Page 5 of Courtside

“How are you getting home?” David asked, searching her face.

“I walked here,” she said, taking a long drink of her margarita.

It was the point in the night where she had to decide whether to bail or redirect. There was still time if she wanted to find someone else, but there was a part of her that couldn’t shake the feeling that anyone else would be a consolation prize after the potential of her chemistry with David. It seemed impossible that she’d find anyone who compared.

“Can I order you a ride?” David was asking, his concern clear in the furrow of his dark brows.

Sage tried for a reassuring smile. “I live really close by, and I think I might stay a while.”

David opened and then closed his mouth, looking down between them at the place where his large hand spanned her thigh. “Please let me help you get you home safely,” he whispered. “Please, Sage.”

Sage opened her mouth to argue, to say with absolute certainty that she could take care of herself, when across the bar, a male voice shouted above the music and conversation.

“Courtney! I’m coming for you, Courtney! You’re my sunshine, Courtney, and the sun never sets!”

“Damnit!” David withdrew his hand from her leg, and she immediately felt the absence of him. He looked at her,reallylooked at her, before shaking his head one last time. “You’re really something,” he said, rising to his feet. “And I’m so sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am.” He pressed his lips to her cheek in a kiss that was over before it even began, and then he was gone, his massive form retreating from the bar in long strides, moving toward the exit. She watched him, let her eyes drift down his muscular legs before jumping up to the broad expanse of his back.

As he reached the gate, he turned, looking at her one last time. She was certain that she mirrored the sad smile on his face, like there was an understanding between them thatsomethinghad been lost that could have been.

Even if it was just for one night, it would have been something.

His dark eyes seemed to send something across the distance between them, like a message or a promise. She wasn’t sure. But she felt something in that final moment before he turned and disappeared, and she knew, without a single doubt, that if she wasn’t going home with that big, beautiful, brown-eyed man after sharing nachos and tots, then she wasn’t going home with anyone.

CHAPTER2

IN SPITE OF CAREFUL PLANNING

SAGE

Sage woke up to her alarm shrieking — she could never be bothered to change it from the pre-programmed sound — and the sun just barely brightening the sky. She rolled out of bed quickly, pulling on a sports bra and running shorts before putting the t-shirt she’d slept in back on again. She found a pair of socks and slipped on her running shoes. She stopped briefly in the kitchen, filling up her water bottle from the jug she kept in her fridge, and then quietly left her apartment.

The gym was only a few buildings over, and Sage had already integrated the new facility into the rhythm of her days. She climbed onto an open treadmill, upping the speed until she broke into a run, feeling her lungs expand and contract with the pounding rhythm of her steps as she found her pace.

She had to start her days like this. Even when the requirement to maintain a certain fitness level was no longer the driving force in her life, Sage still found herself drawn to both the external routine and the internal grounding that habitual exercise brought her.

It helped her maintain a clear head, and honestly just felt fucking good.

After a run and a cooldown that she knew was too short, she dismounted and went over to the free weights. She worked through a circuit of lunges, squats, arm presses and curls, lifting enough weight that her muscles shook with the effort by the time she reached her final reps.

Finally she dropped down to the wide mat set up in a corner, busting out twenty push-ups before pausing, leaning back on her knees as she watched sweat drip down to the mat below her. Her breaths were heavy, and she forced herself to fill her lungs to full capacity, overriding the burn in her core.

As she leaned forward again, she caught a glimpse of a man walking down the sidewalk. Tall, well built, and walking a tiny dog.Adorable, she thought as she watched the golden dog’s short legs working overtime to keep up with the man’s long stride. The guy’s ass was something far less wholesome than adorable, and Sage caught herself licking her lips as he disappeared from view.Damnthere were some good looking men in the area.

She shook her head.

Her workout finished with a series of crunches with her legs lifted in the air above her that made her abs practically scream in pain. She pushed herself off the floor, cleaned up her area with one of the provided wipes, and then proceeded to hobble back to her apartment.

Did she stretch? Nope.

Did she know that she was supposed to stretch? Yep.

After a quick shower, Sage stood in the kitchen dressed in cut off jean shorts and a faded Fleetwood Mac shirt that had been her mom’s, tossing the chopped ingredients of her breakfast scramble into a cast iron pan and stirring them absently while she warmed tortillas on the open range.

It was the first day of classes, so she didn’t entirely know what to expect now that she was a grad student. Would there be the same endless stream of articles to read and papers to write? She had no idea.

It was going to be a good year. She’d landed her dream internship with the Southeastern Women’s Soccer team. They were dominant — they’d won their conference eight out of the last nine years — and Danika had introduced Sage to the coach at the end of last year. It was a requirement for the Sports Management graduate program that everyone needed to get a managerial internship with either a collegiate or professional team. While Southeastern was only a NCAA Division III school, they were still known for having strong sports programs.

Sage had put in hours of effort to earn the Women’s Soccer Team Manager spot. Because they were so good, it was one of the most sought after positions, and even though Sage didn’t have a soccer background, she’d studied her ass off to learn the game well enough to impress the coaches.

---