Page 74 of Sliding into Love
"Either of those would be amazing, though the second sounds like a dream," North says quietly. "I just need a job that won't fire me for putting my brother first."
The raw honesty in his voice hits me somewhere deep. I remember what it was like, feeling like you had to choose between taking care of yourself and meeting everyone else's expectations. The difference is I had family support. North doesn't have the same safety net.
"We can make this work," I tell him. "But I want to be clear about one thing. Family comes first here. If you need to leave for an emergency, if you need to adjust your schedule for appointments, you tell us, and we make it work. Understood?"
His eyes widen. "You mean that?"
"I don't say things I don't mean." I lean forward, holding his gaze. "My family owns this team, North, and one thing they taught me is that employees aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet. You take care of your people, they take care of you. So yes, I mean it."
For a moment, I think he might cry. He blinks rapidly, clearing his throat. "Thank you. I don't… I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll show up on time and do good work. That's all I ask."
"I can do that. And I have decades of baseball knowledge from being around my brother. I can analyze anything you throwmy way." He sits up straighter, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "When can I start?"
"Let's get you set up with HR first, get all the paperwork handled. Then we can?—"
A knock on the doorframe interrupts me. I look up to find Gillies standing there, still in his practice gear, a baseball cap turned backwards on his head.
"Hey, Royce, sorry to interrupt. I'm looking for Kenny. He around?" Gillies stops mid-sentence as his eyes land on North.
There’s a shift in the air.
Gillies goes completely still, his usual easy demeanor replaced by a more focused, more intense look. North's back is to the door, but I see his shoulders tense, like he can feel Gillies's gaze even without seeing it.
"Kenny stepped away for a bit," I say slowly, watching the way Gillies can't seem to take his eyes off the back of North's head. "Maybe check down the hall in the conference room. He likes to spread out his work there sometimes."
"Right. Yeah. Thanks." But Gillies doesn't move. He's staring at North like he's trying to solve a particularly complicated puzzle.
North finally turns to see what's taking so long, and when his eyes meet Gillies's, I swear I can see the exact moment it clicks between them. North's breath catches. Gillies's jaw tightens.
"Sorry," Gillies says, though he doesn't sound sorry at all. He sounds almost dazed. "Didn't mean to interrupt."
"You're not interrupting," I say, though clearly he is. "Gillies, this is North. He's going to be joining our team as a data analyst. North, this is Gillies, one of our star players."
"Hi," North says, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Hey." Gillies takes a step into the office, extending his hand. "Nice to meet you."
North stands, taking Gillies's hand, and I watch as they both hold on just a fraction too long. Neither of them seems to notice or care.
"You too," North manages.
They're still holding hands.
I clear my throat. "Gillies, was there something specific you needed Kenny for? Maybe I can help instead since you’re here already?"
The sound of my voice seems to break whatever spell they're under. They both drop hands quickly, North sitting back down while Gillies takes a step back toward the door.
"It can wait," Gillies says, though his eyes keep drifting back to North. "Just wanted to talk about the training schedule for next week, but it's not urgent."
"I can let him know you stopped by,” I suggest in case he’s too distracted to actually make it to Kenny.
"Yeah. Cool. Thanks." Gillies backs toward the door, nearly running into the frame before correcting course. "Nice to meet you, North."
"You too," North says again, and I don't miss the faint blush coloring his cheeks.
Gillies finally disappears down the hallway, and I can hear his footsteps—faster than normal—heading toward the conference room. I hope Kenny is ready for whatever panic his best friend has after this encounter.
