Page 37 of Love on the Sidelines

After piling in a few more things, she turns to me, emotion clear on her face. "Guys can be really cruel, you know? The ones I've dated didn't like that I could win a lot of competitions or games or that I knew a lot about sports."

"Are you kidding? You're like a unicorn in that. Women I've dated before haven't even known what icing was to begin with. That just shows you're on a whole other level."

"Only if you're not into models or other gals with more to offer than I did. That’s why my ex left.”

Ava turns around, but not before I hear the catch in her words.

All I want to do is hug her right now, to tell her she's amazing and I'm very interested in her. But how do you do that when you're walking around a crowded Costco?

We get the rest of the food and wait in the long lines to check out. I watch as Ava opens her phone and taps on an app. It looks like the logo of a local bank and sighs at whatever number is there.

Yes, I looked away. I don't want her to feel like I've invaded her privacy.

It's then that she gets a text and starts to furiously tap out words.

"Who are you talking to? Marsha?" I ask, chuckling. While she's distracted, I step in front of her and give the woman my club card. They scan the food and I'm just waiting so I can pay for the food.

"My roommates from college and I have a group text. It's just blowing up with a bunch of messages, mostly from one. She's a camp counselor and doesn't get great service."

I smile, trying to picture Ava with a bunch of girls while playing lacrosse in college.

"That's cool. What are they saying?" Why did I ask that? I'm not that close with her now to understand the complexity of their chats.

"Well, my one roommate called off her wedding and then went on the honeymoon by herself. She ended up meeting a guy there she knew from a few summers back. I think things are heating up for her."

Now I'm curious about what Ava would say if asked about her current situation. "I'm stuck with a guy trying to pay for all my stuff."

The cashier says the total and Ava gasps while I tap my card on the screen to pay for it.

"You didn't need to do that. That's a ton of money we have to split among the girls."

Shaking my head, I say, “I've been a single guy for a long time. I've built up enough to share. Just let me do it.”

We walk toward the exit and Ava says nothing.

"What is it you invest in?"

"Like I said before, all kinds of things. Each is different, but it's a challenge I love to take on."

"Is it worth all the time spent working to have that much?"

I study her face and see that she’s not trying to be rude or sarcastic. She’s genuinely curious.

Shaking my head, I say, "Well, I used to do a paper route and search for empty soda cans to turn into the recycling truck. Going from that to what I do now is a lot more rewarding."

"So, money didn't change you?"

I breathe out and say, "Yes and no. It made life a lot easier than the dollar menu at McDonald's, which is what I did through college. But I think the goal is to help people rather than use it for my own good all the time."

"You're about the only one who thinks like that."

"What do you mean?" She's actually letting me load stuff into the van, but we've had to push down the back row of seats to make room for all the food.

"I mean that people with money don't always turn out like you."

"Your parents?" I ask, taking a guess. "Are they okay?"

Ava nods and says, "Yeah, they're living their best life on a yacht somewhere."

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