The beautiful brunette sitting across from Butch stared daggers at her.
“What is your problem?” she asked Butch.
He got up and grabbed her arm, pulling her with him into the hallway leading to the restrooms.
“What are you doing here with him?” he asked. Pushing her up against the wall, his eyes stared into hers.
“Having a very nice dinner with Steve.” She stared back at him. “I see you’re here with your flavor of the week.” Why did it bother her that he was here with another woman? She normally wasn’t that bitchy but something about him made her crazy.
“What do you see in him? He’s got a kid and I’m sure...” he started.
“You’re sure what? You’re a better lover? You think you’ve ruined other men for me?” she asked with a laugh. “It was one time. We scratched an itch, that’s all it was.”
His eyes blazed as his lips lowered toward her and kissed her until she couldn’t breathe.
“What the fuck, Butch?” The brunette screeched when she saw them kissing.
Butch jumped back. “I, uh, I…”
The brunette swung her purse by the handle, catching him in the face.
Steve took her arm and pulled her away. “Let me call you a rideshare,” he said as he tried to lead her back to the tables.
Everyone was staring at them. Rocky’s cheeks burned at the spectacle they made. A soul-shattering kiss and a screaming date. Sounds about right. She knew she should have refused when Steve asked her out. “I need to go,” she whispered.
“Why can’t I get you out of my head?” Butch asked, stepping back, wiping at his lips with his hand. “I’m sorry, I…” He ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t know why I…”
“Just leave me alone. I was having a nice time with a nice man and you dragged me over here and kissed me so hard I saw stars.” God, could she be any more pathetic? She hadn’t meant to say that about the kiss. It was true but she didn’t want him to know that. “I just wanted to have a normal date for once.” Tears filled her eyes and she ran to the lady’s room, closing the door in his face.
Alone in the restroom, she let out a strangled cry as tears ran down her cheeks. She was so tired of having to be better than, more than other women simply because she was in a male-exclusive sport. She felt like she had to prove she was still a woman. Stupid men!
She stood in front of the mirror and leaned on her hands on the counter to peer at her reflection. Why was her wanting to play football such a big deal? It’s the freaking twenty-first century for fuck’s sake.
Grabbing a tissue, she started dabbing at the mascara under her eyes. Yikes, she looked like a raccoon.
Tap tap tap. “Rochelle? Are you okay?” she heard Steve ask from the other side of the door.
She tossed the tissue and opened the door. “I guess so. I’m so sorry you had to see that. Especially the kiss. I don’t know what his problem is.”
“I do,” he said with a grin.
“I’m so glad you find this funny,” she said sarcastically. Seriously, men could be such a pain in the ass sometimes. Most of the time. She thought Steve was different but…
“His problem is he’s in love with you.”
She crossed her arms. “You’re nuts. There’s no way.”
“You didn’t see how he looked after you slammed the door in his face. He was heartbroken. Believe me, I saw that look in the mirror for years after my wife died.” He handed her her purse and coat. “Let me take you home.”
He was in love with her? Was he even capable of loving someone?
Chapter Fourteen
Butch
The pounding on the door matched the pounding in his head. He opened his eyes slightly and shut them against the sun streaming in. His stomach twisted and he waited to see if he needed to make a dash for the bathroom. His stomach settled and he tried to find sleep again, anything was better than how he felt. And it wasn’t just the hangover. She’d slammed the door in his face, not even letting him explain why he’d kissed her. He didn’t know what he would have said, he didn’t know why he kissed her other than seeing her standing inches away from him, her eyes full of fire connected with something inside him, something he couldn’t put in words.
The pounding returned. Fuck. “Go away!” he croaked wincing as his own voice made his head fell like someone was pounding a bass drum in there.
