Chapter 16
Levi
“Woah, where are you going so fast?” Davis asks, rubbing his face with a towel. He’s sweat-soaked and still sitting in front of his locker.
“I’ve got to get to a girl.”
“Ohh, the girl. When do we get to meet her?”
I have to hide a smile. Everyone’s already met her before. Man, they’re going to be surprised. “As soon as I lock this shit down.”
“So, it’s that serious?”
“I told you it was.”
“This must be some sort of record for you,” Reid quips.
Man, for as much shit as these guys give me, they must have seen me as a totally reckless player. I guess I was. I didn’t really see women in the way that you find your life’s purpose in one. Not until I met Tab, anyway. I thought they were a good distraction from my real life—football.
“Tell us about her,” Davis says.
I peek at Micah who’s just now walking back from the showers. “I think I’ll keep her to myself for now.”
“Oh, come on,” Reid says. “You can’t blame us. If we learned the name of every woman you’ve been with since you came to Tennessee, we wouldn’t have room for anything else.”
“Ha. Ha. How do you put up with this guy?” I ask Cade.
He shrugs. “He grows on you. But also, I don’t have room to talk since I was the same way. Oh, and don’t let him get away with it. Before he had Briar, he was the same way.”
Reid shoots him a look. “That’s because I couldn’t have Briar.”
“So, do we get to see a pic of this girl or what?” Micah asks.
My stomach drops to my nuts. Does Micah know? Is he trying to fuck with me?
He shakes his head. “If you don’t have a picture…”
“I have a picture. I’m keeping her to myself right now. She’s beautiful. Soft brown hair, blue eyes. She makes me laugh.”
“What does she do?” Cade asks.
Shit. “She owns her own business.”
“What kind of business?”
This is the worst position. If I don’t say what it is, they’ll think I don’t care enough about her to know, but if I say what it is, it might give us away.
“She co-owns a mom-and-pop fashion store.”
“In town?” Micah asks. “What’s the name?”
“I’m not telling you assholes. One of you will have her picture pulled up in ten seconds and be passing your phone around.”
Micah narrows his gaze at me, but I just grin back. Davis speaks up. “Let me know if you want a table at the restaurant. I’ll pull some strings.”
“I don’t think we’re a fancy dinner type of couple, but maybe. Or are you only offering so you can spy on us?”
“I’m not saying I won’t make sure I’m at the restaurant to catch a glimpse of the girl who’s captured your attention.”
“Would you shut it down for me like you did for Freeman?”
“Eh, probably not.”
I flip him off. “Fine. I’ll make sure we’re photographed going into Fritz’s.”
“Ooh,” a chorus rings up around us at the mention of his biggest competitor. I chuckle, and Davis playfully narrows his gaze at me.
“Have fun eating second-rate food. Couples who stay together eat at Don Dilelo’s together.” He cracks himself up, his round, full laugh filling the locker room. “That might have to be our next marketing slogan.”
“You do that. I’m going to go see my girl.”
I start to walk away, and Reid calls out, “Does she know she’s your girl?”
I laugh. “I’ll get back to you on that.”
Tab and I haven’t discussed the nature of our relationship since that first night when I told her I wasn’t going to back down. I could see why she would be hesitant, but I’m sure I’ve proved to her by now that I’m a good guy. That I truly have good intentions with her.
I hate all the things that have been going on lately. Away games and contractual obligations. Tomorrow, we wrap the season of my dating show, and it feels wrong to be next to any girl who isn’t her. I don’t want to choose between two women who couldn’t care less about me. I want to choose Tab.
I walk to my truck, head spinning. What if I did choose her? I’d have to look at the contract, but maybe I could say I don’t want to be with either contestant. I text my lawyer, asking him the question, then hop in the truck and head toward her place.
Once I’m parked outside, I send her a text:
Me: I’m outside. Come see me.
Tab: Hmm.
Me: Get your sweet ass down here.
Tab: Kind of busy doing nothing. Not sure I have time.
A plan forms in my mind. All I’ve wanted to do is spend some time out with her, away from everything.
Seeing her at the bar before was good, but I couldn’t be with her like that.
I had to watch what I did and what I said.
I want to be with her like a couple. Show her how good we are together when we’re not worried about sneaking around.
Me: I want to take you out on a proper date. Restaurant. Drinks.
A knock sounds on the door, and I peer up to find Tab smiling in. I unlock the door, and she sits in the passenger seat. “And how will we do all that?” she asks.
I put my shades back on. “We’re headed out of town, Rapunzel.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
“And how are you still not going to get recognized?”
“That’s what the hat and glasses are for.”
“Are you going to wear your sunglasses indoors like a tool?”
“Maybe.” I tip my sunglasses up to wink at her, and the blush that spreads across her cheeks fills me up.
“I don’t know if I can hang out with you like that.”
Something tells me she’s full of shit, though.