A/N: WOW you guys, I'm honestly blown away by all of the great reviews, favorites, and follows! They are so encouraging, and made me want to get this chapter posted ASAP. I'm so happy there are still people out there who love Naley so much!
Like I said in chapter one, initially I had planned this as a one-shot from Haley's perspective only, but as I kept writing, Nathan wanted to speak up too, so you'll start to get both of their POVs from here on out. Hopefully it's not too confusing! I don't like to switch suddenly, but I also didn't want to do massive re-writes hahaha. This is a long one, but it just didn't feel right to split it up. Enjoy!
XX
Haley followed Clay through the cavernous tunnel from the court to the locker room. She barely noticed her surroundings; her insides were twisting around like her organs were playing a rousing game of musical chairs.
Nathan wanted to see her. He wanted to know if she had any plans for the rest of the evening. Maybe he just wants to say thank you too, she reasoned. But surely if that was all he wanted, he wouldn't have sent Clay to find out if she was free for "the rest of the evening," would he?
And exactly how long would the rest of the evening be? In high school, Nathan had always been surrounded with women, a pattern that had clearly continued. He was a sinfully attractive professional athlete who had probably never had to ask for sex a day in his life. What if he expected her to sleep with him?
The idea wasn't as off-putting as it probably should have been.
Haley had never had a one-night stand; as a rule, she had always reserved that level of intimacy for someone she was serious about. Hell, she hadn't even kissed a man she wasn't in a relationship with, and now she was thinking about going home with someone who - for all intents and purposes - was a complete stranger.
But he's not really a stranger, she tried arguing with herself. They'd gone to high school together, and she had caught glimpses of him in the news through the years. He was the celebrity here, she obviously knew who he was; if anything, she was a stranger to him. She didn't have any rules about that.
Besides, he had clearly been flirting with her earlier with the playful teasing and the nickname he'd given her. He had probably taken women home before with less interaction.
The absurdity of it all certainly wasn't lost on her. Just a few hours ago, her roommate had teased her about never doing anything exciting on her own, and she'd had no expectations of meeting Nathan at all. Now she was mentally creating a list of pros and cons to sleeping with the man, when she had rolled her eyes at other women at the stadium who were hoping for the exact same thing.
She was so busy wondering what kind of lover he would be that she nearly ran into Clay when he stopped suddenly in front of the locker room door. He motioned for her to wait as he disappeared inside.
Nathan looked up at the sound of the locker room door opening to see Clay entering with an eager grin pasted across his face. "Alright, buddy, she's out there; it's all on you now."
Nathan's stomach suddenly clenched in anxiety; that was new. He'd been with plenty of women, but something about Haley James had him feeling off his game. Even from their limited interaction, he already knew she wasn't like the others. She was sincere, and earnest, and beautiful in a natural, effortless way.
She looked absolutely stunning in that green dress she was wearing, but she didn't seem to be trying to impress him. He liked that. He liked that she had been up for being in the commercial with him, even though she had obviously been uncomfortable in front of the camera at first. She had been a quick study though, and had done a wonderful job. He doubted she even realized how sexy this commercial had turned out to be because of her.
When she had put her hands on him in that last scene, he'd had to think of every basketball stat he had ever known to tamp down his arousal, and he had still found himself leaning into her before Joe had called for them to cut. He had been totally lost in those rich cocoa eyes, and definitely would have kissed her then and there if it hadn't been for the interruption of, you know, his job.
"Do I look okay?" Nathan asked his friend, checking the mirror in front of him once more. He ran his fingers through his hair for the third time, making sure it was properly mussed without looking sloppy. Stepping back to look himself over, he tried to keep his posture and his voice casual. "Maybe I should wear the black shirt instead…"
"Dude, you look fine," Clay assured him with a roll of his eyes and a clap on the back. "You could be wearing sweatpants and I bet she'd still be into you. Looks like you've got a good night ahead of you."
Nathan shifted uncomfortably at the implication. God knows he wanted her…but it was more than that. "I don't know, man…I think I'm going to ask her to dinner. I just want to see where things go, you know?"
His agent's eyes widened a little and he gave a low whistle. "Wow. It's been awhile since you've taken a girl anywhere other than your bedroom. Do you even remember how to seduce a woman? Usually they're just throwing themselves at your feet."
