Defying Gravity (Landing in Love Book 1)

by Jennifer W Smith

  While Sasha put together a cup of hot water and a tea bag, Olivia thanked Vince. “I appreciate you taking the time to explain those plays. They make so much more sense now.”

  Vince stood when she did. “Anytime. And I’d like to see your brother play sometime.”

  “I’m sure you have a busy schedule with classes and practice.”

  “I do, but I’d like to see you again.”

  “Oh.” Why are you hesitating? This guy is very good-looking and nice. And he’s interested. You need to forget about Jacob and his kisses. Jacob doesn’t want a relationship with you. Why not give Vince a chance?

  “I’d like that.” She detected the hesitation in her own voice.

  Apparently Vince did too. “How about I give you my number, and you can text me the rec league schedule. Call me, and we can talk more. No pressure.”

  That would give her time to Google him. College athletes were always active on social media. If there was dirt on him, it would show up on Instagram or Twitter. She slipped her phone from her pocket, and he tapped his to hers. She accepted his information and returned her phone to her pocket. Vince moved to his seat.

  Olivia tugged on disposable gloves and slipped a trash bag from the bin. Moving toward the aircraft’s forward galley, she glanced at the guys in Vince’s row. It didn’t appear Vince had said anything to them about her. Reaching the first row, she turned and began collecting refuse.

  ***

  Tess waved at Olivia when she entered Honey and Spice, the local herbal tea shop along the waterfront. The heady scents filled her nose as she shook the snowflakes off her coat. She removed her hat and crossed the refurbished floorboards. Tess jumped up and hugged her, replacing the shop’s scent with her own blend of essential oils, and planted a friendly kiss on Olivia’s cheek.

  “I got your text. What’s this news you wanted to tell me over tea?” Tess sat, pulling one knee to her chest, appearing comfortable in such a position.

  “I met a guy.” She gave Tess her best dead-pan expression. “Let me order, and I’ll be right back.” It felt good to have something exciting to talk about. Anticipation put a bounce in her step.

  When she returned with a mug and a pastry, she took her time arranging the dishes and shrugging out of her coat.

  “Where’d you meet him? What’s his name?”

  “He was on my flight home yesterday—his whole team, actually. His name is Vince Torres. He plays basketball for Boston College.”

  Tess grabbed her phone, thumbs typing rapid-fire. “Okay. I found his social media feeds. Ooh, he’s hot! Boy, do you have a thing for basketball players.”

  “Hmm, kinda like you have a thing for drifters.”

  Tess snickered. “Soo,” she rolled her eyes, “I’m adventurous.”

  “Instead of traveling off to Bali for a month with Fred or to Costa Rica for two months with Manny, you could have just become a flight attendant.”

  “Hey, my time with Fred was spiritual.” Tess played with the elephant pendant at the hollow of her throat.

  “And Kyle? How are things progressing?” She lifted the pastry to her lips, inhaling the sugary heavenliness of it before taking a bite. I’ll get back on my diet tomorrow, for sure.

  “I’m not going to lie, I feel the connection. It’s like we’re on the same wavelength.”

  “Why is it always easy for you?” Olivia stuffed another bite in her mouth and swallowed it with a bitterness that rivaled her black tea.

  Tess lifted her cup. “I keep it organic and have fun—and the fact that I’m limber gets me a lot of attention.” With quick, keen reflexes, Tess tented her hand over her teacup.

  Crumbs spurted in all directions as Olivia laughed. She covered her mouth, but the mess was already made.

  “You’re gross.” Tess grabbed a napkin and wiped the spit from her side of the table, amusement evident on her face.

  “Sorry.” Olivia wiped her lips and became serious again. “I want a nice guy to build a relationship with. Someone who has similar goals as mine. Someone who can put up with my clumsiness, my silliness, and is supportive and romantic. Has to be romantic.”

  “When are you seeing this basketball player again?”

  “Should I call him?”

  “Why wouldn’t you?” Tess lifted her brows at the obvious question.

  “Okay. I’ll call him.” Willing her conviction to be strong, she struggled with how she truly felt about Vince. Thoughts of Jacob loomed in the shadows of her mind.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jacob

  Dylan strode into the locker room, head held unusually high. “Vince Torres is coming to the game tonight!” he exclaimed to Sam, speaking loudly enough for the team to overhear.

  “No way!”

  “Whoa, so cool.”

  Jacob, entering behind him, heard the comments. “How do you know that?”

