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Reality crashed down on Katie like a dropped piano and she ducked her head to hide her face with her hand. "You said what?! Are you crazy?!"
"Ok, I guess you do mind," Landon quipped trying to lighten the mood, although the wrinkle between his brows said he couldn’t quite figure out why he needed to.
"Why in the world would you do that?" Katie asked, but she didn’t give him a chance to respond.
She grabbed her computer and her bag and darted for the door, leaving the Mavericks’ starting shortstop open-mouthed in her wake.
chapter 3
Katie burst out of the coffee shop, her head swiveling to remember where she’d parked her car. She went left, not at all confident that was correct, and made it halfway down the block before she heard Landon calling her name. He caught up to her easily, but she didn’t stop moving until they were around the corner and hidden in an alleyway.
"Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to piss you off," Landon said, confusion all over his face and words.
Of course he was dumbfounded. Every woman he’d tried that little trick on had probably swooned. Katie knew it to be true because in a different set of circumstances, she would have happily cozied up to him too. Held his hand across the table and talked low and quiet, heads ducked together, all the while hoping this fake date turned into a real relationship.
But she didn’t have the luxury to play into games. Not when her livelihood was on the line. Not with a whole slew of people back home just waiting for her to fail so they’d have something to gossip about at the church luncheon.
"How could you do that?" she asked. "They were all trying to take pictures of us. Do you realize how much trouble I could get into?"
"What, are you married or something? You don’t have a ring and I’ve never seen you at the games with a guy when you come on your day off."
Say what? He’d been watching her at games? And paying attention to who she showed up with?
"No, I’m not married," she mumbled, too startled to come up with a wittier response.
"Boyfriend then?" he asked.
She blinked back at him.
"Or girlfriend...maybe?"
A smile tugged at Katie’s lips, but she tucked it back in as she shook her head.
Landon tried again. "Are you like in witness protection or something? Because I gotta tell you, a whole lot of people come through a ballpark. I’m not sure it’s the best option for you."
She finally relented with a giggle and Landon rewarded her with a smile that made her toes curl and her cheeks hot and her insides all mushy.
Oh no. Not good, girl. Not good.
Katie straightened her face. This was serious—and he wasn’t taking it seriously.
"No, it’s not any of that. It’s Lori," she said.
Landon’s mouth dropped open, his eyes tripling in size. "You mean… you and Lori? Wow, that is unexpected. Does Vincent know? You do know she’s married, right? Poor son-of-a-bitch."
"Shut up," Katie said, laughing despite her best efforts not to."No, I mean Lori read me the riot act on my first day about the no fraternizing with the players policy. She said I’d be axed if she even got a whiff of that. I believed her then and I believe her even more now. Ineedthis job. One person posts a picture of us having a cup of coffee she didn't authorize on social media, hashtag Landon Ryan, I guarantee, she will see it and she will fire me in a heartbeat."
Landon adjusted the ball cap on his head. "I get it, and I’m sorry. If anything comes up, I’ll explain it to Lori and get you off the hook. You have more than proved your loyalty to the Mavericks organization and your job."
Katie squinted back at him, studying him in the cool shadows of the downtown alleyway. She couldn’t tell if that last little comment was laced with admiration or sarcasm. If he was serious or teasing. Kyle always did complain about her propensity for over analyzing any little thing someone said.
She smoothed her hands over her hair and gave her clothes a quick straighten, exercising just enough control over herself to feel less like the old Katie who cried regularly on the bathroom floor and more like the new Katie who had her shit at least somewhat together.
"I really am sorry," he reiterated.
"It’s fine," she said, "I overreacted. I just really, really need to keep this job."
"Yeah, you mentioned that," he said. "Look, let me make it up to you. I’ll buy you lunch. I know the perfect place. It’s close, it’s quick, it’s delicious, and…" Katie’s mouth was already open in protest, so Landon put up a finger to shush. "…it’s private. I know the owner and she has a spotfor me whenever I don’t want to deal with the selfies and cameras and shit."
