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“Thank you so much for all of your help today, Liliana. I promise to keep you in mind for my future press needs.”
“That would be great.” She’s smiling from ear to ear. She’s such a sweetheart. I wonder how she and Smithy met, I can't imagine the two of them being friends.
Liliana stands and holds out her hand to shake mine. She’s someone I could imagine hanging out with on the weekends. She’s smart and driven, but there’s a carefree and fun side of her too.
“You’re really friends with Smithy?” I arch a brow.
“Yeah, we go way back. I don’t know what I’d do without him in my life. He’s always been a constant and someone I can lean on.” Her smile turns wistful and I wonder if there’s something more going on there.
I wouldn’t blame her if she has hidden feelings for Smithy. He’s hot, cocky, and a flirt. He makes everything fun, yet makes you feel like you matter.
“I’m glad to hear that. Sometimes I wonder if the guys are really as sweet as they act when they’re here. I know some of them aren’t and they’re just trying to get my attention.” I roll my eyes.
“Is it hard working here?”
“Nah, Owen’s a fantastic boss. He always makes sure you’re taken care of and have everything you need to do your job.” I lean forward and glance down for a minute. I barely know Liliana and as much as I want to trust her, I'm not sure I can. A lot of reporters only care about what story they can spin from the information you give them.
“This is off the record, Macy. I get it. I'm the reporter and most of us are scum. I promise I'm not interested in ruining the Pit Bulls or anyone here. I met Stubbs a handful of times and he was such a piece of shit. I'm happy to help take him down, but only him. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt Smithy. He means too much to me.”
“Owen values his good employees. He’ll go above and beyond to help if you treat him with respect. He’s not just the bosshole everyone paints him as. Can he be a bosshole? Absolutely. But that’s not entirely him. He’s made this place feel like a family and I'm honored to have a place in it.”
“Damn, I wish I could find a position here.” Liliana chuckles and shakes her head. “My boss is a jerk and I swear he wants to make my life miserable. He found out I'm friends with Smithy and he keeps encouraging me to find out as much as I can about the team and write a big article on it.”
“Are you going to?” My brows raise as my heart beats a little faster. I'm sure Smithy isn't careful with what he says around Liliana. She could destroy this franchise with things he says.
“No,” she says softly. “I’d never do anything to hurt Smithy or jeopardize his life and future. I don’t care if it would help my career. I don’t want to be that person. I want to be a reporter people can actually trust.”
“You care about him.”
“Of course.”
“As more than a friend,” I say slowly. I can see it in the ways her eyes sparkle when she talks about him. At the sweet smile that keeps playing on her lips every time his name is mentioned. This woman is head over heels for Smithy.
“It doesn’t really matter how much I care about him,” she whispers. “We’ll always be friends and nothing more.”
“Is that his doing or yours?” I push a little harder. Liliana narrows her eyes on me, making me hold up my hands and chuckle. “Nothing you say is leaving this office. I’m just nosey and I love Smithy. He seems… broken though.”
“He is, but I'm working on putting him back together.”
“I hope he knows how lucky he is to have you.”
Liliana opens her mouth to respond, but a knock on my door interrupts her. I glance up to find Smithy’s face pressed against the small window.
I roll my eyes and motion for him to come in. He’s never going to leave until he says whatever he came here to say.
“You didn’t tell me you were going to be here.” He completely ignores me as he focuses entirely on Liliana. “Lils, I haven’t seen you in forever.” He gathers her into his arms and hugs her like she’s the only person in the world. He squeezes his eyes shut and takes a deep breath of her. He looks more like a man in love and less like a friend.
“I saw you two days ago,” she squeals as he lifts her into the air and spins her in a circle.
“That’s like a lifetime. I told you, I need my daily fix of Liliana.”
“Oh, I'm so sorry,” she says sarcastically. She rolls her eyes, but she can't hide the massive smile she has aimed at him. They’re adorable together.
“You should be. My performance on the field was affected today because of it.”
“I'm sure you’re fine.” She pats him on the chest and grins up at him.
“Oh, I'm fine. All the ladies know that.” Smithy’s smile widens, showing off his dimples.
