That seems to be the real question.
Brooke wrinkles her nose slightly. “I have no clue. But apparently Nanette gave him a blow job during her interview, so I would have to say she’s more in the running for it if there is actually a job to be had.”
“What the fuck?” I blurt out in astonishment. “She actually did that? And she told you she did that?”
Brooke nods with her lips pressed into a grim line. “She was all too happy and proud to tell me all about it last night before the game started.”
A thought occurs to me. I lean across the table and growl, “Has he ever asked you to do that?”
Brooke shrinks back with a horrified look in her eyes. “God, no. But you’re kind of adorable when you get all worked up.”
“What was that hand-on-your-back shit?” I ask her.
“He’s never done anything like that before,” she muses. “Maybe he was feeling cocky given what Nanette gave him. But no, he’s never done anything other than some flirting with me like you just saw.”
I hold my hand out and wag my finger in her face. “Oh no, no, no. That was not flirting. That was physical assault.”
“Laying his hand on my back was not assault,” she argues with me. “That was just unwanted touching.”
“I believe you will find that is the definition of assault,” I grit out.
She cocks an eyebrow at me. “I think the real assault occurred when you jammed your forearm into his throat and threatened to break his arm. You could have gotten in serious trouble, Bishop.”
I grin across the table at her. “Did you see how scared he was?”
Brooke snorts and gives a resigned shake of her head. “Again, all of the job stuff is probably moot. There’s no way Sebastian wants me working with him after that, and I definitely cannot compete with an assistant who’s going to suck his dick as part of the job duties.”
She’s putting on a fucking brave face for me and that really gets me. Touches me deep, because it’s for me. “I’m sorry. I know you would really like to move over into merchandising.”
Brooke sighs heavily. “I’m just not happy in team services. It’s not challenging enough to me.”
“What’s the alternative?” I ask her, afraid to really know the answer.
“If I can’t get into merchandising here, I think I’m going to go back to New York, Bishop. I emailed my former boss yesterday and she said the job is mine if I wanted it. She’s only been using a temp since I left.”
The absolute bottoming out of my stomach and heavy disappointment weighing down on me that almost makes it difficult to breathe tells me more about how I feel about Brooke than anything else has so far. The thought of her leaving is just…I don’t want to think about it.
“If there’s actually a merchandising job available,” I say to her carefully. “Can you really work with Sebastian? You have to admit, he’s been behaving inappropriately and he clearly has no qualms with having a complete stranger give him a blow job for an interview. Let’s be real, the guy’s a douche and I need to know if you can really work with that.”
Brooke blinks at me a moment before she admits, “If he were to offer me a job, I would have to have a very serious conversation with him that set clear boundaries. But I have to tell you, outside of me knowing about that blow job—which could be a lie from Nanette for all I know—and the flirting, he’s not been inappropriate with me in any way. He’s actually very good at what he does and we work well together. So I guess the answer to your question is yes, with clear boundaries I could work with him.”
I stare at her a moment, weighing my need to keep her protected versus my long-term need to keep her close by. Finally I tell her, “I’m going to find out from Christian Rutherford if there’s an actual job opening. And if there is, and you’re eligible for it, then I’ll leave it up to you as to whether or not you can work with the guy. I trust your judgment.”
Brooke merely smiles wanly, and I know this decision—if an offer comes—will be incredibly difficult for her.
I decide to change the subject. “My mom’s plane lands tomorrow morning around eleven. Think you can swing lunch with us?”
Brooke smiles at me and I see an actual eagerness for her to meet my mom. Brooke knows I told my mom all about us and she is well aware of our duplicity. But more than anything, I’ve talked so much about my mom to Brooke I know she is just excited to meet a person she already knows to be incredibly kind, generous, funny, and sweet. I’m equally excited for my mom to meet Brooke.