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“What do you want to know?” I ask, riding a line here. Do I tell him who I am?
I don’t want to. I like being the mystery woman he just met, not the girl he remembers as his best friend’s little sister.
“Did you grow up in Nevada?”
I shake my head. “I went to UNLV and fell in love with Vegas, so I decided to stay. What about you?” I toss the question back to him to try to get the heat off me. The less I have to admit about my background, the better the chance that he won’t put two and two together.
“I originated in New York, went to Nebraska, was drafted by Buffalo, where I played for two years, played in Los Angeles for eight years, and here I am, ready to make another move,” he says.
“Do you like moving around?”
He lifts a shoulder. “No. Honestly, the whole process of having to pack up and move is…overwhelming. I have to sell my place in LA and find somewhere to live out here.”
“Can’t you stay with a teammate? Or one of your brothers?” I ask.
“I could, but I don’t want to. Linc’s married now, and his wife is expecting a baby at the end of the month. And Asher…he’s Asher. He’s got his own set of shit to deal with, but he’s been living with my dad since his suspension started. The idea of backtracking to live with a parent after so many years on my own is…” He makes a face that indicates his distaste over the idea.
“I get that. I love my family, but I wouldn’t want to live with any of them anymore.” I wrinkle my nose, too. “So will you buy a place out here?”
“I don’t know yet. I’m looking at a couple places tomorrow before I head back to LA to talk to my coaches and pack up.” He presses his lips together in a way that makes me think he’s not looking forward to either of those things.
I almost offer to help him when I realize how out of place that would sound.
“So tell me the truth,” I say, leaning in conspiratorially. “Is this going to be your last season?”
He gives me a wry smile. “If I knew the answer to that, I’d tell you. Part of me thought last season was going to be it, but I wasn’t ready to hang it up. I’m excited for the chance to play with my brothers.”
I tilt my head as I study him. “You sound like you’re talking to the press, but I’m not the press.”
He eyes me for a long moment before he responds to that. “I don’t know you, though. How do I know what I say to you stays between us?”
“You don’t,” I answer honestly. “But what does your intuition tell you about me? Do you think I’ll run out of here and tell everyone your secrets if you confide in me?”
“No,” he admits. “You seem…kind. You don’t seem like the kind of person who would do that.”
“I’m not.”
“Then you tell me a secret, and I’ll tell you one.” His tone is a challenge.
“I broke up with my boyfriend last night.”
He looks taken aback by my admission.
Before he can respond to that, I add, “It was over a long time ago. We’ve been long-distance for a while, and I was waiting to see him in person to do it. When that opportunity didn’t come, well…” I shrug.
His jaw slackens a little. “So this, you and me, tonight…this is a rebound bang?”
I laugh. “No. You’re Grayson Nash. I would’ve called him to break up with him the second you approached me at the bar just to be free and clear of him for a shot with you.”
He dramatically puts his hand on his chest. “I’m flattered.”
My cheeks flush. “Now you go.”
His eyes shift over to the aquarium that spans the entire wall of the restaurant behind us. “My father beat into us from a young age that the game comes first above all else, and for a long time, I thought it fucked all four of us up. But Linc’s married, Spence is engaged…and I don’t know. I don’t know what comes next when my playing days are done, and I think it’s why I’m back for another season.” He glances back at me. “It’ll be fun playing with my brothers. That’s not a line. But the truth is…I’m tired. I’m only thirty-two, but it’s getting harder and harder on my body. On my knees, my back. I feel like an eighty-year-old man who can hardly get out of bed some days, and I don’t know how much longer I can put my body through it.” He moves his eyes back to the aquarium. “But when I think about really giving up this life, really retiring…I don’t know if I can do it. I have nothing waiting for me on the other side. Coaching, probably, which is easier on my body but doesn’t change my schedule. Beyond that, I’m not sure.” He looks at me again, and I’m surprised at his vulnerability with me.
I reach over and squeeze his hand. “I think it’s okay not to be sure, Grayson.” My voice is low. “Thirty-two is still young. You can keep playing. You can try coaching. Or maybe there’s something else out there for you. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time, and what’s meant to happen will happen when it’s supposed to.”
His eyes meet mine. Our fingers are still twined together, electricity flying between us, and I get the feeling that the two of us running into each other tonight is one of those examples of being in the right place at the right time.
