Page 3 of Over Time Advantage

“We’re in the same boat. Take a seat. You can have the wine glass. I haven’t used it yet.” I only brought one out here with me, assuming I’d be alone.

She walks toward the chair, and I get a whiff of her perfume as she passes by. She smells good. It’s feminine and classy. My body immediately reacts to it.

She plops down in the exact same way I did a few minutes ago, before looking at me. “It’s Jett, right?”

I nod as I pour and then hand her the glass of wine. “Unfortunately. I’m sorry if we’ve met before. Can you remind me of your name?”

She gives me a small wave. “It’s Fallon. Don’t worry about it. You’re the famous one. We briefly met in passing about seven or eight years ago when I was still married. My ex-husband is Tanner Montgomery.”

I nod in understanding. Tanner is a well-known and well-respected sports agent. He represents several of the players on my team. “I apologize. I was going through a rough patch at the time. Those years are a bit of a blur for me. And, frankly, I’m old and tend to forget a lot of shit.”

She smiles again as she sips the wine, and I get the same physical reaction as I did the last time she smiled. I have a sudden need to make her smile as much as possible.

“It’s part of getting older, I guess,” she agrees. “Why are you so miserable tonight, Jett?”

“Because I was asked to attend under the guise of fundraising for the Children’s Hospital, but it turns out I was unknowingly being set up on a date. I don’t know why my friends think it’s their mission in life to find me a woman.”

Her eyebrows pinch in confusion. “I didn’t realize you had gotten divorced.”

“Yep. It’s been a few years now. We’ve kept it quiet for our kids’ sake.”

She nods in understanding. “Your daughter is a professional basketball player, right?”

My shoulders straighten with pride. “She sure is.”

“I went to a few of her games this year. She’s an…exciting player.”

I chuckle. “Exciting is a nice way to put it.” Kennedy is a bruiser on the court. She’s got a bit of a reputation for being overly physical, but I love the way she plays. She’s fierce and unapologetic for it.

“Honestly,” Fallon says, “she’s my daughter’s favorite player. She wears Kennedy’s jersey to every game.”

“Really?” My heart swells with pride.

She nods. “Yep. She loves how tough Kennedy is.”

“Thank you for sharing that with me. How old is your daughter?”

“Harper is eight.”

I exhale a long breath. “Ahh, that’s when they’re still young and innocent.” I’d say sweet too, but Kennedy was never that sweet. She’s a bit more sour, though I suppose I’m partly to blame for that.

“Harper is a ball of fire and my greatest accomplishment in life,” she beams. Her love and affection for Harper are written all over her face. It’s endearing.

“I have no doubt.” I nod toward the balcony. “Why are you out here screaming into the night, Fallon?”

The corners of her mouth raise slightly. “For the same reason as you. Overstepping friends. They think it’s their mission in life to find me a man. They sat at our table and registered me for a dating app. They downloaded it to my phone and then decided to fill out my profile for me. All without asking if I had any interest in online dating.” She holds up what appears to be an iPhone. “They took it right out of my hands and started telling strange men online what I’m looking for in a man.”

I let out a laugh. “Okay, you win. Your friends are worse than mine.”

She grins in satisfaction. “Yep.” She sips the wine again as she looks at her phone. “Apparently I enjoy long walks in the park and want someone to do that with. That’s my ideal day. What I do for fun.” She rolls her eyes. “I couldn’t tell you the last time I went for a long walk in the park. You know why?”

I shake my head.

“Because it’s not something I actually enjoy. It sounds boring as shit.”

I chuckle. “If I were on a dating app and had to write what I do for fun, it would be sitting in my boxers watching sports. Do you think that would attract many women?” I ask cheekily.

She giggles. “Mine would be sitting in my granny panties and watching reality TV while eating a pint of ice cream.”