Page 9 of Something Like That

“Can I speak to Nick Sadler, please?” Her voice had a husky quality he hadn’t noticed before. It was unexpected, and slid down his spine in an unanticipated way.

“Hey, Alex. It’s Nick.” Why did he sound like he’d just swallowed a handful of gravel?

“Oh, hi.”

A weird silence descended. Oh, shit, she was going to turn him down, wasn’t she? Fuck, he knew he shouldn’t have pinned everything on this. Especially after their meeting had been so disastrous. After the way things ended, the way he’d made everything incredibly awkward, it wouldn’t have surprised him if she’d tossed his file in the trash.

The thought of which was way more disappointing than it really should be. He’d just really liked the vibe he’d got at the clinic. Especially after he’d spoken with Alex.

Sometimes, being a professional athlete meant people weren’t completely honest and open about stuff. She’d already given him the third degree about his recovery. And, she hadn’t seemed the least bit intimidated while she’d done it, either.

Which is why he had to clear the air. “I’m sorry about the whole jumping to conclusions thing earlier. You know, about Emily.” He took a quick breath, but didn’t leave her enough time to say anything. To turn him down. “It’s just that, my ex-wife used a fake pregnancy to get me to marry her, and needless to say, it didn’t end well. So I’m a little sensitive when it comes to that stuff.”

Silence.

Shit, he’d overshared. Why the fuck couldn’t he keep his mouth shut?

“Umm, wow, Nick. I’m really sorry. That sucks. I’m sorry she did that to you.” She sounded sincere, which he appreciated. Of course, she didn’t know he’d been a horn dog who humped anyone who looked his way, so someone getting pregnant hadn’t been out of the realm of possibility.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to blurt it out like that.” His cheeks prickled. Fuck, was he blushing again? He couldn’t remember ever blushing before in his adult life. And now twice in a matter of hours. What the hell was wrong with him?

“It’s fine. Really. And I need to apologize to you. For making you think that’s where the conversation was headed.”

“It’s fine. How about we just forget about then? Pretend it never happened.”

“Deal.”

More silence, this time barreling toward awkward at warp speed.

Should he say something else? Not that he had anything else to say. Other than beg her to take him on as a client.

She took a breath, one she probably hadn’t meant for him to hear, and he tensed. This was it, her decision, the moment she turned him down. He could feel it in his bones. The disappointment welling inside him was bigger than any he’d felt before. Which was weird, and he didn’t quite understand why it was so different this time.

“Alright, Nick, I’m going to be frank with you.”

“I prefer Alex.” He couldn’t help himself, not when she handed him such low hanging fruit.

She paused. This time, he could almost hear her confusion through the phone. One side of his mouth ticked up.

“What?”

“I don’t think you look much like a Frank.” He kept his tone as dead pan as possible.

Another beat of silence and then she laughed. A real throaty, from-deep-inside laugh. The kind that felt like being wrapped up in a big old hug.

It made him feel weird, kind of achy, but light at the same time. He rubbed his hand over his sternum, at a loss. He’d never felt this before, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh along with her, or hang up the phone and forget he’d ever walked into her clinic.

She cleared her throat. “That was terrible.” Her voice still held an amused note that fascinated him for some reason. “I’d even go so far as to say it was a borderline dad joke.”

He laughed, although there was a rusty edge to the sound, especially when compared to the musicality in her laugh. “I’ll have to take your word for that, since I don’t actually have any kids.”

She cleared her throat again, obviously in an effort to compose herself, maybe get the conversation back on track. He could imagine her sitting at her desk, her posture perfect, hair in that professional bun. His fingers twitched, almost aching to pull the pins from her hair, so he could sift through the silky strands. Pull her toward him, so he could kiss her, see if she tasted as sweet as he imagined.

“Anyway, first off I wanted to let you know that I reached out to your surgeon and the team’s doctors and therapists.” The amusement had faded from her voice. She was back to business.

Head in the game, Sadler. Right. He spun around and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror hanging over the console. He needed a shave. “Okay.”

“They all basically said the same things you said in my office. That, yes, you have been cleared for training, and that they all think you’re wanting to push yourself too hard.”