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“Hey, Nigel.”
“Hey, Malcolm.” He extended his hand to Chris. “I’m Nigel West, the chef.”
“Christopher Long.”
“Camp doesn’t start until next week, so what are you two doing here?”
“I asked Malcolm to help me with a few drills,” Chris said.
Nigel stood. “How about I make you two one of the recovery shakes Lauren is implementing? You can be the test subjects. Chris, if you haven’t seen her yet, make sure you schedule an appointment.”
“I meet with her on Wednesday.”
“Good. Have a seat and I’ll be right back with the shakes.”
Chris sat at the nearest table. “Thanks.”
Malcolm followed suit. The mention of Lauren’s name conjured up memories of their dance on Saturday night and the way her soft curves had felt pressed against his body. Just the thought spiked his arousal. He had done a good job putting her out of his mind for the past two hours, knowing she would be at the facility, but now she was front and center again. He just hoped to leave without running into her. Visions of how she looked in that body-hugging black dress that had left her shoulders bare had played havoc with his mind all weekend. He wasn’t supposed to want her.
Chris’s voice pulled him out of his reverie.
“I want to thank you for working with me today, Malcolm. My boys thought I was crazy for asking. Said no veteran would groom a rookie to take his position.”
He chuckled. “Most wouldn’t. But I’m not worried about you taking my position. Two years from now, it’ll be all yours.”
Chris laughed. “What else do I need to know to make it on this team? I know I won’t be starting and most likely won’t play but a few downs all season, but I don’t want to get cut.”
Nigel returned with the drinks. “Let me know what you think.”
Malcolm waited until Nigel went back over to his table and resumed whatever task he’d been doing before speaking. “The first thing is you can’t miss practice and expect to make the squad or be part of the game plan. Everybody takes bumps and bruises, but you work through them.” He took a sip of the drink and grudgingly admitted that it tasted good, something like the ones he made for himself.
“What if I get hurt?”
“If you’re seriously injured, that’s a different story. You’ve been playing long enough to know that your legs will get heavy and muscles will ache, but the coaching staff needs to be able to trust in your ability to find a way to push through the day and answer the call if need be.”
“Got it. I plan to be ready.” Chris lifted the drink. “This is really good. Is this the kind of stuff Lauren will make me drink all the time? And is she going to put me on a strict diet?”
“The shakes are good for muscle recovery after a workout, so I assume they’ll be available after practices. As far as a diet, Lauren will give you the tools you need to play your best game. You just have to follow her plan.” They finished their drinks and headed for the showers. Malcolm took a moment to tell Nigel he thought the shakes would be a good addition. Obviously, Lauren knew her stuff.
Afterward, Malcolm slid behind the wheel of his black Camaro, started the engine and cranked up the air. The temperature had reached the upper eighties, typical for July, but once practice started, it would feel at least ten degrees warmer. He backed out of the parking lot and started down the two-lane highway. The facility was located four miles outside Buena Park and there was nothing but open space and a few trees along that stretch of the road. Halfway to the city limit, he spotted a car parked on the side of the road. A woman stepped out with a phone to her ear. Lauren. As he got closer, he was treated to the sweet curve of her backside in the gray slacks. Malcolm could see irritation on her face. He pulled up behind her and got out. He leaned against her car and waited until she disconnected. “What happened?”
“When I left work a few minutes ago, nothing was wrong. All of a sudden, the stupid car started losing speed and all it would do when I stepped on the pedal was rev up, so I pulled over and called the emergency road service.”
From what she said, Malcolm suspected it might be her transmission. “How long did they say you’d have to wait?”
“Two and a half freaking hours,” she said, scrubbing a hand across her forehead. “I don’t have time for this.” Lauren paced back and forth and then threw up her hands. “I don’t even know where to tell them to take it.”
He straightened from the car, intercepted her when she passed him and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Relax. I know a good mechanic. I’ll call the shop and have them tow your car there, okay? You can call and cancel yours.”
She let out a frustrated breath. “Okay. Thanks.”
He pulled out his cell, made the call and arranged to have her car picked up. “It’ll be about an hour.”
“That’s much better. Now I don’t have to wait as long in this heat.”
“You won’t be waiting at all, because I’m taking you home,” Malcolm said without thinking.
“Um...you don’t have to do that.” Lauren waved him off. “The wait won’t be that long.”
“No matter what has happened between us, you know I’d never leave you here alone, Lauren. And it’s too hot to sit out here.”
Lauren stared up at him, apparently considering his offer. Finally, she nodded.
“Why don’t you grab your stuff and lock up.”
She reached into the back seat and took out a purse and large tote, closed the door, and locked it by remote.
At his car, helped her in then got in on the driver’s side and pulled off.
“Still like muscle cars, huh?”
“Yep,” he said with a smile. “And I have my motorcycle, too.”
