Chapter. 6

I tied my oversized company tee in a knot at my waist and changed into the backup flats from my car to cute-up my outfit before rejoining my coworkers. Grill smoke drifted onto the bar patio.Twinkly lights curled around the wooden support beams, already lit despite sunset being hours away. It was nice, almost relaxing, despite the flurry of socializing all around us.

Todd slipped between a shy morning jogger from HR and a loud laugher from Marketing with two drinks in hand and a big smile on his face. “I know your dad’s technically paying the tab, but I did promise you a drink.”

“Thank you? I don’t remember ordering anything.” Nor him asking, but maybe he knew enough about me, even this early in our not-yet relationship. “What is it?”

He handed me the tall glass with the lemon wedge while he sipped his usual tequila. “Iced tea!”

One sip had me wincing. “You forgot the ‘Long Island’ part.”

“Too strong? May I?” He grasped my elbow and drank from my cup.

“Sure, go ahead,” I said tightly.

Licking his lips, he laughed and pulled back. “That’s actually really good! Not too strong at all.”

“I’m glad you enjoy it! Here, you take this one, and I’ll get a regular iced tea. Thanks for the idea, Todd.” I handed the glass back to him and slipped through the crowd.

“Ah—Alina!” Todd wilted, sipping from his drink and cradling mine as the condensation sullied his jersey. I would’ve felt bad for him if I hadn’t known he was trying to make me all pliable again. No thanks. Besides, I wasn’t about to get wasted in front of the people I was hoping would promote me.

I checked on my dad, who sat at a table with Leonard and a few other players. “Hey, do you need anything?”

“No, thanks! We’ve got a few appetizers coming.” Dad smiled, the crinkles around his eyes infinitely sweet. I heard the wood door at the entrance thump open behind me. My father’s good mood evaporated. “What is he doing here?”

I turned around and braced myself. Was this timeline messing with me?

The nearest and best-rated bar with a happy hour was bound to draw a certain clientele, but did it have to be Damon’s team?

“What are they even celebrating?” Dad scoffed, pushing back from the table. “I’ll ask the manager if we can rent the space for a private party.”

“It’s fine.” I squeezed his shoulder, easing him back into his seat. “I’m sure they’ll get their drinks and move on to the next place. No one wants to hang out with the people they lost to.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Dad sighed, then stiffened when one of the Gibbons Group folks accidentally bumped into Leonard’s chair on their way to the back. “Hmph! Disrespectful... You always think the best of people, Alina.”

Todd’s words from our fight before the crash haunted me. Was I really going to be passed over as CEO for being “too soft”?

“You know what? I’ll have a word with them,” I said and beelined for the bar. I could always catch the chair-bumper on their way back from the restrooms and…

Get them to leave? Apologize? Wave and smile?

Wow, I could really use that Long Island Iced Tea about now.

I sat on a stool and flagged down the bartender. “Could I have a shot, please? And an iced tea!”

A familiar snort-laugh sounded behind me. Twisting around, I eyed my ex-boyfriend, who shook his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. His tight, open-collared black t-shirt and the rest of his coworkers’ changed outfits didn’t exactly scream “baseball team” anymore—but he looked good.

I propped my fist on my hip. “Hi there. Is something funny?”

“Sorry, but—shots and iced tea? Is that your new thing? You never even liked beer.”

“I was a teen.”

“Is that supposed to explain anything?”

“My taste hadn’t been refined yet.”

“I’m sure.” He chuckled and tapped the bar top. “Excuse me, barkeep? Can we get a round of beers, please?”

I pressed my tongue to my teeth, fully aware of my father and other board members watching. Waiting to evict the other team unless I could do something.

“Sure thing.” The bartender slid my drinks across the counter. “Shot and iced tea?”

“Thank you!” I took my liquid courage and shook my head, my eyes squeezed shut as the burn slid down my throat. How did people do this on the regular?

When I opened my eyes, Damon was sneaking the pretzel bowl away for his team members.

“Hey! Those are for the bar!”

