Page 28 of Family Bonds- Emma & Warren

“Questions again,” he said. “You sure have a lot of them.”

She laughed. “My family says that too.”

“I thought most people opened up to bartenders,” he said. “Sit.”

He gestured with his hand to the seating area.

She sat on the couch, and he went to the chair. No reason to crowd her.

“It was fun being a bartender. I found out a lot of information for those few days, but that is why I was doing it.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head. “You only had the job for a few days?”

It might explain why she seemed frazzled. But she said it was fun. Maybe they fired her for messing up.

None of this made sense.

“It’s all I wanted it for,” she said. “It was research.”

“Research?” he asked.

“You’re not doing very well giving me what I need,” she said.

“I’m not sure what the hell I need, let alone you,” he said.

“Do you want to get to know me better?” she asked. “Like some dates or something? If they lead to sex, then they do, but I’m not talking about a fling or casual friends with benefits or anything. I don’t play those games and I’m not sure if you do either.”

“No,” he said. “I don’t. I won’t risk my reputation on that. I’m very selective about who I get close to.”

She nodded. “The same. And you want to get close to me? In your eyes, I’m just a bartender and you’re this big celebrity athlete sought after with millions of dollars.” She put her finger to her chin. “You could call it a Cinderella story, couldn’t you?You do seem like a good guy who cares about his family. At least from what I read about you.”

He wasn’t sure how he felt about her doing that, but knew it’d happen.

The fact she didn’t know who he was prior could have led her to check him out.

Maybe that was the only reason she came here today. Could be she was playing the long game.

He didn’t know a damn thing about her or what he could get himself into and it wasn’t like him to put himself in this position.

“I’m not going to say everything you’ve read about me online is true, but I’d like to think most of it is. Women tend to want me for the wrong reason,” he said. “Maybe I liked that you didn’t know who I was at first.”

“So I wasn’t fawning all over you?” she asked.

“If I say yes, I’m going to appear cocky.”

“Newsflash,” she said. “You wreak of cockiness. You don’t have to be a pro athlete for that. And you look in the mirror so you know you’re smoking.” She was waving her hand in front of her face. “You got my attention for that and nothing else.”

He smirked. “Good to know,” he said. “I like that you appear down to earth in a quirky manner.”

“Quirky,” she said, perking up. “That’s better than some of the other things I’ve been told.”

“Have I answered enough for you now?”

“I guess. So you want to go on a date or something?” she asked.

“I’d like to think we had one in the casino, but yes, I’d like another if you’re willing to give me a shot. You live here and I live in Brookline. It’s not that far but not a quick drive.”

“There is always the helicopter,” she said, smiling.