"I'm not trying to seduce her," Nathan argued, more annoyed at his friend's comment than he expected to be. He fiddled with the collar of his shirt in an attempt to hide his irritation. Even though he had just met her, he didn't think of Haley like that. She wasn't just some girl to seduce - something about her was special, and he wanted to figure out what it was about her that had him so tied in knots. He so badly wanted to put together all of the little pieces that made up the puzzle of Haley James.
Clay was watching him more intently now, and Nathan shifted uncomfortably under his friend's curious gaze. "I just want to get to know her a little," he mumbled finally. "She seems cool."
"Well, she must think you're cool too because she agreed to follow me down this dark deserted hall," Clay teased. "Never even asked if I was a serial killer or anything."
Nathan glared at him, grabbing his wallet and shoving it into his pocket before heading to the locker room door. Taking one last deep breath, he stepped out into the hall.
"Haley James," he greeted her with a broad, crooked grin. "I was worried you had left me without saying goodbye."
Haley's eyes roamed over the towering athlete before her. He had showered and changed into a long-sleeved, slate gray shirt with an open collar, exposing the veined column of his neck and dipping low enough to barely highlight the curve of his pectorals. She swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry as she noted the way the shirt clung to his arms and accentuated his muscular frame. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his jeans, which looked as though they were perfectly tailored to his trim waist, and classic Converse sneakers adorned his feet.
Damn it, did this man have to look like a Greek god no matter what he wore? She had hoped she would feel like less of a giggling schoolgirl once he'd covered those arms up…no such luck.
She smiled up at him and shrugged, hoping it came across as nonchalant, and not like her mind was working overtime to come up with something clever to say.
Nathan cleared his throat as he turned to his agent. "Thanks for all your help today, Clay. I'll give you a call later."
Haley stifled a laugh at the pointed look Nathan gave Clay, who put his hands up in concession. "Alright dude, fine - I can tell when I'm not wanted." He turned to Haley. "You keep this joker in line," he teased, jerking a thumb at Nathan.
"Whatever, man," Nathan sighed, rolling his eyes as the two men exchanged a friendly fist bump.
"He seems nice," Haley commented as she watched Clay depart.
"He's a good agent, and a good friend," Nathan confirmed. "I owe my whole career to that guy."
"Well, I guess I owe him my career too…my new career as a star actress, I mean," she teased, flipping her hair over her shoulder in an exaggerated way and striking a pose as if she were being photographed.
"Easy there, superstar," Nathan laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'm not sure I can measure up to that level of celebrity."
Haley smirked back at him. "Well look out, before you know it I'll have my handprints on the Hollywood walk of fame," she teased.
"Good to know you're not letting your stardom go to your head." He nudged her with his elbow and winked. He was pleased that her playful demeanor hadn't just been a show for the cameras. "Seriously though, you did a great job today. Probably even better than that model could have, even if she hadn't been high as a kite. It would've cost a lot of money if we'd had to reschedule the shoot, so thank you."
"Oh, sure," Haley waved away his thanks. "I'm glad I could help. It'll be pretty weird seeing myself on TV though…I can't quite imagine that."
"Eh, you'll get used to it," he shrugged. Leaning forward conspiratorially, his voice dropped to a stage whisper: "At least you had a super hot co-star."
She agreed with a laugh. She was starting to get used to him, his presence less intimidating now that their interactions weren't playing out in front of a camera and a literal audience. He seemed more relaxed also. He was funny and polite - not at all the cocky, self-centered teenager she remembered. He didn't seem to be playing the part of the womanizing scoundrel the tabloids claimed he was, either. So far he'd been very respectful and not at all handsy.
She wouldn't mind if he got a little handsy.
He cleared his throat, shifting his weight between his feet nervously. "So listen," he started, pausing as he searched for the right words. He didn't want to mess this up. "I wanted to ask you…if you don't have plans right now, I mean…I thought maybe you'd want to go…grab dinner, or maybe a drink, or something."
Haley blinked at him, unsure if she'd heard him right. Excitement swirled in her belly as her brain processed what was happening.
Nathan Scott, professional athlete and her high school crush, was asking her out.
