ROMANCE: SPORTS ROMANCE: Scored by the Billionaire (Alpha Billionaire Secret Baby Football Romance) (Alpha Male Sports Romantic Comedy) (2 page)

"Well, that depends," Carlson said. "We're either having a business lunch, in which case I'll have a gin and tonic, or we're celebrating, in which case we'll have champagne." He looked at Liona. "What should I order?"

She looked at the server and back at Carlson. "What are we potentially celebrating?"

"Your acceptance of a position with the organization."

Liona laughed. "That's very direct of you, Mr. Murphy," she said, and she looked at the server. "I'll have a vodka and cranberry juice please."

Carlson laughed. "Well, there's my answer. A gin and tonic it is, then." The server left, and he looked at Liona. "Why? Is it money? What would keep you from making the jump?"

She smiled. "There are just a lot of moving parts, that's all. The money is fine. It's a step up from what I get at the League office. But there's always more to it than that."

He nodded. "Of course." He leaned his elbows on the table and put his hands together. "Since we've been talking very openly, may I ask if your hesitation to take on the job has anything to do with what happened between you and me in New York?"

Liona looked out the window. Wealthy people were strolling by with shopping bags from upscale stores. There was a lot of money in this city. They could make a lot of money with this team. "Maybe," she said. "Like I said, there are a lot of moving parts."

"Okay," he said. "Forgive me if this is not something you want to discuss, but if it's a deal breaker for you to come work for me, I'd like to understand more. Are you upset that it happened?"

She looked at him and smiled. "No, not particularly," she said. "I mean, I like you, Carlson. And there was an attraction. We acted on it. And that was that. There's nothing really to regret there."

He nodded. "Okay. Are you unhappy that there was no relationship pursued after that? I mean, I'll be honest with you. I was expecting to see you again in a League capacity after that. When you stopped appearing, I felt that you were choosing not to be involved anymore."

Liona nodded. "I can understand that. But if we're speaking strictly on a personal level, if you wanted to see me again, you could have made that clear. We exchanged emails after that night, and they were all strictly business. There was never any hint that you had any desire to see me on a personal basis."

He nodded. "Yes, that's true." The server arrived and set drinks in front of them. "Thank you." Carlson squeezed the juice from the wedge of lime into his drink, stirred it with the short yellow straw, and then took a sip. "It's not easy for a man in my situation to discuss personal matters in a business email. Think about this. You had just spent an entire year going through my dirty laundry. Do you think I would feel comfortable sending you personal messages through email? Or text?"

Liona nodded. "I see your point."

"Well," he said. "We're in a difficult spot. Are you seeing anyone?"

Her eyes flashed open at the sudden change in topic. "Why?"

"Like you said," he replied, "taking a job like this involves a lot of moving parts. I'm curious if one of those parts involves you being in a relationship in New York. If there is someone there that makes you feel as though you can't leave that city… well, I guess we could always explore avenues for finding your significant other a role here. Either in our organization or elsewhere in the community."

Liona smiled. She leaned back in her chair and sipped her drink, then put her tongue in her cheek, regarding him with an ironic sense of mirth. "Really, that's why you ask?"

"Sure," he said. "And, you know, mild curiosity. I mean, we've talked endlessly about the job, but I feel like we haven't talked very much about what's happening in your life. So, unless you feel uncomfortable answering the question, are you seeing anyone these days?"

Liona thought for a moment about Ashley, at home in her Brooklyn apartment with her mom. She thought about waking up every few hours to breastfeed. She thought about the agony of the last few months of her pregnancy, when she had to drag herself around, always tired, always feeling brain-dead, sleepy and forgetful, and the pain of childbirth, the hospital, the delivery, and the exhaustion afterwards, alone, with no partner except her mom, brother and sister-in-law, all of whom supported her choice to be a single mom.

She thought about her decision not to tell Carlson about her pregnancy. At first there was the embarrassment, since she swore to him that night that she was using birth control, that they had nothing to worry about, then there was the embarrassment that her birth control had failed (97 percent is good, but not infallible). She thought about the career difficulties that would have faced if everyone found out that she had an affair with someone she was investigating. She thought of the press digging into everything about her when it was discovered that she was carrying the child of this famous playboy, who was on the verge of becoming a franchise owner in the League. Everything would be a nightmare. It was better to go through it alone, she had decided. It was better to go ahead without him.

"No," she said at last. "I'm not seeing anyone." And then, with a trace of irony, she asked him the same question. "And you? Are you seeing anyone?"

Carlson smiled. "You don't read the gossip columns? Ha. Okay, well, I had been seeing Elizabeth Lear, although I regret to say that did not end well. It turned out that she had an affair with the director of her last film, and although I'm not the first person to lose a girlfriend in that particular fashion, I have to say my feeling were considerably hurt. I briefly took some solace with the author Mary Jo Walsh, but it turned out she was just using me for sex. So as of this moment, yes, I am not seeing anyone."

"You poor thing," she said in a very dry tone.

He laughed and finished his drink, raising his finger to the passing server for a refill. "Yes. Truth be told, my schedule makes it very hard for me to enjoy long-lasting relationships. I've been with some really, really spectacular women, present company included, but the relationships were never really allowed to blossom, because I'm always wrapped up with work. I don't expect that to get any easier while trying to reboot a franchise like the Corsairs."

"Well," she said, stirring the ice in her drink, "wouldn't it be convenient if you had a girlfriend right in the office so you wouldn't have to worry about not having time for one another?"

"You're teasing me," he said. "That's all right. I'm fair game. I know I've got a reputation. And as wonderful as it would be to have a relationship with a really, really gorgeous woman in the office, I would never ever hire someone simply because I was attracted to them."

