Page 48 of The Fadeaway
I know exactly what he’s asking, but I play dumb. “Why what?”
“Why did you turn me down thirteen times?”
My insides warm. I don’t know if his tally is accurate, but the idea he’s tracked the number of times he asked me out makes me giddy.
“Because you’re Joel Moreno.”
He smirks. “That’s usually a point in the pro column.”
“Don’t act like you tried all that hard to convince me to change my mind.”
His mouth drops open. “Hell if I didn’t. I asked you out every week for nearly five months. I’ve combed through more pickup lines than a fourteen-year-old boy. I had to resort to helping you with your play, which I’m enjoying, don’t get me wrong, but just know I’m doing it to get in your pants.”
“Oh my God.” My outrage is unconvincing as I laugh at his earnest statement.
He shrugs one shoulder. “Just being honest. This is going to end with us naked.”
I want to jump him. Tell him I’ve wanted to sleep with him since the first moment he flashed me the Joel Moreno smile, but I chicken out.
“So, what’s next?”
He leads me to the passenger side of his car and opens the door. “Next, I feed you.”
When we pull up to Araceli’s, the parking lot is packed and there’s a line out the door.
“I really don’t mind if we go somewhere else,” I insist as he opens my door and takes my hand.
“Nonsense. This place is the best.”
He holds my hand loosely and I follow behind as he walks to the hostess stand.
“Joel Moreno,” he tells the girl behind the podium. His hold tightens on my hand. “I have a standing Thursday reservation.”
Her voice quivers. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Moreno but we gave your table away.” She shifts uncomfortably. “A gentleman came in and said you wouldn’t be needing it tonight and that you’d given him your okay.”
“I see. We’ll wait at the bar for a table,” he says, not waiting for the hostess to respond, he walks past the podium toward the bar.
The girl looks nervous or maybe embarrassed as Joel tugs me past her. I give her an apologetic smile, hoping to ease some of her nerves. I’m also still reeling in the information I’ve just gained. Joel has a standing reservation every Thursday?
It shouldn’t upset me. I know that this is what he does – takes girls out, lots of girls, but I guess I’d hoped I was different in some way. Or that at least he’d take me somewhere else. But of course he wouldn’t – it’s his play for a reason.
Instead of stopping at the bar, he pulls me outside and wraps an arm around my waist. I hear him chuckle softly as we walk toward a table in the back corner.
“Coach Daniels, I thought that was you.”
I wouldn’t have recognized the Valley basketball head coach apart from the team, but as we approach the table, Coach Daniels stands, and he and Joel face off awkwardly.
“Joel, I’m surprised to see you here.”
Joel smirks. “Coach this is Katrina, we were just stopping in for dinner, spotted you, and I wanted to say hi.” Joel’s gaze turns to the woman sitting at the table and mine follows. She’s young, overly done up, and looks more excited about my date than hers. Her eyes dart between all of us trying to grasp the situation.
“Ah, Mindy this is one of my players Joel.”
“Nice to meet you.”
I offer her a smile which she doesn’t return. Instead, she stands. “I need to go to the ladies’ room. Please excuse me.” Her gaze rakes over Joel one more time as she tosses her hair over her shoulder and walks away.
Coach Daniel’s face softens as we all watch her walk away from the table. When she disappears from sight, he looks to Joel, a guilty expression on his face. “Thank you for that. We’re almost done if you’d like your table.”
