Chapter 9
Nine
Bentley
Sometimes I wonder what is wrong with people. I’m not even that famous. Rookies should not get this much attention. In most cases…they wouldn’t. The only reason they even know who I am is because I helped demolish the home team last night.
Those women saw me sitting with Serena. They were waiting for their opportunity to pounce.
I smiled and nodded along to whatever they were saying.
I’m almost certain they told me their names, but I forgot them the second they were spoken.
Too dumbfounded with their audacity when they could see I was here with someone.
These are the women I usually take home when I’m in Austin.
The sort of women Jordan warns me about daily.
I’ve always let it go in one ear and out the other.
There was never a reason not to live my life to the fullest. To take advantage of all the perks for being a professional athlete. Until now. Until her.
I could feel Serena’s eyes on me the entire time. If I didn’t do something fast, she’d be gone. My thought was almost a reality when I left the table and saw her turning toward the door. I can’t let her see what my life normally is. Not if I want her to give me a chance.
It’s a beautiful, but cool day, in Chicago, and I wish I would have brought my jacket.
Serena isn’t fazed as she walks down the sidewalk beside me.
She must be from a northern state. There’s no way anyone from the South could handle this without freezing their ass off.
“Where do you want to go now?” Her voice breaks into my thoughts.
“I have no idea. You probably know this city better than I do.” She seems more closed off now than she did when she walked into the pizzeria.
I know it has to do with the unwelcome table crashers.
“Look, I’m sorry about that back there. I was hoping since I’m not in my home city I wouldn’t be as recognizable. ”
“It doesn’t help that you played your ass off last night and stomped them,” she laughs.
I turn my head toward her, my mouth lifting into a grin. “So, you watched the game last night?”
Shaking her head, she sighs. Busted. “I may have caught the highlights during the news.”
“Good to know.” She totally watched the game. “I’m kind of surprised you weren’t out on the town. The flight landed early.”
“I’m not much of a party animal. I spend so much time in the air that I want nothing more than a bed to take a nap. It’s one of the things I miss the most.”
“Don’t you typically get to sleep in an actual bed?” That’s such a weird thing to miss.
She shrugs her shoulders, but angles her body closer to mine. Progress, maybe? “Yeah for the most part. But I was doing international flights for a long time and sometimes we’d have to sleep during the flight. Those small cots aren’t very comfortable.”
I rear back, eyes wide. “I didn’t even know planes had beds on them.”
“You also don’t fly very much.” She bumps her shoulder into mine, “You should try flying first class sometime. It’s much nicer up there than it is where you’ve been sitting.”
“Do you ever work first class?”
Serena shakes her head. “Not often. I prefer being in coach. Hazel loves working in that area, though.”
“Then I don’t see a reason for me to sit there.
” I hold my hand out in the small space between us, hoping she’ll take it.
One. Two. Three seconds pass before I think she’s not going to take it, but then her hand slides into mine.
It’s soft and smooth against the roughness of my hand.
“If I sat in first class, I wouldn’t be able to see you. ”
She stops in her tracks, her hand ripping away from mine, and laughs loud and hard.
I’d be surprised if people down the block can’t hear her.
After a minute she gathers her composure and meets my eyes.
“That has got to be the worst line I’ve ever heard.
” I open my mouth to protest. I thought it was pretty smooth, but she stopped me.
“I’m here, most likely against my better judgement.
This is your time to shine and give me an amazing date, not give me cheesy pickup lines. ”
“It wasn’t that bad,” I mutter under my breath.
“What was that?” She walks toward me, and I can’t stop staring at her legs peeking out from the bottom of her dress.
It’s not short, but it has just the right amount of appeal.
Showing me a little and making me wonder about the rest. She’s so different from anyone I’m typically drawn to, and that terrifies me.
“Nothing.” I play it off. As if she didn’t just deliver a blow to my ego. Those lines usually work on most women. “Is there anywhere close by where we could eat? It’s freezing out here.”
“So cold is your weakness. I’ll tuck that nugget of information away.” Does that mean she’ll go on another date with me? She could be softening me up after laughing at me.
