Page 10 of Hello Quarterback

“That bad?” he said, looking at me with amused dark eyes in the rearview mirror.

“No comment,” I replied with a smile.

Then I reached to the paper in my hand, unfolding it to see neat handwriting inside.

You can do better.

6

FORD

I sat back downin my chair and watched out the mirrored window as Mia’s driver sped away from the curb and Hayden turned to the paparazzi, waving like a pageant contestant. What a dweeb.

The valet pulled up with a bright red convertible, the top down. He flicked on his sunglasses, slipped in the driver’s seat, and sped away, tires peeling on the asphalt. I wondered what Mia saw in him. She didn’t seem like the kind of person to get blinded by fame.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I tugged it out, seeing a text from her. I knew she had my number, but this was the first time she’d used it outside of business.

Mia: I can take care of myself, you know.

My lips quirked into half a smile.

Ford: Is that why you let him waste an hour of your time looking at himself in the window?

A text bubble came up and then disappeared, and I scrubbed my hand over my mouth, far too eager to see what she’d come back with.

Mia: What are you trying to say?

My fingers tapped across the screen, letting her know.

Ford: If I was sitting across from you, I wouldn’t be looking away.

I bit my bottom lip, thinking of Mia and her straight blond hair falling just past her shoulders. Her light blue eyes that saw more than most people’s. Her curvy figure that would be so soft under my hands.

Mia: Is that so?

Now I couldn’t fight the smile. I knew flirting was a bad idea, especially since I’d sworn off a relationship. And since she was going out with another guy. So instead of responding, I asked a question of my own.

Ford: Why are you going out with pop stars?

Mia: It’s a long story.

Ford: Come back and tell me.

My stomach squirmed, caught between the desire to see her and the need to focus on my goals, but also out of desperation for this situation. Brock was right. I didn’t want to lose this game with Trent. And I may not have been looking for a relationship, but I could surely treat Mia better than Hayden French while we were “together.”

Mia: That might get the gossip rags going... What about dinner tonight?

Ford: My place?

Ford: To avoid the gossip rags.

Mia: Send me the address.

I bit my bottom lip and did as she asked, then finished my tea and left the café. I had to prep my chef for dinner before going to afternoon yoga class with the team.

If you’ve never seena three-hundred-pound lineman do downward dog, I highly recommend it. For men who were usually so strong and powerful, they possessed an odd amount of grace. It was like seeing a bear tap dancing or a bull synchronized swimming. But every lineman on the team, as well as the rest of the players, were lined up in a gym for a yoga class led by one of the city’s top instructors.

Coach Hinkle had us do one class a week to help with mobility on the field, and he swore it helped prevent injuries. Something that could cost us a season.

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