Page 55 of Courting Trouble

Delilah rested her forearms on the table, studying her with a smile that was all too knowing. ‘Very lowkey, Coach.’

Cassie lifted a brow. ‘Maybe don’t call me coach tonight.’

Delilah’s mouth dropped. ‘Oh yeah. Right,’ she muttered, rolling her eyes at herself.

Cassie liked it. She was nervous. They both were.

Delilah tried to recover the moment with a quick subject change. ‘What are you having to drink?’

‘Beer.’

Delilah blinked. ‘I can’t imagine you imbibing alcohol.’

‘What?’ Cassie said, surprised. ‘Of course I do.’

Delilah gave herself a little nod. ‘Oh, right. Because you’re human. Have to try and remember that.’

Cassie chuckled, bemused.

They ordered burgers with triple-cooked chips. Delilah ate like it was her first meal, little moans escaping.

‘My God, fried food. I’ve missed you so much.’

Cassie watched her with a smile. ‘I’m convinced this place stays in business catering to the lowered gastronomic standards of tennis players.’

Delilah chuckled as she chewed. She looked around as she swallowed. ‘You been here before?’ she asked.

‘When I was training at Larchfield, I came here.’

Delilah grinned. ‘You broke your training diet?’

Cassie shrugged, smiled, looked away. ‘On occasion. When I was feeling naughty.’

‘Cassie Thorne has a naughty side,’ Delilah said, putting her fork into a chip. ‘Good to know.’

Cassie’s brain was having trouble forming full sentences at that. But she could tell it was her turn to say something. ‘So…’ she began, hoping for her brain to kick back in. It didn’t.

‘So?’ Delilah asked.

Cassie decided to be honest. ‘I don’t know exactly how to talk right now.’

Delilah gave a surprised laugh. ‘OK. Well, we could ask each other about our jobs? That’s pretty standard date fare.’

Cassie decided not to get hung up on Delilah using the word ‘date’. If she did that, she really was just gonna sit here mute. She had to push on. ‘Yes, that’s good, thanks. So, tell me how you got into acting?’

Delilah looked amused but answered without mocking Cassie’s shut down, which Cassie truly appreciated.

‘When I was nine, I was in the school play. I had three lines, and I forgot one of them. My teacher was in the wings, mouthing it at me, and everyone laughed at me. But the funny thing is, I didn’t even care. I was still the happiest I’d ever been, up there on that stage, pretending to be someone else. I humiliated myself, and I couldn’t wait to do it again. After that, there wasn’t really any coming back.’

Cassie smiled. ‘That’s a good answer.’

‘Glad you like it. Your turn,’ Delilah said. ‘How did you get into tennis?’

Delilah took a big bite of the burger and nodded.

Cassie set her glass down, considering. ‘My dad was a big fan of tennis but couldn’t play. So he used to drag me to the courts every Saturday in the hopes of turning me into Bjorn Borg. I actually hated it at first, and I used to beg my dad to let me stop all the time. But then I won a match against this older girl, and I still remember how good that felt. After that, I was hooked. It was the only thing I wanted to do.’

Delilah raised her eyebrows. ‘So, you humiliated someone and loved it. And I humiliatedmyselfand loved it.’