Page 49 of Playing the Field

I answer before the first ring finishes.

“…So, uh, yeah, turns out you are Graham Callahan.” Bodhi’s voice is sheepish. “That’s, uh—my bad. Didn’t think team owners just randomly called guys like me.”

“I don’t randomly call anyone, Donovan,” I say evenly. “I call players I want on my team.”

Silence.

Then, a breath. “You’re serious.”

“Completely.”

Another beat of hesitation before he exhales. “Damn. Alright. I’m listening.”

I walk him through the basics—a potential spot on the team, an invitation to check out the facilities, a conversation about what a real career in pro rugby could look like for him. By the time I finish, I can tell he’s intrigued.

“I’ll set up a meeting with my agent,” he says finally. “See what we’re working with.”

“Good. Come down next week. Meet the team. See if this is the right fit.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay,” he says, a little breathless. “Sounds good.”

We wrap up the call, and I set my phone down just as the smell of bacon and eggs fills the kitchen.

I turn to find Anastasia plating up two servings of scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, and toast.

I lift a brow. “Not bad, Bellows.”

She smirks. “Told you I was useful.”

We sit at the island, side by side, plates in front of us.

And then⁠—

She sets down her fork.

“Graham,” she says slowly.

I know that tone.

I glance up. “Anastasia.”

Her lips press together like she’s trying not to be thrown off by the way I say her name, but she shakes her head, determined. “We need to talk about this.”

“This?”

Her eyes narrow. “Us.”

I set my fork down, leaning back in my chair. “You think there’s an us?”

Her nostrils flare. “Don’t start, Callahan.”

I smirk, but the weight of what she’s saying settles between us.

She exhales, fingers toying with the edge of her napkin. “We work together now. This—” she gestures vaguely between us “—complicates things.”

I watch her, studying the tension in her shoulders, the way she chews on the inside of her cheek like she’s bracing for a fight. I should tell her we need to stop this. That she’s right. That we need to set boundaries, keep things professional.

Instead—