Page 20 of Chasing the Dream
“I can’t believe your mom let you keep it there.”
“She hardly went into my room back then. I think she was afraid of what she might find.”
He showed her the rest of the rooms and then led her back to the kitchen. “How about a drink?”
“Sure.”
“I’ve got beer, soda, iced tea…”
“Whatever you’re having is fine.”
“Beer, it is.”
He took two bottles from the fridge and handed her one. “Do you want a glass?”
“No. This is good. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Nope. I’ve got it covered.”
She perched on a stool at the kitchen counter, drinking her beer and watching him season the steak, surprised at how natural he looked in the kitchen. She’d never thought of him doing domestic chores like cooking and cleaning. Of course, when they were younger, he hadn’t done those things. She thought he looked just as hot now as he had then, maybe even hotter.
They went outside, and she sat at an umbrella-covered table while he started the grill. The backyard was spacious, with an inground, oval pool in the center and a variety of trees and plants around the perimeter providing shade and privacy from the neighbors. Once he’d put the steak on the grill, he sat down across from her and took a long drink of beer.
“Your place is great,” she said.
“Thanks. It’s bigger than I need, but it’s a good investment, and I liked the location.”
She wanted to ask if he planned on filling it with a wife and children someday but decided not to. Best to stick to neutral topics like work or Maria.
“So, how are you liking the job so far?”
“I love it. Designing websites doesn’t feel like work to me.”
“I agree. It gets the creative juices flowing.”
“Exactly.”
“Plus, it’s rewarding when you roll out the finished product and the client really likes it.”
He got up to flip the steak, and she admired his back and shoulder muscles, trim waist, and tight buns. “Do you still play sports?”
He sat back down before answering. “I belong to a gym, so I mostly lift weights. Occasionally, I play basketball with some of my buddies. Why?”
“Just curious. I know how much you used to like them.”
“You went to a lot of my games.”
“With your family, yes.”
She averted her eyes and took another sip of the ice-cold beer.
“Did you ever miss one?”
She shrugged. “I must have.”
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Did you actually enjoy the games, or did you just go for Maria?”
Hmm. How do I answer that? She couldn’t tell him that she wasn’t much of a sports fan and that she’d mostly gone to watch him, so she settled on a semi-truth. “Maria always wanted me to come.”
