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Ilene abruptly stops the convo to tap her silver tumbler. “You have to try one of these. This place makes the best kale smoothies in all of San Francisco. I learned about them on How To Eat a Banana.”
“Love that show,” I say.
She gives a proud shrug. “I acquired it for Webflix. The hosts are brill.”
“They are.” Kale smoothies are not my thing, but…when in Rome. “I’ll have one, then.”
Ilene beams. I bet kale smoothies are why she never has jet lag with her travel schedule. I’m not even sure where she lives. I think she might live everywhere.
When the server comes by with our breakfast, I ask for a kale smoothie.
Then we tuck into our food. As I take a bite of my eggs, Ilene sets down her drink, flicks some pink hair off her shoulder, and says, “So, is now a good time to work out the details?”
Did I miss an agenda for this morning? I thought it was a standard catch-up, but I’ve learned as a producer sometimes you need to roll with it. “Sure,” I say.
“Great. Let’s talk about all your new projects,” she says, then slurps her smoothie concoction through her own metal straw.
I breathe a quiet sigh of relief. Details makes sense now. “Right. The expansion into Europe,” I prompt.
She pauses mid-suck, one eyebrow arching. “Expansion into Europe?”
Did I get it wrong? “When the Hawks were in London, you mentioned that Webflix would be expanding into Europe?”
Maybe she forgot our conversation while we were walking through Triumph Stadium?
She lets the straw fall into her cup, wincing. “Oh, I can see why you thought that. But when I said we’re going to be expanding all our sports divisions and pushing forward with more sports in Europe, I meant we’re doing both.”
Wow. I do love Webflix’s commitment to sports. This company is a dream. “Great. I’d love to hear how I can help. What details did you have in mind?” The server returns with my smoothie, and I thank him, then meet Ilene’s gaze.
She studies me like I perplex her, tilting her head. “The ones about your move, Hunter.”
“My move?”
Now, she laughs, “We did talk about this at the cocktail party in London.”
We did?
Ohhhhh. Right. There was that thing she said when my dad walked into the room. What did I agree to?
I am not impressing my boss, so I start over with the truth. “I’m so sorry, Ilene. I don’t know what I agreed to. I was distracted when my father showed up, and I apologize,” I say uncomfortably, then I pick up the smoothie to mask my discomfort.
“I understand,” she says, thoughtfully. “Family is complicated. But I hope you don’t mind I’ve been moving forward on plans to relocate you to San Francisco.”
I clutch the kale smoothie tightly so it doesn’t slip from my hands.
44
CHASE ME
Hunter
I walk down Fillmore Street, every cell bouncing with nervous energy, and practice what to say to Nate.
And then she said, you agreed to it in London!
Ugh. I sound like an idiot.
I can’t believe I mucked this up so badly with Ilene.
But I’m almost to Doctor Insomnia’s Tea and Coffee Emporium, where Nate asked me to meet him when I texted him the moment I left The Happy Cow.
I stop outside. My stomach cartwheels. How did I go from being a virgin to having a husband, to breaking up with my husband, to dating my husband in a long-distance romance, to…this new twist?
“Hey, English Cutie.” Nate’s confident voice floats from behind me, settling me, reassuring me.
I turn around, and there’s the guy I adore.
“Fancy meeting you here,” he says, then he comes in for a kiss on the street.
My head goes hazy. This is my life. This is my fantastic life. And I don’t want to lose this man now that I have him again.
The second he breaks the kiss, I press the gas. “Ilene offered me a job in San Francisco. My job, actually,” I correct. “She wants to relocate me. She said with my knowledge of American sports, the move makes perfect sense, and they want someone like me working here as they expand.” I barely stop to take a breath. I just barrel on. “Apparently, she offered it to me at the party in London, but my dad had walked in and I didn’t hear her, and I guess I accidentally agreed to it, but I know you and I just agreed to take things slow, and I don’t want to seem pushy. Sooooo. What do you think?”
Please say I’m not freaking you out.
Nate’s expression is blank for long, painful seconds. “Are you for real?” he asks in a disbelieving whisper.
“Yes. It’s real.” Is he excited or terrified? I can’t tell, so I quickly backpedal. “Don’t worry. I told her I need to think about it. I get that it’s too much too soon. No worries. I can turn it down and stay in London.”