Before she could respond, her phone buzzed in her purse. She fished it out, apologizing for the interruption, and opened the text from Lindsey. It was a reply to the photo Haley had sent earlier.
Aahhh, no way! You look so cute! Although I was hoping you'd get a picture with Nathan… ;)
She laughed and shook her head. Her roommate really was not going to believe this. Haley wasn't even sure she believed it herself yet - she glanced back up to confirm that Nathan Scott was in fact standing in front of her, waiting for her to accept his request to accompany him to dinner. She couldn't help but smile at the adorable way his head was tilted in confusion.
"My roommate," she explained, waving her phone in the air. "She's the one that talked me into coming here today. She was hoping I'd meet you and now she's telling me to text her a photo of us."
Nathan took a step closer to her, grinning broadly. He liked that she had told her roommate about him. And while he noticed her left ring finger was bare, the fact that she lived with a female roommate meant that she didn't live with a boyfriend. That had to be a good sign. "Well then it sounds like I owe her one. Let me see your phone."
Haley handed it over to him and he opened up the camera app and pulled her into his side so she was flush against him, her cheek just inches from his chest. He flashed a sexy smirk for the camera and quickly sent their selfie to her roommate before handing the phone back.
Although he dropped his arm from around her waist, she was very aware of the fact that he hadn't stepped away after he'd taken the photo. With his close proximity, she could smell that delicious, manly scent she'd noticed before, mixed with a clean, fresh aroma that reminded her of the coast. It was a scent unique to him, and it was intoxicating.
It only took a few seconds for her phone to explode with multiple text messages, one right after another.
Stop.
Stop.
Stop.
YOU MET NATHAN SCOTT!
Haley laughed and turned her phone to show him.
Nathan welcomed the excuse to lean in even closer to her to read the messages. He smiled and shook his head in amusement, his gaze meeting hers again. "So, what do you say, Hales…dinner?"
Her heart fluttered at the nickname he'd given her, and at the earnest, hopeful look in his cobalt eyes. Looking into them now, Haley realized she'd never seen anyone with eyes quite that shade of blue. They were hypnotizing, and she found herself nodding in agreement without further thought - not that she had been planning to turn him down.
A hundred-watt grin lit up his face, reaching all the way to those unbelievable eyes, and she was struck again with how odd it felt to finally see him up close and personal like this. Before today, he had been an idea, a teenage fantasy…someone she could never have. Even earlier, during filming, he had been working; acting. This toothy, boyish smile he was giving her now felt even more intimate than when she had her hand on his naked chest before.
He gently touched the small of her back to guide her in the direction of the parking garage, and the simple gesture made her feel so small and safe next to him.
Nathan was thrilled that she had accepted his dinner proposal. He hated to admit it, but he couldn't remember the last time he'd asked a girl out on a proper date. Women were usually quite forward with him, and he'd never had any problem finding company for the night, but it had been a long time since he'd met someone he was actually interested in getting to know. He hadn't expected to meet someone like Haley - at a stupid commercial shoot, of all things.
"So, you said your roommate was responsible for you being here today," he commented as they walked. "Sounds like there's a story there."
Haley rolled her eyes. "She…well, she was supposed to be here with me. She's a big fan of yours."
He gave her a sideways glance, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. "And you're not?"
"I'm…not really that into sports," she admitted with a sheepish shrug.
He gave a low whistle. "Wow Hales…you sure know how to inflate a guy's ego," he teased her.
"I'm sorry!" she laughed. "It's not personal! I haven't watched a basketball game since high school!" She bit the inside of her cheek as the admission slipped out, hoping he wouldn't tug on that thread.
She wasn't sure why she was so hesitant to bring up their shared hometown. Maybe it was because she feared that he would think she was a weird stalker; more likely it was because she didn't expect to see him again after tonight, and the less emotionally attached she got, the better. She didn't want to dwell on that thought right now. The night was still young.
"Well, we might just have to change that sometime soon." He pulled his keys out of his pocket and unlocked a black SUV with dark tinted windows. "This is me."
"Wow, no flashy sports car for the sports guy?" Haley joked as he opened the passenger side door for her before rounding the car to the driver's seat.
"Oh, I have one of those too," he assured her. "But after buying a little red two-door convertible, I quickly realized it wasn't a practical vehicle for someone as tall as I am. So now it sits in my garage, and that's the story of how I wasted my first NBA paycheck."
