Page 20 of My Secret Bandit

“Handle what?”

“I don’t know. It’s just… fans see one version of you while your friends and family, I’m sure, see another. And to me…you’re not just the football star everyone staring right now sees. You’re you; the only man who’s ever defended me. The only one who has ever made me feel, I don’t know, good, I guess. You’re special to everyone in a different way. Is that not crazy to you?”

The shy smile on his lips met a casual shrug. “I’m never anything but myself, Jameson.”

He shifted, pulling cash out of a leather wallet before handing it and the check to our server. “To better satisfy the journalist in you, I handle it by staying true to myself. I’m not into being idolized just because I play football or ’cause everyone knows the worth of my contract. If I’m going to be someone’s idol, it’ll be because I know I can be a good one. Because I worked hard to get where I am, and I enjoy giving back to the people and the community that helped me grow. I appreciate the opportunity I’ve been given, and if I can make somebody’s day by being a decent person and giving them a small bit of the attention they’ve given me, I’ll do it.”

“Looks like you’re about to do a little of that tonight.” I nodded toward a man closing the distance between us.

The man rubbed his hands together before giving a shy wave. “Um, hi. I really hate to bother you, but my son.” He paused, gesturing to the boy at his table. “My son is a big fan. He’s dying to meet you, but I told him it’d have to wait until you finished your meal.”

Mateo turned his dazzling smile from the father to the son and gave him a wave. “Absolutely.” He rose to his feet and made his way to where the boy now bounced in his chair.

Not to be awkwardly standing in the way, I stayed in my seat, watching them.

“Hey, big man! Nice shirt.” Mateo pinched the shoulder seam of the boy’s jersey, bouncing it up and down a couple of times before smoothing it back out.

His mom laughed. “Tyler has been begging us for like a year now to get an official Mateo Linx jersey.”

“And today’s my birthday so...” The boy finished his sentence by letting his hands show the jersey off.

“Ah, no way! Happy birthday. How old are you now?”

“Ten.”

“Nice! Finally hit those double digits.” They both smiled wide as they shared a fist bump. “You know, I had a feeling I’d run into someone special tonight. I have something for you.” Without hesitation, Mateo reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

“Oh, no. I can’t take that.” The boy looked over at his parents, whose surprised looks matched his.

“You can. Just call that number tomorrow, and my friend will get you some tickets for the next home game.”

Mateo folded whatever he offered together and stuck it in the boy’s hand. The mom wiped a tear away as the dad said a massive thank you for his family.

“Anytime.” Mateo patted his shoulder before stopping a passing server. “Do you mind taking a picture of us, please?”

They gathered together and took a couple photos before Mateo hugged all of them and turned to me with that million-dollar smile of his.

He tilted his head, motioning me to him.

He laced our fingers together before leading us out.

We got stopped by a few more people outside. Those few grew into a small crowd of about twenty. When his grip released mine to shake someone’s hand, I took my chance to not be right in the middle of the circle.

He turned, his smile slipping as he watched me step back but mine only grew. I waved my hand in ago-aheadgesture. With a nod, he went back to it.

He took pictures, gave hugs, and signed whatever scrap of paper they could find. He waited patiently as they dug around for a pen and joked about random things when their nerves were noticeable. After a good half hour, the circle of people died down around him.

Back in the car, I lost all control over my mouth. “You with that boy. By far the sexiest, sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Sexy, huh?” he asked, his grin turning seductive.

“And sweet.”

“Well, you know I do what I do when I do it,” he said in a cocky kind of way while popping the neckline of his shirt and dusting off his shoulders in a hypnotic dance-like movement.

“And you know, I knew we’d have a line of people waiting to meet ‘The Magnificent Mateo’ but it was nice.”

He laughed. “I’m happy you had a good time and that the crowd didn’t scare you off.”

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