11. Macy

Chapter 11

Macy

A call lights up my phone again. This is the third time this number has called me. I thought if I ignored it, they'd stop trying, but obviously I was wrong.

"Sex Dungeon, this is Macy, how may I help you?" I answer before it goes to my voicemail again.

"Shit, I've missed you." The man chuckles on the other end of the line.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" I frown at the TV as I flip through the channels, looking for something to watch.

"Yeah, sweetheart, you know me. Last time I saw you I'm pretty sure I found my son's tongue halfway down your throat."

"Owen!" I squeal and bounce a little in my seat.

Owen and I have never had a normal relationship. We've always acted like friends and teased each other relentlessly. Definitely not how a dad normally treats their son's girlfriend, but I loved it .

My favorite memories in high school and college were with Cord's family. They were everything I always wanted and couldn't have. Sure, Liam and Miranda treated me well. They included me in everything and took care of me. Noah and Frankie did too, but it's not the same as what Cord had.

The Powell's welcomed me with open arms. Carrie would give me a motherly hug and ask me how I was doing every time I went over. Owen would tease me and make inappropriate jokes, laughing when I did the same. Cici's always been like a sister to me and made being at their house even nicer.

Cord's family made it easy to dream about a life together. I knew my kids would have a wonderful set of grandparents there for them and an amazing extended family. Parker and Logan treated me like their niece, while Avery and Luke constantly tried to spoil me.

"How are you doing, Mace?" Owen asks softly, pulling me from my thoughts. Even his voice feels a little like home to me.

"I'm hanging in there," I answer honestly.

"Anything I can do to make things better?"

You could give me a job.

The thought crosses my mind, but I quickly push it away. I'd never ask him for a job, but that doesn't mean I didn't spend my morning checking Scott, Powell, and Coleman, as well as the Philadelphia Pit Bulls for open positions.

"Nah, I'll be fine. I'm just working through some things."

"Ok. Well, I 'm calling because I'm looking for a public relations specialist. Do you know of anyone who needs a job in that field?" I can hear the smirk in his voice and it brings a smile to my face.

"Possibly, but I'd need more details about it first." I perk up a little. I'd love to work for him in some capacity. It would be a dream come true.

"First, I'd need to know if they got fired recently and why."

Ah, there's the business man I've always heard about and never seen. He's not handing out favors unless it's a smart move.

"Who told you?" I ask quietly. It's embarrassing to admit I was fired, especially to my ex's dad.

"It doesn't matter. I want you working for me, but I can't do that if I don't know what happened."

"Well, a client implied I looked like crap so I could help sell his stroller line since he was getting backlash about his supermodel wife doing it. I kinda lost my temper and got called into my boss's office about it. He pretty much told me the only way for me to keep my job was to drop to my knees and I told him to fuck off. I might've punched him in the face, but that hasn't been confirmed or denied yet."

"I hope you filed a complaint with human resources before you left," he growls.

"I did, but I'm not holding my breath."

"Come work for me, Mace."

"Where?"

"At the Pit Bulls. You know how these guys are, they don't know how to talk to the press and it would be awesome if they did. I can't even let some of them near cameras because I don't know what will come out of their mouths."

"Like Cord?" I grin. The man is smart, but if you stick a microphone in his face, it's like his brain just shuts off and he doesn't know what to say. He'll blurt out the most insane things and if he's in a bad mood, it can get pretty nasty.

"Definitely like Cord." Owen chuckles. "There might be some bad press revolving around Stubbs being let go. There's a possibility I'll need your help there too."

"Yeah, Charlie told me what happened. I can't believe he'd go after Wyatt like that."

"So, what do you say? Do you want to work for me?"

"I thought we were going to discuss specifics. I need to know the price tag on this job, Mr. Powell."

"Uh, oh. We're bringing out the sir name. This must be serious," he teases me. "How about you come to the clubhouse tomorrow morning? We can discuss numbers and specifics then."

"Ok, but Owen?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"Do I have to wear clothes with the Pit Bulls logo on it? Charlie's constantly wearing them and I hate it. I can't work under those conditions. I demand to dress pretty."

"You can dress however you want… but like business clothes. Don't come to the clubhouse in a bikini or lingerie or something like that."

"Ok, Dad . Take away all of my fun, why don't you? Am I allowed to wear heels or is that too sexy?"

"I think your mouth is what I should be the most scared of." He chuckles and I imagine him shaking his head, just like he always used to do. "Do me a favor?"

"What's that?"

"Don't break any of my players' hearts. I don't want them slacking on the field."

I suck in a deep breath and blow it out slowly as I stare straight ahead at the entrance to the clubhouse. This could be my new reality. The place I spend most of my waking time.

