by Jewel Allen
I stared at her. “No?”
She turned to go, leaving me scrambling.
“Wait,” I said. “How about dinner, tomorrow?”
She was still turned sideways. “I can’t.”
“You can’t?”
“I’m going home to spend the weekend with my family. My sister is getting married soon, and she’s having a bridal shower.”
“Of course. Well, have fun with your family.”
She gave me a genuine smile that softened her features. “Thanks. Have a fun weekend too. Good night.”
As she moved to open the door, she stopped. “Oh, one thing.” She turned. “Good job dancing.”
I had leaned in to say good night, and now we were just a breath away from each other. I should have moved. But something was compelling about her standing there, lovely in the moonlight.
Maybe it was the late hour. Maybe it was the fact that her eyes widened and I knew she was feeling that little spark between us. Maybe I wanted to test her resolve.
I glanced at her mouth before murmuring, “Thank you.”
Her hand fluttered to her stomach as she visibly swallowed. “You’re welcome.”
She went inside, leaving a trail of sweet fragrance. The door shut, and I lowered my head with a little bemused laugh. That didn’t go well at all. And she pretty much gave me signals that she was not interested.
But then at the last moment, that near-kiss…
I had four weeks and six days to change her mind.
Chapter Twelve
Gemma
On Monday morning, I woke with a heavy feeling. Friday night haunted me.
In my mind, I rationalized my bad behavior. I wanted Diego to leave me alone because I was scared. I had already made up my mind I wouldn’t fall for him, and yet there we were on the dance floor, in each other’s arms, flirting. Of course I had to put a stop to it all.
But then we had that near-kiss. No denying…I was attracted to him. And he seemed nice…but of course, he could just be playing me.
As I got out of bed, I sighed. Why did he have to come and complicate my life?
After taking a shower, I dressed and slathered on sunblock for a full day’s work under the sun. For a minute, I debated whether or not to put on makeup today.
Stop it, Gemma. No need to preen for Diego.
I settled for a little mascara. Pulling my hair into a messy ponytail, I pronounced myself good. I came out to the dorm porch and ran into Cherise.
“Hey, girl.” She grinned as she joined me down the sidewalk. “How are your folks?”
“Great.”
“And Rosa?”
“Excited. So in love.”
“You took off so fast that I didn’t have a chance to ask you about Friday.” She paused. “Did Diego try to kiss you?”
“No…” I thought about saying more but clamped my lips shut.
“But?”
“I didn’t say but.”
“You kind of trailed off, so…”
“I think he was going to kiss me.”
Cherise grabbed my arm. “Oooh. And?”
“End of story. I said good night and closed the door. Exciting, I know.”
“Well.” Cherise’s eyes gleamed. “This is very promising. Yes, indeed.”
“Cherise, hush, there he is now.” Despite my noble intentions, I couldn’t help but notice how good he looked this morning.
I pried my eyes away while Cherise openly ogled him. “Why aren’t you encouraging that? If a man like him showed interest, I’d be all over him in a heartbeat.”
“For that very reason,” I retorted. “I’m sure he’s used to having girls fall for him.”
“So? He obviously only has eyes for you.”
“Okay, hush now. Really.”
Diego walked up to us. “Good morning, ladies.”
Cherise waved. “I’ll see you two on the field later.”
I watched her walk away. She was being silly.
“Did you have a great weekend?” Diego asked.
I nodded. “It was great to see my family.”
He was being so polite that I decided I would be nice back. “And you? What did you do?”
“I just drove around with Brigid and company. This is a beautiful area.” He gazed at me intently. “I would love to sightsee…with you, sometime.”
I felt that same tingly prickle as I had on the porch Friday night, before that near-kiss.
The kids started to stream out on the field, taking their places in their groups. I cleared my throat and hoped my foggy brain would clear too. “Time to start.”
He gave me a knowing smile. “Where do you want me, boss?”
I didn’t want him to get the idea that he could just sashay in here and get some top training spot. “Same thing today,” I said.
He raised an eyebrow but simply said, “Okay.”
Santosh made a beeline for Diego.
“Hey, Santosh.” Diego gave him a fist bump. “Glad I’ll have your help again today.”
Santosh smiled. It was one of the few times I’d seen him react warmly to an adult. Usually, he was so solemn. I studied him thoughtfully. I had planned to rotate the children out, but maybe he should just continue to partner with the prince.
My eyes drifted toward Diego. He, too, seemed transformed. He was smiling, as though determined to make the day better for the kids. He caught me looking and winked.
A flutter spread through my chest. I hurried and looked down at my notes, my cheeks burning.
Mike showed up, his expression sullen, shattering the morning’s calm. He pretty much ignored me and Diego and only spoke to Cherise and Ali. I wished he would grow up.
During the first hour, we did drills, and then it was time for some one-on-one scrimmages. A girl named Mindy dribbled exceptionally well. I watched her for a minute, admiring her gracefulness on the field. Her pluck and grit. She reminded me of myself at that age.
