Killian (On the Line 1)

“I think everyone who doesn’t know about us will know soon.”

Keri gave me an apologetic look. “It won’t surprise anyone around here. There’s been some talk.”

“Really?” My cheeks warmed at the thought of people talking about me and Killian sneaking around.

“The guy who went out every night never goes out anymore. They know he has a girlfriend. And he comes up here all the time to see you. I think people just made the connection. And then . . . Nicole may have said some things to a couple guys on the team.”

I wondered if that had happened right after I fired her. Nicole’s mother Jane had called me the following day, apologizing profusely and assuring me she’d let Nicole know gossiping about me was a very bad idea.

“How bad is the talk?” I asked. “Do they think he’s using me?”

She shook her head adamantly. “He’s already the team captain, and everyone knows he could’ve moved up a long time ago, but he stays here by choice. Really, I don’t think anyone cares.”

A knock sounded on my office door and Barb opened it and stuck her head in.

“Your father is on line one,” she said. “He refuses to leave a message. Says he already left two voicemails on your cell.”

“Both in the last two hours,” I muttered. “He’s so impatient.”

“We’re done here anyway,” Keri said, standing. “Want to get lunch later?”

“Sure, sounds good. We can do some catching up. I’ll come and find you around noon.”

Keri and Barb left and as they closed the door I picked up the phone, “Hi, Dad.”

“Sidney, how are you, sweetheart? Other than too busy for your own father, I mean.”

“I’ve been in meetings all morning, Dad. I would’ve called back sooner, but I just didn’t have a chance.” I hoped this white lie would get me through the next few minutes of this call. “Anyway, what’s up?”

“I’m just calling to make sure you’ll be at the party this weekend. I hope you haven’t forgotten.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there. The flights are booked.”

“Flights? Is Lance joining you?” The note of optimism in his voice was hard to miss.

I cringed at the sound of my ex-boyfriend’s name. “No Dad, you might have forgotten but Lance and I broke up for good about nine months ago.”

“I was just hoping that you two might have gotten back together. If Lance isn’t coming, then who are you bringing?”

“I’ve been seeing someone recently, and I’m bringing him.”

“Details, darling,” my father said in a gleeful tone. “Is it serious? Are you thinking of selling your companies so you can focus on your personal life?” Gee, it didn’t take long for him to change gears. Maybe he didn’t care about Lance after all.

I looked out my office window and finally said, “I don’t have to choose between the two. This is the twenty-first century, Dad.”

“Er, well . . . I suppose at this point you don’t have to do anything. So, what’s his name?”

“You’ll meet him on Saturday.”

I knew my dad. If I told him Killian’s name, he’d be Googling him the second we hung up. And I remembered all too well the first headline that popped up when I’d Googled him after buying the team: Bad-boy Bosch Arrested Again.

I didn’t want my parents to have any preconceived notions about Killian. I wanted them to meet him first before judging him. Not that there wouldn’t be any judgment. That was something my parents specialized in.Killian

I gave Sidney a confused look when the flight attendant showed us to our seats.

“The fuck is this?” I said in her ear. “These seats are ten feet wide. Don’t I get to be wedged up against you?”

“Wedge all you want,” she said as we both sat down. “I booked us first class so we could have a row to ourselves. It’s a long flight to the west coast and I thought this would be more comfortable for both of us.”

“Nice. Mile-high club, maybe?”

“I’m not sure we’ll have that much privacy.”

“It’d be a great story to tell your parents at the party tonight, though.”

Her laughter held a note of nervousness, and that made two of us. I was anxious as hell about meeting her parents and had been since she first invited me to come with her. I knew she came from money and privilege and I was pretty certain her parents would see right through my department store suit and know I wasn’t good enough for their daughter.

Not to mention the fact that I’d never escorted any woman to a family event. I wanted to be that guy for Sid, but I wasn’t sure I’d be any good at it. Small talk had never been one of my social skills. I could only rely on the manners my mom had drilled into me as a kid. I planned to be as polite and charming as I could. I wanted both Sid and my mom to be proud of me.