My phone had a missed call from Harrison’s number when I finished lunch. I stared at the screen for a moment once I got in the car, then threw the phone in my purse and drove to my condo in Mt. Adams. When I pulled into the slim parking lot in front of the unit,I stared at the phone for a few more moments.
Part of me, I guess, thought he won’t call me. Thought that our conversation in Target had been a joke. And thought I wouldn’t ever see him again.
Wrong.
When I called him back, Harrison picked up on the second ring. My tongue grew thick in my mouth as we sputtered through the first few seconds of conversation. Small talk. Gym talk. A sentence to two about the weather. And then:
“I mainly just wanted to call and confirm dinner,” he said. “How about I pick you up around 7 tomorrow?”
“7 works,” I said.
“Good. Looking forward to it.”
Another pause.
“You know, Ally,” he said. “One of the things I really like about you is how much you don’t care.”
“Excuse me?”
Harrison cleared his throat, “This isn’t coming out right. What I mean, is that you don’t care about all of that bullshit in life that people put on other people. Money. Social standing. Influence.”
I snorted.
“No, I don’t really care about that stuff. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Which is really interesting, considering you’re Grant’s sister.”
I smiled into the phone. “What does that have to do with it?”
“First time I met Vance, I could tell he likes the finer things in life. He likes his money. And his women.”
“Sounds like my brother.”
“But you don’t do you?”
“No,” I said. “I don’t like women.”
Harrison laughed as I turned off the Honda’s engine. “I’ll see you at 7?” he said.
“7.” I got out of the Honda and shut the car door behind me. “I’m at 543 Willow. Right by the old monastery.”
“I think I know where that is.”
By the time I walked into my house, my heart pounded a strong, swift beat in my chest. My whole life, I had loved the chase. When it came to romance,the chase thrilled me. It woke me up inside. It made me feel alive. I liked it when men pursued me. The newness of it all had a novelty I couldn’t find anywhere else.
But nothing compared to the novelty of a professional football player.
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Off Season
RomanceHarrison Shaw never failed to make an impression. Mention his name, and everyone in the country had an opinion about him. From his fantastic arm to his horrible attitude off the field, he became the most famous professional football player in the c...