Haley laughed at the thought of Nathan squeezed into a little sports car, imagining him hunched over the steering wheel with his knees in his chest like one of those tiny clown cars.
"So, unless you've got something in mind, I know a great rooftop bar that serves incredible Italian food," Nathan suggested as he navigated out of the parking garage.
"Italian sounds great," Haley agreed.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. Italian had been a fairly safe option, but he couldn't help feeling pleased with himself for suggesting something she liked.
They drove in comfortable silence for a few minutes, and Haley stole glances at him out of the corner of her eye. Damn, he was handsome. She admired his sharp cheekbones and the straight bridge of his nose. She had a perfect view of the dark freckle on his right cheek, just under his eye, and she fantasized about kissing him there. His posture was relaxed - his left arm rested casually on the car door as he steered with the tips of his fingers, while his right hand sat low on the bottom of the steering wheel, fingers tapping out a staccato rhythm. Was it possible he was as nervous as she was?
"You never finished telling me how you ended up at the shoot today," he reminded her, breaking the silence.
"Oh, umm…there's not too much to tell, actually," she admitted. "Lindsey, my roommate...she heard about it at school and insisted I go with her. But of course she bailed on me at the last minute, claiming she had to study for finals." Haley huffed in annoyance. "I had to go straight to the stadium from the high school where I'm finishing up my student teaching, and since I was already there, she talked me into staying."
"Sounds like a good roommate."
"She is," Haley agreed. "Between her and Clay, you'd think they were conspiring for us to meet." She paused, thinking back to the moment Clay picked her out of the crowd. It felt like more than just a few hours ago. This entire day had been a completely surreal experience, and seemed to be getting stranger by the minute.
He glanced over at her, one corner of his mouth tilted into a slight smile. "Well, lucky me, then."
They arrived at an upscale hotel with a sign out front for Apothecary Bar and Bistro. A valet attendant approached to take the car, and Nathan parked and handed the keys over. He quickly hopped out to open Haley's car door before she could do it herself.
"Such a gentleman," she noted.
"Well I'm sure my mother would be thrilled to hear that," he laughed, extending his hand to her. He couldn't explain why, but the need to touch her was almost overwhelming. He hoped the gesture wasn't too forward.
Haley tentatively took his offered hand and her heart fluttered when he immediately laced their fingers together as he led her inside.
"Ah, Mr. Scott," the concierge at the desk greeted them, "wonderful to see you again. Will you be dining with us tonight?"
Nathan nodded politely at the older man, and requested rooftop seating. He wanted Haley to have the full experience. Plus, the city view at night was unarguably romantic.
"Certainly, sir, I wouldn't expect anything less. Celeste will be waiting at the top of the elevator to seat you."
Haley watched the exchange with interest. Nathan was clearly a regular here, and as he squeezed her hand and tugged her towards the elevator, she found herself blurting out the question on her mind: "So, do you bring all of your dates here?"
He didn't hide the surprise written across his face as he stepped into the open elevator, lifting their joined hands and spinning her unexpectedly beneath his arm in the process. "Why, Haley James…are you jealous?"
His voice held a note of satisfaction that made her squirm under his gaze. "No," she protested a little too quickly. "Just curious."
Nathan tugged her into his side and pressed the button to the top floor, his eyes dancing in amusement. "Well the answer is no," he assured her. He thought about telling her that she was his first date in years, but he was afraid it would make him sound like a loser - or worse, a man whore who was only interested in sex. Which you usually kind of are, he thought to himself guiltily. He pushed that thought out of his mind. "I don't bring all my dates here. Only the ones I really like." He winked at her.
She fought the urge to inquire further and instead just rolled her eyes.
Haley had no trouble seeing why women wanted him. He oozed confidence and sex appeal, but he was also courteous and attentive. Not only to her, but to everyone he came into contact with. He made polite small talk with Celeste, the hostess, as they were seated. She was young and pretty, but he didn't flirt with her, which Haley appreciated.
She couldn't help but notice the whispers and stares from the other patrons as they followed Celeste to their table. A few people raised their cell phones to covertly take a couple of photos of the celebrity athlete in their midst.
