Page 39 of Hat Trick
Riley hums and pulls his sandwich apart. “You have a good heart.”
“What makes you say that?” I ask, my skin warming from the compliment. I’m used to being told I have nice boobs. A smackable ass and legs that fit around a guy’s head perfectly. It’s rare to hear a nice thing about something other than my body, and it’s downright confusing. “My heart is just like everyone else’s.”
“No, it’s not. I see the way you interact with guys on the team and with fans. You’re patient.” Deep lines bracket his mouth when he frowns. “You’re patient with me, even when you shouldn’t be.”
“I’m patient with you because it’s my job.” I wince when I hear how that sounds. “What I mean is you deserve to have someone who is patient with you. As for the fans, I love kids. It makes me happy to see these young boys and girls with their families at games and having a good time. My mom and I used to go to football games together when I was growing up, and those experiences with her made me who I am today.”
“Do you want kids?”
“Oh.” The question surprises me. I guess it’s only fair after asking him to tell me personal details about himself. “No. I don’t. I like other people’s children, and I’ll hang out with them all day. I love to babysit Maven’s kids and spend time with Lucy. I know I’ll feel the same when Maverick and Emmy have a baby, but I don’t want any of my own. Which goes against everything I’ve ever been told as a woman. I guess I’m just selfish.”
“You don’t strike me as someone who does what people tell her to do. That’s a good thing, by the way.” Riley pops a fry in his mouth. “And the last thing you are is selfish.”
“What do I strike you as?”
He downs a long sip of water before answering. I’m embarrassed to admit I’m on the edge of my seat, waiting to hear what he has to say.
“Self-aware, unique, and interesting,” he finally tells me.
“Interesting?” I laugh. “That’s the most neutral adjective in the world. Fish are interesting. Weather is interesting. Restaurant décor is interesting. I’m not sure I want to be interesting.”
“Okay. You’re special. Is that better?”
“You think I’m special?”
“Of course I do,” he says, and it feels like there’s a fist wrapped around my lungs. It’s squeezing tight, making it difficult to breathe. “You’re very special, Lex.”
“Well.” I pick up my sandwich, taking a big bite so I can avoid replying. One nice thing from him, and I’m giddy, like I’m attention-starved. Maybe it’s because it sounds more real coming from Riley. It’s something authentic, something honest, and not because he wants me to get him off which is what I’m so used to hearing. “Thank you.”
We continue to talk while we eat, sharing stories about our parents and our childhoods. When he mentions the time he accidentally swallowed a marble, I laugh so hard the Oreo milkshake I ordered comes out of my nose.
It’s his turn to cackle when I tell him about my spring break trip to Panama City at twenty-two that ended with me drunkenly getting a seashell inked on my hip bone because I love the beach.
It’s fun and it’s easy and it’s sodifferentfrom the other times I’ve gone out with a guy recently. With them, there’s always an end goal of sex. Intimacy and bedroom compatibility are at the forefront of my mind, so it’s nice to just laugh. It’s nice to stuff my face with delicious food and not care when Riley points at the string of cheese hanging from the corner of my mouth.
“Hang on.” He leans across the table and licks his thumb. He drags his finger down my cheek then shakes his head, glee sparking behind his eyes. “There was ketchup buried under it. You have layers to your mess.”
“I’m saving it for later.” My tongue sneaks out and I lick away the trace of food. It’s not lost on me that Riley watches me the whole time. “Thanks for being a part of the cleanup crew.”
“Happy to help. This is the most fun I’ve had in a while,” he admits, his leg knocking against mine again. I feel the jut of the metal from his prosthetic, the hard shell of the socket where his residual limb sits, but I don’t make a move to pull away. “It’s been… cathartic. As cathartic as good food and good company can be. Between this and hanging out with the boys… I needed it, if that makes sense.”
“You’ve been spending a lot of time rehabbing your injury and not doing thingsyouwant to do. Balance is good.”
“I’m still trying to figure out the things I want to do.”
“Let’s brainstorm.” I dig in my bag and pull out a pen. I grab an unused napkin off the table and straighten the corners. “We’ll call it Riley’s Life List.” I doodle the title at the top, adding a heart after the last word. “We can put anything on here.”
“Anything?”
“Yeah. Like skinny dipping in the Potomac or having a picnic under the cherry blossoms.”
He’s quiet for several seconds, and I’m afraid I’ve overstepped. That I’ve read this whole situation wrong, but then he puts his hands behind his head and offers me a tentative smile.
“I want to ride on the back of Ethan’s motorcycle,” he starts, and I hurry to jot it down. “I want to go on a roller coaster and scream until my throat is sore. Skinny dipping in the Potomac sounds like a death sentence with the river current, but skinny dipping in general sounds like a fucking blast. I want to… eat food that’s so spicy, it’ll make me cry. I want to get another tattoo and… fuck. I don’t know. What else? Don’t make fun of me, but I’d like to have a kiss with someone that’s so mind-blowing I can’t think straight.”
“I always knew you were a romantic. Must be all those book club meetings you guys have.” I write down everything he mentions and smile. “Anything else?”
“I want to overpay for one of those carnival games at a fair. The stupid ones where you have to toss a ring on a bottle, you know? I always thought they were so gimmicky, but now, I want to give them a shot. Guess the second chance at life thing makes me want to drop money on rigged entertainment.” Riley adjusts his glasses. “And I… I want to skate again. Not just a lap around the rink. I want to skate until my legs—leg—gives out. I want to feel the burn I used to feel when I pushed my body to the brink of exhaustion in a game.”
