Page 7 of We'll Meet Again
“If you say so,” Ethan said with a shrug. “I was trying to find the way to my new place, but my phone’s dead, and I don’t have the right kind of charger yet. I needed to sign my papers anyway, so I had the driver take me here.”
“You did the right thing,” Tony said. He gestured to the chair beside him, directly opposite Billie. “Please, have a seat.”
Ethan wheeled his luggage all the way around the table, catching it on the back of Billie’s chair. She couldn’t contain the huff that escaped her, as the motion only added to her simmering ire.
“Oh, geez, I’m so sorry, miss,” he said. “Are you alright?”
“Fine,” she said curtly, resolutely ignoring his gaze and turning her shoulder to him.
He cleared his throat and continued on around. When he finally settled into the chair, he cast another apologetic look her way, but she dodged that too.
Tony looked at her. “Billie, his contract?”
“It’s in your briefcase,” she answered. “Sir.”
The differentiation was lost on him. He dug into his briefcase, found the file, and let it fall onto the table with a thud. “We’ll get a photo op tomorrow when you start training, but this is the real thing.”
“I’m familiar with how it goes,” Ethan replied.
Billie finally looked at his - remarkably handsome - face. She didn’t know if it was just her, or if she had just detected the slightest hint of sarcasm from this guy.
“Oh, good, so they somewhat know what they’re doing in MLS, do they?” Tony attempted a joke.
It didn’t seem to land, as Ethan’s expression remained neutral, and he spoke kindly. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Her eyes bounced between him and Tony like a tennis match. The paralegals were watching with similar interest.
“Well,” Tony cleared his throat. “Just…you’ll find the Premier League is a standard unlike any other in the world.”
“Have you ever worked for another league?” Ethan asked, seemingly genuine.
“I have not.”
“Ah, that explains it.”
“Explains what?”
“Why you think it’s the best,” Ethan said, his tone even and polite. Billie wondered if anything sounded confrontational with that accent. “You haven’t experienced anything else.”
She blinked, a smirk threatening the corners of her mouth. Then she shook her head, refusing to be charmed by this guy. She barely so much as spoke to the athletes anymore, and she wasn’t about to start up again now. She picked up her phone and began looking through the calendar for the week while Tony moved right along and guided him on what to sign. When that was said and done, Ethan and Tony shook hands like proper bros.
“Anything else we can do for you, mate?” Tony asked.
“Well, I just need a map or something to figure out how to get to my new place,” Ethan told him. “I’ve never been to London before, and until my phone gets some juice in it, it ain’t gonna be much use to me.”
“I’ll do even better,” Tony said. “We’ll have someone escort you there personally.”
“I don’t wanna put nobody out or any-”
“Not to worry, we’ll use someone nonessential,” Tony insisted. “Billie, for instance.”
Billie snapped her head up. “What?”
Tony ignored her. “Give her the address, and she’ll see you get there safely.”
“What?” she repeated, sterner this time.
“Right, see he gets anything he needs,” Tony went on, finally glancing her way. “And I’ll see you sometime after the meeting with Real Madrid.”