Chapter 10
Hunter
Feeding people has always given me a sense of satisfaction, mainly because it fulfills a basic need we all have. But watching Gracie devour the plate of food I’ve set before her is next-level sensory overload.
The way she delicately places a slice of steak on a shard of sourdough and dribbles it with peppercorn sauce. The way she licks her fingers to get every bit of sauce from the steak. The way she moans when the first bite of mashed potatoes hits her tongue.
I don’t think she’s doing any of it to torture me. She’s just enjoying my cooking. I should feel flattered. I should not feel like hauling her onto my lap.
“So, Gracie, when’s the last time we saw each other? Has to be sometime when Ky and I were in high school.”
“You mean, the last time before the airport?” She gives me a guilty smile. “Sorry I didn’t recognize you right away.”
“Why’re you sorry? I didn’t recognize you either.”
“I’m probably the only female in Los Angeles who hasn’t seen your face all over social media.”
Leaning back in my chair, I put my hands behind my head. “How do you know my face is all over social media?”
Her cheeks flame. Caught. “I may have done a little digging once I realized who you were. I work for the team now. Data is important. Specifics.”
She’s so earnest that I’m not sure if she has a passing interest in me or if she’s just telling me how she does her job.
“So, okay, fill me in on the time between college and the airport. Is that specific enough?”
“Sure, but it’s a long period. Anything in particular you want to know?” There it is again. I can’t tell if she’s flirting, challenging me, or asking a question. I can’t help reading into everything. I want more from her. I shouldn’t, but I do.
“Well, hey, if you’re giving me free rein, tell me about the best sex you’ve had.”
She chokes on a bite of bread. Her eyes bug out, and she grabs a glass of water to wash down the sourdough. I feel like the same teenage goon I always was around her. “Seriously?” She wipes her eyes and regains her composure.
I shrug, undeterred. “You said ‘anything.’”
“Didn’t realize you’d take that and run.”
“Specifics are important,” I remind her.
“Fine,” she grumbles. I catch a hint of amusement that I’ve recalled her comment from earlier. “You can ask anything, but I won’t guarantee I’ll answer.”
“So that’s a no on the sex question? Just confirming.”
“It’s a no.”
“Okay, relationships?” I could banter like this forever. It often gets me into trouble, sure, but I get the sense that Gracie won’t fall for my charms. Never did when we were younger, probably too smart now.
“Not in one at the moment.”
I wait, expecting her to give me at least a few details. She stares me down, lips sealed shut.
“Vow of celibacy? Yeah, I get it.”
A flicker of a smile tickles her lips. I’m itching to get under her cool facade, and I sense progress.
“Focusing on work. Same difference.”
“Ouch. Come on, Gracie. Surely there’s room for romance. I saw what you were reading at the airport. Tell me you don’t believe in being swept away by a duke.”
She scoops a bite of lentils, and I feel like I can see the pleasure centers light up in her brain as she savors the bite.
“I mean, sure. If you know any dukes, send ’em my way.”
“So that’s a categorical ‘no’ on relationships except for dukes. So we’re clear.”
“Correct. Why do you want to know so badly?”
“I’m just trying to figure you out, Gracie. Ky tells me you hate sports. I’m curious why you took this job.”
Caught, her eyes go wide. “I don’t…it’s not that I…”
I chuckle, watching her face go pink straight through to the tips of her ears. “It’s fine. Not everyone’s a fan.”
“I don’t hate sports,” she corrects, smoothing the napkin on her lap. “I’m not a diehard, but things change. I do like the job so far. It suits me.”
“You didn’t answer the question. Why the move?”
“Um…” She chews her bottom lip. “I got fired.”
Staring at her lap, she seems ashamed, and I hate that I’m the instigator of it. “Hey, listen, everyone gets fired at some point. It’s a bump in the road, not the destination.”
“Fine. You want to know about my romantic life? Here’s the deal.
I’ve had relationships. They were good until they weren’t.
In particular, my last one was with a guy in the Bay Area.
I recommended him for a job, made a bad judgment call, and ended up unemployed because of it. No job, no relationship.”
“Sounds like bullshit to me.”
“Thanks for your opinion, but the company had a strict policy on relationships.” Her lips pull down in a frown, and I can see how hard she’s taking this perceived failure.
It makes me want to pummel her former boss and anyone else who ever made her feel small.
“Anyhow, I won’t be making that mistake again.
” She sits up straight like a grade-school student, proving her seriousness.
I can see this is important to her, and I can’t help finding her prim insistence adorable.
“Sounds like you checked the fine print over at the Devils organization before signing on.”
“I didn’t have to. I’m only going to be here as long as it takes to earn back some respect and wait out the non-compete.
Then I’m headed back to a better job in the Bay Area tech world.
Relationships are not going to be a thing because I’m here to work.
Running analytics for the Devils is my life.
That can only benefit you and your team, so you should be thrilled. Do I get to ask a question now?”
Her sudden outpouring of candor catches me off guard, and I lose focus. I want to digest each kernel of information she spewed on its own, but she’s so fired up that I don’t want to sleep on the moment. The power of her stare throws me.
“Um, sure.”
“Relationships? Fiancées? Hookups? What’s your jam? Who can I expect to run into in the kitchen in the mornings?”
“None of the above. No one.”
“Haha.” She tilts her head and waits out the lie. But it’s not a lie. “Please. I should believe that?”
“Why wouldn’t you believe it?” I lean back and cross my arms, challenging her to admit to what she’s googled and why. Even if whatever information she found is old and giving her the wrong impression.
“You’re a soccer star, you’re extremely attractive, and you’re single. You…you must know you have a reputation for, um, dating a lot of women. Or whatever.”
”Sorry, I’m just stuck on the words ‘extremely attractive,’ but what’s this ‘or whatever’ business?”
“Hooking up with anything that moves. You’re telling me you won’t be doing that here?”
“I’m guaranteeing you I won’t be doing that here. In fact, I’m guaranteeing you that you’ll be bringing a guy here for a hookup long before I will.”
She laughs and extends a hand. “Care to make it interesting?”
“What do you have in mind?’
“I bet that you’ll hook up with a woman before I hook up with a guy.”
I grasp her hand and try to ignore the shot of electricity that slams into me at the feel of her skin. “Easiest money I’ll ever make. What’s the bet?”
She thinks for a moment, eyes darting around like she’s trying hard to come up with something good, something she really wants. “Don’t work too hard. You’re not going to win.”
She smiles. “The loser has to cook dinner for the winner.”
“Really? I already did that.”
“I know. And it was delish. So I’m looking forward to winning this bet and doing it again.”
“Good luck to you. And when you lose, you’ll need to do better than a baked potato.”
“Noted.”
Our plates are scraped bare, so there’s no excuse for me to keep her out here longer. And I don’t plan on losing this bet, so I guess I won’t be cooking for her again.
She gets up from the table and starts carrying our dishes into the kitchen. “Thank you again for dinner.”
“Thank you for saving my job.”
“You don’t have to thank me. You did all the work.
I’m purely a data analyst, trying to get ahead.
” She doesn’t emphasize for a third time that she needs to do well so she can get the hell out of here and go back to the life she likes far better than this one.
I’ve been an athlete long enough to know I should take the win on dinner and tune out the rest.
“Sleep well, Gracie.”
“G’night, soccer star.”
I turn away so she won’t see how much I like it when she calls me that.