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“There were some gaps in the files I need to fill in to better support you.” His smile hasn’t faltered.
“You read my files already?” I raise a brow, skeptical he could have since I only left his office an hour ago. My neck is starting to ache looking up at him at this angle, so turn back to finish strapping my feet in.
“I was already across your recent files,” he says, moving to stand where he can maintain eye contact. It’s unnerving how intently he’s watching me. “It was the older ones I was looking into. There isn’t much there. Can I ask you a few questions?”
“Here?”
“Why not?”
I grip the handles of the rower tighter, worried the sweat beading on my palms will send it flying from my grasp.
The gym isn’t packed, but there are a few guys already paying attention to Jase and me, and I don’t like it.
“Can we just talk later?”
“When?”
“Later, God. I really need to finish this workout.”
“Okay, how about dinner?”
“What?”
A guy across from us looks our way. Does he think Jase is hitting on me? I don’t need that out there. I’m only in my second year with Cleveland, and all I want to focus on is getting a longer contract. I don’t want to do anything to rock the boat, including coming out.
“Dinner? You have to eat. I’ll pick—”
“Just come to my place. You know the address, right?” I need this conversation to be over.
“Sure, what time?”
“Seven. Now please go so I can finish my workout.”
I start my reps on the rower, ignoring that he’s still beside me. After a few reps, he turns and leaves, and I watch in the mirror as a guy working out across from me checks out his ass.
If I’m completely honest, I do, too. His tailored suit hugs his round ass perfectly.
I try to forget about Jase and dinner and push through my workout, but from the second I invited him back to my place, I can think of nothing else.
One of the Kansas City players was snapped leaving a restaurant with a female friend and they were on the cover of magazines for weeks while the media tried to figure out who the friend was and if they were dating.
Jase is my agent now, though, so all the media would see is my new agent dropping by my house. That’stotallynormal. I know I’m not being rational. Maybe it’s the way a swarm of monarchs take flight inside my stomach when he looks at me that is the real problem here? He’s definitely the best-looking agent I’ve ever had. But he’s young. Too young.
At least he’s already proving to be somewhat different from my other agents. None of them came to my place at all. Ever. They were phone calls or game days only. They all read my file, so why they would think that Chick-fil-A was a good endorsement for me, I will never understand. I could never promote something I don’t ethically support. If I was out, they probably wouldn’t want me, anyway. I should come out. Other players have, but I just can’t take the risk. I need a long contract, then I can think about maybe taking that step. Or maybe when the boys are out of college. I don’t want them to have to deal with that distraction while they are in school.
Deciding it would be better to shower at home, I grab my stuff and head out. Jase will be over soon.
I lean forward, resting my head on the cool tile as the water beats down on my back, relaxing the muscles and washing the sweat away. The steam fills my lungs. The room becomes a cocoon of warmth. I could stay here forever. My timer chimes, and I groan.
Why did I ask Jase here? I dry and slip on some sweats, then head to the kitchen to make a start on dinner.
Pulling out two steaks, I toss some vegetables on a baking tray in the oven, set the frypan to hot, and get to seasoning the meat. It’s nothing fancy, but it’ll refuel me after the workout and it’s simple enough that Jase will probably eat it. Unless he’s a vegetarian… I guess if he is, he can just eat the roast vegetables.
The steak is resting when the doorbell buzzes, and I check the monitor to find Jase out the front of the building. I press the button to buzz him in and throw a shirt on before opening the front door. The elevator is right by my apartment, and the numbers aren’t moving. Did he not come in?
I move to check the monitor again to see if I can spot him outside when he rounds the corner of the stairs, face flushed.
Did he seriously climb ten flights?