“I should’ve known you’d make good on it. That’s all you used to talk about in col—”
The mention of college seemed to raise the tension and an uncomfortable silence ensued, but Malcolm didn’t want to ruin the light mood. “I bought it after I got my first paycheck, just like I said.” They shared a smile. He’d also promised to buy her an engagement ring with that check. One out of two wasn’t bad. “So, where do you live?”
“Carson. I wanted to be close to my parents, but far enough to discourage surprise visits.”
Malcolm laughed. “I totally understand. But my mother doesn’t let that stop her. She doesn’t think anything about the thirty to forty-five minutes it takes to get to any of our houses.”
She turned in the seat to face him and groaned. “Are you serious? I hope my mother doesn’t start doing that.”
“Very serious.” He told her stories of times when his mother had camped out at each of her children’s homes and laughed as Lauren shared some of her own parent woes. He realized that he still enjoyed talking to her and wanted more time. “How about we have some dinner?” He took his eyes off the road briefly to gauge her reaction.
Lauren leaned back against the seat and stared out the window. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Malcolm,” she said quietly.
She was probably right, but he ignored the warning bells in his head telling him to keep his distance. He didn’t know why, but he wanted more time with her. “Think of it as an apology for my behavior last week.”
“What are we doing, Malcolm?”
“We aren’t doing anything. Just two people having dinner. Nothing more.” Except maybe kissing again. The last time he had been angry, but it didn’t change the fact that the passion still burned between them—or that she had kissed him back.
“All right. But what about my car?”
“When we get to the restaurant, I’ll call and give him your number.” Malcolm glanced at the clock on the dashboard, which read four forty-five. “The shop doesn’t close until six thirty, and I doubt they’ll close up before checking out your car and letting you know what’s wrong. Since it’s pretty early, I’m hoping we’ll miss the dinner crowd. We can stop by afterward, if it’ll make you feel better.”
“It would. Thank you.”
They rode the rest of the way in companionable silence, the only sounds coming from the hum of the air conditioner and the soft beat of the music playing.
“Ruth’s Chris?” Lauren asked when he parked in the lot across the street from the restaurant.
“Yes. You don’t like the food here?” Malcolm shut off the engine and regarded her thoughtfully. He probably should have asked where she wanted to eat, but the women he’d taken out in the past typically didn’t care where he took them, only that he paid the bill.
“No, that’s not it. Actually, I’ve never been to the restaurant.”
“Good. I think you’ll enjoy the food.” He hopped out of the car, went around to her side and helped her out. She still wore a slight frown. “What?”
“I figured we were going somewhere less...elegant...and cheaper.” She glanced down at herself.
He followed her gaze and took in the slacks and sleeveless blouse. “You look great, so stop worrying. We won’t be put out,” he added with a chuckle.
“Fine. But I’m paying for my own food.”
Malcolm glared. “Nah, baby. I don’t think so.” Belatedly, he realized what he’d said. The endearment slipped out as if there hadn’t been eight years of separation. He reached for her hand and escorted her over. Due to the early hour, they only had to wait ten minutes for a table. Fortunately, they were seated in a booth near the back.
“Tom will be taking care of you and your guest tonight, Mr. Gray.” The hostess handed them menus. “Enjoy your meal.”
“Thanks, Ms. Virginia.”
Virginia smiled and departed.
“I take it you’re a regular,” Lauren said.
He shrugged. “I come here enough.”
She shook her head and opened the menu. “Mmm-hmm.”
Minutes later, Tom came to take their drink order, but both opted for water. With the season starting, Malcolm wanted to limit his intake of sugary and alcoholic drinks. He’d probably have a beer on Saturday at his barbecue, but that would be the limit.
Lauren closed her menu. “Malcolm?”
He lifted his head.
She seemed to struggle with her words. “I know it probably doesn’t matter and is far too late, but I’m sorry for hurting you.”
Malcolm slowly set the menu aside. For the past eight years, it hadn’t mattered, but tonight, for some reason, hearing her apologize made him feel different. “It matters, Lauren, and I accept your apology. But I have to know why. Why didn’t you give us a chance?”
“I don’t know. I was young, insecure.”
“Insecure?”
“Very much so. I was dating the school’s star running back, and more than one girl made sure I knew that I wouldn’t be able to hold your attention for long.”
His eyes widened in shock. “Lauren—”
She held up a hand. “Please let me finish. It was nothing you did or said. In fact, you made me believe that we could have forever.” She took a deep breath. “One of my friends was dating an athlete at the time, as well, and the moment he had a shot at going pro, he walked away. He told her that he needed to be with someone who would run in the same circles.”
Malcolm felt his anger rise. “That had nothing to do with us.”
Lauren looked at him with sad eyes. “You’re right. But seeing her misery and listening to her tell me over and over to get out before the same thing happened to me... I bought in.”
