The comment earned me a brief smile.
I looked across the field to where everyone was running toward the locker room. “I hate to do this to you, but do you mind if we reschedule our interview? I’m probably going to be another hour.”
“I don’t mind sticking around.” She shifted her bag on her shoulder.
I raised a brow. “You sure?”
“Yeah, unless you have somewhere to go after this.”
“Not really.” I ran a hand through my sweaty hair. Now I was hyperaware that I was still in my practice gear and probably smelled like a wet dog. “I’ll need to take a quick shower too. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to put clothes on before we start the interview.”
She looked at me with a scolding stare. “After watching you practice, I think I have more of an appreciation for what you do.”
I smirked. “Oh, yeah. You have a thing for watching me sweat?”
Shit, what the hell was I doing? Flirting?
Her mouth twitched, trying to fight back a laugh. “A professional appreciation, of course.”
“Whatever you say,” I said, feeling the air between us grow into something heavier. I shifted on my feet and glanced away from her before I said something stupid. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
Jax was leaning against his locker as soon as I walked in. “You two are getting cozy?”
I pushed past him. “Knock it off.”
“You should invite her to dinner.”
“And you should mind your own business.”
He grinned and walked away to take a shower—something I needed to do as well.
About an hour later, I was walking back out onto the field. I was showered, threw on a gray T-shirt, and jeans. My hair was still damp, but at least I smelled better.
Becca was sitting on the bench, talking on her phone. As soon as she saw me, she hung up.
There was something about seeing her waiting for me that made my chest stir in a way that had nothing to do with this interview.
“You clean up nice,” she said, with that smile of hers that seemed to do weird things to me.
“Do you want to grab a bite to eat?” I asked, surprising myself.
She hesitated for a minute. “You mean like dinner?”
I shrugged, trying to sound casual. “Yeah. I’m usually starving after practice. I figured I’d be less cranky answering your questions if I had a little food in me.”
She tucked her phone into her bag. “Did you have some place in mind?”
“Actually, I do. There is a quiet cafe, not too far from here. They’ve got great sandwiches, plus a good selection of pasta and flatbreads. It’s private, so if you’re up to it, then I’m down. Unless you already have plans.”
She shook her head. “Nope. Just a leftover pot pie I picked up from Costco last weekend.”
I grinned. “Perfect. Follow me.”
Becca and I drove separately, but I kept checking my rearview mirror to make sure she was still behind me.
The cafe was a short ride away. The owners, Adam and Kelly, were good people and knew how to keep things low-key.
“Hey, handsome,” Kelly called out when I walked in. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She had on a pair of skinny jeans with a simple black T-shirt. You would never know that she and her husband, Adam, were basically billionaires.
