“Something special?” I found myself asking. “Is that what you and I could have had?”
He shrugged casually. “Sure. If you gave me the right number, I figure we’d be happily married by now.”
I burst out laughing. “Is that so?”
“Yes ma’am,” he replied with his most charming grin. “In another timeline, we tied the knot a day after meeting each other. Got married in a church back home in Texas. Indoor reception, on account of how hot it is.”
“Naturally.”
“Got a house with a white picket fence,” he went on. “Lots of room for my dog Luna to run around. Oh, and we have two kids. A pair of boys, although we’re trying for a girl.”
I barked a laugh. “We have two kids after three months together? Your Texas degree wasn’t in math, was it?”
“Well, I figure that with my genes?” He gestured down at himself. “Those kids’ll grow mighty fast. A Carter boy only needs a few weeks baking in the oven before he’s ready to pop out and catch footballs.”
The whole thing was so ridiculous—and charming—that I couldn’t help but continue laughing. “Well now that I know I’m dealing with someone who has super-human genes, I’m sorry it didn’t work out between us.”
“Yeah,” he said softly. “Me too.”
The two of us shared a long moment together in the empty lecture room. It reminded me of that night outside the bar, before we parted for the night. When Brody was right on the edge of asking me to come back to his place. He looked like he wanted to do that now.
And to my surprise, I realized I desperately wanted him to ask me that now. To tell me that he was dumping Isabella and was going to take me out to dinner tonight, picking up where we had left off three months ago.
For a brief moment, I was absolutely certain he was going to.
But then a knock came at the back of the room, and Eric, my boyfriend, was standing there.
“Taylor?” he asked. “Am I interrupting anything?”
“No!” I said a little too enthusiastically. “Not at all. Come here, I want you to meet someone. This is Brody Carter, the guy from trivia night that I was telling you about.”
“The football player?” Eric came down the lecture hall stairs and onto the stage. “Pleased to make your acquaintance. I’ve never met a professional athlete before.”
Brody shook his hand and said, “I’m sorry it’s my sorry ass popping your cherry rather than someone better. But it’s nice to meet you all the same.”
“Are you ready to go to lunch?” Eric put an arm around me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “I’m free until one, but then I need to return for office hours.”
A very brief moment of understanding passed across Brody’s eyes. Like he had assumed I was single until Eric had showed up, and now he had to completely shift gears.
What would have happened if Eric had not shown up? I wondered.
“Well, I won’t keep you two,” Brody said. “If you ever need tickets to the game, Eric, just let me know.”
“I won’t hesitate to ask.” Eric chuckled and said, “Oh, Brody. Perhaps you would care to join us at trivia night tomorrow? We do it every Tuesday.”
“That’s real nice of you to invite me,” Brody said, “but I’m sure y’all are out of my league…”
“Nonsense,” Eric replied. “I’m sure you’re a perfectly knowledgeable man, and we can always use help when it comes to athletic trivia.”
“I’m busy tomorrow,” Brody said, “but I might take you up on that in the future.”
“Next week, then!” Eric said. “We always play at the Wild Rover Bar. You’re welcome to drop in any time.”
“Appreciate the invite.” Brody shook Eric’s hand one more time, gave me a polite smile, and then climbed the stairs. The last thing I saw was him pulling up his hood before disappearing into the hallway.
“Can you believe that?” Eric said. “Trivia night with the other faculty and a football player…”
“You think the other professors would be impressed I know someone like him?” I asked.
Eric barked a laugh. “I meant can you believe us playing trivia with someone like him?” His tone took on a mocking edge. “As if a Neanderthal like him could possibly add any value to a team comprised of four college professors! And to offer me football tickets, as if I would be caught dead attending such a barbaric sport…”
I rounded on Eric. “That’s a rude thing to say. Brody was perfectly friendly to you, and you’re mocking him the moment he leaves the room?”
“We all have our strengths and weaknesses, Taylor,” he replied simply. “It would be ridiculous for me to set foot on a football field and expect to contribute in any meaningful way. I am merely suggesting that the inverse situation is equally ridiculous.”
“Brody did just fine when we played trivia together,” I insisted. “In fact, we won that night. You don’t need to insult his intelligence.”
“The two of you won at Tommy’s,” Eric replied. “That is hardly the same as the competitive game we take part in. Come, let’s get lunch while I still have time. Honestly, Taylor, I don’t know why you are defending that football player so voraciously…”
I don’t know either, I thought as we left. But it scares me.