Page 6 of Penalty Shots
Maybe I did lose it? And that’s why when Redmond Bonner proposed to me in the middle of a Taco Shack over the summer in the least romantic way possible, I said yes.
He seemed to have it all together. He seemed to be the kind of man I needed: grounded, secure, and, most of all,wantingto start a family.
But a week before we decided to elope, he confessed that he slept with someone. He was heartbroken and remorseful. I knew in my heart that he regretted it. And though I appreciated hearing it directly from him, it sent me for a tailspin and right into the bed of…
There’s a knock on the door, and I feel every cell in my body stand up at attention.
“Come in,” I manage to get out as I walk around my desk and sink into the cushy office chair.
Keelan opens the door and steps in. He waves his fingers in Toby’s direction. And Toby looks at me, unsure of what to do.
“Sit down, Landry.”
He leans his back on the wall at the entrance of my office and shoves his hands into his pockets. The cut on his cheek is now covered by a band-aid.
“I think I’m good here,” he says, a sly grin playing at the corner of his lips where his signature red lollipop hangs like a cigarette.
I roll my eyes and push into my desk. Opening my laptop, I pull up a document and begin typing.
“We’ll need to make an immediate public statement in response to the nowviralvideos,” I inform him with a brow quirked up, wondering if he understands the gravity of the situation.
“Mmhmm,” he hums.
“I’m typing up a statement as we speak,” I add, my fingers flying as I finish the statement and email it to Toby.
“Sure,” Keelan says with no argument.
“And you’ll need to issue a formal apology to–”
“No,” he cuts me off with a slice of his hand through the air. “I’m not apologizing.”
I close my eyes and attempt another deep breath, slowly shutting the laptop and glaring at him.
“No,” he repeats.
“Keelan.”
“Rina,” he says, voice low and gravelly.
My stomach sinks. I know that tone. He doesn’t use it often. But there’s no changing his mind when he’s in that headspace.
Toby clears his throat, clearly uncomfortable being here. “I’m just gonna… go grab some coffee.” He gets up and moves toward the door.
“Go ahead and print out the statement while you’re at it,” I tell him.
Toby’s eyes go to Keelan, who slowly tilts his head in his direction, daring him to do it.
“Uh,” Toby hesitates.
“Now, please,” I say with as much manners as I can muster.
“You got it, boss.” He grabs his laptop off his desk and approaches Keelan, who is still looking down at my young assistant with eyes that pack as much punch as the hits he threw that landed him here in the first place.
“Excuse… me.” Toby squeezes past him and disappears down the hall.
"You plan to punch my assistant, too?” I ask him once Toby is gone.
He ignores my dig and crosses the office in a few quick strides, planting his hands on my desk. “If you think I’m going to apologize for giving your piece-of-shit ex exactly what he deserves, Rina. Then you’re out of your mind.”