Dare to Desire (Dare to Love #2)(32)
Author: Carly Phillips

“How have you been?” she asked.

Great. She wanted to make small talk. “I’ve been wonderful. Drafted, MVP, fantastic career until I got knocked in the head a few too many times. But I’ve got a new career path, and all’s well.” He folded his arms across his chest.

She pinned him with her knowing stare, still silent.

He bit the inside of his cheek. “How have you been?” he asked in return.

She smiled. “Fine, thanks. I moved to New York after we graduated. I got a job with an entertainment firm and worked my way up the ladder. I married a Wall Street guy. It was good until it wasn’t. We were divorced last year. I made partner at my firm … and here I am.” She spread her hands out in front of her.

Wall Street. “Well, you got the guy who wore a suit and tie and went into work every day in the same place, same state. Sorry it didn’t work out,” he said, surprised he meant it.

“It happens.” She shrugged. “You know, Alex, I’ve always had one regret.”

He found it difficult to swallow. “Yeah? What’s that?”

“The way we ended. I wish I’d had the courage to tell you all along I didn’t have it in me to be the wife of a ball player. But we got serious so quickly, and because your family lived in Florida, I met them, spent time with them. That put a more intense spin on things. And I didn’t know how to get out of it by then.”

She twisted the napkin between her hands, not meeting his gaze. “Honestly, while we were in school, I didn’t want out of it. But suddenly there was graduation, pro offers, and the draft, and you were proposing. I wasn’t ready for it.”

“It’s not like you didn’t know I was thinking about it,” he said, reminding her he hadn’t exactly kept his feelings to himself. And she hadn’t argued with his ideas about how they could stay together.

But she hadn’t offered any of her own either, he realized, looking back.

“No. You were always up front. It was me. And I’m sorry.” She forced her eyes up to meet his. “I always regretted not being honest with you, with myself. I’ve carried that burden for years.”

Despite the anger he’d harbored, he felt himself softening toward her. After all this time, did it really matter? They’d each gone their own way, lived their own life. She obviously wanted some sort of forgiveness.

And Madison wanted him to have closure. He had to admit his chest felt lighter, having heard Rachel’s honest words. “It’s in the past,” he heard himself saying. “We should both let it go.”

He’d always believed she wasn’t a bad person. That anger was about his bruised ego more than anything else, and he’d only let it fester and grow over time, infecting how he’d treated women and his ideas about relationships.

“I needed to hear that,” she said. “And I actually think you mean it.”

“I never say things I don’t mean.” That much hadn’t changed.

“Okay then. If we’re back on friendly ground—”

“I didn’t say we were friends.”

She smiled anyway. “We’re not adversaries then. That should make my proposal easier for you to hear. Without that anger between us.”

He ran a hand over his face. “Let’s hear it. I have a meeting in twenty minutes.”

She smiled. “Like I said, I’m a partner at an entertainment company.” She handed him her card. “And we’re working with S&E Network. Sports and Entertainment Network,” she elaborated. “They want to hire you for a sports show with Allison Edwards, the sports commentator. They’d like you to come in and test with her, but from the way they’re talking, if you want the job, it’s yours.”

He blinked. A job offer was the last thing he’d expected from Rachel. Then again, he’d had no idea what she’d wanted.

“It’s a great opportunity,” she said. “For one thing, it’s national. You’d be back in the spotlight, and we both know how much you liked to feed on that adrenaline and energy.”

Even back in college, he’d enjoyed the attention and social perks that came with being a star athlete. He couldn’t accept anything from sponsors back then, but as his professional career had grown, he couldn’t deny he’d lived large and loved every minute.

It helped keep the loneliness away and didn’t give him time to think about the things in life he’d decided he would never have, like a serious woman and a family of his own. He’d been so angry at Rachel he’d turned his back on so much, he realized. Things he now wanted and not with the woman sitting here.

He shook his head, bringing himself back to the present. “Did you run this by my agent?” he asked.

She shook her head and grinned. “He said you were being an ass and I should try to get through to you.”

“He did not.” Although knowing Kevin Falcon and how pissed he was, maybe he had.

“Actually, he said he’d like to mention it to you but not to get my hopes up because you weren’t entertaining offers these days—or returning his calls. After I said you and I went way back and maybe I could pitch it to you myself, then yeah. He did say exactly that.”

Alex shook his head and laughed. “That bastard.”

“Sounds like you’ve been giving him your share of grief.”

He leaned back in his chair and nodded. “Could be.”

“I’m sorry about that last hit. I know how much football means to you.”

Alex stiffened. He didn’t want to get into his feelings with her. “Thank you.”

“So about the offer, I can send something in writing over to your agent if you’re interested.”

And wasn’t that the question. Was he interested?

* * *

Madison feigned interest in the interview with the Wall Street financial advisor they were trying to bring on board to meet with the players on a regular basis. Helping the guys with their finances from the beginning of their careers would teach them fiscal responsibility and remind them to think of the future when spending or not spending their often substantial incomes.

She was able to give her speech to the man by rote, then she turned to Alex to bolster things with the personal touch, the story of a man whose career had been cut short and how good financial advice had kept him from being broke now. Because he hadn’t already blown through all the money in his bank account, he’d had time to think about his post-injury options without making decisions while in panic mode. Something they wanted the financial advisor to impress upon the players. Then teach them how to save.