Chapter Fifteen

The trip to visit Alec’s mother had been eye-opening.

The trip home to Savannah? Not so much. Though Alec had done a good job driving, and for the most part, it was a beeline south down the highway without many turns, Ruby was carsick. At least she hoped it was carsickness and not a stomach bug the day before the big Sports Armour meeting. Because that would royally suck.

“You doing okay? You look green,” Alec said, bringing down a window to let in some fresh air for her.

“Better. I’m just nervous about tomorrow.” If all went through without a hitch, this would be the first major endorsement contract for one of her very own clients. She had to kill it. She had to impress her father and everyone at the firm, cementing the idea that she was worthy of being there, and each mile toward home reminded her the meeting was getting closer and closer.

“Babe, everything’s going to go fine. My ratings are back up. The agent has sent you the paperwork…”

“I know, but anything could happen, Alec,” Ruby reminded him. “You know how unpredictable these companies are. The smallest thing goes wrong, and they don’t want you representing their line anymore.” The more she thought about it, the more the knot in her stomach tightened.

The fact she’d taken time off to visit Alec’s mom hadn’t exactly helped either. She had to get home, finish her work, and come out tomorrow morning like a mad lion. Preferably a healthy, non-carsick one.

On Monday morning, it was game face time. Alec picked her up at her townhouse looking fine as hell in his snazzy silver suit. She wished they would’ve had time for a quickie to shave the edge off her nerves, but it was time to go.

“Look at you,” Alec said, taking her by the hand and leading her to his car. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Granted, she wore her standard black suit, this time with a pink blouse, which went perfectly with her red, pinned-up hair, but she did look hot in a professional bitch sort of way.

Ruby giggled nervously. “Time to kill it, Alec.” She hated to even think it, but she was glad he hadn’t gotten into any trouble last night while she slept. How shitty would that have been to wake up this morning before the meeting and seen him splashed in the papers for something gone wrong.

No, Alec was in line, and it had been all because of her. Everything would go perfect today—she just knew it. Time to stop fearing and start accepting that things were going her way. Her career was going up, things with Alec were smooth as silk, and now a dream meeting.

When they arrived, they were treated like rock stars, shown into a large meeting room with stainless accents and red lacquered chairs. A basketball lamp hung from the ceiling surrounded by balls of other sports. Ruby took a seat beside Alec and folded her hands. Even though the company probably knew they were dating, she still wanted to keep things professional.

A tall, older man came in surrounded by other tall, older, handsome men. Apparently, this company was entirely run by former athletes. “Good morning, everyone. Miss O’Brien…Mr. LeBrun, thank you so much for being here.” Everyone took a seat, as a young woman closed the meeting room door. “We’re just going to cut to the chase. We’ve been delighted with the turnaround your public image has taken, Mr. LeBrun,” the man said, giving Alec a nod. “You’ve also done some wonderful things with kids’ charities lately. Do you like kids, Mr. LeBrun?” the CEO asked.

“I definitely do, sir.” Alec beamed, but Ruby could see his knee shaking a mile a minute. She touched it and it stopped moving.

“Do you think you might be having kids in the future?”

Ruby thought it a strange question at first, but then again, she realized where this was going and suddenly felt a surge of happiness. They were going to offer him a kids’ line after seeing his recent appeal with children.

Alec cocked his head and cringed a little. “I do, yes, but not at the moment.”

“That’s fine,” the CEO said. “The only reason we’re asking is because we want a long-term commitment, someone who will represent the brand for a while, someone who might be a father in the future. For the image of sports dad, you know. We’ve seen how you roughhouse with the little ones, how they jump all over your back.” The man laughed and looked around at his colleagues. “We love that shit.”

“Thank you, sir.” Alec looked at Ruby and smiled.

“It’s our hope that natural affinity for fatherhood will come through in advertising, in order to appeal to fathers and parents of sporty kids, in general. What do you think you can bring to the table, Alec?”

As the CEOs listened to Alec talk about his love of football, how he was raised by a hardworking mother, and always wished he’d had a father around, he brought a personal touch to his own sales pitch, and Ruby would’ve loved it if it weren’t for the sensation of air being completely sucked out of her lungs.

