“I was thinking we could try to come up with some ideas of things we could do together. I think once I see what you fill your time with, I’ll have a better idea of what the focus of the article will be.”
Gabe nodded, unsure if her comment required him to reply. When she didn’t say anything else, he said, “Okay. Tell me what you need from me. I’m happy to help.”
“Well, I already know you’ve been helping animals, but you said you haven’t volunteered at a shelter yet, so I thought maybe we could find one and I could take some pictures of you there, and—”
“Oh, I actually went to one recently. I can tell you about it because I’m not sure when I’ll get to go back. They said that they had other people waiting to volunteer, too, and since it was such a rewarding experience, I want to make sure other people get to help out. I think there are some high school kids who need community service hours or something.” Gabe knew he was rambling. And he wasn’t sure where he’d even come up with this story, but he was glad he had. Going to an animal shelter with Rachel was not something he wanted to do. It was bad enough he’d been fostering two animals that he couldn’t pet without sneezing uncontrollably and having to wash his hands constantly.
Rachel moved her laptop to the side so the server could put their chips down. When the woman asked if they were ready to order, Rachel told them they hadn’t even looked at the menu yet. “What’s good here?” Rachel asked Gabe once the server had left.
“Pretty much everything. I’ve been coming to this place for years and have never had anything I didn’t like.”
She nodded, and when the waitress returned a few minutes later, Rachel ordered the chipotle chicken salad. “I’m hoping it’ll be less messy than some of the other things,” she said to Gabe after he told the server his order. “I haven’t even had this computer for a month. Knowing me, I’ll spill sauce on the keyboard or something.” She picked up a chip and popped it into her mouth, chewing thoroughly before speaking again. “Okay, where were we?” she asked, and Gabe hoped she’d forgotten that she’d been trying to get him to go to an animal shelter.
“Oh yeah, the shelter,” she said, writing the words Volunteer Work on the top of her paper and then the word Shelter below with a line connecting the two. “I think it’d be best if I could see you working at one rather than just hear about it. It's something people would want to learn about you, not to mention it would confirm what a good guy you are.”
“What?” Gabe said, pretending to be offended. “I’m a total badass.”
She looked doubtfully at him.
“It’s true. I barely ever go the speed limit, and I’ve eaten right before swimming more times than I can count. Oh, and I’ve already had two margaritas,” he added, pouring himself another drink. Then he topped her drink off before setting down the pitcher.
She rolled her eyes good-naturedly and shook her head.
“What? You needed a refill.”
Ignoring his comment, she drew two more lines from the heading. She wrote Hospital Visits at the end of one line and looked up at him expectantly. “So what other volunteer work do you do?”
Luckily, he had something to add that was true. “I’m pretty involved in a baseball camp for inner-city kids, but that’s not until March. But when it starts, you’re welcome to tag along.”
She added Baseball Camp to her outline before looking back across the table at him. “That’s a good start. Now why don’t you tell me a little bit about how you spend your free time. Like what does Gabe do for Gabe? Do you golf with friends, or…?” She waited for him to plug in an idea of his own.
“I golf every now and then, yeah. I’m pretty horrible though. I blame it on the fact that baseball’s always occupied my time during the nice weather. I think I’ll need some more time off to improve my game.”
Rachel laughed. “Okay, so we won’t put golf. But you hang out with some guys, I’m sure. What do you usually do? Where do you go?”
Gabe’s eyes bounced around the restaurant as he tried to come up with something that didn’t involve the club because now that he’d been running it, he and his buddies rarely went anywhere else. He missed having a chance to bullshit with his friends who didn’t belong to the Players’ Club, and now that Rachel was in the picture, he’d have even less time. But that, he didn’t mind at all. He wished he could be with her more, so now that he thought about it, maybe Rachel profiling him wouldn't be such a bad idea. His only real concern was what might happen if he had to attend to club business when he had a commitment with her.
“The usual,” he finally said with a shrug. He almost laughed at how dumb his answer was, considering how long it had taken him to come up with it. “We go to each other’s games, hang out at local bars, stuff like that.”
“Which ones?” She hadn’t written anything down, but was still holding the pen, her eyes fixed on him as she waited for a response.
“What?”
“The bars. Which bars do you usually go to when you hang with your friends?”
“Oh. Um…Duke’s and The End Game sometimes.” When she still hadn’t written anything down, he asked her if she probably should.
“Yes,” she answered, grabbing her pen and writing. “Duke’s and The End Game. Got it. Are those both sports bars?”
“The End Game is. Duke’s is more of a local hangout.”
She nodded as she recorded what he’d said. “Do people bother you and the other athletes when you’re at these sorts of places?”
Gabe looked around and then back at Rachel. “No one’s bothered us tonight,” he said as if that was a sufficient explanation. “A lot of times people don’t even recognize me.”
She settled back in the booth, crossing her arms over her chest. “But I’d think that a bunch of famous people hanging around together would draw a crowd. Because if someone recognizes just one person, then they start to recognize the rest. You know what I mean?”