Nathan didn't seem bothered, but Haley felt like an animal in the zoo, though she went largely unnoticed by the onlookers - save for a few women who shot her jealous glares over their wine glasses.
When they finally arrived at their table, Haley gasped in delight. The small table for two was tucked around a corner, out of the way of curious eyes, and they had a breathtaking view of the city skyline. The sun was beginning to go down and lights were beginning to pop on one by one, giving the city a beautiful glow.
Still the perfect gentleman, Nathan pulled out Haley's chair for her before taking a seat himself. She giggled as he attempted to situate himself so that his long legs weren't bumping her knees underneath the table. They both shifted around in their seats in an attempt to accommodate the other, resulting in a ridiculous dance that had the opposite effect. Haley laughed again as she finally crossed her left leg over her right and angled her body so that he could stretch his legs comfortably beneath the table. He pulled a face at her and shrugged in apology. How could someone so handsome also be so adorable?
They began perusing the menu, and didn't have to wait long for their server - a young man who looked barely out of high school. Haley was secretly thankful that their waiter was a male. She didn't relish the idea of having to put up with a girl glaring daggers at her throughout her entire meal.
"Good evening folks, wonderful to have you dining with us tonight," the waiter greeted, filling the empty goblets on the table with water as he nodded at each of them politely. "Can I start you off with a glass of wine or another beverage besides water?"
Nathan gestured to her with an open palm, indicating for her to order first. Haley perused the wine list for a moment before settling on a crisp white wine, while Nathan ordered a bottle of local craft beer.
"Very good choices, I will have those out to you momentarily while you continue to look over the menu." The waiter began to turn away, and then hesitated like he wanted to say something else. "By the way, sir…the Bobcats are looking great this season. You totally dominated the Bucks in that last game, it was unbelievable. I just wanted to say, I'm a huge fan."
"Thank you, man, I really appreciate that," Nathan replied with a gracious smile, reaching across the table to shake the kid's hand. "Always nice to meet a fan."
A huge grin split across the young man's face as he nodded and rushed off to collect their drinks.
Once he was out of earshot, Haley laughed out loud. "Does this happen to you everywhere you go?" she asked in wonder. She'd been uncomfortable with eyes on her as they'd walked to their table, she couldn't imagine being recognized every time she left her house.
"Mostly, yeah." Nathan shrugged and began flipping through the menu, a little embarrassed. Not necessarily because he'd been recognized - that was bound to happen - but he really wanted tonight to be about the two of them, not his job. He wanted to be able to focus on getting to know Haley.
His sheepish behavior was not what she had expected from the cocky basketball god she pined after as a teenager. "I imagine that would get old after a while," she mused sympathetically.
"There are days when it does," he admitted. "For the most part, I don't mind. It feels nice to know you've made someone's day when you take a photo with them, or sign an autograph. But sometimes it feels like…I don't know, like I'm not allowed to have a bad day. Like I have to be this person that lives up to everyone else's expectations all the time. And like he said, we've had a good season. People aren't always so nice when the team isn't doing well."
Haley's eyes widened at that. She couldn't imagine anyone being rude to Nathan; he had been nothing but gracious to everyone she had seen him interact with. He'd certainly had years of practice dealing with the public, but the way he seemed so approachable and accessible to his fans was something special. She hated the idea that someone would take advantage of his openness by belittling him if his team lost a game. She reached across the table and took his hand, squeezing it gently. "I'm sorry," she said softly.
"It's fine," he said with a shrug, trying not to let the warmth of her fingers clasped in his much larger palm distract him. "You know, to be honest, being famous is kind of weird to me. All I ever wanted was to play in the NBA. I spent my whole life training for it, and getting to do what I love as my job still blows my mind. But I somehow never considered the thought that people would follow me with cameras and I'd end up in a magazine just for doing something mundane like going to the grocery store. I'm not that interesting!" he finished with a laugh.
"Yeah," Haley teased, flashing him an apologetic smile, "I wasn't going to say anything, but you are pretty dull."
He laughed along with her and smiled down at their joined hands, gently caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. She was definitely different from any of the other women he'd been with. He liked how comfortable they already were with one another. He felt safe and at ease in her presence, like he could open up to her about his life without having to worry that she would run to the tabloids with whatever he shared for a quick buck.
"May I take your orders or make any recommendations?"
