Page 49 of For the Boys
Brent leaned back in his seat, impressed. “Beauty and brains,” he said with a wink, then a wince.Why the fuck would you wink?He mentally smacked himself upside the head.
Berkley shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “I guess.”
“For real,” Brent said. “That’s all incredibly impressive. Are you graduating in the spring then? What are your plans afterward?”
While she considered his question, he took a second to study her. Berkley’s downcast eyes fanned her dark lashes across the tops of her cheeks, and her pink lips were pursed in thought. She was stunning, and he had a feeling she didn’t even realize it.
Before she could answer, the waiter returned to take their order.
When he left again, Berkley spoke. “I am graduating in the spring, yes. Afterward, I’m not entirely sure. I’ve got contacts at law firms here, as well as back home. My professors are pushing me to seek employment opportunities out of state as well. Chicago, Boston, Dallas. They feel I’ll excel in bigger markets.”
“Isn’t Detroit a fairly large market? Not to mention full of athletes. There are all four major professional teams here.”
“Well, yeah, obviously,” she said, taking a sip of her wine, her slender fingers wrapped around the stem. “They just want me to get out and experience the world. I’ve lived in Michigan my whole life.”
Brent frowned again. “So your professors don’t think you could be successful here?”
“Could you have been successful in your home state?” she asked, an unfamiliar edge to her voice. Then again, pretty much everything about her was unfamiliar to him. Apparently, he’d touched a nerve.
“Well, to be fair, I could have if any of the pro teams in New York had wanted me. But they didn’t. Plus, I fell in love with Michigan when I was in college, so I’m extremely happy with the path my career has taken. I’m sure I could’ve been happy in New York where my family is, as well, but I’ve built a life here. One I’m pretty proud of.”
Berkley was silent for several moments, staring into her wine glass.
“I didn’t mean to sound so harsh,” she said finally. “Moving away from Michigan is a sore spot for me.”
Brent laughed. “I guessed that much. Why is that?”
“My whole life is here. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
Brent reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. “So don’t go.”
Berkley released a long breath, seeming relieved. “It really is that simple, isn’t it?” she asked, smiling at him.
“It really is,” he agreed.
Their food arrived then, and they spent the meal discussing their favorite places in the city, what they liked to do during their downtime, and of course, hockey. Brent didn’t ask any more probing questions, afraid to scare her off. Truth be told, he was relieved she didn’t seem inclined to leave Michigan. He couldn’t possibly lose her so soon, not when they were just getting started.
They topped off their meal with dessert—chocolate soufflé for Brent and a thick piece of strawberry cheesecake for Berkley. Watching her twirl her tongue around her fork to enjoy every last morsel had him adjusting his fly more than once.
When it was time to go, Brent nearly squealed in delight when Berkley grabbed his hand.Be cool, Jean. Be cool.
“Thank you for coming out with me tonight,” he said, glancing sideways at her once they were on the way back to her apartment. The streetlights cast a cool glow on her skin, illuminating her face in the dark truck.
“Thank you for finally asking me out,” she said with a smirk.
“Oh, so it’s like that, is it?” He grinned at her.
“Well, yeah. It took you two months to want to spend time with just me instead of in a group.”
Brent mentally smacked himself. He had wanted to take it slow with her, not push her into anything too fast. He knew that the possibility of dating him might not be an appealing thought, given that he was always in the public eye. Not to mention, all of the boneheaded things he’d done when he was younger were well-documented, if someone knew where to look. He would bet good money Berkley did.
“To be fair, I didn’t want to risk going too fast and have you blow me off completely.”
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Berkley glance at him, but he kept his eyes on the road as he turned onto her street. She squeezed his fingers between her own. “I would never have blown you off.”
“What about if I was a creepy stalker?”
Berkley gasped. “Oh my God. I’m going to kill Lexie.”
