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He didn’t exactly admit to it, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t walk into our meeting last week with the intent to actually launch a tequila brand. Yet he showed up here twice to see me.

I mean, it was risky. He had literally no idea whether I’d be in the meeting last week.

He could’ve just dropped into my DMs. That might’ve been the easier route.

But something tells me he doesn’t typically opt for the easy route. How could he? He’s a professional athlete, and having grown up with several in my family, I know how there’s no cutting corners. There are no easy routes.

We agreed to meet at Drai’s on Thursday at ten, and I haven’t decided yet whether I’m telling my sister. I haven’t decided if I should go solo or if that’s dangerous.

It’s probably dangerous.

I don’t know many people here in Vegas yet, but Ashley—Naomi’s assistant—isn’t terribly far from my age, and she’s not married to any of my siblings, so she seems like a safe bet.

Everleigh stops into my office just before lunch. “How’d it go with Cash?”

“Fine,” I say.

“Just fine? What did he say to you?” she asks.

I lift a shoulder. “We went over the intake form.”

“What’s his vision? What vibe did you two decide on?”

“He’s got a lot of decisions to make, so I sent him home with homework. We’re following up next week. He booked a recurring spot on Tuesdays at ten.” I say it with pride, excited that I have my first real client.

She purses her lips. She’s not as excited as I am about that fact.

I finally get a chance to ask Ashley at lunch on Thursday when it’s just the two of us in the little kitchen of the office. “We should hang out sometime. You know, like out of the office.”

“Totally,” she says, nodding. “I’d love that.”

“How about tonight?” I ask.

“Tonight?” she echoes.

“Yeah, I’m thinking about hitting up a club to blow off some steam. You want to come with me?”

She lifts a shoulder. “Sure. I love Zouk,” she says.

“I was thinking maybe Drai’s.” I say it indifferently, like it doesn’t really matter, and I definitely don’t bring up Cash Maddox.

“Oh, sure. Lots of hot football players hang out there.” She wiggles her eyebrows, and if she wants a football player, I could surely hook her up since one of my brothers and my brother-in-law both play for the local team.

And let’s hope there’s more hockey and less football there, shall we?

I wrinkle my nose. “I’m not hooking up with a football player.”

“Why not?”

I laugh. “Because four of my five brothers play football, and I’m just not interested.” Are football players hot? Absolutely. Do they remind me way too much of my siblings? That’s a hard yes.

But hockey players, on the other hand…

“Well, that’ll leave more for me,” she says, and she grins. “What are you wearing?”

I haven’t figured that out yet, and I have a feeling meeting him tonight with Ashley along for the ride isn’t going to bode well for me, but I already invited her. It’s too late.

Everleigh’s going to find out that I met him outside of work, and maybe she’ll fire me.