A boy a little taller, Gus, barreled her over. It certainly didn’t look like an accident. Just like that, he ran her off, and she fell. Elise jumped to her feet and turned a heated glance at him. I knew that look. That could have been me. I remembered now why I kept this job despite issues with Jason. These children needed someone like me who understood what they were going through.
“Scott,” I said in a firm voice. “That was uncalled for. If this were a game, it would have been a yellow card. Go for the ball and not the cheap shots, okay?”
His cocky smile wilted. “Okay,” he mumbled.
At that moment, Jason came out of his office and called me over. “Can we chat for a minute?”
“Sure.” I walked to join him confidently even though I was nervous whenever he called me aside. What bombshell was he going to drop on me today?
We walked away from the commotion, and he began, “I’ve got an investor meeting in Denver in two weeks. I need you to help me put together some material for my presentation by next Friday.”
It wasn’t a request.
“I don’t know if I’ll have time,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. Inside, I was seething. “There’s the training, of course—”
“Turn it over to Mike. They can run it without you.”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea. I need to be here, hands-on, you know that. Especially these first two weeks.”
“I’m telling you that you need to shift your priorities. This is important. It’s where you’ll get your salary for next year.” He stared me down.
I looked away. “I’ll pull in some extra hours.”
“Good girl.”
I bristled at his patronizing tone and the use of the word “girl.” “I would appreciate it if you didn’t call me that.”
His eyes narrowed. “Call you what?”
“Girl. I’m a woman.”
“Oh, sorry.” He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t think we were trying to be politically correct.”
“How about just being respectful of each other
?”
“All right.” He raised his hands. “You win. It’s too early in the morning to argue. Good gravy.” He harrumphed and retreated like a chicken to his office.
When I returned to the children, I was still trembling with anger. The staff was done with morning drills, and the trainers were distributing lunch. I should’ve just ducked out of it and gone inside. The marketing materials would take some time.
“Want to join us?” Diego asked.
He was sitting on the grass with a group of kids. Cherise and Ali also sat nearby, so it wasn’t like it would just be me and him. Still, I hesitated.
Frankly, I was torn. I liked taking a lunch break, especially being able to talk with the kids. But there was work to do. And of course, eating lunch with Diego meant talking with him and having him give me those flirtatious looks.
“I have to do something else,” I said, backing up already. “I’ll see you guys later.”
Diego’s face fell.
I didn’t like getting cooped up inside when it was such a nice day, but I had no choice. I knocked on Jason’s open door, and he swiveled away from his computer. He gave me a suspicious glance like I was going to attack him.
“Do you have those materials for me?” I asked.
“Oh, yes, I do.” He rooted through his desk. “You can look this over for inspiration. I marked the ones I like and emailed you all the files.”
“Great.”
He’d already turned around without so much as a thank you.
I couldn’t help it. “You’re welcome.”
“Thank you,” he tossed over his shoulder.
I resisted the urge to stomp to my office. Sitting at my desk, I pored through the papers and opened the files he’d emailed. By the end of the lunch hour, I wasn’t any further in preparing the materials, but at least I had an idea of how to approach it.
Glancing at the clock, I rubbed my nape. It was time to join the others. As I walked out of the building, I heard loud voices. Hurrying to the nearest field, I came upon Mike and Diego arguing.
Great. I had not just one but two hotheads now.
Chapter Thirteen
Diego
I knew sooner or later Mike would pick a fight with me, but this was ridiculous. I’d gotten up from lunch and bumped him accidentally. That was it. And yet Mike shoved me.
“Excuse me, Prince,” he mouthed off.
“What’s your problem, Mike?”
“You know very well what the problem is. You’re the newcomer, and you’re trying to throw your weight around. Trying to dazzle Gemma with your money.”
“Oh? What are you trying to dazzle her with? Your cheerful charm? Besides, that’s what you get when you bail on her the rest of the night.”
Mike took a threatening step toward me.
“Break it up, you two.” Gemma was marching toward us. She lowered her voice. “Really, gentlemen? Right in front of the children?”
I challenged Mike with my stare, and he looked away first before huffing off. Good. The imbecile needed to be put in his place.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Gemma said. She motioned with her head to the side. “Cherise, Ali, can you go ahead and run our drills as soon as lunch is over, please?”
Gemma led the way to the edge of the field and waited with arms crossed over her chest. As soon as I caught up with her, she lit upon me.
“What’s the problem, Diego?” Her eyes flashed.
“Why are you asking me? Mike’s the one who got testy when I accidentally bumped him.”
“For some reason, Mike has decided he hates your guts, but do you have to goad him further?”
“For some reason?” I gazed at her intently. “Are you really not aware of the reason?”
“Although I like the flattering implication of your words, I don’t want to assume anything. I’m not the type of girl men fight over.”
My hand circled her arm. “You sell yourself short, Miss Garcia,” I said softly.
Her eyes flicked to mine, and we both stopped breathing for a moment.