“Hey, us Southern boys don’t do well in frigid temperatures. If it’s less than seventy degrees, there’s a good chance I will be wearing a hoodie.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she waves her hand at me, dismissing my complaint. “There’s a small Italian restaurant around the corner. It’s usually slower there since it’s off the beaten path.”
She doesn’t seem too upset that we’re going somewhere more isolated, and I follow her lead.
As much as I want to take her hand again, I don’t think she’d let me.
I’ve never met a woman so hard to read. One minute she’s putting me in my place and the next she’s opening up, letting me see the softer side to her.
Most of the women I’ve dated are shallow. Even in high school and college. They wanted to be with me for the popularity. I was one of the star players and being on my arm somehow raised their status. Half of them had never even been to my house. They didn’t care.
Right now, I don’t know which way Serena is leaning.
She was ready to march out on our date because those women talked to me, but was willing to hold my hand when I reached out.
It’s giving me whiplash, but I’ll stay on the rollercoaster a little longer.
It’ll either be the ride of my life or I’ll be stuck in misery.
Maybe today I’ll have my answer which one it will be.
She wasn’t kidding when she said this place is off the beaten path.
We turned right at the next corner, but it wasn’t where I was expecting it.
It’s literally a hole in the wall restaurant.
We left the heavy foot traffic behind a few minutes ago.
A bright neon red open sign is placed in the window by the door.
It resembles a breakfast diner, and I’m not so sure it’s a place I want to eat.
I’ve had good and bad experiences at those types of restaurants.
Most of those times included copious amounts of alcohol.
Just because I’m a dedicated ballplayer doesn’t mean I don’t know how to have a good time.
I open the door, but stay put after she walks inside. She takes a few steps and stops, realizing I’m not behind her. “Are you coming? I thought you were cold.”
“Yeah, about that. Is it safe to eat here? It looks kind of sketchy.” I peer around her, trying to get a feel for the inside.
Her brows furrow and the happy mood she was in vanishes at my question. “Does it not live up to your ‘high class’ expectations?”
Fuck. Everything was going great until I had to open my mouth. “It’s nothing against this place. I just have issues with new places in general. Especially when I don’t know what I’m walking into.”
Little does she know I’ve eaten at some horrible looking places, but the food was excellent. I’m officially an asshole. I’ve been trying to persuade this woman to look past her first thoughts and give me a chance, but yet I can’t do the same thing over a simple fucking place to eat.
She walks toward the door, and me. “We don’t have to eat here.” She’s wearing a smile, but the tone of her voice speaks volumes.
Before she’s out the door, I grab her elbow, stopping her from walking away…yet again. “It’s fine. I trust you.”
“Are you sure about that?” The flash of pain across her face surprises me. I want to know what idiot put that doubt in her mind and do anything in my power to make it better.
“Yes. If you were trying to do something horrible to me, I think you’d come up with something more creative than food poisoning. Especially since you’re hungry, too.” Right? What kind of person would also eat something they intend to harm another person with?
"If I didn't want to be here, or with you, I wouldn't have agreed to the date." She pulls her arm out of my grasp, and heads back into the restaurant. I hurry behind her to keep from insulting her.
Is she always this temperamental? I want to say no, but whoever she dated before must have done a number on her. She's leaning on the hostess stand, waiting for her to show up. "So, what would you recommend that I get?" It's a simple question, and one that hopefully won't spark a debate.
"They have pretty much everything an Italian restaurant would normally have, but I'm still in the mood for pizza. And their pizza is to die for."
I'm a little intimidated that she knows of great restaurants in a town she doesn't even live in. I'll take her word for it though, and I'll get the pizza. It's the least I can do after the way I've continuously stuck my foot in my mouth.
A short older lady emerges from a door I assume leads to the kitchen, and as soon as she sees Serena her face lights up. "How have you been Rena? I can't remember the last time I saw you. Are you still doing the long flights?"
Serena hurries to the woman and wraps her up in a hug. "It's been too long, Marie. And, no, I'm doing mostly US flights right now."
"Where's Hazel? She's usually attached to your side." Marie leans around Serena, spotting me, and lifts an eyebrow. "I see you've traded her for a man friend. And a good-looking one at that."