Something Real (Whiskey Men, #2)(4)

My stomach clenches, and I feel like I might pass out. Lilian walks into my office with a pad and pencil in her hand.

She sits down in the seat across from my desk and holds up her pen to start writing. “I’m ready.”

She’s looking at the paper, and I don’t know what to say. I should focus on work, but the words come out of my mouth before I can stop them. “You’re dating Victor?”

She seems surprised. I’m sure she thought I asked her in here to take notes… not to butt into her personal life. “No, we went on one date.”

I wave my hand, dismissing the semantics. “I thought you had some kind of rule about no dating.”

She laughs, uncrosses her legs, and then crosses them again. “I do. I mean I did. Raising Carrie, putting her through school and college, I didn’t have time to date. I was focused on her. But she was worried about me. She thinks I’ve given up on my dreams, and she’s blaming herself.” She shrugs uncomfortably. “She wants me happy.”

I raise up from my seat and move around to sit on the edge of my desk. “And what? She thinks Victor will make you happy?”

“No, I mean, I uh, never brought guys home. She thinks I have some wild oats to sew or something.”

Her face is red when she realizes what she just confessed. “Do you?” I ask her.

She shrugs. “No, I don’t regret anything. I’m happy with where Carrie’s at, but yeah, I’m looking forward to dating again. No strings. Just having a good time.”

I try to keep myself calm, but she’s basically just admitted that she’s going to start dating. Since she started working here, two years ago, I’ve kept my distance. I hired her without any experience, but I knew that day that I wanted her near me. I was willing to settle for subpar work just to be near her. But she was a fast learner and spent plenty of her free time scouring libraries and free online courses to learn what she needed to know to work here. And she proved me wrong. These last two years, I thought I wanted her. But I’ve come to need her too, and I can’t imagine not having her with me.

There’s no way I can stand by while she dates other men.

“Ford, you okay?”

She’s looking up at me wide-eyed and surprised. I don’t usually zone out, but she’s caught me. “Yeah, everything is good. So uh… Ollie has a soccer game today after school. I know he’d love for you to come.”

She nods. “I’d like that. I mean, if I can talk my boss into letting me go a little early.”

I roll my eyes and make my way back over to my seat. “Yeah, he’s a real asshole, but I’m sure it will be okay.”

She smirks and holds up her pad of paper. “Right, actually he’s a pretty good guy. I still can’t believe you paid for Carrie and Philips’ honeymoon, Ford. It was too much, really. They wish you had been able to come to the wedding to thank you properly.”

I grit my teeth because I had a business meeting in the city and had to miss it. Fuck, it seems like I missed a lot. “No thanks are necessary, really. I was happy to do it.”

I shrug because the money wasn’t a big deal for me, but I wanted to give Carrie something that would make things easier for Lilian. And when she had talked about getting a second job to pay for a wedding gift, I knew I had to do something. It worked out, though, because it was about the time that my brother fired his assistant and Lilian started filling in for her too. I would have given her a raise even if she didn’t help my brother out, but she was a lot easier to convince since she was taking on more of a workload. “Okay, so let’s get to work. I have a birthday party to plan. Can you take some notes?”

She nods, and we both start brainstorming everything that needs to be done to pull off the best birthday party of the year. I normally try not to spoil my child, but after the last few months, he deserves to have a good time and be happy.

Now if I can just stay on the topic at hand. Because the whole time, I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to convince my assistant she should be dating me.





Lilian





I pull into the parking lot of the community park. There are families everywhere, and it takes me back to years ago when Carrie played soccer. I get out of the car smiling as I spot my boss pulling into the lot. Waiting in front of my car, I try to steady my nerves and prepare myself. It’s crazy because you would think after working for the man for two years, I wouldn’t get butterflies in my stomach every time I’m around him, but I do. Of course, I don’t think I’m the only woman affected by his thick hair that’s flocked with silver or his blue piercing eyes and toned body. No, I’m just one of many.

“You made it,” he says as he gets out of his black Mercedes.

I nod and gesture to my legs. “Yep, I even had time to run home and grab a pair of jeans.”

We walk side by side toward the field. “So did Janet pick up Ollie from school?” I ask about the babysitter he hired a few months ago.

“Yep, she dropped him off anyway. She has a night class tonight.”

I nod just as Ford sucks in a breath and mumbles darkly, “Fuck.”

I look up at him in surprise. I’ve heard him curse before, plenty of times, but I’m not sure what would bring that reaction here of all places. “What’s wrong?”