Danielle handed over a ten-dollar bill in case Sunny wanted to take Jesse out for lunch and then gave them one last wave before unlocking her apartment door and stepping out into the hall.
Heat hit her almost instantly and the smell of old carpet and must. She sucked in her breath out of instinct and held it as she glanced around. The air must be out in the hall. As she made her way over to the elevator, she passed by the window unit that was rattling.
She paused, glancing down at it only to have it exhale a tiny puff of cool air and then blast hot air on her. She winced as she straightened. No doubt, it would take Roger ages before he fixed the unit. Just like everything else that was falling apart in this building.
Danielle had promised Jesse that she’d get the two of them out of this place, but with every bill that sat on her counter, she was beginning to realize that was a dream that just might never come true for them.
Perhaps this was their life.
She took a deep breath as she stepped onto the elevator. She couldn’t think like this right now. She needed her wits about her if she was going to have to talk to Zach. No doubt he’d be there, pushing her buttons.
Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her phone. Her mom had texted about their Bahama trip plans. Courtney, her best friend, had texted that Racer, her three-year-old son had finally pooped in the potty.
Danielle laughed as she texted a thumbs-up. By the time she scrolled to the bottom, she noticed a text from a number she didn’t recognize.
After clicking on it, she scanned it.
Zach:At the gym today on 4th and Wilson. See you there.
Danielle stared at the message. For some stupid reason, her heart began to pound just a tad faster than it should. Zach had been right that night at the club. They were professionals. She could do this. There was no way a serious reporter would let her feelings get the better of her.
Plus, she’d needed to keep Seth happy and if she complained, she was pretty sure he’d find a replacement. Who wouldn’t want to be up close and personal with an NFL player? And when that NFL player was Zach Stedman, she was pretty sure Katie Couric would take the job.
The elevator doors opened and Danielle stepped out. She glanced at her watch. After she messaged the team’s PR specialist that she was planning on meeting Zach at noon sharp, she wanted to make a point of being on time.
At least, that’s what professionals did and she was a professional. But, judging from the time on her watch, she was going to be late.
Groaning, she pressed on the bus schedule app and scanned it. The next bus wasn’t for fifteen minutes. With that, plus ride time, she was going to be late.
She cursed under her breath as she stepped out into the hot Georgia summer. Heat pricked at her skin from irritation and humidity. She reached into her purse and grabbed out a ponytailholder, cursing herself for even thinking that she could handle it being down this time of day.
She made her way over to the bus stop only to halt her movement.
Standing next to a black Lincoln was Paul. He had a book out and was leaning against the passenger door. His baseball cap was pulled down over his eyes. Danielle had to blink a few times before she could believe what she was staring at.
“Paul?” she asked, walking up to him.
Paul glanced up and smiled. “Hello Miss Danaher.”
Danielle studied him. “It’s Danielle. Did Zach send you?” Her stomach lightened at the thought of Zach thinking of her like that. But she really shouldn’t be surprised. Zach had always been the more thoughtful Stedman.
“No, ma’am. I figured a sweet girl like you shouldn’t be riding the bus. Besides, he’s been at the gym all morning, I doubt he’s even noticed I’ve been gone.”
All the elation that Danielle felt at the thought of Zach asking for her to be picked up left her body. And then, she felt stupid. What was wrong with her? She doubted Zach had even thought of her once since they spoke. He was famous. She was pretty sure he could have his pick of the women in this town. To think she was on the top of that list was down right ridiculous.
“Oh, well. That’s nice,” she said. She really meant it, but the tone of her voice came across as sarcastic.
Paul studied her for a moment and then whatever he’d been thinking, he must have pushed aside. Instead of answering her, he pushed off the car and opened the door, waving toward the inside. “It’ll be a quicker and more pleasant ride, I can promise you that,” he said, giving her a warm smile.
Feeling bad about giving him a hard time, Danielle nodded. She should be nicer to Paul. He wasn’t Zach. “Thank you. It’sreally sweet of you to think of me,” she said, giving him a smile as she slipped into the car.
Paul said a soft, “You’re welcome,” and then shut the door. After rounding the hood, he got into the driver’s seat and started up the car.
Two seconds later, the cool air was blasting through the vents and Paul was pulling out onto the street. Danielle leaned back and felt her body soften as she watched the familiar buildings pass by. For some reason, she relaxed. Maybe it was the smooth ride of the car or the fact that the air didn’t smell like body odor, but she couldn’t help but release all the stress that she’d been carrying around today.
“So how do you know Zach?” Paul’s soft voice asked from the front.
In that one question, all of her stress returned. How much did she want to tell this stranger? How much had Zach told him? If she didn’t get into detail would Paul know that she was lying? She cleared her throat as she shifted against the seat. “I, um…we go way back.”
