“She wanted kids,” I say with a sigh. “I told her I was too old. I have a son who’s almost 30. It’s not right to be having kids at my age.”
“Did she think selling the club would make you want them?”
“I suppose so. She thought it was taking away too much of my attention. When she finally realised that wasn’t going to happen… Well, let’s just say my dad was glad to see the back of her.”
Mia snorts and picks up her glass of water. “Forgive me, but your father’s good opinion doesn’t mean much.”
I lean back in my chair with a grin. “Now I thought you rather liked him.”
“I mean, he’s fine.” Mia stabs her fork into her food and lets it fall to the plate. “He’s always been friendly to me, sort of seemed like the only one of you all who actually liked me. But I don’t know. I think he liked who I made Archie more than he likedme, if that makes sense.”
“I think he felt the same way about my mother,” I say softly, not even wanting to give the awful thought a voice. “He liked who she made him, what she made him look like. But he didn’t love her the way he should have, not enough to be loyal.”
“I think your dad probably doesn’t like women much.”
“Oh I think he liked them altogether too much,” I say darkly, and quickly remember myself, sitting up straight in my chair. “Sorry, that was cruel.”
Mia shakes her head, giving me an understanding smile. “No, I knew what you meant.”
We finish our food amidst yet more small talk, chatting about the game, about Priest and how well the team’s doing. I get the check, having a quick argument with Mia about paying, but in the end the meal is on me. Mia pouts and rolls her eyes, but lets me help her back into her coat, and even lets me open the car door for her.
“Such a gentleman,” she teases, and I swallow down the shame of the fact that I stared at her legs for a beat too long when she climbed into the car.
The streets are still busy as I drive her the short distance back to her house. We pull up out the front, and she turns to me with a smile.
“Well, thanks for that. I really enjoyed it.”
“You sound surprised.”
She laughs, and tosses her hair over her shoulder. “Yeah well, you’re not as bad as I thought, in the end.”
“Well, thanks.” I hesitate, wondering if I should say what I actually want to say, then decide to maybe tone it down just a little since this is my son’s fucking wife I’m speaking to. “I’m really sorry that you thought I didn’t like you.”
Mia leans her head back against the car seat and rolls her eyes as she looks at me. “You didn’t like me, Dom. You thought I were some cheap shopgirl come in to steal your son’s money, we both know that.”
“And I was wrong. Very wrong.”
Mia gives me a curt nod. “Thank you for saying so.”
“I like you.” The words tumble out between us and hang in the air.
Mia stares at me for a moment, trying to measure the weight of my words no doubt, before her face breaks into an uncertain smile.
“I like you, too.” She leans across to plant a quick peck on my cheek. “You’re not bad company as it turns out.”
She climbs quickly out of the car, waving a goodbye as she slams the door shut and hurries to her gate. I wait until the front light goes dark, and even then, I sit in my car for a few minutes longer, just staring up the path.
I can’t make sense of what’s happening. The feelings that are swirling inside me, all because a pretty woman with long legs and beautiful hair came to a few football games with me and let me buy her dinner, they’re not normal.
And they’rewrong.
Mia is divorcing Archie when he gets back, and she’ll go on to live her life. Just like I will. I’ll probably never even see her again, except on billboards and in magazines. She’ll be free of my family, and be glad for it.
And yet, like a stupid teenager, before I gun the engine of my car, I put my fingertips to the place where she kissed me.
You’ve done it now, old man. You’ve really fucking done it now.
9
