Page 10 of Caught Looking

“I’ll see you out there.” Wes gave my shoulder one last squeeze.

I reached into my locker and found my phone, navigating to my newest contact. Before I put her in her car and watched her drive safely away, we exchanged information. On this tiny screen I had her email, phone number, home address, and the photo assigned to her contact. I started an email, attached my game and practice schedule because people who are dating know where their partners are. Then I opened a text message.

Hey baby. Got stuff to talk about. Dinner after the game?

On the offest of off chances Owen saw her phone, I wanted to look as authentic as possible. Last night the nickname had slipped out. I wasn’t sure it was the right one, but it would do in the meantime.

I was just about to put my phone away, expecting her to be busy at her own practice, but those three little dots appeared and I held my breath. There was a good chance that she’d tell me to shove it. We didn’t need dinners to pretend we were together.

But there was just as good of a chance that she’d say yes.

Dottie’s. I’ll be the one in pajamas stuffing my face with pancakes.

I grinned as I quickly typed back:

I’ll be there. Probably closer to 10:30 than 11.

We were playing Texas and we always wiped the floor with them, especially when Chris Kaine was pitching. He had their number.

See you then.

I fist-pumped the air. It might be a small thing. It might not even mean anything, but it felt like victory. Annalise Ryan willingly agreed to have dinner with me. Sure it would be almost midnight and at a greasy diner, but she said yes. Something she never would have done two days ago.

Fake dating Annalise was the best idea I’d ever had.

3

ANNALISE

Istared at the text message. It happened to come in while we were taking a breather between conditioning and scrimmage.

Dinner after the game?

Why did I want to say yes? Maybe it was because I loved hitting Dottie’s late at night, or maybe it was because I was curious as hell about Seth Butler. I replied, telling him where I’d be. Maybe if he showed up and made fun of my favorite diner or acted like a diva I could put this curiosity to rest.

Baby.

Did I like this term of endearment? Maybe. Was it a game? Also maybe. I hadn’t played games with a man in far too long. I was too busy building a career at a critical juncture in women’s soccer. You had to be good, but you also had to be interesting. You had to be on social media, but make sure to never say too much. It was constant and it was exhausting.

I tried to keep my focus on my training and health, trickling in doses of the rest when I had time. The team now had a social media manager. She not only managed the team’s accounts, but she coached us on what to post and how to handle the less than desirable comments that always,alwayslanded on what we put out there, whether it was a picture of my stack of pancakes at Dottie’s or a picture of myself scoring a goal.

Gluten is bad for you.

You sure think a lot of yourself.

People were assholes. And navigating the current world of being a professional athlete was complicated.

So there hadn’t been a lot of time for flirting or first dates, let alone second dates. I hated admitting that ever since Owen, I hadn’t exactly been excited about getting to know someone else.Trustingsomeone else.

“Did you know that if you stare at something long enough you can make it levitate?” Jeri threw a leg over the bench beside me and sat.

“What?” I saw Seth’s confirmation come in and put my phone away.

Jeri waved at the phone. “You were staring at it really hard. I thought maybe you were trying to usethe force.”

“Nope. Just lost in thought.”

“About Butler?”

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