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“No. You’re not.” Billy hadn’t had any time to case this building. For all he knew this door wasn’t the only one that led in and out of the back room. He wasn’t sending her in blind.
“It’s Ricco Kingsley,” she hissed.
As if it was the most natural thing in the world, his hand slid to her hip and his fingers gripped, just like he had before her date. Leaning down he spoke low, so only she could hear him. “I don’t care if it’s the fucking Pope, you are not leaving my sight.”
Just like the first time he’d done it, her body trembled beneath his touch.
“Ricco’s waiting!” Alan shouted from behind them.
Without another word, she spun back around and opened the door. Billy followed her and tried not to think about how responsive she was to his touch, to his voice.
***
Maxi knew what she was walking into and the last person, besides her father, that she would ever want to witness what was about to happen was right behind her. There was nothing she could do about her unwanted audience, so she held her head high, determined to handle the situation with class and grace.
Ricco was seated on his couch engrossed in his phone. He was sandwiched by two girls, one on each side, who were both wearing little more than what a bikini would cover.
Alan stepped into the room and snapped his fingers. “Okay girls, time’s up.”
Disappointment fell over both of their faces as they stood and shuffled out of the room. Maxi was no stranger to groupies. Growing up around fighters she’d known more than her fair share of ring bunnies. She’d never judged them or their actions. But, when she was a teenager she had tried to find out what was in it for them. Some of the girls had explained that the fighters were basically like notches on their belts. That it felt good to be wanted by them. Others had hoped that it would lead to more, like a relationship. That answer had confused her because she’d never seen that happen.
It still didn’t make sense to her today, as she watched the two girls leave the room silently. Had they gotten what they’d wanted before Alan had come in and told them to leave? She doubted it.
Alan slammed the door shut behind the girls, but remained inside.
“You can both go, too.” Ricco spoke without looking up from his phone.
Maxi assumed that he was talking to her and started to leave. She wasn’t looking forward to being fired by Alan, but honestly at this point it was probably the lesser of the two evils.
“Not you. You stay.” Ricco lifted his arm and motioned towards Alan and Billy. “Them.”
Oh shit.Maxi knew there was no way Billy was going to leave and she just wanted this whole thing over with. Who would want to drag out their termination?
“Sure,” Alan agreed amicably, but Maxi could see the irritation bubbling just below the surface. Then to Billy he said, “Let’s go.”
Billy didn’t even acknowledge that Alan had spoken. He stared straight at Ricco. “She stays. I stay.”
A thrill raced down her spine. This wasn’t the time to be turned on but she just couldn’t help herself. There was something so hot about Billy not caring who Ricco was and insisting that he stay. With her.
Of course, she doubted that Ricco would appreciate that. Which should be a concern, since he was her client. But since she’d been summoned to this room for the sole purpose of being let go, it didn’t concern her one bit.
“Whatever,” Ricco shrugged his left shoulder, looking back down at his phone.
Both Maxi and Alan’s jaw dropped, but they both remained silent. Actually, everyone did, including Ricco. No one spoke and the silence seemed to stretch on and on.
Finally, Ricco set his phone down. When he looked up and saw Alan he yelled, “What the hell are you still doing here? I told you to get the fuck out!”
Alan lifted his hands in surrender and backed up. As he turned, she heard him whisper “asshole” under his breath. For a second, she almost felt sorry for the man, being spoken to like that by a kid that could be his son. But then she remembered that he’d been in Forbes two years ago as one of the highest paid managers thanks to his A-list clientele and her sympathy evaporated.
When the door shut, Maxi stepped forward. “I’d like to apologize for my absence. I’m not going to make excus—”
Ricco’s head fell back as he laughed out loud. It wasn’t a little chuckle and not a full-blown belly laugh. It was somewhere in the middle. Unsure of what had caused the outburst, Maxi looked over her shoulder to see if Billy had some idea of what was happening. From the bemused look on his face, he didn’t.
“Ahhh, you crack me up.” Ricco sighed as he finally composed himself. “Do you actually think that by coming in here apologizing and not making excuses you’re going to be able to make up for not doing your job? Because if that’s what you think, you’re smoking crack, bitch.”
Maxi could feel Billy’s energy shift behind her. The last thing she wanted was for this to escalate. Her only hope was to diffuse the situation.
Speaking as fast as she could get the words out of her mouth, she said, “I understand your frustration. Thank you for the opportunity. Is there anyone you’d like me to forward your itinerary to before I—”