The waiter's voice startled them out of their musings, and Haley quickly released Nathan's hand as their drinks were placed on the table. She hadn't even heard him approach.
Nathan hoped the disappointment didn't show on his face as he mentally cursed the server's unfortunate timing. He fiddled with his menu, unsure of what to do with his hands all of a sudden. He listened as Haley recited her dinner order and couldn't help but smile. She was so unpredictable, even in her meal choice. When he realized they were both waiting on him to order, he quickly chose the first thing his eyes landed on in the menu. All he wanted was for the waiter to leave so he could find an excuse to recover the interrupted moment and touch her again.
Once the server had collected their menus and left to place their orders, Haley looked back at Nathan to see him fighting a smile, one eyebrow raised at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked cautiously.
"You could have ordered anything on the menu, you know," he replied, "you didn't have to order glorified mac and cheese."
Haley's jaw dropped in exaggerated offense. "Hey now! Macaroni and cheese happens to be my favorite food!"
Nathan lost the battle then, grinning and shaking his head. "Really, Hales?" he chuckled. "If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, you're telling me macaroni and cheese would be your pick?"
"Hell yeah it would!" she shot back. "It's the food of the gods!"
"The food of the gods?" he repeated, placing his elbows on the table and leaning towards her. "Are the gods five-year-olds?"
She swatted his arm playfully. "Hey, you should just be happy I actually ordered an entrée instead of asking for a side salad and then picking food off your plate all night." His smile vanished and a look of disbelief crossed his face. "That's right, I know all about the moves women try to make on first dates," she laughed.
"Is that so?" He reached for his beer and leaned even further forward, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "Sounds to me like you've got some moves of your own. What's Haley James's big first date move?"
"Oh-ho no," she protested. "I'm not giving away all my secrets. You'll just have to wait and see."
"Aw, c'mon Hales, please?" he begged, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.
"No way mister," she laughed, shoving his shoulder. "And that's not going to work on me, I don't care how handsome you are."
He broke into a grin at her admission that she found him handsome, taking another pull of his beer before conceding. He loved this feisty side of her. "Fine. But I'm onto you now, James. You have to tell me something about yourself…you mentioned student teaching at the high school. What do you teach?"
"Literature," she replied, smiling back. "I've always loved to read, and I love helping kids discover their love for reading as well. There's no greater feeling than being able to help someone learn something they didn't know before. Teaching just seemed to be a natural career choice."
Nathan could hear the passion in her voice as she spoke about teaching, and it tugged at something deep inside of him. "Wow, if I'd had someone like you as a teacher, I might have actually enjoyed school," he mused. "Well - the school part of school, anyway."
Haley considered her next words carefully. She didn't want to say anything that would indicate she knew anything about his high school or college life, but she also didn't want to get trapped in a lie. And she didn't want him asking too many questions about her, either. She decided to turn the conversation back to him.
"You didn't like school?" she finally asked.
He shrugged. "It was fine. I passed. To me, school was always just a means to an end. Basketball was always the goal. Specifically the NBA. Once I was old enough to shoot a basket my dad had his sights set on me going pro."
Haley's eyebrows raised at that. "Wow…he must have seen some real talent in you then. Are you guys close?"
Nathan swirled his beer around in the bottle, his gaze suddenly fixated across the room. "Not really," he said softly. "Dan - that's my dad - he always rode me hard when it came to basketball. It was my whole life, but it was never enough. He always wanted me to train harder or score more points, even though I was the leading scorer in the history of my high school. He was always pushing and pushing. Once I left home for college, I had enough. I couldn't take his nagging anymore, and I cut him off. Just…stopped talking to him. He'd come to my games and I wouldn't speak to him. And then…" He let out a shaky breath, taking another swig of his beer to mask the sudden emotion threatening to spill out. "Then he was gone. He died of a heart attack my junior year of college."
Haley could feel tears pricking her eyes. She remembered Dan Scott, of course. He had been at every one of Nathan's high school games, and he was definitely intense. She didn't know that he had passed away, and hearing it now from Nathan and seeing how it clearly affected him tugged at her heart.
