“Our first game is in a week,” I remind him, but he blows me off.
“Preseason doesn’t count for shit.”
That’s where he’s wrong. I only have this window to really prove myself. If my performance is mediocre, that won’t bode well for me when we get back to Boston. If I do well, I make it harder for Diamond to put together his starting lineup.
“Shut the fuck up, Hawk. Every day we’re out here is important. You’re just burnt out because you’ve been here longer than the rest of us,” Davenport says, pulling up the stool next to me.
“I don’t have time for a relationship,” I mumble as Sinclair leaves the training room. That is my go-to excuse. It always has been. Despite the fact that I asked for Ainsley’s number, I can’t say if I would’ve used it or not.
“I thought the same thing, but, man, once I met Daisy, I chased her ass big time. Some of it backfired, but in the end, it worked out for the best,” Davenport answers the statement I threw at Sinclair’s back.
“Maybe there’s something wrong with her.”
“Doubt it. You know she’s compassionate, or she wouldn’t work at a place like that. Plus, did you see her with the kids?”
“Does your wife know you’re pregnant?” I ask Davenport, whose face turns bright red.
“What the fuck are you talking about? Just because a man is in touch with his feminine side doesn’t make him a pussy.”
I stifle a laugh, which only seems to piss him off even more. I couldn’t help it, the way he was going on about compassion and shit like that. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he’d wanted to ask Ainsley out on a date himself, but I’ve heard him talking to his wife. I can’t imagine ever talking to someone the way he does, but I think it’d be nice. He’s not mushy with her on the phone, but sweet and caring. I know he misses her, especially since they haven’t been married that long and now he’s away from her until April, unless she comes to visit. “I’m just giving you shit.”
Davenport throws something white at me, smacking me in the face. I can only pray that it’s a towel and not someone’s dirty jockstrap. I bat it away but don’t look at what it was. Some things are better left unknown.
“Seriously, though, call her. If there’s one thing I learned from dating Daisy, it’s don’t wait.”
“She wasn’t interested.”
Davenport stands, cinching his towel at his waist. “You asked for her number at her place of employment. I probably would’ve said no, too. You have her number, call her. The worst thing that is going to happen is she says no again. You don’t have anything to lose. Or you’re looking to get laid, go to the bar, tell them who you are, and you’re guaranteed to find a cleat-chaser.” He pats me on the shoulder and walks off toward the clubhouse. He’s right. I have nothing to lose by calling her, except my dignity if she tells me no again.
After practice, instead of going into my apartment, I stay out in my car for some privacy. I’m worked up, my heart is pounding, and I’m afraid I’m going to make a fool of myself. If so, at least it’s done over the phone and not face-to-face.
What I didn’t tell the guys is that I have her number memorized. I studied it until I could recite the digits written on the piece of paper. I even tucked the piece of paper into my wallet and made sure her name and number was stored in my contacts. All for a woman who told me no from the get-go. If that’s not desperation, I don’t know what is.
My thumb hovers over her name, Ainsley Burke. She’s the first Ainsley I know. It’s unique and stands out, fitting for her. Shutting off my car so it doesn’t overheat and with the windows rolled down, I finally press the phone icon that will connect me to her, hopefully.
Three rings and the line opens. Her voice, the same one that I remember so clearly in my head, says hello, and I sit here like a fucking moron.
“Hello?” she says again, clearly irritated.
“Uh…hi, hello.”
“Who is this?”
“It’s…uh.” I swallow hard and chastise myself for being an idiot. Just talk to her. I clear my throat and man up. “Sorry, it’s Cooper Bailey. Your co-worker gave me your number, which I know you didn’t want me to have, but—”
“But she meddles in my life and business, and you’ve decided to call after two days.”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“The answer is still no.”
And just like that, our conversation is over. She’s already turned me down, and I didn’t even ask her anything. I can play it off like a hurt puppy or I can be coy. I glance at myself in my rearview mirror and shake my head. I’ve never been afraid of a woman until now, but that shouldn’t stop me from pursuing her.
“That’s good. I wasn’t calling to ask you out.”
“You weren’t?”
“No. I was calling to thank you for organizing the event the other day. You see, this is my first time in Fort Myers, and you and your staff really showed me some southern hospitality. After my day there, I’m excited to start playing so I can get a feel for the hometown crowd.”