Page 23 of A Shot at Love
His tall and lean body, stepping foot inourlittle diner. He’s still wearing his customary black, though this time it’s black track pants, black Nike sneakers, and a black Stanford T-Shirt with red lettering. He’s also wearing a baseball cap and those glasses I like so much. Even with the incognito look, heads still turn when he walks in. It’s the presence that emanates from him that makes him so compelling to watch on TV, that makes me want to lean towards him and smell his signature sage and mint cologne.
What makes it worse is that when Daniel spots me in the booth, he gives me that movie star smile. The onethat shows off the mole on his jaw and that half-dimple in his right cheek. I try not to melt into the seat. I should smile back, but instead I just manage a half-hearted wave and a glare at a cat-who-ate-the-canary looking Jadea.
“What were you thinking?” I whisper at her. “This is our day off.Ours.” Not only did Jadea inadvertently invite my ex to brunch, she also ruined one of our only girls’ days this season.
Daniel is walking our way, but Jadea manages to make me nervous before he even sits down. “This isforus,” she insists in a calm, normal voice. “I have a great idea, and Daniel can help us with it.”
Jadea’s last great idea was to invite Daniel into town and that has only caused me romantic confusion and increased levels of anxiety.
Daniel slides into the booth next to me, and our thighs touch. I jump in my seat like I’ve been electrocuted, and he gives me a strange look. “Hi Daniel,” I murmur. We haven’t spoken since Jadea interrupted our almost-kiss two days ago. Despite the tension, I know it would be a mistake to kiss Daniel. It would just remind me of all the best parts of our relationship, rather than the pain and dip in self-esteem I experienced when he left me. For other reasons, I’m sure he feels the same way. We dodged a bullet.
Then why can’t I stop thinking about it?
“Annie.” There’s a smile on his lips, like he’s thinking about the same thing I am, but maybe in a more positive light. I glance away, furiously blushing.
Jadea claps from the other side of the booth. “This!” She gestures enthusiastically. “This is what I’m talking about.”
I blink at her slowly. “What is what you’re talking about?” Even Daniel looks confused.
She points between the two of us again. “You two. Every time you and Daniel are together, it’s like fireworks. Electricity…” She trails off absently, trying to think of something else to say.
“Lightning in a bottle?” Daniel offers up innocently, avoiding my gaze and focusing on Jadea. I want to crawl under the table.
“Exactly!” Jadea snaps her fingers at him. The older woman at the next table jumps in her seat at the sound. “We need to capitalize on this.”
I’m practically sweating now. “Daniel and I don’t even like each other!” It’s a poor defense considering some of the positions Jadea has seen us in, but I can’t have her going any further with the hare-brained scheme in her head.
“Well,” Daniel interrupts casually, leaning back a bit to look at both of us, “I quite enjoy Annie. She’s the one who doesn’t like me.” When he catches the fury in my gaze, he clears his throat and adds quietly, “For good reason, too.”
Jadea nods firmly. “Annie told me all about your little drama, Daniel. But that was years ago. I wouldn’t worry about it.”
Daniel’s eyebrows are almost to his hairline. “She did?”
I wish I could give him a subtle signal, but instead I awkwardly intervene by blurting out, “About the project. Our class project. How you left me to do all the work.”
Daniel winces at the analogy, but I’m not sure Jadea notices. She barrels on. “The past is the past. WhatI aminterested in is the future. Annie and I want the WNBA and the Arrows to be successful. Win championships. Bring attention to women’s sports. Play the game we’ve always dreamed of.” Jadea lays her hands on the table, making sure she has our attention. “However, it’s difficult to do any of that with meddling billionaires and sports pundits dismissing our hard work at every turn.”
Daniel and I are following so far. “Right,” he agrees cautiously. “That’s why you asked me to come do the profile on you.”
Jadea smiles sweetly.Toosweetly. “And it’s been wonderful. I think it could really help the team.” She scants a look in my direction. “However, it doesn’t do much to help Annie’s current PR nightmare. Everyone just keeps complaining about a family that she isn’t even a part of instead of noticing the awesome things about her. Her playmaking ability. Her clothes. Our friendship. I want to change that.”
I get that cold, anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach. “Jadea, wait—”
She finishes her scheme, laying it all out there. “I think you and Annie should date.”
Daniel and I are shocked into silence. A small part of me wants to clear this whole thing up by saying, “We already did.”
Instead, I look at Daniel. His expression tells me that this is my fault, that I’ve gotten us into this mess by lying to Jadea about our relationship.
My expression tells him that this ishisfault for ghosting me after I visited him in the hospital for over a week.
I win our silent standoff, and he’s the one who turns to Jadea. He’s trying to keep his expression neutral. “How would your matchmaking help Annie’s PR nightmare?”
I’m glad I let Daniel speak. My response would be way less coherent and much more embarrassing.
Jadea looks at us like we’re slow. “I don’t care if you actually date for real. You shouldfake date. For the good press.”
Now, I really feel like I’m in a nightmare. “We’re not celebrities, Jadea! No one follows us around with cameras. TMZ does not care what we’re doing.”
