Chapter 9
Rori
Icannot believe I admitted that to Landon, even though it’s the truth.
Any surprise he feels at my comment is replaced quickly by a pleased expression lighting up his face.
“Well, that’s nice to hear, I confess,” he responds, his voice having dropped an octave.
I ease down into my seat and keep going. “I panicked because I wasn’t sure how to handle it, I’m so sorry. Good or not, I don’t…I don’t want to lead you on, if that is even a possibility.”
He looks at me, waiting.
“I’m in a place right now where I can have no distractions from tennis—even from hot football players,” I explain, smiling slightly at the last phrase so he feels the compliment.
I half expect Landon to tease me about calling him ‘hot.’ Instead, there’s quiet for a second as he takes a slow sip of his beer, seemingly still content to listen.
Okay, I’ll keep going.
“This part of the season is critical for me,” I explain.
“All of our ranking points from the tournaments update weekly, replacing what we had last year. They’re rolling updates, as last year’s tournament points fall off, and they add in what you did at that same tournament this year. It’s unusual, I know.”
He grimaces. “Yeah, that’s different.”
“Since I hadn't recovered yet this time last year, I can build up points in the overall standings for every round I win right now,” I continue. “Going from no points to even quarterfinal points is huge for my rankings. So I’m really locked in on tennis and keeping my personal life basically non-existent.”
He nods at that. “I get it,” he says. “My personal life hasn’t been a priority either, beyond my family and friends.”
I relax, feeling like we’ve come to some kind of understanding about our night together on New Year’s.
But then he looks back at me and says with a grin, “I’m not minding that we have this night together though.”
Before I can reply, I hear the server speak.
“How’re you both on drinks?” Not waiting for a response, she picks up the water jug and refills my cup. “The chef is excited to prepare a few of his best dishes for you to choose from tonight. Do you have any food sensitivities or preferences?”
We both shake our heads no, the intensity of our conversation evaporating with her appearance.
“Well, this will be fun,” I say as she walks away from the table, trying to shift the mood to a lighter direction. “I love trying different foods.”
“Me too,” Landon replies. “When we were in Alabama, it was All-American food, all the time. I love being in Orlando now with so many cuisines represented. What’s your favorite?”
“Indian, but it’s too rich for me to eat often when in training,” I reply. “Other than that, anything with cheese is a winner for me. I even make my own charcuterie boards sometimes for fun. I can’t cook, but I can do that.”
“Those are the plates with all the meats and cheese?” he asks, and I reply with a nod. “My sister sometimes preps those for me. I would’ve had one of those daily at college if you were there to make them.”
I smile at the thought of Landon and me hanging out over charcuterie at his college when we were younger.
“Did you graduate from Alabama?” I ask, pretty sure that I’d seen somewhere that he’d left a year early. “That’s one regret of mine, not going to college at all. It feels like such a rite of passage, you know? And a time to find your lifelong friends.”
“You can still go when you’re done with tennis,” Landon volunteers. “I promise you didn’t miss that much though. It isn’t a dream come true when you have a twenty-page paper to write for Philosophy, and need to leave at six in the morning to travel for a match the next day.”
I laugh at his description, probably more in line with the reality I would have experienced in college.
“No, I haven't fully graduated yet,” Landon continues. “I need a few more courses. It’s pretty normal for the pro football guys to come out early and finish school in pieces. I hope to get my degree in the next few years as I space out those last classes. In my family, getting a college degree is a big deal.”
“That’s great,” I say. “Sounds like you’re juggling a lot.”
“Nah, nothing I can’t handle,” he says, his hazel eyes dancing in the light.
As I stay quiet for a beat, Landon excuses himself to ask for another beer from the server, who is standing off to the side.
Moments later, when he sits back down, I can’t help but admire the sexiness that is Landon. I’m so glad he’s growing out those curls again. Greek God status, for sure.
Not just because of his hair. His jawline and cheekbones are cut in strong, masculine lines that make him look a little older than twenty-three.
You can tell that he’ll stay handsome for decades with that bone structure.
His age is more evident around his eyes, which are still unmarked by any of the crinkles that the older men in my life seem to wear.
My eyes dip down a bit. The thin white shirt that he has on leaves nothing to the imagination about his incredible upper body muscles. His shoulders are to-die for—no really, I know a lot of guys that would kill for them.
Suddenly, I remember gripping those same shoulders on New Year’s as he pressed his body to mine.
How rock solid he was underneath my hands as I moved my body with his, chasing my own release. One of many that night.
“So you’re close to your dad?” he asks, interrupting my Rated R trip down memory lane.
“Yes, I am. How about you?” I ask.
“I’m not super tight with my parents. Like we don’t talk day to day. They had a really bad breakup when I was a teenager, and our lives pretty much changed overnight. I still go to my mom’s for holidays, but my family unit is more my siblings and me.”
I nod. “It’s awesome that you guys have each other.”
