Page 44 of Matched with Her Athlete Boss
“Exactly. There was a lot going on at the time. I was lucky to have gotten drafted to my hometown team and that I moved up to the pros as soon as I did. Those two years with the farm team were tough.”
“Okay, so you have a loving mother who is probably hoping to have grandbabies. Have you tried listening to her?” Where is this coming from? Why am I encouraging him to find the latest shiny object and go for a relationship?
Because guys who don’t get intimidated by women who play sports and play them well are unicorns. I was the girl who could drop by at any hour and play Fortnite or Super Smash Bros. in sweats and be treated like one of the guys at college. I wasn’t the kind of girl a guy has on his arm at fancy events. And then the end of my relationship with Donovan sealed the deal. I’m a perma-friend.
“Have I tried dating? Yes, yes I have.” His tone is irritated and I have to hide the smile that I caused that.
“Well, what’s the problem then? Do you have an incurable medical disease? I can see it now: you’ll be in diapers in ten years and the ladies aren’t going for it.”
The room is silent for several moments and then Trey bursts out laughing, to the point that he falls back on the bed.
“You’re funny, Kenzie. Unexpectedly funny.”
I feign a frown and say, “What? Why is that surprising?”
He sits up and I catch a glimpse of the muscles as his t-shirt inches its way back down. “Well, every time I’ve met you, you’re a little closed off. I just mean, it’s nice to see another side of you. The side that isn’t so serious.”
I stiffen with that comment. That cannot happen. There can be no softening of feelings between us. Different worlds, Kenzie.
“I don’t know about you, but I have this boss who is so ornery, he wants me to get things put together as soon as possible.”
Trey shakes his head. “I never said that.”
“How do you know I’m talking about you?” I say, opening another box.
“Because I know you’re working at your dad’s. I figured you would be teasing about me.”
“Okay,” I admit. “I might’ve been joking a bit, but I really need to get this part of your house crossed off my list for today.”
He stands up and raises his hands in surrender. “I’ll get out of your hair. I actually have to run some errands. But I left my phone number and a key to the house on the kitchen table for you. That way you don’t have to wait for me to get the door every time, or if you need to work while I’m gone.”
The way he says it deflates all the excitement I’ve had while flirting with him the past few minutes. “Sounds good. Thanks.”
I pull out my earbuds and connect them to an audiobook that isn’t drawing my attention.
Not a whole lot can compete with Trey Hatch.
19
TREY
I’m packed in a room with six other daters. Three women and three men plus me. Where is Kenzie? I’ve got a chair right next to the door and I keep glancing up, wondering what is taking her so long.Hopefully she didn’t change her mind in the six hours since we last texted. She said she’d be here and the woman is usually early.
“Welcome to all,” Meg says, glancing around the room. “We’re so happy to have you here. There’s so much that goes into the matching process and we hope that through this docuseries, more people will be comfortable with the idea. I hope all of you find at least one of your matches to be the person you want to start a relationship with.”
She pauses and the group claps. I’m trying to smile and listen, but it’s hard when I’m waiting for the woman who makes me laugh at her dry humor and cracks jokes about my hockey skills.
I found my polo shirt today because she’d hung it up from one of the boxes I’d left in the kitchen.
“Okay, we are going to start with your intake tests. It will be a list of multiple-choice answers that help us understand more about you and your priorities when it comes to the people we match you with. There will also be a written section for you to fill out that will give us a more in-depth look at how to zone in on the right matches. We only have three computers working now, so we’ll have to take turns. You three first,” she says, pointing to the ones closest to her.
The door opens and shuts, revealing Kenzie. She glances up and sees Meg. “Sorry I’m late.” There’s no other explanation or excuse.
She sees me and sits down in the chair next to me. “Hey,” she says, dropping a large over-the-shoulder bag on the ground.
“Who’s late now?”
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I didn’t set an alarm and got in a groove cleaning up my dad’s place. I barely had enough time to shower and make it here.”