"That's a relief," she said, a teasing smile lingering on her lips. "Tell me though, what if you were to hire a qualified applicant that was really, really gorgeous, and you were very attracted to them, but they weren't interested in a relationship?"

"No problem," he said. "I have no time to waste pursuing someone that's not interested in me. I would just be happy that I hired the right person so we could achieve our goals together. I'm very goal oriented."

Liona took a sip of her drink. She liked the tartness of the cranberry juice, how it accentuated the strong taste of the vodka. She felt that the conversation was slipping further into a grey area of flirtation. That wasn't necessarily what she wanted, but she was enjoying it nevertheless.

The server arrived to take their lunch order, and they both picked up their menus for the first time. He asked if they needed more time, but Carlson asked about the specials. Liona quickly scanned the menu for a salad with grilled chicken and vinaigrette, as well as another drink.

For the second time, Liona thought about Ashley, at home with her mom. What was Ashley doing now? Was she sleeping or rolling around in her playpen? Did her mom bring Ashley out for a walk in her pram, strolling around the neighborhood? Maybe stopping by the park to watch the older kids play, and maybe spending a few minutes sitting up in the grass? What would it mean to bring Ashley here, into her unknown father's sphere? What would it mean for Carlson, when he eventually learned the truth about Ashley? What would be his reaction, if he finds out that he has a daughter?

The new drink arrived. Liona took a sip and looked out of the window. This was a beautiful city. And it was a wonderful opportunity. If the same job with the same terms had been offered by any other team in the League, there would be no hesitation on her part. But this was with Carlson, the womanizing playboy whom she secretly had a baby with.

If she took this job, it would be inevitable that he would find out about Ashley. It would be inevitable that the voracious sports press would find out, and then she would be thrown into the grinding wheels of the 24 hour news cycle. Her career would suffer irreparable damage. She would have to deal with the slut-shaming and misogyny that accompanies such news in the sports world, or the business world, or anywhere for that matter. She would likely not be able to find work with any other team, or with the League office, if she had to leave the Corsairs.

The job offer was very attractive. It was also very high risk.

She took a sip and looked at Carlson. He was so damn handsome. And he was so charming. And he was trouble. Pure trouble. What would happen if she tried to have a relationship with him? A real, serious, grounded relationship? Maybe they would be together for six months, or maybe a year, and then he would dance away, and appear on the gossip websites a few weeks later with yet another supermodel. There would be the workplace awkwardness. There would be bitterness and pain, and the difficulties of explaining all of this mess to Ashley as she grew up in the toxic atmosphere of their fractured relationship…

"You look like you're very deep in thought," Carlson said with a small smile. "Are you making hard decisions? I am. The dessert menu here looks fantastic."

"You're a lot of fun to be around," she said.

"Thank you," he said. "And I am a really great boss. I empower people. Think how great it would be if you helped me fill my team with really awesome people, and then I empower them to be as awesome as they can be? We would win the championship every single year and make infinite money. That's the power of empowering people. Did I just say power too many times?"

She laughed. "Definitely."

He leaned forward on his elbows. "Seriously though. What are you thinking about right now?"

She shrugged. "I thinking that I'd like to work for you. Or date you. One or the other, but not both. But…"

"But?"

Liona stirred her drink. "I have a feeling that either one of them wouldn't last as long as I would like. And there would be fallout. You have to understand that I'm a successful woman in a very male-driven industry. And sometimes I have to make sacrifices because of that. There are a lot of people who immediately assume that I'm unqualified for any position in the League, simply because I don't have a penis. People wait for a woman in men's sports to fail so that they can play the I-told-you-so card. And I think taking a job with you would be very high-risk for my career."

Carlson sat back in his chair, considering her words. "If you come to work for me it will be because you're the most qualified person in the business to do the job. I'm not aware of another forensic accountant with your investigation skills in the sports world. If you don't want to be involve at a personal level, I am entirely fine with that. I brought you out here to interview for a job in my head office, not to try out as a potential girlfriend."

She nodded. "I know. But like I said, there are a lot of moving parts to this."

"I feel like there are factors which you're not disclosing."

Liona smiled and nodded. "There are."

The server arrived with their meals. Liona began to eat, but Carlson remained fixated, watching her and considering the issue. "What can I do to make this work for you?"

"Just enjoy your lunch," she said.

He picked up his fork. "Well, if it will help…"

They ate in silence, except for slightly forced comments about how tasty the food was. When they were both finished, Liona sat back in her chair and regarded him carefully. "What would you say," she began, "if I told you there was no way I could accept a position with your organization?"

"Hmm. Well, I would first express my disappointment that I couldn't make things work to bring you on board."

"And then?"

He scratched his head and then laughed. "I suppose I would probably ask you if you had plans for dinner."

Liona smiled. "And what would your motivation be to do that?"

He lifted his glass. "Purely selfish. I just really enjoy watching you eat."

"You're so silly." She sighed. "All right. Take me to dinner."

"Does that mean you won't come work for the Corsairs?"

She shook her head. "I’m sorry but I think that it's not the right time for me."

“Alright, I can’t say that I am not disappointed but I trust that you have given this a lot of thought and I respect your decision.”

They spent the entire afternoon walking through the city's historic downtown area, browsing in shops and eating ice cream from a gourmet stand. Talk turned away from the team, and Liona managed to weave the conversation in such a way that she never mentioned how she had been spending the last year. She managed to say nothing about her pregnancy or how she spent the last several months with Ashley attached to her breasts around the clock, constantly feeding, day and night. Ashley was her whole life these days, and it was difficult not to talk about her, but it was also refreshing to talk about something besides being a new mommy. She felt like she was her old self again, out on a date. Out on a date with a very, very handsome man who made her feel good, who made her laugh, and who made her feel beautiful and special.