Her beautiful eyes were a caramel-brown in the sun. “You know, you don’t have to stoop down to his level. So he acts like an idiot. You don’t have to match him, idiotic behavior to idiotic behavior. A lot of people look up to you as a role model.”
We stared at each other and then burst out laughing.
“Idiots—the lot we are,” I conceded. “Over a beautiful girl.”
She raised a brow.
“I’m teasing,” I said. “Anyway, you’re right. I’ll try not losing my temper, but it’s hard in the heat of the moment.”
“Oh boy, do I know about it,” she said under her breath.
“Pardon me?”
“Nothing.”
She smiled, mesmerizing me. She pulled out of my grasp and jogged back to the others. I watched her for a moment then raked my fingers through my hair. The more I got to know her, the more I wanted to get close to the sweet Gemma inside.
The rest of the afternoon turned out uneventful, with Mike at least appearing to make an effort to avoid me. By the end of the drills, I was glad to be done for the afternoon. Even Cherise wasn’t smiling as much. It was as though everyone was having a bad day.
I kept the children company while they waited for their rides. Little Santosh was the only one left, and it was already an hour past the end of camp. “Do we need to call your mother?”
“I think Mum’s coming,” he said quietly, but he looked out toward the street as though he was unsure of this.
“Well, then we’ll wait.”
We sat there together, just me and my little friend.
“Do you coach soccer?” Santosh asked.
“No, why do you ask?”
He shrugged. “Then why are you teaching here?”
Thoughts of Mondragón crowded my mind. I’d been so busy throughout the day, I hadn’t even had a chance to check on how my team did over the weekend. “Because I have to help a camp like this. I did something I shouldn’t have, and I need to make up for it.”
His dark eyes studied me. “Oh, like time-out?”
“I suppose.” I smiled. “Is that what Americans say?”
“Yes. It’s an American thing my mum started doing with me and my brothers.”
“Your brothers like soccer too?”
“Not really. They play basketball now. I tried playing it, but they said I was too short and not good with the ball.”
“Well, you’re good at soccer.”
His eyes lit up. “You really think so?”
“Sure. You’re a good ball-shagger. And I saw you at drills today. You’re fast on your feet. Why, you could even be a goalie.”
“I told my mum I want to try it, and she wants me to practice. She said if I work hard, I can get a scholarship in college and maybe even play in La Liga.”
I nodded and said casually, “I play in La Liga.”
Santosh’s eyes widened. “You do?”
“Yes. I’m my team’s goalie.”
Santosh gaped at me, bringing a smile to my face.
A woman came walking up the driveway leading up to the parking lot. She wore a colorful sari in the traditional way Indian women did. Santosh jumped to his feet and tugged at my hand. “It’s my mum.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, her face shiny with sweat. “Our second car broke down, and my husband needed our main one for work. Come along now, Santosh, we have a long walk home.”
“Wait,” I said. “Why don’t I get someone to give you a ride, Mrs.—”
“Das,” she said. “Oh, but I couldn’t impose.”
“Let me see who’s around. Hang tight.”
I entered the office building. The receptionist's desk and Jason’s office were empty. I could hear tapping on a computer keyboard in an office farther down the hall.
For a long moment, I just watched Gemma studying her computer screen with intensity. Her office walls were bare of decorations, and a shelf held few book
s, like she’d moved in and gotten too busy to unpack. There were boxes along one wall.
“Oh, hi,” she said, looking up.
“Hi.” I leaned against the doorframe, happy to see her. “Sorry to disturb you.”
She glanced at the clock. “Holy Canoli. Is it really seven already?” She stretched.
I tried not to stare at her graceful arms and neck.
She pushed away from the desk. “What’s up?”
“You know that little Santosh?”
“Your little shadow?” She smiled. “Yup.”
“He and his mom need a ride home, and I wondered if you—I mean we…you and I—could give him one.”
“We normally don’t give our students a ride.” She paused. “Or we would be doing it all night, you know?”
“That was my guess. Well, it’s okay. I’ll tell her.” I turned.
“Diego.”
I liked how she said my name. Soft and low. Musical. I turned back toward her.
“We can do it. I’m free.” She gave me a pointed glance. “But we can’t do it all the time.”
“Sure.”
“Give me a sec to shut the computer down.”
“Okay, I’ll wait outside.”
She joined us shortly. “Thanks for asking me,” she said as we got in her car. “It feels good to be out of that building.”
“Thank you so much,” Mrs. Das said.
With Brigid’s brigade following us, we drove them down several blocks until we reached an older part of town. Here, houses were modest but neat, and the yards were well-kept.
Mrs. Das thanked us profusely once again. Santosh was already sprinting away from the car when his mum called after him to be “grateful.”
“Oh, thank you! Mum, he’s a player with La Liga!”
“Really?” his mother said as she followed him inside.
Gemma chuckled. “I love that he mentioned that little detail at the last.”
“Yeah, I did wonder if he knew what it was,” I mused, still looking the direction the mother and son had disappeared. “He told me he wants to play in our league someday. Maybe we’ll have to hold a spot for him on the Mondragón team.”