He wasn’t.
So I knew that this conversation was going down the drain fast, and I wasn’t about to back down from it, as much as my common sense begged me to. I hadn’t done anything wrong and if I could go back in time, I would do the exact same thing again.
“Miss Casillas, I would be careful with what you believe to be right or wrong; are we on the same page?”
This fucker.
“The Pipers are a team, and this isn’t the first time you haven’t been on board with doing what’s best for the whole.”
Was he ever going to drop it? Each time I’d been in his office, except for this once, it had always been for the same damn thing. Let us tell everyone. And every time I had told him the same thing: No—I’m not involving my family. He had yet to forgive me for it and from how it seemed, he never would.
“I want you to apologize,” he continued, ignoring the look of death I was giving him.
“There’s nothing for me apologize for,” I told him in a calm steady voice.
He leaned forward and hit a button on his phone. “I beg to differ… Mrs. Brokawski? We’re ready.”
We’re ready? For what?
My silent question was answered a minute later when the office door swung open and a beaming Mrs. Brokawski stepped in, holding it open for none other than the bratwurst we’d been talking about. Kulti entered, his expression that cool remote one, his eyes going from me on the chair to Mr. Cordero standing up.
“Come in, Coach.” The general manager looked like a different man, smiling and jovial. The freaking rat. “Take a seat. You know Miss Casillas.”
I didn’t even bother forcing or faking a smile on my face; I just looked at him. I realized that he more than likely had nothing to do with this conversation, but I was too frustrated to forgive him for coming into the office at the wrong time.
The German took the chair next to mine, sitting upright and stiff. He was still in the same clothes he’d had on at the game.
“Thank you for coming in,” Mr. Cordero told him, grinning. “I’m sorry it has to under these circumstances.”
To give him credit, Kulti glanced at me one more time before ignoring the fake gestures and words coming out of the man sitting across from us. “What is this about?”
A low whistle came out of his mouth, and I felt my jaw tightening.
“It has come to my attention that you and Miss Casillas had a small incident regarding a fan, and I would like to apologize for her behavior.” His dark eyes swung to me, imploring me, demanding me to say what he wanted me to say.
I pursed my lips together and fought the great big breath caught in my throat. I was being treated like a dumb little kid who got caught stealing and had to take the goods back to where he’d taken them from. It was embarrassing.
“Miss Casillas, isn’t there something you want to say?”
No.
“There is nothing to apologize for,” that great deep voice next to me claimed, literally shocking the hell out of me.
“You shouldn’t be spoken to—“
The German cut off a person who hated not having the last word, and I felt a spike of pleasure fill my chest at the flash of annoyance in Cordero’s eyes. “Her judgment was sound. Nothing was said that didn’t need to be said. I don’t require an apology from either of you.”
“But—“
“I was out of place with my behavior and we have come to terms with it, haven’t we, Miss Casillas?” the sauerkraut asked, turning his attention to me.
Why, yes, yes, we had, hadn’t we? I nodded. “Yes, we have.”
Cordero’s eyes moved from one player to the retired one. I didn’t miss the pink blossoming on his neck. That sure as hell told me I needed to get out of the room as soon as possible before I said something I would regret. “Coach Kulti, excuse me, but Miss Casillas’s actions are unacceptable. I can’t allow—“
The man sitting next to me raised a hand to cut off the team’s general manager. “It’s acceptable and we’ve dealt with it. I’m going to be upset if she’s punished for being honest and upfront with me, two traits that should be celebrated instead of persecuted. Nothing else needs to be said. Is that all this meeting was for?” the German asked, already rising to his feet.
What the hell had just come out of his mouth? He’d saved me. Hadn’t he?
“Yes, that’s all. I just thought you deserved an apology for—“
“I don’t. If I wanted one, I would have gotten one.” Those brown-green eyes slid over to me. “I have somewhere to be now.”
Cordero was too busy looking at Kulti to notice me getting to my feet and grabbing my bag. I felt like a coward, but at least I’d be a coward that still got to play. I think. “I need to get to work, too. I think we’re going to have a great season!”