Page 32 of This Could be Love

“Fantasy? Comedy? If need be, I’ll even go for a love story,”she continued.

“Well, to be honest, I’d be up for anything.”

“You see the latest Cole Jacobs? The knight movie?”

I nodded. “On the plane.”

She thought for a moment. “The one with Rio McQuoid is supposed to be pretty good. Though I’m not really in the mood for love stories right now.”

I shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned…”

The beeping of the oven cut me off.

Just a little while later, we were sitting on the couch in the future common room, eating pizza, and watching Rio McQuoid make his signature moves and run a hand across his lips. His really sexy lips.

“I had a sex dream about him recently,” Laurie said.

I swallowed wrong and started coughing. She slapped me on the back and handed me my water.

“You okay?”

I couldn’t manage more than a nod. “Are you serious?”

“About having a sex dream about Rio McQuoid? And how.” She laughed. “IRL, there’s not all that much going on inthatdepartment at the moment, if you get what I mean.”

“Yeah.”

“You?”

“Umm, I… Well, I’m not in a relationship or anything.”

“You don’t necessarily need the one for the other.” Lauriechuckled.

“True.” I smiled. “But I haven’t really had the opportunity for any of the other stuff either. Most of the year I’m on the road and spend my evenings in hotel rooms. On top of that, I go to bed pretty early.”

“Sounds lonely.”

“Tennisislonely. I mean, you’ve got a team around you, a trainer, a physiotherapist, an adviser. But when the going gets tough, you’re alone. You play alone, win alone, lose alone. And then, afterward, you’re alone.”

“What about dating apps? Ever tried?”

I wrinkled my nose. “Not such a good idea when you’re in the public eye.”

“Good point.” She tapped her forehead. “I always forget that you’re famous.”

“Well, I don’t know aboutfamous…”

“Griffin Chipman recognized you immediately.” She wriggled her eyebrows.

“You probably don’t forget a woman who gives you a fake number all that quickly.”

We laughed.

“I think my brother was pretty stunned too.”

“Vince?” As if she had other brothers.

She nodded with a grin. “He googled you. I saw it.”