Page 6 of Over Time Advantage

It’s honestly the best time I’ve had with a woman in decades, though we’ve been gone from the party for an unreasonable amount of time.

When we begrudgingly go to stand, she looks up at me. “Wow,” she breathes, “you’re so…big.” I tower over her by more than a foot.

Jett of twenty-five years ago would have had a cheeky reply to that comment, but he’s long gone. I’m a shell of the man I once was. I barely remember him.

She slips back into her heels, giving her a few more inches, but I’m still much taller than her. I offer her my arm, and we make our way back into the party. I’m unsure of what will happen, but all I know is I don’t want to part. Not yet.

As soon as we walk inside, I’m accosted by BooJuice or however the hell you say her name. “Where have you been?” she whines in obvious annoyance. “You’re not a very good date.”

I’m about to remind her that I’m not her date when Fallon leans into me and runs her hand up and down my chest. “Your date? You must be mistaken. He’s mine. We’ve planned it for weeks. I was just running a bit late, but I’m here now. Want to dance, honey?”

In light of my stunned silence, Fallon widens her eyes, urging me to play along. “Y…yes,” I attempt to agree even though lying doesn’t come naturally for me. “This is my date. I’m sorry that Leo must have misunderstood me when I told him Fallon would be late.”

My brow starts to sweat. I’m not built for this. I’ve led game-winning drives in hundreds of football games, but this is more stressful for me.

Beetlejuice has steam coming from her ears as she stomps away from us.

I blow out a breath in relief. “Thanks for that.”

“You’re a horrible liar,” she laughs.

I release a breath. “I know. I was never very good at poker.”

Her eyes flash with a bit of amusement as she releases my arm and steps away from my body. I miss her immediately.

“Thanks for tonight, Jett. You turned a crappy night into a good one, but I should get back to my friends.”

I don’t want her to leave, but I equally know I’m not who she’s looking for. I’m not a nine-to-five man. I’m married to my job. The opposite of what she wants.

When I had swagger, I would have reminded her she just promised me a dance, but instead I offer, “It was a pleasure to spend the evening with you, Fallon. I hope our paths cross again sometime soon.”

She gives me a small smile. “Goodbye, Jett.”

I swear I see a fleeting look of disappointment on her face when I don’t respond, but she turns and walks away without looking back. Watching her disappear into the sea of people feels like a punch to the gut. I can’t let that be the end of things.

An idea occurs to me. I walk over to Leo, who’s standing at the bar. “Will you take me to the tech thingy store soon? I want to get an iPhone.”

He lets out a laugh as he slaps my back. “Finally. What changed your mind after all these years?”

“It’s just time.”

And I have a certain dating app I need to download.

ONE

FALLON

Iget home from work and practically sprint to my wine refrigerator to open a bottle, pouring myself an embarrassingly large glass. This day was never ending—hell, this week has been never ending—and I need a little liquid therapy. The cherry on top of this long day of work was my mother calling me on the way home to remind me I’ll be forty next year and that my looks will soon be fading, meaning I need to go out and find a man now. Lately, it’s all she talks about.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents. My mother held me up after my divorce. There were mornings I couldn’t get out of bed, but she was here, reminding me I had a daughter to take care of. And she took care of Harper in the moments when I just couldn’t.

Tanner and I lived in New York City when we were married. I wanted to move to Philly afterward to be closer to my family. I’m fortunate that Tanner didn’t legally press the issue, which he was well within his rights to do. Instead, he recognized that I needed the change of scenery, and what was best for me was best for Harper. He moved his entire company down here, not wanting to put Harper on trains every week for short visits. Shared custody was important to him. Being in her daily life was important to him.

Over the years, my mother has gone from being my caretaker and cheerleader to pressuring me to “find a man.” Yes, I want someone to share my life with, but I don’t need it. That’s what she fails to understand.

I’m so happy I have something to look forward to this week. Reggie and I have a continuing education seminar in Miami. Amanda is coming with us so we can make a fun girls’ trip out of it. I need some R&R with my girls more than ever. It will be full of drinks and laughs. A much-needed opportunity to recharge my batteries.

As I take a sip, I check my emails on my phone, rolling my eyes when I see one from Stephanie Blake. She’s the third-grade class mom. The type of woman who eats, sleeps, and breathes school activities. There’s another bake sale. Why the fuck do these kids need so many damn bake sales? What we pay in tuition for this private school should cover field trips and other activities. Hell, I’d rather have a higher tuition and fewer damn bake sales.