Page 20 of All In: The Price We Pay

“I . . . ”

Her fingers rest warmly and softly on my hand again. “I’m not going to tell you what to do, but it carries a severe risk to let any injury drag on. The longer and more often you push yourself beyond your limits, the more you’ll hurt yourself the next time. I’ve learned that the hard way.” With a loud laugh, she raises her hands. “And now look at me. I’m spouting all this wisdom, and yet I’m on a date meant to distract the press from my eating disorder.”

Now I reach out my hand to her, and we intertwine our fingers. “If it helps you, it’s the right thing to do.”

She smiles. “It does.”

We order, and before the food arrives, photographers finally appear outside the restaurant window.

At first, I don’t even notice them because we’re engrossed in our conversation, but Valentina immediately sits up straighter and turns slightly toward the window.

“Should I do something?”

“No. You’re perfect. Let me handle it. I’ll give you a pat in a second,” she whispers.

That draws a genuine laugh from me. “Go ahead.”

The waiter who brings our food isn’t impressed by the paparazzi. “When you’re ready to leave, you can call for a car at the back entrance.”

Whether that would help is questionable. But I’ll take him up on the offer. Pictures or not, I don’t want to squeeze my way through the crowds at the main entrance.

Valentina eats her fish and rice with an expression of pure contentment on her face. I hope she’s not only putting on an act and that she’s truly enjoying the food.

“Stop staring,” she whispers to me. “I’m fine.”

“Sorry, I’m bad at this.”

She leans toward me. “May I?”

I nod, and she plants a kiss on my cheek. The sweet scent of her perfume wafts pleasantly into my nose. Her lips are soft. And yet, this closeness only serves to catapult me back to my bedroom with Parker.

For a moment, I close my eyes.

Dammit, I reacted completely the wrong way. Like a drowning person, I’ve clung to Parker at the slightest opportunity and selfishly demanded what I want. Without asking what he needs.

Valentina strokes my chin, and I open my eyes again. “Everything okay?”

I nod. I can see in her face that she doesn’t believe me. She studies me with pity. I wonder how those photos will turn out.

“Everything will be okay,” she says calmly.

“We can’t know that,” I reply immediately.

She raises her eyebrows cheekily. “Exactly.”

I have to laugh again, even though on my way here I’d thought I wouldn’t make it through the date. She is fantastic.

“You’re single, right?” I don’t know why I’m asking her that.

The question is the first one this evening that truly surprises her. She drops the cutlery she’d just picked up. “Are you asking me because you want a real date?”

“What? No.”

She shakes her head with a grin. “And for a moment there, I thought . . . ”

“I’m wondering how a woman of your caliber can be single.”

“Oh, you know how it is. The job is stressful. You’re always on the go. Hardly anyone understands that. You’re single too, aren’t you?”