Page 15 of Play Book

FIVE

Saylor

Dinner is fun.

Canyon is a lot more serious than I expected him to be, but he’s smart, articulate, and thoughtful. There’s a dark, broody side to him, and he doesn’t laugh a lot, but he has a lot of interesting stories, he talks about more than just hockey, and despite the unspoken agreement that we’re going to sleep together tonight, he doesn’t spend the evening making crude or suggestive remarks.

In fact, if I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t have thought he was even interested in sex.

Well, okay, that’s not entirely true.

Every once in a while, we share a look that tells me he has more on his mind than expensive red wine and beef bourguignon, but it’s nice to be out with a man I can talk to. We both love football, we both enjoy golfing, and it feels like we’ve been friends for longer than one night.

Why do I always fall for the unavailable ones?

I’m not falling in love, of course, but I’m more drawn to him than I’ve been to any other guy I’ve met in years. I’m intrigued to discover he’s five years younger than me, and he’s been playing in the big leagues since he was nineteen. He’s originally from Illinois but doesn’t get back there too often. He also doesn’t live far from me, which will be convenient if he sleeps over.

“You want to drive?” he asks as we wait for the valet to bring his Ferrari around.

“You trust me?”

“You break it, you bought it,” he says, his face so devoid of emotion I can’t tell if he’s joking or not.

“She’s too pretty to break,” I whisper excitedly, taking the keys from the valet and sliding behind the wheel. I adjust the seat to accommodate my shorter legs, fix the rearview mirror, and fasten my seat belt. After a slight hesitation, I pull off my high stiletto heels and hand them to him. “Easier for me to drive a stick without heels,” I say.

He takes my shoes without hesitation, holding them on his lap as I ease the car into traffic.

“Can I take her up to Mulholland?” I ask, referring to a hilly road that has some of the best views of downtown Los Angeles and the Hollywood sign, as well as some of the most expensive and exclusive houses in the world.

“Wherever you want,” he replies.

I head in that direction, getting a feel for the car.

It’s a dream to drive, fast and smooth, and I love how it handles. I’ve considered buying one over the years, but it seemed extravagant and unnecessary. Not to mention stupidly expensive.

“Head for the Hollywood Bowl Overlook,” Canyon suggests. “We can stop there and talk for a while if you want.”

For someone who isn’t interested in anything but sex, he sure knows how to take a girl out on a romantic date.

There’s more to Canyon Marks than meets the eye, and though I try to tell myself we’ve already established the boundaries of our relationship, I can’t help but wonder if we could stay friends.

Friends with benefits?

Nah.

That would get complicated.

I need to let go of that line of thinking and focus on having fun.

And driving this amazing car.

“Now I’m going to have to buy one,” I mutter when I finally pull over. “That was so much fun.”

“My dad told me not to buy it, but I couldn’t help myself. He didn’t complain when I let him drive it, though.”

“I’ll bet he didn’t.” I take my shoes from him and slip them on before getting out of the car.

It’s dark and the overlook is officially closed, but there’s a small spot where you can park if you don’t stay long. If a cop drives by, he’ll make us leave, but we potentially have a few minutes to enjoy the view of the city.

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