Playing to Win

Someplace nice and quiet, and the goddamned media shows up. I’m not an actor. I’m not Hollywood. I’m just a jock. Taking my parents out to dinner isn’t newsworthy. Yet they stalked me and hounded my parents, blinding them with their cameras.”
    “Did you bring a date that night?”
    He frowned. “What?”
    “When you took your parents out to dinner for their anniversary. Did you bring a date?”
    “Yeah.”
    “That’s why you had the media stalking you. You’re a hot commodity, Cole. You’ve had big endorsement deals, you’ve done commercials, and you’ve been known to date high-profile women. That makes you attractive to the media. Next time you want to take your parents out for a quiet dinner, don’t bring a date.”
    “It shouldn’t matter whether I bring a date or not. The media should leave me alone.”
    She smiled at him. “What you want and what you’re going to get are two different things. You’ve been in the NFL for six years now, and you were hot even when you played college ball. If you don’t want this life, then maybe you should consider retiring.”
    He was about ready to let Peaches hoof it back to her car. “That’s a bullshit suggestion.”
    “And you’re a whiner. You have a great career, you make more money than most of the people in this country will ever dream of. You have a ton of perks, you can retire before you’re forty and live a life of luxury—provided you’re financially astute and haven’t pissed it all away. Yet you’ve cornered yourself into a terrible reputation and your career is hanging by a thread. What? Fame, money, and success aren’t enough for you? Are you unhappy?”
    He pushed his chair back, pulled a wad of bills out of his wallet, and threw them on the table, then tossed some extra at her. “You can take a cab back to your car, Peaches. We’re done here.”
    He walked out.
    NOW THAT WAS THE COLE RILEY SHE’D RESEARCHED. Savannah took a deep breath and reached for her glass of iced tea to take a sip.
    Carmen came over. “Are you all right, dear?”
    She smiled up at the woman. “I’m just fine. Thank you for asking. I believe Cole left more than enough money to cover the bill.”
    She clasped her hands together. “He always does. He’s very generous.”
    Yeah, he was generous, all right. She left the money he’d thrown at her, figuring Mike could use it. She pushed back her chair and stood. “The meal was wonderful, Carmen. Thank you so much.”
    “It’s so unlike Cole to be so, to be such a…”
    Jerk? Asshole? Prick? Baby? Seemed to her he’d acted just as she’d expected. Exactly as the profile had indicated. She laid her hand on Carmen’s arm. “It’s quite all right, Carmen.”
    “Men. They’re difficult to understand sometimes. My Fred. Most of the time he’s so warm and loving. And then sometimes I’dlike to bash him upside the head with my cast-iron skillet. Of course they’d arrest me if I killed him, so I call him names instead.”
    She couldn’t imagine a mean word coming out of the tiny woman, but Savannah laughed. “Well, yes, killing them is illegal.”
    Carmen linked her arm with Savannah’s. “They’re all a pain in the ass every now and then and require a lot of patience. But the great sex is worth it.”
    Savannah blinked. “I’m sure it is. Thank you again for lunch, Carmen. I’ll just call a taxi.”
    “You wait in here, then. It’s hot outside.” Carmen wandered off and Savannah stared after her.
    Clearly Savannah had a lot to learn about men and women and relationships. Right now she was happy to be single.
    She pulled out her phone when she walked outside, surprised to see Cole parked at the front door. He was leaning against the passenger-side door, his arms crossed in front of him.
    “So maybe I do have a temper.”
    She slipped her phone in her purse and walked toward him.
    “And maybe I can be an asshole.”
    She put on her sunglasses and tilted her head back.
    “I’m sorry,” he said. “But not everything in your super secret file there is true.”
    “Then start proving me wrong instead of proving everything in it is right.”
    He clenched his jaw, but then he gave her a quick nod. He moved away and opened the door for her, helped her up, then climbed in on his side.
    “Where to now?” he asked.
    “I’m yours to command. Take me wherever you’re going.”
    He relaxed his shoulders, shot her a grin, and started the car.
    At least he didn’t stay angry long. Point in