Rachel’s point was a valid one. It’s the main reason Mike had started the club to begin with and why so many guys joined. “I guess we usually get lucky,” he answered. “Or we’ve been going there so long, people are used to it.”
“Who do you usually hang out with? Former teammates? I know you’re good friends with Jace and Ben, but they’re not around for a lot of the year.”
Gabe wondered where her interest in his friends had come from. He couldn’t imagine that readers would care much about who he ran with. “Some old teammates, some other guys I’ve come to know over the years.” And that was the truth. Before he’d started going to the Players’ Club regularly, he had a group that would get together from time to time, but they’d mostly hung out at games or events they all attended. Rachel was right to think it was tough for athletes to socialize in public.
“Like…?”
“Are you asking for people’s names?” Gabe didn’t mean for his question to sound accusatory, but he could hear that it did. He didn’t know how comfortable other people would be if they were mentioned in the article. Sure, all of them were used to having stories written about them—good, bad, or indifferent, but Gabe didn’t know how he felt about being the reason for it. “You’ll check with them first before they’re included in the story, right?”
“Of course,” Rachel assured him. “And I don’t even know that I will include them. But I want to give everyone a picture of the whole Gabriel Torres, and that includes all aspects of your life. Knowing about your friends will help me portray who you really are when you're not on the field.”
Gabe spun his water between his hands before taking a sip and sliding it over to the side.
Seeming to sense his unease, Rachel spoke. “You don’t have to give me names if you’d rather not.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” he replied. Rachel had an article to write, and if speaking to some of his friends might help her do it, he didn’t want to make things more difficult for her. He knew his concern was probably unfounded; the guys would likely be happy to help
out as long as it was before the season began. “Jay Walker and Bryce Clark mostly. And I’m sure I’ll be hanging around with Manny more now since he’s retired too.” He watched her write the names before he asked what she was going to use her computer for.
He was relieved when the question made her laugh. “I don’t know actually. I always bring it to interviews, even though most of the time I don’t end up using it for anything.” Then she picked up her glass and took a sip of her margarita. “Drinks should be mandatory at all business meetings.”
Gabe enjoyed the way her pink lips pressed softly on the glass, leaving behind a trace of lipstick, and he tried not to think about what they would feel like wrapped around his cock. Thankfully, the server setting down their meals brought him out of his dirty daydream.
To make room for the food, Rachel closed her laptop and slipped it into the bag beside her. “What else can we discuss?” she asked once the waitress left.
Gabe thought for a moment as he ate a bite of one of his steak tacos. “How about you?”
A look of confusion flashed across Rachel’s face. “Me?”
“Yeah,” he replied, wiping his face with his napkin. “You know way more about me than I do about you.”
“Well… you’re the focus of the story.”
He shrugged. “Yeah. But I don’t have to be the focus of everything right now.”
Smirking, she raised an eyebrow. “That may be the only time I ever hear you say that.”
“Come on,” he said. “I’m being serious. Tell me a little bit more about yourself.”
Leaning against the back of the booth, she seemed to relax. Her shoulders were open and confident as smoothed the napkin on her lap. “What do you want to know?”
Everything. Gabe couldn’t think of anything he didn’t want to know about Rachel. “Tell me something you’ve never told anyone,” he said.
***
Rachel didn’t know what exactly she’d been expecting Gabe to ask, but it wasn’t that. And since she was a reporter, that was pretty impressive. She thought hard for a moment before saying, “I have no idea how to answer that.”
“I mean, it doesn’t have to be some deep, dark secret or anything. Just something that makes you you that no one knows about.” Gabe smiled, revealing dimples she’d somehow managed not to notice until now. Though she didn’t know how that was possible when they seemed to light up his whole face. “Would it help if I gave you an example?”
“Probably.”
“Okay.” As he thought, Gabe’s eyes went to the ceiling before settling back on her. “Sometimes when I’m out, I put in earbuds so no one talks to me. Most of the time I’m not even listening to anything.”
“Seriously?” Rachel laughed.
Gabe nodded, but his eyes flashed with embarrassment.
“You’re so friendly though. And social. I'm surprised.”
He shrugged, his expression sobering a bit. “I know. I’ve been told I have one of those faces that people want to talk to. Like I’m inviting them to tell me all about their lives.” He ran a hand over his forehead and shook his head. “Does it make me sound like an asshole for not wanting to talk to people?”
“No, not at all. It makes you sound… normal actually. I can’t blame you for wanting to have some time to yourself. People probably bother you constantly.”
“Sometimes. A lot of the people who talk to me randomly don't even realize who I am. At least I don't think they do because they never mention it. But if I'm at the store or something, people will give me suggestions on salad dressings or tell me about their divorce.” Laughing, he shook his head. “It's awkward.”
“I bet. I must have a resting bitch face because strangers never talk to me.”
“You definitely don't have one of those.” Gabe chuckled softly, but his expression sobered quickly. When his eyes locked on hers, she thought she might get lost in them. “You're beautiful, and kind, and sincere.”
“Thank you,” she said. “You're sweet.”