He was staring down at his beer bottle, unable to look up at her. He was afraid if he got even one glimpse of her sympathetic doe eyes, he'd melt into a puddle of unchecked emotion. He couldn't allow himself a breakdown on a first date. He wasn't even sure what was making him so emotional to begin with. He had spoken of his father plenty of times since his death, and had even done his best to make peace with it…but something about Haley made him want to open up to her. It was like she was able to look right over the walls he had put in place to protect those parts of himself that he didn't want the rest of the world to discover. It was unsettling how easily she was able to get him to open up, and yet being vulnerable with her felt freeing.
He took a few deep, calming breaths to center himself again, and finally looked back at her. Haley could see the pain swirling in his beautiful eyes, yet he offered her a forced smile. "I'm sorry," he said quickly, shaking his head slightly and blinking a few times, as if he were suddenly coming out of a trance. "I'm not really sure why I said all of that. That's probably more than you were wanting to know."
"Not at all," she assured him, smiling gently. "I did ask."
She had a point there, and Nathan realized she might be the first woman to ever ask him about himself. He hadn't really talked with a lot of women lately, and when he did, they seemed more interested in telling him about themselves. He cleared his throat. "So, what about you? What's your family like?"
"Oh, you know," she replied flippantly with a shrug of her shoulders. She began running her middle finger along the rim of her wine glass, debating how much she wanted to share. "Small town…middle class…youngest of five kids. Not much to tell, really."
Nathan raised an eyebrow. She was deflecting. Interesting. "Wow, five kids…your parents must've been busy."
"Eww, stop!" She reached across the table and swatted his shoulder playfully. "Anyway, we're all several years apart. My two brothers are ten and twelve years older than me, so I didn't really grow up with them. My sisters and I were a bit closer, but they were out of the house too by the time I got to high school. So in some ways I was kind of an only child."
Before he could ask her anything else, she turned the conversation back on him. "How about you, any siblings?"
He snorted, sitting back in his chair. "Sort of. One half brother. We're the same age but were never really close until college. He was my dad's son from before he got with my mom, and once Dan passed…well, let's just say we're working on it. I guess death has a way of putting things in perspective."
Why was he telling her all of this? He seemed to have no filter around her, the words just tumbled out before he could give them any thought. How was she doing that?
She bit at her lip thoughtfully, and he had the urge to run his tongue over that very spot. He couldn't believe such a simple action could be so sexy. Don't think about that now, Nate!
"Anyway, I'm talking way too much about myself." He cleared his throat. "What does Haley James like to do for fun? And don't say study."
"But I do like to study!" Haley feigned offense before laughing at the look of skepticism he shot her. "Alright, fine…I like to sing."
He sat up a little straighter in his chair at that. "Really? Let me hear!"
She laughed again at the way he was leaning towards her eagerly, like a little boy trying to get a glimpse inside the display at the toy store. "Slow down, mister," she teased, taking a long sip of her wine and taking the time to savor its taste. She wanted to leave him hanging for just a second. "I'm not going to sing for you in the middle of a restaurant!"
He frowned. "Well how am I supposed to know if you're any good then?"
She shrugged, eyeing him coyly over the top of her wine glass. "I guess you'll just have to take my word for it."
"Well fine." He settled back in his chair, crossing his arms. That sly smirk was affixed to his face again and Haley's heartbeat quickened. "Maybe I'm a great singer too, you don't know. You'll just have to take my word for it."
Haley's jaw dropped at the smug look he was giving her. "Hey now! Don't be rude!"
"How is that rude?!" he laughed.
"I've been taking singing lessons since I was a little girl, you can't just undermine all my hard work," she retorted. He shrugged at her, trying to act indifferent to her argument, but he was finding it hard not to smile at how worked up she was getting. She was adorable when she was feisty like this.
That was what he liked about her; she was a walking contradiction. She had seemed so shy back on the basketball court, and yet now she was so confident speaking of her own talents. She was thoughtful and well-spoken, and yet she had rambled on nervously when they had first approached her about saying a line in the commercial. She was perceptive, a quick learner, and yet she seemed to be oblivious to how alluring she really was. She was small, but he had no doubt that Haley James was anything but fragile.
"Fine," Haley huffed. "My brothers had a basketball hoop in our driveway when I was little, I shot the ball around a few times. Maybe I'll just be the next NBA star."
