Chapter Three #2
It was a question she had wanted to ask. He looked so at peace with the decision, she was curious. She wasn’t surprised when he shrugged as though the decision was no big deal. “Forgot one too many names. Jumped into one too many fountains.”
“I would think one fountain would be too many.” She gasped when he held up three fingers. “You’re kidding.”
“We can go for four if you’re feeling adventurous.
Seriously though,” he said, the smile leaving his eyes, “when my career ended, so did the party. When you’re on top of the world, being a wild man makes you cool.
When you’re out of the spotlight, you’re just a washed-up drunk.
I decided I’d rather try to climb back to the top and maybe remember it this time. ”
As offhand as he tried to sound, there was no mistaking the regret in his voice.
Susan took a good look at the man to whom she’d bound herself for the upcoming weeks.
If you looked past the chiseled features, you could see the signs of a life lived hard.
She spied tiny scars on his chin and cheekbones and the bump of a broken nose.
“Do you miss playing?” she asked.
“Only every bloomin’ day.” He pointed to the court where the American players were shooting basketballs at the basket. “See that player there? Number twenty-three? He’s the best basketball player in the world.”
“Okay.” He looked like all the other players to Susan.
“Everyone in this building is here to see him,” Lewis told her. “Sure, they care about the other players too, but him…he’s the reason they came.”
“Because he’s the best.”
“Exactly. I can’t begin to describe what it’s like.
Being on the pitch, knowing everyone is pinning their game hopes on you and your ability.
Feeling the love of thousands. There’s no high like it.
And when you’re in the middle of playing, it’s like there’s nothing else in the world.
There’s you, and the ball and the match. ”
His faraway gaze was so beautiful, it made Susan’s throat catch.
“You were really good, weren’t you?” she said, embarrassed that she didn’t know.
“I was the best. When I was at the top of my game, no one could beat me.” She believed him. The arrogance had too much certainty behind it to be false.
“How did you start playing?” She turned in her seat so she could look at him while he spoke. The expressions on his profile were far more interesting than anything going on below.
“Just started,” he said with a shrug. “Neighborhood kids played in the street—I asked if I could play. No one else wanted to tend goal, so they let me.”
“Let me guess. Soon as they saw you play they made you permanent.”
A grin slid across his face. “Pretty much. After that, I played for whatever team I could until I was signed by Manchester for their academy team.”
“Your parents must have been proud.” Remembering the way her father used to beam every time Thomas or Linus achieved one of their many achievements, she could only imagine how his family had felt when their son joined the Premier League Under 16 program.
“Doubt they knew. I lived with foster families until I was old enough to live in digs at the academy. Never met my dad, and Mum couldn’t get off the drugs. The smack pulled her back every time.”
Dear Lord.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I don’t even remember the woman at this point. She’s more of a blur than anything. What about your parents?”
“My dad died a few years ago and my mother…” Her mother wasn’t a topic the family liked to talk about. “My mom is an actress. Belinda Quinn.”
“That name sounds familiar.”
“She played the sexy neighbor on The Confidents.”
“Was that the show where some poor guy inherited a ton of money from somebody and they moved to a swanky neighborhood?” His bare-bones description was about as deep as the show. “I used to watch old episodes when I was a kid. Your mom was a looker.”
“She was something,” Susan replied. “Except into being a mother. My dad’s fault she got saddled with an albatross of a daughter.”
“She didn’t actually say that, did she?”
Susan put on a haughty voice. “Damn near ruined her figure, I did, and her career. Not to mention the whole messy business of kids demanding attention all the time. After all, what about her needs?” She picked at the lint on her sweater.
“My mother has what they call histrionic, narcissistic personality disorder. A fancy way of saying she’s a self-centered lunatic,” she said when he frowned.
“Psychology’s a bit of a hobby for me. I’ve done a lot of reading.
” A desperate attempt to understand why her mother didn’t want her.
“Anyway, when she and my father divorced, she relinquished custody. We’ve shared maybe a dozen words since. ”
“How old were you when she left?” Lewis asked.
“Eight. I came home from school and she’d gone. Last words she said to me were ‘Not now, Susan, I’ve got a headache.’”
“So both our mothers took a flyer. Lucky us, we have something in common.” Their eyes met and a beat of understanding passed between them.
Lewis cleared his throat. “Enough childhood talk. We’re here to enjoy a basketball game, right?” With that, he began explaining the action on the court.
The evening passed quickly. Watching the game, with its fast pace and athleticism, was a lot more fun than Susan expected.
For someone who claimed to know only a little about the game, Lewis had a very keen grip on the strategy.
She imagined he would sound marvelous explaining football too.
No wonder he wanted to be a commentator.
By the third quarter, they were both on their feet cheering for three-point shots.
“Exciting, isn’t it?” Lewis remarked after two players came crashing together under the basketball net. “Gets the blood pumping.” He popped a piece of her popcorn into his mouth with a grin. “Clock ticking. Everyone rushing at the same fast pace in organized chaos. It’s fantastic.”
Susan took in the glow on his face. The first two times they met, he’d been clean-shaven.
Tonight, a five-o’clock shadow covered his cheeks, turning his classic-looking features dark and dangerous.
Add the adrenaline shining in his eyes and the result was breathtaking. He was clearly in his element.
“You’d be amazing on television,” she told him.
Her slip earned her a blush, enhancing what was already camera perfect. “Thanks,” he said. “Nice to know someone thinks so. If only the networks were as enthusiastic.”
If there was anything “Shrewsan” understood, it was being publicly judged without cause. Everyone was so certain they knew how she ticked. Without giving it a second thought, she squeezed his fingers. “We’ll just have to do our best to make sure you get a shot.”
On the floor, a buzzer rang announcing the end of the third quarter. While the players gathered around their respective benches, she and Lewis settled back into their seats. “I thought you said something was supposed to happen during the last quarter,” she said. “Your agent didn’t forget, did he?”
“Michael? No way. He’s got a publicist on staff who knows her stuff. Bailed me out of public embarrassment more than once, she has.”
“If something’s going to happen, it’s going to have to happen soon. According to the clock, there’s only twelve minutes left in the game.” She pointed to the center screen which was playing a highlight from a few minutes earlier.
When the highlight ended, an electronic Santa Claus came bouncing across the screen.
He stopped, pointed upward and the words Mistletoe Camera scrolled by.
The image fizzled away and suddenly, there was a view of the crowd.
People cheered and waved as the camera zoomed in tighter and tighter until it focused on an unsuspecting couple. The pair laughed and shared a kiss.
“Mistletoe Camera?” She’d never heard of such an idea.
“An American thing,” Lewis told her. “Big hit over there from what I hear. The promoters thought the gimmick might be fun to do here, as well. Crowd seems to be enjoying it.”
The camera moved on, this time to a pair of middle-aged men who were clearly not together. Oblivious, they faced away from one another until the cheering crowd forced them to look up. As soon as they realized, they too broke out in laughter. The camera remained on them until they shared a bro hug.
“So it appears,” she remarked. “Nothing says romance like thousands of people watching you kiss. Wait a second…?” How did Lewis know what the promoters had planned?
Her question was cut off by the crowd suddenly roaring louder than ever. She looked up at the screen to see why and her stomach dropped.
The Mistletoe Cam was pointed at them.