Maybe I should have been more surprised that I’d let him kiss me. He just caught me off guard, and his lips felt so good against mine. Then he went and put his arm around me. It was too much to resist.
I knew I should stay away from him, but what would one lunch do? Besides, if anything was going to put me in a good mood, it was sushi. I was getting tired of all the salads and frozen meals I’d been eating since arriving in town. The only good meals I’d had were the French toast and that lasagna from Mrs. Mathews.
I parked my car along the curb, checking in my rear view mirror to see that Gavin was still right behind me. I got out and waited as he parked. He came around so he could open my door for me. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought he was a gentleman.
“I’m glad you decided to come to lunch. This place is awesome.”
“I’m excited. I’ve actually been craving sushi lately.” I buckled my seatbelt.
He smiled. “Really? What a coincidence. It looks like we have something else in common.”
“What else do we have in common?”
“I’m guessing by your display on the beach that you’re into sports. I am too.”
“Did you play anything?” I liked how he was keeping the conversation off what happened between us. It was like we were doing everything backward though: getting to know each other after we’d slept together.
“Yeah, you can say that.” He got a strange look on his face, like something he’d said was funny.
“What do you mean?”
“I played baseball.”
“Like in high school or college?”
“I played in the minors for a few years.”
“Really? Wow, that’s really cool.” I was such a baseball fan, of course I’d fallen for a player.
“Yeah, it was.” A shadow crossed his face.
“When did you stop?”
He turned onto the highway leading out of town. It was the first time I’d left since I drove down, and I was looking forward to a change of scenery. “About three years ago. A rotator cuff tear ended things.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Ouch. I complained about losing my job with the D.A’s office, but there was still the chance I could work there in the future. He’d lost his dream completely.
“It’s the past.” He kept his eyes focused straight ahead.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t make it easy.”
He glanced over at me. “That’s definitely true.”
“So who’d you play for?” Short lived or not, it was still exciting.
“The Durham Bulls.”
“Oh cool. Were you hoping to play for the Rays?”
“You know their major affiliation?” He raised an eyebrow, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look at me.
“I told you I was a baseball fan.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you’d know that.”
I shrugged “I’m a baseball nerd. What do you want?”
He laughed. “I like you, Becca. But to answer your question, yeah, I was hoping to play for them. Well, it was more than that. I had the contract. I just got hurt before I could start.”
“Oh, how awful.” Without thinking, I put a hand on his arm.
“It’s all right. Like I said, it’s the past.”
“Do you still like to watch, or does it depress you or something?”
He looked over. “Yeah, I still watch. Why, you want to catch a game sometime or something?”
“Where would we go?”
“Answer me first.” He got a funny smile on his face. “Do you want to catch a game?”
“Yeah, unless you’re talking little league or something. That can be pretty painful to watch unless you know the kids.”
He laughed. “No, I’m not talking little league.”
“Then, sure.” Was I really agreeing to spend more time with him? I needed help. The guy humiliated me, and now I was going to play nice. No way. “Wait.”
“What?”
“But only as friends.”
“I think we’re past the ‘friends’ stage.”
“Then forget it. I agreed to have lunch, but I was serious when I said we needed to forget what happened.” I looked out the window.
“And that kiss earlier canceled that out. We are not doing anything as friends. I’ve played that game before, and it’s not going to work.”
“And what if I don’t want to be anything more than friends?”
“Let’s not worry about a label right now. I’d just like to get to know you. I should have done that before taking you home, but I can’t change that now. So let’s just enjoy it, okay?”
I found myself nodding without meaning to. Part of me needed to make something more of our hook up—to make it worth it. Maybe we’d end up friends by the end of the summer.
Gavin pulled into a busy lot. It looked like we weren’t the only ones in the mood for sushi. He led me into the restaurant.
We were seated at a window table. Gavin pulled out my chair before seating himself. Yet another point for him. Call me old fashioned, but I liked a man who treated a woman nicely.
“Do you usually get rolls, sushi, or sashimi?” Gavin hadn’t even given me a chance to look over the menu.
“Ah, usually rolls, but I’m open to anything.” I glanced down at the menu. “Oh, I definitely have to try their seaweed salad.”
“Okay rolls, and you’re open to anything. Does that mean you’ll let me order for both of us?”
He looked at me as if he expected an argument.
“Is that a challenge?”
“Maybe.”
“Order away.” I waved my arm out to my side in a “the sky’s the limit” kind of gesture.
The waiter came over, and I listened closely as Gavin ordered us hot tea and enough rolls to feed at least four people. I was happy to hear that he remembered the seaweed salad.
“You don’t really think we’re going to eat that much, do you?”
He grinned. “You’ve never seen me eat before, have you?”
I looked at him. He was a big guy, but I knew for a fact he had no fat on him. He was built like a rock. “I guess not. So you have a big appetite?”
“Yeah, I have a big appetite.” He looked right at me as he said it, and I know I detected something suggestive in his comment. I could practically feel my cheeks burning, so I’m sure I blushed. He was getting good at embarrassing me.