Page 19 of The Secret Play

“It’s fine,” I said quickly, though I could feel the heat creeping up my neck because everyone else was staring. I was used to attention in my professional life, but when I was off the clock, I wasn’t a fan of it. “Don’t worry about it.”

Gemma bit her lip, her eyes wide, and for a second, I thought she might be embarrassed and leave. But then she started laughing—softly at first, and then harder, until she was shaking her head and wiping tears from her eyes.

“You’re taking this well,” I said, trying not to feel like a complete idiot.

“I have a kindergartener,” she said, still laughing. “This is nothing. You should see my dining table after spaghetti night.”

Her humor was infectious, and before I knew it, I was laughing too. The waiter looked relieved as he cleaned up the mess, and when Gemma reached across the table to squeeze my hand, I felt a warmth that had nothing to do with embarrassment.

The rest of the night didn’t go much better.

Her steak came out cold. To my surprise, she still ate it. “I haven’t had a hot meal in years. You get used to it.”

When my credit card was briefly declined because I’d forgotten to activate the new one my bank sent, I had a small internal panic attack until things got settled.

As we waited for that to be handled, a small child from another table ran up and stole her purse. She laughed as his mother returned the bag, brushing it off with an ease that made me feel like none of it really mattered. “As long as everything’s inside, no harm, no foul play.”

The mother sighed. “Thank you. He’s done this twice in the past month. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”

“Mine’s the same way with the fall leaves since we moved back. I’ve found a pile under her pillow. You just never know with kids.”

“Good luck, hon.”

“You, too.”

I couldn’t believe her. Every woman I’d dated would have lost their shit if a kid stole their purse. “You’re hard to rattle.”

“I could stress out about the little things or roll with the punches. That kind of stress is a choice, and I choose not to worry about it. The kid was just being a kid, and everything is in my bag.”

After we finished at the restaurant, we walked out into the cool night air of an Atlanta autumn. “It’s refreshing to spend time with someone who has such a positive outlook on life.”

“I didn’t always. It took practice and sometimes, it still does,” she said, holding up her phone, which was now tethered to a small portable charger. “Case in point, I forgot to charge my phone before I left, so this thing is my lifeline. Most problems have easy solutions. You just have to know where to look.”

I grinned, shaking my head. “You’re something else, you know that?”

She laughed, nudging me with her shoulder as we walked. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

We strolled in companionable silence for a while, wandering toward a nearby park. The city lights glittered in the distance, and the sound of crickets filled the air. It felt strangely intimate, like we’d stepped into a world that belonged only to us.

“Can I ask you something?” I said as we reached a bench near a small fountain.

“Of course.”

“Why are you here?” I asked, my voice quieter now. “With me, I mean. I’m so much older than you, and…”

“And what?” she asked, tilting her head.

“I guess I just don’t understand why you’d be interested. You could be out with any guy. But you’re not.”

She studied me for a moment, her expression softening. “Do you really not see it?”

“See what?”

She smiled, reaching up to brush a stray piece of hair out of her face. “You’re kind, Casey. And thoughtful. And maybe you don’t realize it, but you have this way of making people feel safe. And you’ve got a great ass.”

I laughed because her words caught me off guard. There was something about this woman that I couldn’t figure out. I felt a flicker of something I couldn’t quite name. Whatever it was, it settled deep in my chest, warming me from the inside out. Gemma saw me as a man. Not just Coach. It had been a long time since someone saw me that way.

“I’m glad you think so,” I said finally. “Because I don’t think I could stop being interested in your ass even if I tried.”

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