Slowly climbing out of my Wrangler, I grab my bag out of the backseat, and shut the door. This is it. Probably one of the most important meetings I'll ever go to. If Owen hires me, I'll be set for life, I have no doubt about it. But if he doesn't? I don't know what I'll do.

"Macy? What are you doing here?"

I glance over my shoulder to find Cord walking my way with more swagger than ever before. I swear I'll never find anyone more attractive than him. His broad chest is hugged by a thin polyester shirt, showing off his impressive biceps, and a pair of athletic shorts hang on his trim waist. He's every girl's dream come to life.

His dark hair is a wild mess and I wonder if he's even touched it since he woke up. His gray eyes are what draw my attention though. They're always focused on me, making me feel like I'm someone important, even though I'm not.

"Oh… uh… I have a meeting with your dad." I nibble on my bottom lip, unsure of how he's going to respond.

I wonder if he told Owen I was looking for a new job, or did Charlie? Maybe neither one of them? I guess it could've been Cici… or Leo… or Wyatt. Damn, I didn't realize how complicated and interconnected my relationships were until now.

"Really? What about?" He places a hand on my lower back and nudges me forward. He's careful to stay in step with me, never hurrying me.

"A possible job?" I wince, waiting for him to get mad. With how things were when he left two nights ago, I don't really know how he'll feel about this.

"That's good. I'm glad you have some prospects already." He nods his head as his fingers move back and forth on my lower back.

"It would be weird for me to work here though, wouldn't it?" I peek up at him, worried I might have to walk away from this opportunity .

Cord tugs me to a stop and spins me to face him. He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me into his embrace. My hands unconsciously go to his chest as I stare into his gorgeous gray eyes.

"Babe, I want what's best for you. If that's working for the Pit Bulls, then I'm fine with it. We'll just have to learn to be civil to each other."

Kiss him and make sure he's still an ex. Charlie's words float through my brain as my gaze drops to his lips. But that's crazy! I can't kiss him. That's an awful idea.

"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" Cord tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and lets his fingers trail down my jaw.

I squeeze my eyes shut as a chill spreads through my body. Every time this man touches me, he lights me on fire. He's always affected me more than anyone else, it's good to know that hasn't changed.

"It's nothing. Just something Charlie said." I shake my head, trying to forget all about her comment.

"Nah, c'mon. Tell me." His voice is soft and sweet, just like it used to be when we were alone.

"She's all lovey dovey because of Wyatt and her getting back together. She's on cloud nine and she wants everyone else to be too, so she told me to make sure you were still an ex. But that's stupid, of course you're still an ex."

"Only because I don't think I have the power to change that myself. Only you can change that. "

"I thought you didn't want to get back together." I arch a brow at him, calling him out for what he said yesterday.

"Yeah, I lied," he whispers, making my heart beat a little harder against my sternum. "C'mon, let's get in there before Dad comes looking for you and I get in trouble for being late to work."

Cord leads me down the hallway and over to a door clearly labeled locker room. I freeze and shake my head.

"I'm not going in there."

"Why?"

"Because there will probably be naked men in there!" I hiss.

"Oh, I guarantee there will be. If you get lucky, maybe you can confirm your suspicions about Schmidt." He smirks.

I pinch my lips into a thin line as tears begin welling in my eyes. I don't get embarrassed about what I say often, but being called out at the bar by Schmidt, that was a night I'd rather forget. That night started all of this between Cord and me. I no longer know how to behave around him or even where things are going.

He went from being pissed and cold towards me, to soft and sweet. I'm not sure how to handle it and I truly don't know how I'm hoping things will work out.

"I'm sorry, babe. I was just teasing you. Don't go crying on me." He tugs me back into his arms and hugs me tightly. He cradles my head against his chest and I suck in a deep breath, letting his scent surround me .

This time I wrap my arms around his waist and pretend just for a few moments he's mine again. That I didn't ruin everything we had because I walked away from this amazing man. I didn't let my insecurities takeover and make me believe I couldn't have him.

"I'm so used to us fighting and pushing each other's buttons, but I don't want to do it anymore, Mace. I want to see you smile and know it's because of something I did. I never want to find your beautiful eyes filled with tears again over something I did or said, ok?"

I nod my head against his chest and take a few more moments to enjoy feeling loved and cherished. I know when I step away, it could be a long time before I'm hugged like this again.

"Are we good?" Cord watches me carefully.

"Yeah, Cord, we're good."

"Ok. Let's go." He holds out his hand to me and I take hold of it without thinking. It was natural to do this for so long, a gut instinct for me. My chest aches knowing I don't get to do this anymore and it's completely my fault.

Cord pushes open the locker room door and calls out, "hide your dicks! My girl doesn't want to see them!" He winks at me, flashing me a devilish grin.

He knows exactly what he just did. He claimed me before any of his teammates could even lay an eye on me. That sneaky, sneaky man.