AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Like your head?” I gesture to my laptop. “I suppose you’re proud of that tirade you delivered on that poor woman?”
“Poor woman?” One of his reddish eyebrows arches high on his forehead. “Santiago could best me in arm wrestling. She’s a force to be reckoned with. She’s also as blind as a fucking bat if she thought Looser was out at the two. I was standing there, and he was in, and for the record, the Bucks lost that game thanks to her shitty call.”
“She’s a female ref, which you pointed out with that comment about her…her…chest.”
“Tits.”
“Whatever.” I roll my eyes at the offensive word. “She was mailed countless boxes of tampons. She was transferred after that incident. Do you take responsibility for that?”
“Why would I?”
“Because you insulted her on live television.”
“I thought women and men were supposed to be treated the same. You don’t think if that was a guy I wouldn’t have called him on the same shit? You think I wouldn’t have pointed out how his tiny dick was calling the shots, or suggested he reach into his pants and find his balls?”
Since he’s making a crass, but no less valid, point I don’t want to acknowledge, I go with, “You’re an imbecile.”
“Point is, if she was a dude I’d have said something similar. Minus the F-bomb. That’s what got me canned.”
“I highly doubt it.” Then again, misogyny is alive and well, so perhaps he’s right. “You should at least apologize to her.”
“Did.” He stands from my desk and starts to walk away.
“What do you mean you did? You apologized to Santiago?” That, I’d never heard. And I know our paper reported on the incident more than once after it happened.
He faces me and shrugs. “Yeah. I asked if she would sit down with me and talk. I brought her a bouquet.”
Oh. Well, that is surprising.
“Of tampons.” Then he adds with another grin, “I’m kidding.”
I’m not sure if he is or not. And I’m back to wondering what penance I’m serving being stuck with this caveman for the better part of my summer.
In Mia’s office later that week, I’m in one of the chairs opposite her desk and Barrett is in the other. She’s reviewing our lists of date ideas and nodding her way through mine. I smile when she gives me a well-earned “Nice choices, Catarina.”
I shoot a glance over to my cohort, who's about to be schooled on how to work at a real job. I saw his list. It was ridiculous. I also caught a few typos I helpfully pointed out. My fastidiousness wouldn’t allow me to overlook them.
Mia reviews his choices and I watch her face carefully. A smile spreads her lips and then she lets out a loud, appreciative “Ha! I love it!”
I frown. She what?
She’s shaking her head in amusement when she removes her glasses.
“This is going to be fantastic. Both of you will be in the other’s element but out of your own. It’s brilliant. Is there any way I can talk you into some platonic PDA? Hold hands. Walk close. Lay your head on his shoulder?”
Since she’s directing that question to me, I answer with, “Platonic would imply we were friends.” I slide Barrett a look. “I bet Fox can’t even spell the word platonic.”
He flinches—just the slightest pull of his mouth and narrowing of his eyes—before recovering. What a wilting lily. So he had a few typos. Who cares? It happened to me when I first started and, don’t tell anyone, but it still happens on occasion.
“Damn. I was hoping I could leak a few photos to Twitter of you two being cozy.” Mia purses her lips. “You could explain to your fella it’s for the story. North seems reasonable.”
“North?” Barrett asks with a token amount of derision. “You’re dating a guy named after a direction?”
“I’m dating a guy named after his great grandfather who was a duke.”
Idiot.
“Since you were reading up on cheaters and lack of heat in the bedroom, I question if you’re dating him at all.” Barrett crosses his leg, resting his ankle on top of one thick thigh. The hand resting on that thigh boasts an expensive, stylish watch.