“I'm honest.”
She tried to ignore how his last comment made her feel because it reminded her that even though she wanted to share the truth with Gabe, she couldn't. “I guess it's my turn,” she said, and Gabe leaned toward her a little more. “The day in college when I interviewed you. … I was glad Jace couldn't make it.”
Gabe’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I was nervous about interviewing some hot shot athlete who all the girls loved.”
“And you were relieved when you got the opposite of that?”
“Stop. That's not what I meant,” she said, but she could tell he was teasing her. “I was worried he'd be some arrogant jerk or something who couldn't be bothered to respond to my questions. But then you showed up, and you looked genuinely thrilled to be there.” As she spoke, she remembered a younger Gabe, his eyes twinkling with excitement as he sat down in front of her. “You were such a goof. But it put me more at ease, which I appreciated.”
Gabe’s lips quirked up like he considered saying something but decided against it.
“So I guess that's the thing I've never told anyone,” she said, her hands locking together on the table before stilling completely. “I was glad it was you. I'm still glad it's you.”
Gabe’s eyes looked heavy, and he took a deep breath in before taking her hand in his. “I'm glad it was me, too,” he said. Then there was a silence between them, and Rachel wondered which one of them would feel the need to fill it first. She was just happy to stare at him. As far as she was concerned, words weren't needed.
“Can we shift this business meeting to a date?” Gabe asked, making Rachel smile.
“I guess,” Rachel replied. “Why?”
Gabe leaned onto his forearms, moving closer to Rachel. “Because I’m wondering whether I get to kiss you at the end of the night.”
Rachel could feel her cheeks heat, and though her eyes darted down for a moment, his didn’t leave her. “You don’t have to wait ‘til the end of the night,” was all she said. With that, they both leaned in, their lips meeting under the dim light above the table. And somehow in a crowded restaurant, it became only the two of them.
Chapter Twelve
“I’m excited to watch you with the dogs,” Rachel said as she sunk back into the seat of the Uber that Gabe had called to take them to the animal shelter where he said he’d started volunteering about a week ago. She was happy that her words weren’t a complete lie. She was excited to get to spend time with Gabe and watch him play with puppies. What could be cuter than that? But she was also slightly worried that it was taking her off track.
There was a finite amount of time for her to get this story, and hanging out in an animal shelter wasn’t going to get her closer to finding out more about who was running the club. But she’d have to be patient and hope it paid off. Looking over at Gabe, she watched him run a hand through his short hair.
“Yeah, I’m excited too,” he said in a tone that was utterly devoid of excitement.
Her brow furrowed. “Is today a bad day? You seem a little…off.”
Gabe looked over at her. “No, no, today’s fine. Sorry. Guess I’m a little nervous about being interviewed,” he said with a shy smile she hadn’t seen on him before.
“Really? You always seem to love being the center of attention.”
“I do… sometimes.” Gabe turned to look out the window for a second before returning his gaze to her. “I guess I’m complicated,” he said with a smirk that was more signature Gabe.
“I’ll be sure to detail your complexity in my article,” she joked.
He returned her smile, but it seemed strained.
Rachel put a hand on his arm and squeezed. “I’m kidding. I know there’s a lot to you beyond the professional baseball player. That’s what I want to show people. That behind the cocky exterior is a real man who has concerns and hopes and fears just like everyone else.”
“What if I like people only seeing the cocky
exterior?” he asked.
Rachel bit the inside of her cheek. She’d been so excited when she’d thought of writing an article on retired athletes and including Gabe, she’d kind of bulldozed him with the idea. She hadn’t given him much opportunity to refuse, and now that she saw how nervous he seemed, she was sorry for it. The last thing she wanted was to stress him out. Rubbing her thumb back and forth on his arm, she smiled warmly. “If you’re not up for this, Gabe, it’s no problem. It’s not too late for me to find someone else. I need to find three others anyway. I enjoy spending time with you, and this allowed me to have the best of both worlds. But I don’t want to make you miserable just so I can get a story.”
Gabe sighed and returned her smile. “I’m not miserable. And I like spending time with you, too.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.” He patted the hand she still had on his arm. “I just don’t like the idea of someone putting their tongue all over you, even if it’s only a dog.”
They laughed for a moment before their gazes locked and held for a heated moment. Rachel felt warmth flood her body as she stared into the deep brown orbs that always looked at her so fondly.
“Here we are,” the driver said, causing them both to jolt out of the trance they’d been caught in.
Rachel looked out the window at the Center City Animal Shelter they’d pulled up in front of. It was a dank, gray building that looked like it was in desperate need of some TLC. A woman emerged holding four dogs on leashes. Rachel’s door opened suddenly, startling her.
Gabe held out a hand to her. “Ready?”
Putting her hand in his, she got out of the car. They approached the building with their fingers interlaced until they reached the door. Gabe pulled it open and gestured for her to go in first. Inside, there was another door that they needed to be buzzed through. Once they made it all the way inside, Rachel found herself at a reception desk, where an older blond woman sat smiling at them.
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