Page 47 of Sliding into Love
Gillies grins. It's a worrisome look because I have a feeling it means I'm going to get myself into trouble.
"It means that you have to do the unexpected, the kind of thing Royce would not think you would do. It's got to be obvious though. It can't be some simple little thing. Step outside of the box. Really think about it. What would make Royce stop and take note?"
I give myself a minute to think it through. Royce is a person of order. They like to have things in certain places and to know what's going on. They're also a big fan of being prepared. They even keep spare clothes here in the office in case what they're wearing gets ruined.
The spark of an idea comes. "Maybe I could hide their spare clothes. Or maybe I could even change their passwords, so they'd need help logging in. I have access to everything. If I make it so that they have to interact with me, maybe it could change things a bit. It would give me a better chance to show my interest."
I say all of this out loud to Gillies, but he shakes his head. "All of that's good, but it's just the start. You've got to really, really show them. What if you initiate? Make the first move. Kiss them."
I startle. "Kiss them?"
"Well, yeah, kiss them," Gillies says. "That's what you want, right? A relationship, something romantic. Kisses are a part of that, Kenny. Or do we need to have a talk about the birds and the bees?"
"Don't be an asshole, okay? I understand everything, and I have kissed plenty of people in my lifetime, but I've never kissed Royce."
"No, you haven't," Gillies says firmly.
"You really think I should make the first move?"
"I think you have to act because all this little hint dropping and sending food with handwritten notes?—"
"It wasn't handwritten," I interrupt.
"Oh shit," Gillies says. "That's your problem right there. If you'd handwrite them a note, maybe then they'd understand." The taunting tone of his voice grates against my skin. I want to strangle the idiot for being a jackass when I'm really, truly confused about what comes next.
"I'm not trying to be a giant asshole," Gillies says, reading my mind. "Just a baby one."
"Well, it's working for you," I tell him.
"Great, good to know. But I'm saying that to say, I really do support this for you. I think it would be great, and the two of you really do seem like a good fit, even though a lot of people might not notice it. Plus, with the job situation changing, you won't technically be working for one another, so there's no reason for it not to work out. Once you don't work for the Blue Jays anymore, you're free to be together all you want. Hell, you could be together now. No one's going to say anything to you."
Of course they wouldn't. Bellamy owns the team, and I'm stepping out, so it's not a big deal.
Except it kind of is, because Royce did hint the other day about me possibly staying on. They suggested it as a way to get my mother to leave and not have her berate me about stepping down. But since then, they've alluded to it more. It's like they don't really want me to go.
If given the chance to stay, I absolutely would. I don't need to be paid or put in any type of managerial position. I just love this team. I love baseball. I don't want to be far from it. I intend to come to all the games and hang out with the guys. It's just, I don't want to step on anyone's toes.
Gillies waits me out as I contemplate all the different options ahead of me. He knows that I'm a thinker. Probably an overthinker if I really want to be honest.
"Say I was going to try and make the first move. What do you think about the timing?"
Gillies rubs his hands together. "All right, we're cooking with gas now. I would suggest doing it the day of the game."
"The day of the game?"
"Yes," he says, "because that's going to be a busy day. There'll be distractions everywhere, special guests and all the fans, and you're only going to get stolen moments together. And if those moments are full of tension, you're going to constantly be on their mind. By the end of the night, they're going to be practically salivating with the need to follow you wherever you go. Or they might just drag you with them to some super-secret make out spot."
My cock comes to life at the mention of being dragged anywhere by Royce. They wouldn't even have to. They could just tell me to come, and I would follow. I'd be like a dog on a leash. The image makes me smile.
Gillies sees it and matches the expression. "Whatever you're thinking about, make that happen. Don't be shy. There's no room for that."
"You speak as if you know everything about the universe. You don't even have a partner right now."
Gillies snorts, leaning back and propping his feet up. "Yeah, but that's a matter of circumstance. If I wanted someone, I could have them.”
“I'm not so sure about that. Your confidence seems too high to me."
"It's not that my confidence levels are astronomical or anything. It's that I have turned down more than one relationship offer. My focus right now is baseball. When the time comes, and I want to be in a more committed situation, I've got options."
