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“I’m scared that I’m in over my head,” she said in a moment of candor. She might regret it later, but if she’d learned anything it was not to pull her punches. There was no “safe-route” in any relationship.
“My first year as a professional rugby player I was constantly terrified. My stepdad was the coach and I knew that if I screwed up, he’d come down on me. And I played from a place of fear for the first three games, before one of the guys said to me, ‘I heard you were good, but now it looks like that was all bullshit.’”
“That wasn’t very nice.”
Henry shrugged. “I was giving in to the pressure from every avenue, so I made a decision that I was going to play for myself. Not for Gordon or for the crowd. Just for myself.”
“Did that work?” Astrid asked.
“Yes, it did. My playing started improving and eventually I was made captain.”
“Good job,” she said.
“I used that same theory off the pitch. I live my life on my terms.”
“I’m trying to do the same, but there is always a fear—”
“Stop worrying, Astrid.”
He glanced over her shoulder and stood to greet someone else—a tall dark-haired young man whose shaggy hair reached his shoulders.
“I’m Bryan Monroe. I represent XSU.”
“Glad to meet you. This is Astrid, my assistant. Would you like to sit down and join us for a drink?”
“Love to.”
Astrid sank back into her seat and just observed Henry doing his thing. People came and went from his table, which was the norm for Henry, but he kept his attention on everyone. He always had a glass of seltzer water on the table in front of him. She’d quickly realized that her boss didn’t drink on these long nights out. And he had a work ethic that would put anyone to shame.
Daniel had often used other people to make things happen. She had observed him leaving clubs early with groupies while his underlings stayed and talked details. Every minute she spent with Henry made her like him a little more.
She started to get tired and fought to keep from yawning at about two in the morning. She signaled to Henry that she was going to leave.
“Wait for me,” he said to her.
Thirty minutes later, they walked out of the club together. “I think we’re going to get XSU.”
“Definitely. Bryan sounded very encouraging. I’ll follow up with him first thing tomorrow.”
“I’ll give you a ride home,” Henry said.
“Not necessary. I drove Bethann’s car today.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t want to take advantage of you. I appreciate the fact that you are always giving me a ride but it seemed important to have my own way home.”
“Why is that?” he asked.
“Because I always want to invite you up to my place and that’s not a good idea, is it?”
Astrid didn’t regret her candor. They both knew the attraction between them was growing. There was nothing they could do about it.
“I think inviting me up is a fine idea. Why haven’t you?”
“Because you’re my boss, Henry,” she said. The night breeze was cool and a little crisp as she tipped her head back to stare up at the stars.
“Why is your name Henry?”
He laughed a soft sound. “It was my mum’s dad’s name. What about you, Astrid?”
“My mother got it from a book. Bethann was named after my mum’s mum and me…I get a name from a book,” she said.
“What book?”
“Pippi Longstocking. The author was Astrid Lindgren. My mum said she wanted me to have that passion for life that Pippi always had.”
Astrid looked back over at Henry to find him watching her with that unreadable expression of his. She was talking too much, she knew, but she was tired. Physically of course, because her body had yet to adjust to the night owl hours, but also tired of keeping parts of herself from Henry. She wanted him to know the woman she was. Wanted him to look at her and see the real woman.
“I like that. Your mum sounds like she knew what she was doing when she named you,” Henry said.
Astrid wasn’t certain about that. A part of her had always felt as though she had to live a larger life than her sister. Bethann was driven and always made the right choices. She had achieved more and accomplished great things, as opposed to Astrid, who was always starting over.
“I’m not so sure. But I do like where I am right now,” she said.
Henry grabbed her hand, linking their fingers together as they walked down the street to where he’d parked his car.
“Have you ever thought about what you’d name your children?”
Astrid felt a sting of tears at his question. And turned away from him.
“Astrid?”
She shook her head. “Probably after my parents. You?”
“I’ve always thought I’d name a son after Jonny Wilkinson, the great rugby player.”
“Better hope your wife likes the sport,” she said. She tried to keep her tone light, but she knew that children was never going to be an easy topic for her.…How had they taken this track?
* * *
Henry didn’t want to talk about kids; he’d never really thought much about them other than when his mum had given birth to his two younger half brothers. But there was a tone in Astrid’s voice that made him believe he should pursue this line. There was something more to the way she had answered his throwaway question.
“What are your parents’ names?” he asked.
“Spencer and Mary,” she said. “I really don’t want to talk about this. I’m not even sure how we ended up on this topic.”
