Page 5 of Once Upon A Player
Great advice. I’m only annoyed that I have to remind myself of it.
“Not going to happen.” I shuffle across the floor on my knees and examine the priceless rug with determined concentration. It doesn’t stop me being hyperaware of Lucas’s gaze burning into my back.
“What about dinner tonight, then?”
I swing around, and he’s grinning at me as though this is all a great game to him. It probably is. Itdefinitelyis, but somehow that knowledge doesn’t stop the hot glow inside my chest.
Remember who he is, Vi.Like I’d ever forget.
“I’m sorry. That goes against company policy.”
“Your boss sounds fun.”
“Watch it. She’s my mum.”
“You help out your mum?” He sounds interested, but I’m suddenly not sure I should’ve told him that. Not that he couldn’t find out easily enough, and it’s not like it’s a big secret or anything. It’s just this contract is so important to Mum. I don’t want to stuff it up.
“I fit it in between my other jobs and college work.”
“What’re you studying?”
Wait, this conversation is veering into the kinds of thing you share on a date. Trouble is, I think I started it with the wholeworking for my mumcomment.
Who knew Lucas Carter would be so easy to talk to? And asking stuff aboutmeinstead of it being all about him?
Not every guy is like Geoff.And I really need to stop imagining there’s more to this than there is, which is Lucas passing the time flirting with his cleaning girl.
That brings me back down to earth superfast.
“Interior Design.” I give him a polite smile and back the hell off. Although I know it’s time I started to get back out there on the dating scene, practicing my rusty flirtation techniques with a football superstar is the worst ideaever.
The door swings open, which is a bit of a shock as I didn’t think anyone else was here. I only just stop myself from gaping when the supermodel, Yolanda, strolls in, wearing an ankle length robe that looks like it’s made from gossamer.
They really are dating, then?I’d thought it was all a smokescreen for when they were between partners. Not that I follow what Lucas Carter gets up to, but it’s hard to avoid, since he’s in every magazine and gossip column you can think of.
And he just asked me out. Twice.
Scumbag.
“Hey.” She strolls across the room, looking like she’s on the catwalk, before she catches sight of me. Her famous smile doesn’t falter for a heartbeat. “Hello.”
I stand, not that it helps with the whole confidence thing, since both of them top six feet and I’m barely five-foot-three, but it’s better than gawking up at them from my knees.
“Hello.” I even manage a smile, despite having the murderous urge to punch Lucas on the nose. I guess she knows exactly what he’s like. Maybe they have one of those friends-with-benefits arrangements where they’re both perfectly fine with an open relationship when they’re together, but it doesn’t makemefeel any better.
Get over yourself, Violet.Lucas was just casually flirting because, next to kicking a ball around a pitch, that’s what he does best. It’s my own fault for thinking—even for a nanosecond—that he might’ve actuallywantedto spend quality time with me. Guys like him don’t believe in fidelity. It’s a good job I wasn’t evenremotelytempted to take him up on his offer to go to brunch.
Or dinner.
“This is my mate, Yolanda,” Lucas says, as though she isn’t the face ofIzabelle, and on billboards in every major city across Europe. “Yolanda, this is Violet Henderson, who’s clearing up the shit those arseholes left last night.”
“God, they’re feral,” she says. “I was going to call my agent to get someone to come round and clean up this morning. You beat me to it.” She turns to me. “Lovely to meet you, Violet. Don’t be put off by the mess. Lucas is pretty much house trained on the whole.”
“Of course, he is.” The comment slips out before I can stop it, and although the words themselves aren’t derogatory, I have the terrible certainty my tone conveys exactly what I think of him.
Before I can backtrack and try and salvage this contract, she laughs. “Yeah, okay, well, I had to try. Sorry, Lucas, your reputation wins out yet again.” She gives him a friendly pat on the shoulder before making her way to the kitchen, and I avoid all eye contact and go to retrieve the vacuum. The sooner I’ve got this room sorted out, the better.
“That’s harsh.” Not that he sounds offended, and I can’t help glancing at him. He shoots me a heart-stopping smile that I manage to ignore. “My rep isn’t me.”
