Page 43 of A Game of Deception

“Oh, sorry,” he said, already backing toward the door. “I didn’t realize anyone was in here.”

“It’s fine,” I said, gesturing for him to stay. “I was just finishing up.”

He hesitated, then came further into the room. “You sure? I don’t want to interrupt your workout.”

“You’re not,” I assured him, grabbing my water bottle. “Besides, there’s plenty of equipment for both of us.”

Ben nodded, setting his bag down and pulling out a pair of training shoes. “I didn’t expect to see anyone here today,” he said, lacing up his shoes. “Most guys take Saturdays off.”

“I needed to clear my head,” I admitted, not sure why I was telling this to a kid I barely knew.

“Yeah, I get that.” He stood and started a series of stretches. “Sometimes the apartment gets too quiet, you know? Especially when you’re new to a city.”

I nodded, surprised by his perceptiveness.

“You played well yesterday,” I told him, meaning it. “The cross you sent in during the third drill was perfect.”

Ben’s face lit up at the compliment. “Thanks, man. That means a lot, coming from you.”

“What are you working on today?” I asked, changing the subject. I’d never been comfortable with praise, even when it was genuine.

“Just some conditioning,” Ben said. “I want to improve my stamina for the full ninety.”

“Mind if I join you? I could use a workout partner.”

He looked surprised, then pleased. “Yeah, sure. That would be great.”

For the next hour, we moved through a series of exercises together. Sprints on the treadmill. Box jumps. Core work. Throughout it all, our conversation flowed naturally from football to music to favorite places in our respective hometowns.

It was... nice. Uncomplicated. Ben didn’t seem to care about my reputation or my past. He was just a new player who loved the game and was eager to learn. His enthusiasm was infectious, reminding me of how I’d felt at his age, before the weight of expectation and notoriety had settled on my shoulders.

“So what’s the deal with Mano?” I asked as we took a water break. “He seems to have it out for me.”

Ben’s expression darkened slightly. “Diego’s... territorial. About the team, about his position.” He hesitated. “About Dr. Swanson.”

The mention of Tara sent a jolt through me. “What do you mean?”

Ben looked uncomfortable, clearly regretting bringing it up. “It’s nothing, really. He just... he flirts with her a lot. Gets possessive when other guys talk to her.”

“Are they together?” The question came out sharper than I had intended.

“No,” Ben blurted. “I mean, not that I know of. She always shuts him down. But he doesn’t seem to take the hint.”

I nodded, trying to appear casually interested rather than intensely relieved. “He seems like the type who doesn’t hear ‘no’ very often.”

“He’s got a lot of pride,” Ben agreed. “And a lot of problems.”

Something in his tone caught my attention. “What problems?”

Ben glanced around the empty gym, then lowered his voice. “You didn’t hear this from me, but... he’s got a gambling issue. Serious one. Word is he owes money to some people you don’t want to owe money to.”

That was interesting. Potentially useful information if Diego’s aggression toward me continued to escalate.

“Thanks for the heads up,” I said. “I appreciate it.”

Ben looked nervous. “Just... don’t mention it to anyone, okay? If it got back to management...”

“It won’t,” I assured him. “The secret’s safe with me.”