the silver lining playbook// a. irwin

chapter twenty-five

That brisk, fall after dinner, I received a call. A call that I had been waiting for months. It was Thanksgiving. And in the middle of eating a slice of pie, I got a call from the Ravens. "Hello, this is Layla Collins speaking."

"Ash, she's more professional than you," A guy had said, laughing into the phone.

"Calum, for fuck's sake she's on the phone right now, " another voice came in from the background. "And get your damn feet off my table."

"Sorry about that Kayla," the first guy spoke, getting back to business.

I debated whether I should correct him, but I was full of turkey and sleepy as shit, therefore I did as my mind told me, "Uh, my name is Layla. With an 'L'."

"Well, Layla with an 'L', my name is Calum Hood, and I am the accountant for the-"

Without thinking, I interrupted him, "Baltimore Ravens, yes. I am very well-aware what you do Mr. Hood."

"Alright, um, we'd like you to come in and begin working for us," he continued with this clearly pre-prepared speech. "the interview would be at tomorrow at 9. You would meet with us and we'll see."

"My mind doesn't even function at 9 in the fucking morning," I mumbled, but I suppose it was a bit audible because Calum asked what I had said, and I had to retort with a solid, "I'll be there."

And there I was bright and early. Of course, all I knew how to do at the time was my foundation and mascara. So that is all I did.

"Rachel?"someone spoke from behind me, and once I locked my phone and turned around, a man stood there, with a clipboard in his hand, looking astounded. But once I actually locked eyes with him, he shook his head 'no' and sighed in what I believe was disappointment, "I'm sorry you must be Layla."

"That's okay, I've been told I look like a Rachel, if that helps," I tried comforting hom, due to the fact that he had just embarrassed himself.

"No, it doesn't help," he rudely said, sitting down on his chair. Alright then.

"You have all right qualifications, blah-blah-blah," he skimmed the document with his fancy metal pen, "have you ever committed a crime? Do you have tattoos?"

"No and no," I responded. The man muttered to himself as he skimmed the contract.

"Perfect, Kayla-"

"It's Layla,"I interrupted him, not really caring about my impression. This guy was an asshole. Like a giant asshole.

"Okay, my name is Mr. Irwin and you will begin working for me on Monday morning,"he spoke, beginning to get up already. We hadn't spent ten minutes in the interview and he was already leaving.

"How do you know I'll say yes?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in defiance.

The guy looked up, and for a second, he was mesmerized with me once again. But he was trying to pull himself out of the trance he had gotten himself into. It was almost as if he had never seen someone like me. It was special.

"I have a feeling about you, Layla."

--/--

"Ashton," I asked as I leaned against my head against his shoulder, "what will we do about Logan?"

"We?" Ashton questioned me, quickly looking down at me admirably.

I sighed, chuckling at his question,"Well, oddly enough there are two people in this relationship."

"I know that," he nudged me, a smile on his face, "all I'm saying is that Logan isn't a problem anymore. Not to the team and definitely not to us."

"But- I don't know, it just seems too easy," I told him, grin fading as I realized the seriousness of the situation.

"Logan is a shady guy, Layla. He made everyone and everything feel like that," he rubbed my side since his arm was around my waist.

"Yeah, I mean, I guess you're right," I admitted to him, but sitting up-straight in my chair once again.

He teased, smiling at his own joke, "Aren't I always?"

After I had rolled my eyes and threatened to leave , he continued to speak, "By the way, honey, I have an event the night after the game."

"Good for you?" I joked with him, pulling out my phone to check my messages and such.

However, before I could check anything, Ashton took the slim phone put of my hands, making me look back at him, "Layla, I want you to come with me."

I'm not naive, I'm very well-aware that he was asking me out, but that wasn't going to stop my comedic streak. So, I continued, "I always come with you. Someone has to keep you sober."

"No, I mean-" Ashton began to say, about to interrupt me out of sole impulse. But then he stopped himself, took a breath, and continued, "I meant go with me as in a date."

"How scandalous," I continued to bother him, making him roll his eyes, "a couple going on a date? Oh no."

"Alright, 'Miss Attitude', " he said, sitting back on his chair and sighing, keeping my phone with him. "you won't be getting this back any time soon."

"I need my phone to manage the team, you realize that, right?" I scoffed, extending my hand.

He hesitated, but before he could think of a smart remark, he gave me the phone, mumbling and grumbling under his breath.

"Miss Collins, could you please come up to the cabin?" The loudspeaker on the plane blasted, making me get up from my seat and start heading that way.

Once I was in the cabin, Dave and James were driving the plane in their correspondent seats. The exact moment that the door slammed behind me, Dave's head snapped up. He stood up and came towards me, giving me an unexpected hug.

"I wanted to talk to you," Dave said taking me to the same nook we had sat in when we first met.

"About?"

"Logan," Dave told me, his head dipping down to look at his feet, "he knows about you and Ashton."

"W-How?"  I scrunched my eyebrows, not quite sure how that happened.

Dave sighed, a small smile on his face, "He has a phone and a newspaper subscription. It wasn't that hard to find, it was everywhere."

"And I'm guessing he's mad?"

"Very," Dave informed me. I felt the plane dip down a little bit, signaling we would be arriving soon. For some reason, that only made my stomach drop. "he's hoping to catch you red-handed before you get down from the plane. He said he wants the worst for you."

"Isn't he back in Chicago with his mom, though?" I queued, tilting my head to the side.

"No, his mom died like five years ago," Dave said nonchalantly.

I crossed my arms over my chest as I further questioned, "Well, what about Ashton? There's no way in hell that he'll leave me in the same room as Logan."

"You're gonna have to lie."