,” he shrugs. “What’s the big deal?” He grabs a napkin to wipe at his hands and mouth. “She said it’s no issue. The staff does have a fraternization clause in their employment agreements, but only for other office staff. There’s no mention of the players.”
I blink at him, unsure of how to process what he just told me.
“Feel free to warn everybody off your woman.”
He puts his arm up for us to high five. I just stare at it, wondering how I should proceed going forward. I had just decided that it should all be under wraps for a while, for Elizabeth’s benefit.
Apparently, there’s no reason for secrecy.
What do I want?
