AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nora likes to joke that I’m turning into a grumpy old man, but if you’ve been through some of the shit I have been and have the responsibility that I do, at thirty-fucking-four, then you’d earn the right to be a grumpy asshole.
Chapter 3
THIS MAN SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL
CASSIE
Shufflingaround some papers on my desk, I find the tiny remote to my Bluetooth speakers in my office. I turn the music down to a low volume. Listening to music throughout the day is a must for me. It helps me stay on task, but I’ve got a new client coming in soon and I need to shoot off some emails to vendors before that meeting.
Most of my day involves sending emails and making calls, meetings with clients in my cozy little space where I spend so much time. I say little, but my office is actually quite large. Its location allows me to look out onto lively Mass Ave. Thanks to the three massive windows on one wall, I can always look out on the hustle and bustle no matter where I am in the room. Near the heart of downtown Indianapolis, the city is alive during the day. There are several businesses and restaurants that occupy the building as well as the one across the street.
In this historic area of the city, most of the buildings are exposed brick and hardwood floors. The HEA, Inc. utilizes the whole second and third floors of our building. The first floor, co-working meeting rooms owned by a local company that has several of these spaces throughout the town, shares a front entrance with the elevator and a nice little café that we frequent often. The nearly historic elevator takes you to the second floor where you arrive at the HEA, Inc. lobby. In addition to the lobby, the second floor contains a conference room, two small meeting rooms, and a medium-sized party room. But most of the magic happens on the third floor. Which is where the individual offices are.
As part owner, my office and Layla’s have doors. Layla’s grandmother, Ruth, has an office as well. All of our employees have a dedicated workspace in the middle of the space, with several tiny rooms off to the sides for phone calls. I wasn’t on board with open workspaces at first, but in our line of work, it has served us well.
I shoot off an email just as my phone chimes with an incoming call. I glance at the time on my computer and see that I’ve still got some time before my meeting. I grab my phone and see it’s my brother calling.
“Hey, Cash,” I chirp into the phone.
“Cassie. I wasn’t sure you’d pick up.” His deep voice fills my ears and warmth runs through my body. I miss my little brother. It’s been months since I’ve seen him. Gotten a big bear hug from him.
“I always pick up when you call. Why wouldn’t I now?”
“Yeah, well, I figured you were probably planning some bridezilla’s wedding or something.” He chuckles.
“I’ve told you, the brides are rarely the problem. It’s actually the mothers who take on that stereotypical bridezilla role.” Honesty, it’s the truth.
“Yeah, yeah. Question, do you think Mom would be the momzilla?”
I roll my eyes. Our mother is a sore subject for me. “Loaded question. For your wedding, absolutely. For mine, she’d be very hands off.”
“Oh, come on, Cass, cut her some slack.” His voice is teasing. He knows my beef with our mother.
“What? It’s the truth and you know it, little bro.” I busy myself with fluffing the pillows on the yellow couch in my office. I don’t take meetings in my office a lot, and since I have a standing desk, I like to have a place of comfort in the event that I do have a meeting in here.
“Anyways, it’s mid-day here, so shouldn’t you be throwing a football around or lifting some ungodly amount of weights up and down right now? Why are you calling me?”
He chuckles. “Phew, man, for a minute there I wasn’t sure you understood what I did as a professional footballer.”
“I know things,” I reply with a laugh. Really, he’s been playing football since he was old enough to go to school. It’s his life. What kind of sister would I be if I didn’t know that his job was tough as hell and physically exhausting?
“Anyways, I have news.” His tone changes and I stand up straight, waiting for what’s to come.
Please not an injury. Please not an injury.
“I’ve been picked up by a new team.”
I was holding my breath. “Oh” pops out and the worry I was feeling falls away. “So where you heading?” I ask. He’s been in the NFL for four years now, but he’s been the backup quarterback for the Broncos since he was drafted out of college.
“To the Renegades.” The happiness is clear in his voice.
I let out a shriek. “What?” I yell. “You’re coming home?”
He’s laughing now and I know my reaction is over the top. But he’s wanted to play for our hometown team his entire life. I haven’t lived in the same state as him in more than eleven years. So him playing for the Indianapolis Renegades is the best news.
“When do you move here? How did this happen? I need all the details. Wait, we just signed a Tim Mason last season, on like a four-year deal.” And immediately my excitement deflates because if he’s coming home, I know he wasn’t picked up to start.
His excitement doesn’t wane, though. “Free agent, remember? I did my time in Denver and Indy wanted me. Got a flight tomorrow night. Still backup, but I feel like I’m finally going in the right direction, Cass.”