Damon frowned. “They’re also for my friends, who are at the bar.”

I sighed and spun around on the stool, almost catching him with my knee. “Why don’t you eat at your parents’ place? It’s better than most bar fare.”

“Most?” His shirt stretched as he twisted his torso to face me. “What, are you trying to get rid of me?”

“No! Maybe?” That wasn’t a bad idea, actually. Shrugging, I pushed myself off the bar and addressed his team with my perkiest smile. “Hey!”

“Hi! You’re the ringer from the other team. I’m Hyunsoo,” a gentleman with glasses volunteered, shaking my hand before reaching past me for a beer from Damon. “Nice catch at the end, there.”

“Thanks. You all had a great game. Guess this place is pretty popular for post-game drinks, huh? But have you all tried Damon’s family restaurant?”

“Your family runs a restaurant?” Hyunsoo blinked and nudged his glasses up his nose as the others clamored for their drinks. “That’s awesome!”

“Yep! They have everything.” Beaming, I knocked Damon with my hip. “I’m surprised he hasn’t taken you for team building or anything. The edamame? Heavenly!”

“We could go there next.” Hyunsoo brought up his phone, then paused. “Wait, how do you two know each other beyond the game?”

“Oh, Damon and I go way back.” I smiled sweetly and patted Damon’s tense, flexing bicep. “His family’s food is far better than bar fare,” I promised, relieving Damon of the pretzel dish and looking him right in the eyes for the final sell: “Better than anything.”

Damon arched a brow, dispersing the rest of the beers. “Anything, huh?”

“Sounds great! Let me finish this one beer…” Hyunsoo started chugging.

I laughed and toasted them with the pretzel dish. “Nice to meet you all. Have fun!”

Just as I turned away, Damon’s fingertips grazed the folds of my shirt. “You’re not coming?”

“Wh—what?” This was a snack recon mission! I searched his neutral expression for any hints of sarcasm. “Would you want me to?”

“No. Just checking.” He smirked, plopping Hyunsoo’s empty bottle on the counter with a rattle. “I’d hate to keep running into each other like this.”

“Yeah, well, likewise.” I crossed my arms and pressed my back against the bar. “Say hi to your family for me.”

“Enjoy your iced tea,” he teased, the fresh spritz of whatever his new cologne was drifting around me as he leaned in to slap a tip on the bar, making me flinch. “You know, not all of us constantly have to cater to our families.”

“Okay?” Was he being hostile or some weird kind of flirty?

He rounded up his team, leaving with only the slightest glance over his shoulder at me, then my dad.

I guessed it wasn’t flirting, then. But hey—I had confronted somebody! That was a win, to some degree.

By the time I wandered back to the table, Todd was munching on appetizers and telling a story. Dad flailed, interrupting with a cheer. “You got rid of them! Good riddance.”

“Kind of, yeah.” I rubbed my warm cheeks. The alcohol must’ve gone straight to my face. “They seemed pretty nice, actually. With the exception of pretzel-hoarding.”

Todd scrunched up his face. “What?”

“Don’t worry about it.” I sipped my iced tea and perched at the edge of the table, scanning the bar. But for who? Or what?

“Alina!” Dad held up my hand, startling me out of my reverie. “Your nails are ruined! Oh, I never should’ve asked you to play.”

“It’s not a big deal.” I laughed. After the car crash/time travel thing, a manicure didn’t even make the top 50 list of worries.

“Nonsense! I’ll take care of it.”

I had just won a softball game and claimed our “turf.” Did he seriously think I couldn’t handle my own appointments? “Dad, I can take care of myself.”

“Can’t a father do something nice for his daughter?”

Agh, how was I supposed to deal with the dad-guilt and retain my professionalism?!

“I’ll make an appointment with Yessica for this weekend. Get done up, go to dinner, catch up.”

“Wonderful!”

Todd snuck a chair between him and my dad. “Here, sit!”

I smiled and joined them. I’d have to keep my nails and my brain sharp to make sure the glow from getting a seat at the table didn’t blind me from doing what was best for this company.