"Oh I would kill to see that," Nathan chuckled, imagining it. "All five-foot-nothing of you making slam dunks."
"I'm five-foot-four, thank you very much," she corrected indignantly.
That made him nearly a foot taller than her; he found himself wondering how their bodies would fit together. Images of her slight frame, naked and pliant beneath him, crept into his subconscious, unbidden.
Haley noticed something flash across his gaze then, his eyes darkening slightly as he ran the tip of his tongue across his lower lip. She wasn't even sure he realized he was doing it, but the motion combined with the look he was giving her had her squeezing her thighs beneath the table at the sudden spike of arousal that shot through her.
This time, the waiter was a welcome distraction when he arrived with their food. They talked about how delicious everything was as they ate, and continued their easy, flirty banter throughout the meal. Nathan couldn't get over how much he was enjoying her company. He quizzed her on anything and everything he could think of - her favorite books, her favorite ice cream, her favorite color. He noticed how she had quickly waved off the questions about her family earlier, and kept the conversation light. He wanted to know anything she was willing to tell him.
As the meal began to wind down, Haley found herself growing more nervous. She knew she wanted him, but aside from an occasional look, she wasn't sure if he felt the same. He seemed to be comfortable opening up to her, and he'd held her hand or put his arm around her, but he hadn't asked her to continue the evening past dinner, and she wasn't ready to say goodnight yet.
Nathan wasn't sure what to do next. It was rare that he found himself self-conscious around women, and even more rare to find himself unsure of how she felt about him. He'd had so much fun with her tonight, and he wasn't ready for it to end…but he also feared that if he invited her back to his place, she would get the wrong idea about his intentions. She had to know about his less-than-stellar track record with women, and he didn't want her to think she was just another notch in his bedpost. He wanted so much more than one night with this woman.
"I guess…I guess maybe I should take you back to the stadium to get your car," he said reluctantly. Even as the words came out of his mouth, he wanted to take them back. It really sucked being a gentleman.
Haley's heart dropped. She had been so sure that he would invite her home with him. Her thoughts were racing as she tried to find an excuse to draw out the evening a bit longer. She'd spent most of the day working up the courage to say yes to a night with him, and now that the opportunity was slipping away, she was desperate to get it back. Was he afraid she would get upset if he asked? Had he changed his mind about her somewhere during the course of dinner?
Nathan finished paying the bill and then reached for her hand, helping her up from her seat. He offered her a small smile, and squeezed her hand before intertwining his fingers with hers as she stood.
"I had a really great time tonight," she said softly as they walked towards the elevator. "Thank you for dinner."
He pressed the button for the first floor, flashing a small, uncomfortable smile at her before quickly looking away again. It took every ounce of self control he possessed to not grab her and kiss her right then and there. He shoved his free hand into his pocket to keep from doing something stupid. The feel of her hand in his already had him hot beneath the collar. He wanted her so badly, but he was so afraid of the possibility of rejection - something he had certainly never worried about before.
The sudden tension he had created between them was suffocating, and he was certain that taking her in his arms and pressing his lips to hers with reckless abandon would be the breath of fresh air he needed - yet he was unable to move, his feet rooted to the ground beneath him.
Something in the atmosphere between them had shifted, Haley could feel it. Nathan was suddenly restless beside her, jingling his keys in his pocket and shifting his weight between his feet. "Everything okay?" she asked.
He sighed, his movements stilled, and finally allowed himself to look at her. "I'm trying really hard to be a good guy, Hales," he said softly, his voice pleading.
She saw something in his eyes then, something primal and possessive, and it was directed at her. This was it; her only chance. She could step outside her comfort zone and get exactly what she wanted, or she could play it safe and forever wonder about the missed opportunity.
She was barely aware of the arrival of the elevator. She had made up her mind.
"What if I don't want you to be?"
xx
A/N: The next chapter is definitely going to be M, so I'll be updating the rating accordingly. If you don't regularly search/read M stories, follow now so that you don't miss future updates! The M stuff will be contained to the next chapter (for now), so if that's not your cup of tea you can skip it without missing out on any of the storyline. ;)
Also, fun fact: The text message from Lindsey about Haley meeting Nathan is taken from real life! I met James last year and texted our selfie to one of my best friends, who blew up my phone with the same reply. Had to have art imitate life in that scene!