“I try to be a good role model for them, even playing parent in some ways. I used to take my brothers to their practices and games when I was still in high school. Coached my youngest brother’s flag football team when he was in elementary school too.”
“It sounds like you had to grow up fast.” His brothers must worship him. “Your sister didn’t play sports?”
“Oh, Grace was a college track star and still to this day loves to compete in road races. But she was so self-sufficient, she didn’t need much help. She was always the perfect one. My brothers caused more problems.” Landon laughs.
I smile. “And what are your brothers up to now?”
“My brother Rawley’s a sophomore in college. He plays wide receiver, actually. Probably coming out for the draft after next season. My agent is going to inherit him too, whether he likes it or not.”
I give a light giggle at that quip.
“And then Connor, he’s the baby. He’s a senior in high school. He always loved soccer and is going to try to make the U.S. National team. The high school football coach tried changing his mind a few times, but he’s rejected football pretty consistently since turning fourteen.”
“So the Battle family’s a little athletically talented?” I tease.
He chuckles. “Maybe just a little.”
“I’m sure it was a crazy household growing up. It sounds like you’re close to your sister still?”
“Definitely,” he says. “We were in the same grade growing up, even though she’s a year younger. She was too smart. Now she helps me stay organized with my day to day while finishing business school. You’d really like each other. She’s one of the best people on the planet.”
A beat later, our server comes with three appetizers, a mix of seafood and vegetarian options.
“We’re going to share all this, right?” Landon asks with a smile.
“Oh, you bet,” I reply, and he grabs my plate to add portions of all three onto it. As he loads up his own plate, we start digging in, and moans come from both sides of the table as we taste the dishes.
“This is so yummy,” I say. “I was starving.”
Landon starts making small talk in between bites, sharing funny anecdotes about his travels during his off season. I’m satisfied being silent, taking in the delicious tastes in combination with his entertaining stories.
Landon’s really fun to be with. I wish I could spend more time with him, I catch myself thinking.
“Where did you go?” he asks jokingly, interrupting that very unhelpful train of thought. “Sorry if I was being boring. Rawley always complains that once I get going on a story, I don’t stop unless forced.”
“No, not at all. I was thinking how much fun this is.” I smile.
“Oh good, same. Ah, here comes more food,” Landon observes as the server brings three more plates over.
“You’re in for a treat tonight. The chef made his special beef dish that everyone raves about. Plus, here is a much-loved Mediterranean chicken dish, and truffle mac-and-cheese too.” I notice she winks at Landon.
“I might’ve snuck in a mention that you’re a cheese lover when I went over to ask for my second beer,” Landon confesses.
“No complaints.” I laugh. “Mac-and-cheese is the best.”
“Enjoy,” the server says as she departs.
“Let me fill your plate up again,” Landon offers, grabbing my plate. “Do you want some of the beef and chicken too?”
“Yes, please,” I respond, starting to melt a little at his care for me. Does he do this on every date with a woman? Or wait, this isn’t a date, right? Is he just this kind of friend?
“Dig in,” he instructs as he does the same with his plate.
Fifteen minutes later, we’ve eaten our fill. This time I’m the one interjecting stories during the meal, sharing more about the academy days once I heard Alex was his friend. Alex’s pack of boys always got in trouble for the stupidest pranks, so I have plenty of stories to share with Landon.
“I’m so giving him shit next time I talk to him.” He laughs.
He is gorgeous, look at his face light up, I think.
Snap out of it, Rori, comes another voice in my head.
I turn in my seat towards the ocean view to refocus myself. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath to soak up the ocean air.
“Nothing like it, right? The smell of the ocean in the air?” Landon says.
“Nothing.” Our eye contact snaps back together as I turn my gaze to him again.
His hazel eyes are oozing warmth and fully focused on my own. I suddenly feel pressure rising in my chest and a tightness at my throat.
Without even meaning to, my eyes dip to his lips. They’re full and slightly upturned, and memories come of how much he knows to do with them.
I see his Adam’s Apple move and he licks his lips. My eyes jerk back up—did he catch me looking? From the intense look on his face, the answer is definitely yes.
“Like what you see, Rori?” he says in a quieter, deep voice.
I let out a deep breath, holding eye contact. “Honestly, yeah. Landon, I can’t do this though. You already know why.”
“I do know why,” he acknowledges. “But we have this night. We don’t know when we’ll be able to see each other again. Why not enjoy this time we do have?”
I look at him, considering. My attraction to him is undeniable. Nothing has changed my opinion that he seems like a genuinely great guy. Why deprive myself of this?
“One night?”
“One night. Then you go off and crush your tournaments. No distractions from me. Other than maybe some funny memes and stories in your texts.”
At the subject of texts, he adds, obviously remembering our history with them, “assuming you are good with staying in touch.”
“Yeah, yeah, I won’t do the ghosting thing again,” I agree, pretty sure I wouldn’t want to ignore him again anyway.
“So—?“
“Let’s go to my room,” I say.