Page 67 of Playmaker

“Doyouwant do?”

“I’dliketo,” she said cautiously. “But if you’re tired or…” Chewing her lip, she trailed off.

I thought about it, then rolled my shoulders. “You know what? Let’s find something nice.”

The way her face lit up made my breath hitch. Did she… Did she want to go somewhere upscale with me? Or did she just not want to settle for the hotel bar?

I mean, going to a nice restaurant together didn’t necessarily mean going on a date.

But it also didn’t necessarilynotmean that, either.

As I freshened up to go out, a conversation drifted through my mind.

“It took her four dates to realize we were even dating,” my teammate Carly Nelsson had laughed. “I swear, every woman I know who’s dated women has the same story.”

Okay. Maybe they did. But Lila wanting to go someplace nice for dinner didn’t mean she was trying to take me out on a date. Neither did taking me to lunch to get my mind off my asshole ex. Or hitting the ice with me so I could think about something other than him.

She came to the All-Stars with you, doofus. This is what you want.

I studied her as she fixed her hair in the mirror beside the TV.

Was I reading too much into this? Was it wishful thinking?

Yeah, I’d asked her to come with me because I wanted her and hoped she reciprocated, but I was so bad at this. So new to dating women. Not that men had been any easier to read, but that didn’t stop me from feeling utterly clueless or hoping Lila was taking the lead.

Maybe…

Maybe that was what she was doing? By suggesting dinner out?

“We were halfway through dinner,” Sara James had said, rolling her eyes. “And she suddenly asks, ‘wait, is this a date?’” She’d facepalmed. “Um, duh? How much clearer did I have to make it?”

“Ready to go?” Lila asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“I, um…” Oh my God, she looked amazing in that suit. And had she put on a touch of makeup, too? I shook myself. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s, uh…” I looked around for my phone and keycard, which I found on a nightstand. “Let’s go.”

I headed for the door, but those stupid, ridiculous questions kept beating on the inside of my skull alongside those stories my teammates had told. Were they going to keep pecking away at me all through dinner? Becausethatwould help me relax and unwind.

I reached for the door but hesitated. “Uh. Before we go…”

“Hmm?”

“Is this, um…” I sensed her watching me, but I couldn’t quite make myself look at her.

“Is this, what?” she prodded gently.

I swallowed hard as my cheeks burned. “I, uh…” Then I shook myself and laughed nervously. “Never mind. Never—we should get going.”

Once again, I reached for the door. I still didn’t get my hand on the handle, though, this time because Lila’s gentle touch to my elbow halted the motion.

“We still have time.” Her voice was softer than I’d ever heard it. “If something’s bothering you, let’s deal with it now instead of out there.”

Okay, that made sense. And I wouldn’t be any less awkward trying to ask in public. If anything, I’d be way more likely to just not ask, which was probably the best-case scenario, because if we—

“Sabrina?”

I closed my eyes and pushed out a breath. Then I turned to face her, and despite the fluttering in my stomach, I met her gaze.

Somehow, I found my voice, and I whispered, “When you suggested we go get dinner… just the two of us…”

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