He wanted to hold it over her head, but he couldn’t. They’d both been twenty-one, and he didn’t know a twenty-one-year-old who hadn’t made a mistake, him included. And strangely, he understood her point. He’d seen a few of his teammates do exactly as she had described, and they’d ended up being linked to paternity suits, baby-mama drama or some other spectacle. Malcolm had never been a party to that scene, because his parents would have killed him—if his older siblings didn’t do it first.
“If I could go back, I’d do things differently.”
“I think that could be said for a lot of situations.” Malcolm lifted his glass of water. “We can’t go back, but we can start again. To the beginning of a new and mature friendship.”
Lauren smiled and touched her glass to the side of his. “To new beginnings.” She took a sip and set it down. “No matter what you think, Malcolm, I didn’t come here to intrude on your life. But I appreciate your friendship.”
Friendship. The word left a bitter taste in his mouth. After all they had shared, he didn’t know if he could think of her as just a friend. Not when the first thing he’d wanted to do when he saw her on the side of the road was take her in his arms and reacquaint himself with the smell and taste of her. Before he could delve further into areas where he had no business, the server came with hot French bread and butter and to take their orders. When he left, Malcolm asked, “Why sports nutrition?”
“Actually, I have you to thank for that. During one of our conversations about me going to grad school and having to write a thesis, I complained that I didn’t want to do the same subjects that everyone always did. You suggested doing something related to correlating improved nutrition to performance, and that’s what I did. It worked so well that I was offered a consultation position at the junior college where I conducted the study. It was only a few hours a week, so I got a job at the hospital where I interned and did that on the side.”
That she had taken his suggestion filled Malcolm with a weird sense of pride. “I’m really happy it worked out for you, and I think you’re going to do well with the team.”
“That means a lot coming from you. Thank you.”
Over dinner, he told her about his plans to join Khalil in business and listened while she told him about wanting to write a book on nutrition for athletes. As she spoke, he couldn’t help staring at her lips and remembering all the ways they’d kissed—and all the places. He thought back to the friendship toast earlier. Just friends? He didn’t see it lasting that way for long. Hell, he didn’t see it lasting when he took her home.
* * *
Lauren listened to the mechanic and felt a headache coming on. “But the car is less than ten years old. How did the transmission go out?” When she purchased the used Maxima four years ago, she’d had it thoroughly checked out and nothing came up.
He shrugged and handed her an estimate.
Her eyes widened at the cost. At this rate, she would be better off purchasing a new one. “I’d like to check out some other options first before deciding whether to fix it. Can I call you late tomorrow morning?” She had too much to do to go looking for a new car. Fortunately, her first appointment wasn’t until noon, but she needed a rental in the meantime so she could get to work tomorrow. She didn’t want to impose on Malcolm any more than she already had, but outside of Uber or Lyft, she had no other way to get to the rental place. Her gaze caught Malcolm’s. He gave her a sympathetic look.
“Sure thing.” The man walked over to the other side of the long counter, retrieved a business card, wrote his name on it and handed it to her. “I’ll just make a note that you’ll call before we start any work on the car.”
Lauren accepted the card. “Thanks.” She followed Malcolm back to his car. “Thank you for everything.”
Holding the door open, he asked, “You’re welcome.”
“I didn’t mean to monopolize your entire evening. I know you’re probably anxious to get home. Do you have to go far?” He’d been driving her all across town. Luckily, the repair shop had only been a short ten-minute drive from the restaurant.
A slow grin made its way across his handsome face. “Actually, I live about five minutes from here.”
She faced him. “Oh, no. I can just call Uber or Lyft to take me home.”
Malcolm’s smile faded, and he shook his head. “Get in.”
“Malcolm...” She trailed off when he folded his arms. He gestured with his head, and she sank into the leather seat.
Malcolm closed the door with a solid thud and then got in on his side. He leveled her with a look. “You do not need to spend money for that when I’m right here.”
“But you’ll be driving almost half an hour in the opposite direction, only to turn around and come right back here.”
He ignored her and pulled onto the street. “So, are you thinking it might be cheaper to buy a new car?”
“I am. For now, though, I need to find a rental.”
“I’ll pick you up in the morning. Just tell me what time.”
“I’m sure you have other things to do. I can just call—”
“Yeah, I know... Uber or Lyft. I’m taking you home now and I’m picking you up tomorrow. What’s your address?”
Lauren refused to acknowledge how his possessiveness made her feel. Knowing she’d never win the argument, she rattled off her address. They discussed her options for the car and confirmed a pickup time for the morning. When he turned in to her complex, she directed him to a spot near her unit. “I appreciate your help, Malcolm. See you tomorrow at nine.” She placed her hand on the doorknob.
Malcolm shook his head and chuckled.
She paused. “Now what?”
“You know I’m not letting you walk to the door alone.”
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