Page 29 of King of Players

“Never expected to hear this from a man.” For some reason, I couldn’t help being honest. I immediately regretted it.

“Why? Because we’re always so strong? Tough as nails?”

“Because I’m not used to men being so honest about their vulnerabilities, especially to women they don’t know.”

“My mind doesn’t work the same way yours does, Kaira. I already think I know you enough to be fairly open with you.”

“That contradicts every value by which a celebrity should live.”

“I didn’t say I do that with every woman in my life.”

After that harsh reminder that I was only ‘another woman’ caught temporarily in his orbit, I chose to keep my mouth shut for the rest of the ride. When he finally pulled over, I nearly missed the place. A red door was opened, and a young man came out, smiling and walking toward Chad’s side. After opening the door for him, he took the key and then sprinted over toward me, grabbing the door before I even cracked it open.

We walked in through the little door, and as if they had been expecting us, we were approached by someone to grab my shawl, and another who was clearly the host. My eyes quickly scanned the place, which was much bigger than the impression the narrow entrance had created. Nearly all the tables were full, and the bustling noise of a busy restaurant transformed the fabric of time. Suddenly, it felt like eight o’clock on a Friday night.

“Wow.” I tittered. “Best kept secret. I agree.”

As I observed the way Chad behaved around me—and towards me—I recalled something an old boyfriend had once said. “It’s easy for any man to learn all the socially prescribed manners to impress a woman; open a door for her, pull a chair, bend over to retrieve something she dropped. But it’s impossible for him to be anything but himself in the bedroom, because if that happens, his cover will be blown upon the very first time.”

The thing was; I had already experienced Chad Niles in the bedroom, and now I was watching him embody that social mold, as if he had forgotten. I had already slept with him. I was already attracted to him. He wasn’t doing any of these things to impress me—it was his nature. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why women fell at his feet.

I was pulled out of the pool of my thoughts when I heard him ask, “Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

At that moment, I realized that I had already been holding the menu in my hands, staring mindlessly at the first page that provided a quick backstory of the restaurant. “Uh—No. I eat pretty much everything.”

“Well, the selection here is limited. It’s mostly Italian. Only exception is burgers.”

“I’ll have the bruschetta.” I closed the menu and coolly placed it down.

He snorted. “So much for eating everything.”

“I’m not really all that hungry.”

His smile changed form as he looked into my eyes. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Agreeing to give me more of your time.”

I didn’t know why his expression of gratitude rendered me awkward. Looking away, I pretended to adjust something in the strap of my shoe so I could bend over and avoid eye contact. “Come on, Chadwick. I wasn’t sleepy, and you asked nicely.”

After we placed our order, Chad placed his elbows on the table, propping his chin over his fist as he relentlessly stared at me. “So, tell me. How did you wind up in the charity business?”

“My family. My grandmother, to be more specific. I thought you knew that.”

“And what did you want to do? Before all of that?”

“I was always into giving back, I suppose.” I shifted in my seat, trying to summon ‘Date Kaira’ and feeling hopelessly shaky about it. “Volunteering at school, university, church.”

“Ah. What was your major?”

“I actually changed majors a few times.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Oh.”

“Humanitarian aid, philosophy, literature…”

“Wow.” He chuckled.

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