Page 49 of The Fadeaway
Joel shakes his head. “Nonsense. Enjoy. We’ll wait for another table.”
Coach nods and his gaze slides to me and he smiles before looking back to Joel. “Finally needed that standing reservation, I see.”
Joel pulls me to him, and I lean against his hard side all too happily. “See ya tomorrow morning, Coach.”
“What was that about?” I ask as he leads me to the bar. There’s only one seat and he ushers me into it and then slips one leg between mine as he crowds between the high top bar chairs.
“What was what about?” he asks, not quite looking me in the eye.
“That.” I point toward where we just left his coach and date. “Does the team have a table or something?”
“Uhh, no.” He looks embarrassed and I can’t wait to hear this. Ought to be good. “My—”
“Joel Dax Moreno,” a woman’s voice interrupts and I turn to find a stunning brunette approach from behind the bar with a smirk that can only be described as the Joel Moreno effect. “You nearly had my hostess in tears.”
She leans over the bar and they meet cheek to cheek and exchange a peck. When she pulls back her eyes meet mine and Joel follows her eyes to me.Yeah, buddy, I’m still here. I’m annoyed and annoyed that I’m annoyed. He hasn’t done anything, and I already knew he’d slept his way through Valley so it’s not like I can hold that against him.
“Maria, this is Katrina.”
Maria extends a hand. “Pleasure.”
I plaster on a smile and shake her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
She grabs a glass and begins filling it like she’s done it a million times. She’s comfortable behind the bar, but she’s not dressed for the job in a blouse and pencil skirt. “It’s been months. What have you been up to?”
“Practice, school,” he answers with a lift and fall of one shoulder. Interesting. I hadn’t noticed it before, but Joel doesn’t seem to like to talk about himself. As Maria and he catch up, I think back to all our conversations and realize this is true. For as cocky as he is, he’s perfectly content to keep the conversation off himself.
Maria slides the glass in front of Joel. He doesn’t question it which stabs me in the heart a little more. She knows his drink of choice.
“What can I get you, Katrina?”
I flush as they both look to me. A drink. Shit. I don’t have a drink of choice. I barely drink at all. I’m quiet too long and finally Joel speaks. “Let her try the Reisling.” He looks to me for confirmation.
I nod, and Maria grabs a wine bottle and glass and fills it before sliding it to me. I sip hesitantly, hell-bent on hating anything in this moment, but the cold and sweet wine dances on my tongue.
The sound of glass shattering somewhere in the restaurant makes Maria stand straight and take a step back. “It was good to see you. Don’t be such a stranger.” She turns her big brown eyes to me. “Good to meet you.”
Joel’s attention snaps back to me with a playful smile. “How’s the wine?”
His ability to turn the charm from one woman to the next irks me. I swivel in my chair, forcing him back. “I need to check on Christian. I’ll be right back.”
I don’t wait for an answer as I weave back out of the restaurant. The sun has set, but a hint of pink and orange still streaks through the sky as I walk to the side of the restaurant out of the traffic coming in and out. I wrap my arms around my waist and force myself to breathe. God this was a mistake. This whole thing was a mistake. I’d been right to want to keep Joel as fantasy. The reality hurts too much. Every time I turn around there will be someone he’s slept with and then we’ll be over before I can even enjoy it. I’d been wrong convincing myself that I could have fun Joel Moreno style. Pretending to be okay with it and expecting him to treat me differently because I made him work for it a little more is just laughable.
Pulling out my phone I see I’ve already got a text from Blair.
Blair: Christian ran circles around us. You’re my hero.
She’s attached a photo and I laugh as I see her and Wes looking exhausted and disheveled and a sweet, sleeping Christian passed out on the bed. I run my finger over the screen wanting that. I want to be with Christian and I want someone that will be by my side exhausted every night but able to laugh and love every second of it because it’s all worth it.
“Hey.” Joel’s voice grabs my attention. He walks hesitantly toward me, hands in his pockets. “Everything okay?”
I hold the phone out. “He’s asleep.”
He smiles down at the photo and then steps to me and rests a hand at my hip. His phone beeps and he pulls it out, not letting go of me. His grin gets bigger and he turns his phone toward me. I read the text exchange from Joel’s phone.
Joel: All good?
Wes: Yep.
