Page 52 of Snap

Without looking up, he said, "I know you hate me…"

"What were you thinking?" I sounded colder than a winter wind in Tasmania. I hadn’t intended that, but once the words were out, I couldn’t take them back.

He looked up sharply. "It's not what you think, I swear. She sat on my lap and put my hand down her dress. I had no idea she was going to do that. I took my hand out immediately."

"Not before Danbury could take a photo," I snapped. The blood sucking asshole had a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, phone in hand. He’d probably waited hours for the right shot. The problem was, he couldn’t have taken it if it didn’t happen.

Ollie ran a hand over his forehead. "I guess not, but she took me by surprise. I gave her no reason to think I was into her. I told her I wasn't interested." His brow was creased deeply, eyes troubled.

I shook my head. "I didn't even come here to talk about that. Well, I mean at some point, but not straight away." Yeah, okay, I brought it up, but it didn’t seem all that important anymore.

He looked at me for a moment, then sighed. "This is about me not telling you about this—" He gestured around the locker room. "About who I really am. I'm sorry." He waved toward a corner where we wouldn't be overheard so easily.

I hesitated, but followed him, ignoring the gazes that shadowed.

He leaned his back against the wall and tilted his chin up, eyes toward the ceiling.

"You know how it feels to be… You," he said slowly.

I responded with a dry laugh. "I have some idea, yes."

He matched my laugh with a smile. "I mean, you know what it's like to wonder if people like you or just the idea of you."

That hit right down to the bone. So much so, I had to take a moment to reply.

"Only every day since I was old enough to know what money meant," I admitted.

"So you've had friends, boyfriends who didn't look past that?" he asked.

I hadn't expected him to make me squirm, but he was. "Yes, I have. And so have you. Partners, I mean."

"When I met you, I thought you were different," he said slowly.

I pretended to be offended. "I am different."

He gave me a soft smile. "Yes, you are. I was an idiot. I thought if you knew who I was, it would change everything." His expression fell. "I was right about that, just… Not in the way I thought."

I reached out and lightly touched his fingers, one of the few parts of him that wasn't covered by padding, or strapping. "I shouldn't be angry with you. I was thinking exactly the same thing."

"You should definitely tell somebody if you're a professional football player," he teased. "I can't guarantee it wouldn't get you tackled on the field more often."

I smacked him on the chest with my open hand. With the padding, he wouldn’t have felt a thing. "I'll leave the playing of caveman games to you."

He grinned. "I think I should be offended at you calling it that."

"Probably," I agreed lightly. "But my career consists of taking selfies, so I'm in no position to make fun."

"I'm sure there's more to it than that," he said.

I thought for a moment. "Not really. Although sometimes I take photos of food. Or other people."

"So does Harvey Danbury, and apparently he has a legitimate career." A dark expression came over Ollie's face.

"Yeah, that doesn't seem right somehow." I wrinkled my nose.

"Not at all," he agreed. "When you're queen of the world, maybe you can change that."

I laughed. "I'll take a hard pass on that job. Way too much responsibility and shit. And an endless stream of complaints. On the other hand, free chocolate."