Page 54 of Hat Trick
“Of course.” Riley clears his throat. His cheeks are redder than they were before he gave me the book, and I wonder if he has to skip certain scenes when he reads. I wonder if the explicit descriptions of sex embarrass him, because judging from his blush, he’d rather be talking about anything else. “Do you want something to drink?”
“I have a better idea.” I tuck the book under my arm. “I’m taking you to lunch.”
“Lunch? Why?”
“Because you need to eat, and even though you skipped our session this morning, you’re not getting out of your weight training session this afternoon. You’re going to need carbohydrates, and the only way to do that is to consume food.”
“Fine, but I’m buying. It’s my apology for being a dick.”
“Good answer.” I pop to my feet. “Any suggestions on where to go?”
“How do you feel about sandwiches?”
“I’ve been known to be a fan.”
“Then I have the perfect place.” He looks down at his naked torso. “Let me, ah, put on some different clothes.”
“Really? But the view is so good,” I tease, and his blush deepens.
“You’re a goddamn flirt, Armstrong,” he calls out over his shoulder as he makes his way down the hall.
“You like it,” I call back, and I swear I hear him sayyeah, I dobefore he disappears, and a strange sensation flutters in my chest.
* * *
Thirty minutes later,we’re sitting at a table in the back of a sub shop. It’s tucked away from the main streets of DC, hidden around a corner and situated next to a thrift store, but it smells delicious. The serving sizes are bigger than my head, and when Riley asked if he could order for me, I trusted him to make a good choice.
“Holy shit.” I take a bite of my steak and cheese. Tears almost spring to my eyes. Angels rejoice. I suddenly believe in heaven. “This is the best sandwich I’ve ever had in my entire life. Bury me with this, please. How the hell did you find this place?”
“I wasn’t making a lot of money my rookie year on my ELC. I couldn’t afford to go with the veterans to the steakhouses they liked to visit, but I needed to eat. I made a wrong turn one afternoon when I was looking for the drugstore, wound up here, and I’ve come every week since.” Riley wipes his mouth and points at the wall. “That’s me with the owner.”
“Oh my god.” I laugh at the photo of him behind the counter, an apron tied around his waist and a wide grin on his mouth. There are wrinkles around his eyes. His head is tipped back like the photo was captured mid-laugh, and he hasn’t looked that happy inweeks. Maybe ever. “You look so young. And cute. What happened?”
“Watch your mouth, Lexi,” he says, and the deep timbre sends a shiver down my spine. He’s used that voice before, and it always elicits the same response: a swoop in my belly and my thighs squeezing together. “I’m still plenty young. And cute.”
“Much younger than me. You’re, what? Twenty-seven?”
“Twenty-six, but thanks for the extra year.” He takes a bite of his ham and cheese and smiles. There’s a drop of mustard on the corner of his mouth, and he licks it away. “And I’m not that much younger than you.”
“I remember when I was twenty-six. I was freezing my ass off in Ohio at a job where I was under-appreciated.”
“Was that your first athletic trainer gig? How many teams did you work for before you got to DC?”
“Yeah. I got my bachelor’s degree then my master’s. After I graduated, I found a job with an ECHL team where I spent a few years. Next was the AHL, and finally DC. It’s funny. Before I landed in Ohio, I almost took a job with a G League basketball team. I wonder how different my life would be if I’d gone down that path instead.”
“Basketball makes sense because you played in high school.”
“You remember that?”
“Of course I do. We talked about it a few weeks ago, and my memory isn’t that shitty. It’s an important part of your life, and it’s worth remembering.”
“Damn. I guess my bar for men and remembering details is that low.”
“Understandable. We don’t have a good track record.”
“When I went to college, I made a list of careers that would allow me to work with my hands and help people rather than sit behind a desk and stare at a screen all day. It’s been a journey, but I wouldn’t change it for the world,” I say.
“You’re a much better trainer than the person we had before you.”
