Page 13 of Her Football Star Ex

But when I opened the message, he’d left a variety of fruit and veggie emojis.

I frowned and showed the screen to Kira. “Do you think he’s trying to invite me to a vegan restaurant?”

I mean, I usually used words when I talked to people, but Kira seemed to think having an interesting opener was important, so maybe this was this guy’s go-to move.

At least…that was what I thought before Kira burst out laughing.

“A vegan restaurant!” She slapped her leg and laughed like I was hilarious or something. “You’re so innocent sometimes, Emerson.”

I squinted at the message to see if I could understand it.

Was this like some sort of code?

Did eggplants mean one word? And peaches mean another?

“You really don’t get it?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Apparently, I’ve been living under a rock.”

So Kira went on to explain that the guy had basically asked me to hook up with him.

“What?” I asked. “He doesn’t even know me!”

Kira shrugged. “Welcome to online dating, honey. Not everyone is looking for the same thing.”

I shook my head. “Well, I guess I’m going to have to just tell him no thanks then.”

“Good choice.”

I quickly typed my response and then tapped the block button on the screen. I might be desperate to find a date to a wedding in a few weeks, but I was not interested in a relationship that started off like that. I was a relationship girl and would be in a serious relationship before I let things get too physical.

“Any other ones?” Kira asked after my cheeks had finally cooled from the embarrassing message.

“Just one more,” I said, opening the last message from a guy with blond hair and super cute dimples named Ricky. “His profile says he’s a year younger than me. But he’sreallycute and six-foot-five.” An inch taller than Vincent. “So he could be just what I need.”

I read his message.

Ricky:Are you Emerson Lake? As in Vincent Lake’s ex? My buddies and I have all been trying to get tickets to this Sunday’s game. Think you could hook a brother up?

I sighed and clicked out of the app, setting my phone on my desk and picking up my coffee cup again. “So much for online guys not knowing about my past.”

“What did he say?” Kira’s black eyebrows knitted together in concern.

I told her what it said and then sighed. “I know our divorce was all over the tabloids, but I kind of hoped none of these guys would recognize me for it.”

But I should have known something like this would happen.

Vincent and my divorce had been everywhere when the news first broke last year. I’d shut down my social media profiles and made myself into a hermit in our small town, barely doing anything besides work and running errands. For some reason I’d assumed that by hiding out for the last twelve months, the Dragons’ fans would have forgotten about my tie to my famous ex-husband.

But it looked like, at least in this fan’s case, I was more memorable than I wanted to be.

“Just ignore it,” Kira said, sitting up straighter. “You’re doing this to move on. You don’t owe any of Vincent’s fans anything.”

I nodded, letting the heat from the coffee cup warm my hands. “I guess ‘boring opener Dave’ turned out to be the most promising of the three.”

“For now,” she said, pushing herself onto her feet and getting ready to go back to her desk. “But this is just day one. Who knows what will happen next?”

“I guess,” I said, trying to sound more enthusiastic than I really felt about all of this. “Maybe I’ll swipe through some more guys on my lunch break.”

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