I mean, as well as things are going, and as much of a surprise as this workout invitation is, we’ve never really talked about what it means for us. Or if there really is an us.
I check my watch. It’s almost time. Things are getting serious down on the field, so I pull out my sunglasses and settle in.
The whistle blows and I see Jake shake his arms to loosen up. Then he glances up at the bleachers, finds me, and gives a smile and a wave. It’s adorable. I wave back.
And then it begins. I can see the concentration take over as his body flows naturally into the workout. He’s been doing this for years. And he wants to keep playing.
Granted, I’m not a pro scout or anything, but from where I’m sitting this workout is going even better than the other one that got the ball rolling.
Jake’s running faster and getting into his routes even cleaner. He’s catching every ball effortlessly. His blocking is crisp and effective.
Before Jake I never knew a thing about football. But after watching him play all through high school, I developed an appreciation for the game.
A part of me wonders what will happen if he does make a team, though. Will he walk away again? Will this force a conversation about us that he’s not ready for?
As much as I hate the idea of him walking away, I also hate the idea of him having to make an important decision because of an artificial timeline.
Maybe I should trust that he’s not the old Jake. A whistle blows and I realize that I fell down that rabbit hole of worry longer than I thought.
I shake it off just in time to join the smattering of golf claps that signal the end of the practice.
I get up and stretch and then make my way down the bleachers, where I run into a guy in a suit. Or rather, he runs into me. I don’t think he’s a scout. No laptop, and his cell isn’t out, and he’s clean shaven and kind of slick.
“You’re the girl from the billboard, right?”
I have to think about it for a minute. Oh yeah, the billboard. With Jake. He must know Jake. “Yes,” I smile, “that’s me. Angie Houtz.”
“I’m Chad Lowe, Jake’s agent.”
“Oh,” I say, relaxing my guard, “nice to meet you, Chad. Jake has nothing but good things to say about you.”
“Sure he does” he says sarcastically and then smartly lets it go.
I lean in. “How do you think it went today?”
He smiles and then frowns. “It’s funny, he looked great today. Like the old Jake. Anyway, I love your billboard.” He reaches out to shake my hand and then he melts back into the crowd making their way to the center of the field to talk to Jake.
Chapter 36
Angie
“So, how did you feel about the workout?” I ask Jake, leaning forward.
I’m in my yellow dress, the one I save for special occasions. And tonight, we’re celebrating the scout workout.
With all of the interviews and meetings afterward, I barely got to talk to him all day. He looks dashing in a charcoal gray suit that he looks poured into.
Plus, I had to get back to my office. Poor Gwen had her hands full doing all of the work herself at my clinic while I was out cheering for Jake with my pom poms and cheerleader outfit. At least that’s how Gwen told it.
He gives me that cocky smile, the one that tells me he’s definitely getting some tonight. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him happier.
“The workout went great. The interviews went even better,” he says as he waves a forkful of filet mignon at me. “I feel like I have a real chance this time, Angie. And I owe you.”
“You owe me?” I ask. “I’m pretty sure you were the one out there catching the passes.” It’s my turn to smirk at him.
“Smart ass,” he says, “you always were a smart ass. It’s one of the things I love the most about you.”
“You don’t say. What other things do you love about me then?”
“What?” he asks with a smirk, “you want a list or something?”
“Yes,” I blurt out as I take a bite of my veggie souffle, “yes I absolutely want a list.”
This banter. That smile. It’s what I missed most about him. For years he wasn’t just my crush, he was my best friend and happy place.
The guy I felt comfortable with. I think that’s why I was so angry when he came back and reminded me that he was also the one who took it all away.
He stops to chew his steak while he thinks. He bites down on his tongue slightly as he thinks, an action that now has the ability to turn me on.
His face lights up and he turns back to me. “Okay, I love that you’re super sexy.”
“What? You didn’t think so in high school.” I give him a chiding look.
“Who says?”
“You. Well, not in so many words. But it wasn’t me you took to the prom, was it? It was Suzy and her stupid floofy hair.”
Jake bursts out laughing. “You’re right, her hair was really floofy. And who says I didn’t think you were sexy?”
“You never told me.” Not even after we had sex. It left me with a crazy complex, having a guy I’ve had a crush on my entire life run out on me after my first time. If he wasn’t so damn sexy and I didn’t miss my best friend so bad, I might have never given him a second chance.
He leans forward with a twinkle in his eye and whispers. “Well, let me tell you something right now. You sneaking into the shower the other day was literally the hottest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“No way.” I answer. That was pretty fucking sexy if I
