Page 60 of Pucking the Team

“You didn’t Google me.”

“No.” He shook his head. “And I won’t.”

I smiled, just a little. “There’s no scandal, but…but I lost my parents when I was seventeen. A car crash on the M1. They were killed instantly, which I take as a comfort. I hate the thought of them suffering.”

“Oh,ma choue, I never would have asked if I had known.”

“It’s okay, it happened, I guess it’s part of me now.”

“But only seventeen, when you still need your mama and papa so much.”

I tore a little bread. “It was the worst thing that has ever happened to me, and is still happening to me; they’re not here.” I paused and studied his kind eyes. “But perhaps that’s why I’m handling my breakup with Steven and Cheryl’s deceit so well. That’s not the worst thing I’ve experienced, the worst thing happened, and I survived.”

“But it must have been so hard.”

“Yes, impossibly hard at times, but my Aunt Mary stepped in and has always been a soft place for me to land. She instantly created room in her house and her life for me. I love her dearly, she’s a rock.”

“And you have spoken to her, right? Since you arrived in USA?”

“Yes, I’m in contact with her most days and I spoke to her last night, before I went to bed. It was her afternoon.”

He nodded. “It is good that you have her.”

“And I have Trevor.”

“Who is Trevor?” A slight line appeared between his eyebrows.

“He is my agent, has been since I was fifteen, so fourteen years now. I adore him. He’s very protective, not just of my jobs but of me. Did you see the bruise on Steven’s chin?”

He nodded.

“That was Trevor, he swung a punch right there on the aisle.”

Eduardo huffed. “I can see how he felt the need to do that.”

Our arancini was set down. The truffle scent rising up was rich and fragrant.

“This is amazing,” I said, picking up my knife and fork. I took a bite, and it practically melted in my mouth. “Mmm.”

Eduardo was studying me. “Good?”

“Very.”

He dug into his own food.

“I have to give Trevor a lot of the credit for my career,” I went on, “it’s been his knowledge of the industry and experience that’s steered me to the right jobs and avoided the bad. And as I was a minor when I first started working, traveling abroad for jobs, he had guardianship of me. That meant he was responsible for my wellbeing. My parents had entrusted him with that, and they were always a good judge of character.”

“Sounds like more than a job, what Trevor was doing.”

“Maybe that’s how he saw it, I’m not sure, but he’s like an older brother now, and I’m lean on family so happy to take him, and his husband, William, he’s great, too.”

“I like that. So what’s he doing now? You’re supposed to be on honeymoon so he’s also taking time off.”

“I’m not his only model, just his big buck one.” I laughed and finished up my starter. “Mae has offered me an interesting opportunity that I’ll have to swing by him.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” I set about telling him about the upcoming launch of her clothing line. Our main courses arrived and were just as delicious as the starter.