Total pages in book: 230
Estimated words: 217798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1089(@200wpm)___ 871(@250wpm)___ 726(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217798 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1089(@200wpm)___ 871(@250wpm)___ 726(@300wpm)
“Yes, buddy. Everything’s fine.” I took a deep breath and let it out, picking up his plate and setting it down on the small table where he liked to sit. “I put pastrami in it, just like you like.”
“Mommy always puts pastrami.” He took a bite. “And salami.”
“Well, your mother has me beat once again.” I winked at him, then turned to David and whispered, “Tamara is going to kill me.”
“She’s going to kill me too.” David took out his phone. “I’m going to call Idris.”
“You haven’t called him? Isn’t the lawyer the first person you should call when you see something like this?” I paused. “Shit. I have to tell Pilar.”
“I’m sure she already knows about it.”
“All the more reason I should call her.” I picked up the phone and dialed. “I have practice at three today. You’ll take Asher to the playground while I’m there?” I looked at David.
“Of course.” He smiled at Ash. “We’re going to the museum. Right, buddy?”
“Yes, and we’re going for ice cream.”
“Not too much ice cream,” I warned.
“What’s too much ice cream?” Pilar asked in my ear, startling me. I walked out of the kitchen to find a quiet spot. “Nothing. I was talking to David. So, have you seen the news?”
“How could I not?”
“And?”
“And what?” she waited.
“How do you feel about it?”
“I think she’s crazy, and you need to do some serious damage control before it gets out of hand.”
“I’m not asking you for public relations advice, Pilar. I asked how you felt about it.”
She was quiet for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was almost a whisper, “I don’t love it.”
“Why?” I held my breath. Why was I asking and feeling as if my life depended on the answer she gave?
“For starters, I know this can’t be easy for you. You’ve done such a good job of keeping most of your personal life out of the limelight. I didn’t even know you had a brother before I met you. And, well, I don’t like that she has so much insight to begin with.” She was quiet for a long moment. “I’m jealous.”
“You have nothing to be jealous about,” I said but couldn’t help my smile.
“I feel like I don’t know you, not like she does.”
“You do know me. I want you to know me.” I sighed, suddenly wishing we were having this conversation face-to-face. “Come by the arena later. I have practice at three, but we can do something afterwards.”
“Will I get to watch you practice?”
“Do you want to watch me?”
“I would kill to watch you practice,” she said, a squeak in her voice. I laughed.
“Come by a little before three. I’ll let security know to be on the lookout for a very important fan.”
“Number one fan, you mean.”
“You’re my number one fan?”
“Of course, I am.”
I was smiling so hard, my face hurt. Jesus, I felt like a kid again. I looked over at Asher, who was finishing his lunch. I knew he would come running soon. I needed to tell Pilar about him. I would later today. We hung up, and I spent the rest of my afternoon with Asher until I needed to head to the arena for practice.
CHAPTER 24
Pilar
When Amir and I pulled up to the arena, I was practically bouncing in the passenger seat. He looked over as he put the car in park.
“I hope you’re going to at least try to play it cool in there.” His eyes twinkled. “Because you sure are acting like one of those kids at the school the other day.”
“Amir.” I reached over and grabbed his forearm, squeezing it as I spoke. “We are about to watch Le Bleus practice. In real life. On the pitch. In front of us. Without a million other people in the stadium.”
“I got that.” He laughed. “Because you’re dating one of the players. You are dating, right?”
I thought about how to answer that as we got out of the car and met in front of it.
“I mean, we go on dates.” I smiled. I couldn’t seem to stop smiling.
“I like seeing you like this.” Amir grinned at me as we walked. “You’re lighter. More fun.”
“More fun?” I gasped, laughing. “Are you saying I was boring before I started dating Ben? Is it because we weren’t able to do things like this?”
“You know that’s not what I meant, but this is definitely a perk.” We slowed when we reached the second security gate, and he walked ahead. “Let me see where we’re supposed to go.”
“I’ll be here.” I looked around the stadium, refraining from jumping up and down only because I knew there were cameras everywhere, and I didn’t want to look like a fool on video.
I started walking down the sidewalk, looking at the plaques on the wall, reading about past players and the team’s record.