He unlocked the passenger door of his car and helped her inside. He walked around to the driver’s side and sat behind the wheel for a minute before starting it.
“My mum contemplated naming me Mick after Mick Jagger, but in the end she said she wanted to name me after the man who always loved her.”
“That’s sweet,” Astrid said. She had to wonder how hard it was on Henry growing up the way he had. “Why did you play rugby? Wouldn’t it have been easier for you to try to be a musician?”
Then she covered her mouth with one hand as a thought occurred to her. “Or can’t you sing?”
“I can sing,” Henry said. “Not very well, but I can sing.”
“So why not music?”
“I’m a stubborn cuss,” he said, starting the car. “I didn’t want anyone to say I had anything given to me. I started playing rugby when I was eight. I’d already grown up in the glare of my mum’s spotlight and the infamous circumstances surrounding my birth.…If I achieved anything I wanted it to be on my own terms.”
He pulled out and started driving toward Astrid’s car. “Where are you parked?”
“Near Waterloo,” she said, giving him directions to the location.
“You were very wise to make that choice so young,” she said. “Bethann is like that. She’s a solicitor. Always knew she wanted to be one.”
“What about you?”
“I always knew I wanted to live in London,” she said with a little laugh. “I love the excitement of the city and being so close to everything.”
“Why don’t you live in town?”
“Well, Woking was all I could afford on my own and all my mates are married now. Anyways, that’s why I have a flat in Woking.”
“I meant how did you find your way to the music industry?” Henry pulled into the car park where she’d left her car.
“My car’s in the second level,” she said. “I took a job out of university as a receptionist. It was with Mo Rollins Group, and I just sort of worked my way up. The funny thing is the longer I worked there the more at home I felt.
“It’s that green Ford Fusion.”
He pulled up behind the car and she gathered her bag to get out. But he wasn’t ready to say good-night just yet.
“And now you’re working for me. Still like this industry?” he asked.
“After a night like tonight? You bet. I loved the raw sound of XSU and once you sign them it’ll be exciting to watch their transformation into a solid band.”
“I agree. I had thought of being a sports agent or a recruiter.”
“Why didn’t you? I remember that telly show you had a few years ago that featured child protégés of the sports world.”
“You do? Did you watch it?” he asked.
“Sometimes,” she admitted. “How did you get into doing that?”
“My mum knows all kinds of people in the entertainment industry and after my injury she started putting me in touch with them.”
“She sounds like she’s very helpful.”
Henry laughed. “She’s a meddler. I told her I was going to live off my investments and just party all the time. That motivated her to use every contact she had to get me in touch with someone who could put me to work.”
“And she got her way, didn’t she?”
“Yes, she did. So I had the show, and I was talking to my own agent from when I was with the London Irish, but it was a frustrating job and I didn’t really enjoy it.”
“Is that when you turned to music?”
“Yes. I had the contacts in this world,” Henry said.
“And it gives you something in common with your mum.”
“Yes, it does. Want to come back to my place for a nightcap?”
“Um…what?”
“I don’t want this night to end. I don’t think you do either,” he said.
She hesitated and then sighed. “No, I don’t want it to end. But I have a busy day tomorrow.”
“I know your boss.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of. It’s hard to balance working together with a personal relationship.”
“Is it? Everest Group has no policy against fraternization, so your job isn’t in jeopardy at all.”
“Will that still be true if I say I want to go home?” she asked.
“Of course it will be. I think you know me better than that,” Henry said. “And if you don’t, then going home is definitely what you should do.”
She bit her lower lip. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I guess I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” she said, climbing out of the car. He watched her walk to her vehicle, and she opened the door, tossing her purse inside before looking back at him.
“Do you really want to pursue a relationship with me?” she asked.
He nodded. He couldn’t get her out of his mind and he was tired of trying. He was going to have Astrid Taylor if for no other reason than they might be able to work without the tension of wondering what they’d be like together.
“I’m going to be honest with you, Henry. I’m not sure sleeping with you is in my best interest.”
“Well, when you put it that way, I’m not either,” Henry said. He reached out and tugged on one of her curls. He didn’t want her to say no to him, but he knew that she had a lot more at stake than he did. He was trying to go slowly with her, but he was used to just reaching out and taking what he wanted.
And damn the consequences.
“Come to my country home this weekend,” he said. “We can ride horses and play rugby and get to know each other.”
She shook her head. “I already have plans.”
