Page 5 of Out of Bounds

Nodding to Cowboy, Gunnar turned and headed out the door. Felicity waited for him to acknowledge her in some way, even just a glance or a nod. Hell, even some smart-ass remark would have been better than the complete disregard for her. She was the one doing him a favor. So much for getting on his good side as a way to help her get this job.

Felicity motioned to Talia to follow her out of the meeting room and led her over to an open area near the doors to the balcony that had a few overstuffed chairs for them to sit in. The large floor-to-ceiling windows had a view out over the pitch, where a few of the players had already made their way.

“Mrs. Carr called you, yes?” Felicity asked when they were both settled in the chairs.

“Sure? I didn’t catch the lady’s name.”

“I’m sure that’s who it was. She was my father’s assistant for as long as I can remember. Now she’s working for my brother.”

“Mr. Sutherland is your older brother?” Talia asked.

“Younger, actually. But…long story. Let me just pull up the email from Mrs. Carr.” She scrolled through her phone a moment, then continued. “Here it is. She said the keys will be waiting for you with the doorman. So just head on over and then you can start moving in. Are you sure you don’t need movers?”

“Everything I own fits into a couple of duffle bags, so yeah, pretty sure,” Talia told her with a slight shrug of her shoulders. The girl looked a little embarrassed by her admission, avoiding eye contact. Felicity felt her heart squeeze as she watched her. She knew what it was like to have a family secret turn your life upside down, and whatever she could do to help, she was here for it.

“Not a problem. I will make sure we get you some furniture ordered then. Any style preferences?”

“Whatever Ikea has, I guess.”

“Yeah, no, we’re not going to Ikea,” Felicity said with a laugh. “I’ll get this taken care of—you’ll have furniture delivered by this evening.”

“Thank you,” Talia said, a flicker of happiness in her eye. “Sorry to be so much trouble.”

“Oh, I promise you it’s no trouble at all! Here, just put your number in my phone, and I will text you the address of your new place.”

She handed the brunette her phone, for the first time registering what she was wearing. While Talia looked put together enough, Felicity could tell that what she was wearing was old. Maybe it’s what she just happened to throw on today, she thought, trying to not make any judgments. She had no idea where this girl had come from, but it certainly seemed like she needed a friend. She’d been there herself. The memories of just how alone she had felt right after her mother had passed flooded back, taking her back in time. If it hadn’t been for Heather Atwell, the woman who had taken her under her wing as a teen, Felicity didn’t know how she ever would have survived.

“Thanks,” Talia said, handing Felicity back her phone. She made quick work of forwarding the address to her, making sure to include the cross street and the apartment number in case Talia got lost.

“Save my number in your phone. If you ever need anything, just let me know.”

“Oh, I couldn’t intrude like that.”

“Nonsense!” Felicity assured her. “Look, I get it. Things are a little weird right now. I’ve been there, and I remember how lonely it can be. So, if you ever need someone to talk to, just text me.”

“Thanks,” Talia replied, pushing up from the chair. Without saying good-bye, she turned and headed toward the elevator.

Taking a quick look around her to make sure no one was around, Felicity let out a long sigh and sat all the way back in the chair. Pulling up her text messages, she found her thread with Heather.

Felicity: I did what you suggested, I was nice. It just might have been to the wrong person.

Heather: I didn’t say “be nice.” You’re not in kindergarten. I said choose your words carefully.

Heather: And what do you mean “wrong person”?

“Felicity.” Gunnar’s voice pulled her attention away from her phone, her name sounding light in his unique accent. After twenty years in the UK, he rarely sounded like someone from an Eastern Bloc country. She’d read somewhere that he’d taught himself English by watching American movies, which she’d been impressed by. Still, there were certain words that had a tinge of an accent every now and again. She looked up to find him standing directly behind the chair his daughter had recently vacated, his large frame leaning onto it. “Did Talia leave?”

“Yes, you just missed her,” she told him, standing up so that they were eye level. Something about him leaning down like that made her mind wander to thoughts of her underneath that big, hard body of his, while his hands and mouth did things that made her body sing. Stop it—you’re a smart, educated, professional woman. Not some horny teenager…

“Everything go okay?”

“Everything went fine. I gave her the address and told her I would get some furniture delivered.”

“Furniture? We don’t need furniture.” He pushed up off the chair, taking a step back. His whole body was tense, and she could see the frustration running through him at the thought she had overstepped.

“Well, I haven’t ordered anything yet, but I was under the impression you were in a one-bedroom, so therefore Talia will need a bedroom set,” she lobbed back at him. “Unless you plan on letting your child sleep on the floor.”

Gunnar winced at her words, as if she had thrown each one of them at him with a dagger. She had meant for it to be a joke, rather than a stab at his parenting skills, but after her dig at him this morning, she couldn’t really blame him for taking it any other way.