Page 32 of Bluffed By the Offense

“Are you seeing her? There were photos of the two of you at a local restaurant. You looked like you were in your own bubble.”

Probably right around the time we stopped talking and started counting the number of minutes left until we could bolt.

“We’re actually … well … yeah.”

I start to say that we’re in the same wedding party, but that’s Declan’s private life. And I don’t want to give the media new details to chew on about him and Winona. My conversation with Kate comes to mind. I realize my stuttering response sounded like an affirmation of the rumor, so I quickly add, “But not like people think.”

“So, you will be seeing one another?” Candace asks.

I scramble for a way to bring the conversation back to football.

“Our lives overlap through some common interests,” I say. “But we’re not dating. I’m focused on the upcoming season.”

“Keeping things on the down low,” Candace says with a light raise of her brows toward the camera.

“And not dating,” I reiterate.

She turns fully to the camera and says, “Well, you heard that. Straight from Marcus Delaney’s mouth. According to him, they aren’t dating.”

Candace smiles at the camera with a conspiratorial smile.

The camera guy turns off the camera.

“We’re really not dating,” I repeat for the third time.

“But you were seen on a date after the photo shoot,” she says with the conviction of a seasoned reporter.

The facts usually speak for themselves. It doesn’t matter what a person says the facts mean. And since I’m not supposed to make an effort to refute the impression, I’m left mute.

If I didn’t love O’Connell, I’d consider stringing him up for setting me up on a blind date with his future sister-in-law, a woman who hates me. But I know he didn’t intend for our date to leak onto social media.

I make my way into the facility, grateful the spotlighted portion of our day is behind me. I head into the cafeteria to grab lunch. With my tray in hand, I aim to join O’Connell, Keller, Pierce and Harris at our usual table. About halfway across the room, I stop in my tracks. Two women are seated at our table: Winona and Cass.

She’s like a whack-a-mole, popping up everywhere I go.

I walk the rest of the way to the table, girding myself for her icy reception.

“What a sweet morning,” Winona is saying. “I just loved watching you guys with the kids.” She pauses and looks over at me when I set my tray down. “Oh! Hey, Marcus!”

I smile at her. “Hey, Winona.” Then I look at her sister. “Cass.”

“Marcus.”

Treyvon cracks up and rubs his hands together in anticipation of whatever he thinks is going to happen next.

O’Connell turns to me. “Cass is here for a meeting with Kate—to set up the details of her Porch Light project.”

“Cool,” I say, purposely avoiding looking over at her.

I already saw her—the way her brown wavy hair falls over one shoulder covering half the Thunder jersey she’s wearing.

I wonder whose name is on the back. Not that it matters.

I tuck into my lunch, focusing on refueling and attempting to keep my mind off Cass.

“So, Cass,” Treyvon says. “How would you rate our boy Marcus on his ability to court a woman? Did you two vibe?”

Cass smiles warmly at Treyvon. “Rating the QB?”