Relax, Ruby. Everything’s going to be fine, she told herself.

Her father would be calling right after the meeting to hear how everything went, and she couldn’t feel any more anxious about it. What if Alec fucked up again? What if things didn’t work out between them, for some reason, and he went on another rampage, stole another car, or made another scene in the end zone?

Her career would be over. Her father would fire her immediately. Everything came down to this moment, this meeting. As she looked around at all the faces, mainly male, she was reminded that being a woman in this industry was hard enough without your life falling apart around you.

“Well, of course I’m going to want to get married eventually,” she heard Alec saying. It sounded like he was talking from behind a glass wall.

“Good, because the playboy bad boy isn’t exactly the vibe we’re looking for,” someone else said.

Playboy bad boy. That’s what he’d been all this time, and Ruby had changed him, but could a tiger ever really change his stripes?

The meeting room felt like it was swirling, and Ruby had to stand and excuse herself. “Just need some fresh air, gentlemen. Be right back.” She gave her best smile, as worried looks surrounded her, including Alec’s, but she knew she had no intention of going back into the room.

She was sick as a dog and had to get out of there before she barfed all over the meeting table. Heading out of the building, she called a Lyft car to come and get her then texted Alec: Feeling terrible. I have to get to a medic center. Sorry, Alec.

God, this wasn’t happening. She wasn’t bailing right at the most critical moment. But one thing reassured her—Alec. He would know what to do, what to say in front of those guys. He’d been doing a great job so far. Her presence in the meeting was only supplemental, to make sure he didn’t say anything stupid. No, she definitely had a stomach bug of some kind and needed treatment right away or risk fainting in the Sports Armour lobby.

A reply text came in. No worries, got this. Meet you there. Text me address once you’re there. Love you.

Love you.

Wow. That was the first time he’d ever said that so nonchalantly. As Ruby waited for her car, she stared at the words. He followed them up with a smiley face. She could wrap her head around that. In love with Alec was how she’d felt for a long time now, but being the responsible girl she was, she wanted to make sure everything was right in place before declaring it.

Just as the car arrived, Ruby leaned over and threw up all over the sidewalk. The driver, a woman with black hair and a pretty smile, leaned her head across the front seat and said, “You okay? I swear, I’m a good driver.”

Ruby fought to smile then told her to take her to the nearest urgent care center. No amount of anxiety had ever made her feel this sick before. What shitty timing. Her father would undoubtedly be upset that she left the meeting. Knowing him, he would’ve wanted her to stay, stick it out, even through being deathly ill, but that had always been one difference between her and her father—Ruby was the sensible one.

Five minutes later, Ruby checked into the medic center, provided all documentation, then sat in the waiting room with a plastic bag by her side. Another text from Alec came in telling her they were on a break and everything was going well. Part two of the meeting would be going over of contracts.

She hated the thought that there would be contract perusal without her. Don’t sign anything until I see it. We can always reschedule, she texted Alec.

The thumbs-up emoji came in, just in time, as a nurse came out to get her. “Ruby O’Brien? Come this way.”

Ruby fought to stand, fought not to lose her balance, as she followed the young nurse down a hallway and into a curtained examination room. After the customary questions, she was left alone with a pee cup and a paper bag.

She wasn’t sure why, but all of a sudden, it felt like the world was coming down around her. Like she’d failed Alec by leaving the meeting, failed her father, and failed herself. She’d prepared for this meeting and had felt so positive about it, despite the nerves, but now if things went wrong, she couldn’t help but feel like it’d be her fault.

Maybe they could give her a shot of something to calm her stomach and still make it back in time before the meeting ended? She would ask the doctor as soon as they came in. But for now, all she had was this nurse popping her head into the room.

“When did you say your last period was?” the nurse asked with a tilt of the head.

Ruby thought back. “October…twentieth?” Was that right? No, it couldn’t have been. Had it really been two months since she’d last gotten her period? She didn’t like what the nurse was silently suggesting. After all, she was on the pill, but oh, God…that would explain so much.

A chill ran through Ruby’s back, chilling her to the bone.

The nurse shrugged. “Because you’re not sick, sweetie,” she said. “You’re pregnant.”