  “My sister met him on the plane last week. She told him all about us. He promised her he’d be at tonight’s game.” He smiled full on, eyes twinkling. “Olivia said she’ll introduce us all after we whoop this team.”

  The other teenagers hooted with excitement.

  “Keep up your enthusiasm, fellas, but stay focused. Anyway, why would he want to come see you amateurs play?” Jacob jested, thinking it wasn’t likely a recognized NCAA player would show up.

  “He’s got a thing for my sister.”

  Every wire in Jacob’s body fired, zinging energy and alertness through him. What exactly did that mean? He homed in on Dylan’s next words.

  “I overheard them talking the other night on the phone. Vince invited her to dinner after the game.” The boys made lewd sounds. Dylan playfully punched Sam in the arm before moving to his locker and proceeding to change.

  Jacob frowned. Olivia was interested in a younger, more successful basketball player than him. Dinner with Vince Torres. He knew the guy’s stats. He was a great player. Vince was known for being a decent student and staying out of trouble, unlike others, who let success get into their heads. Or at least, it’s how he was perceived on social media. Vince was more her age; they probably had a lot in common. Whatever, it’s none of my business. He pushed away images of her hanging on Vince’s every word, offering the star her sweet smile and trusting gaze. He ground his teeth.

  “Let’s get to work, boys.”

  The team left the locker room to join Olivia at the bench. She greeted them with her usual cheer, and the boys crowded around her, asking about Vince. She barely got out an affirmation before Jacob shooed them onto the court to warm up.

  He stood facing the court. “So is this guy really going to show up? Don’t want to disappoint the team.” He made a few swipes at the tablet he held.

  “Oh, you heard. I was going to mention it to you.” She paused, but his gaze was fixed on the screen. “If Vince doesn’t show, then he’ll be standing me up. He’s taking me to dinner after the game.”

  His gaze lifted and focused on the boys. The second he’d seen her, he took note of her dressy outfit and extra makeup. She doesn’t need makeup. He wasn’t impressed by it, preferring her natural beauty. And her hair was down. She never wore it down. Damn it, she must really want to entice Torres. Imagining running his hand through it and twisting its glorious volume in his fists made him grip the tablet. The plastic casing released a slight cracking sound, making him painfully aware that she was not his to touch.

  Tension in his jaw increased. “Are you two dating?” he asked out the side of his mouth. Then he clamped his lips together.

  “If we were, do you have a problem with it?”

  He caught the hope in her voice but stayed true to his convictions. “It’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have asked.” He exhaled away the tension before he turned and handed her the tablet. “Here’s the starting lineup and the rotation.”

  She collected the tablet, letting it hang at her side, her expressive eyes scanning his face. How he managed to keep his voice even, he couldn’t guess. He’d
dictated how their relationship had gone so far, but he had no control if she chose to date others. And logically she should. But he hadn’t expected her to start a week after they’d shared a life-altering kiss. He hadn’t been able to think of other women since the day he met her.

  He called to the players to huddle, and then he talked strategy. When the game started, he noted Vince hadn’t shown up. After ten minutes into the clock, the team was up 28 to 15; the guy still hadn’t shown up. Dylan lined up to make a foul shot, and Jacob called for substitutes. He turned to signal to Sam and Fitzpatrick and noticed Olivia giving Vince Torres a big hug. Torres held her back, his hands buried in her hair. She clutched a huge bouquet of red roses in her bent arm. With a cannonball landing in his gut, Jacob sent the boys onto the court.

  The referee held up a hand while the subs swapped out. A black raincloud above Jacob’s head, he saw Dylan miss both shots. The other team got the rebound and took the ball up the court for an easy layup. Shit!

  He swiveled around, catching sight of Olivia’s backside. She bent forward, likely praising the boy’s efforts. He hoped she was reminding them to keep the ball moving down the court.

  Vince waved at the grinning seated teenagers who knew better than to leave the bench, and then he leaned against the wall dressed like he was going to a nightclub. There was an insufficient number of triple-tiered bleachers at the far ends of each court for parents. Seemed like Torres didn’t plan on using them.

  Vince caught his eye and respectfully nodded. Jacob acknowledged him with a tight smile. His team could benefit from a seasoned player’s observations, so he swallowed his pride and put his head in the game.

  Throughout the game, Olivia stayed on point, perhaps growing wiser to the rules—or maybe just trying to impress her date. At halftime Jacob shook Vince’s hand and allowed him to listen to him coach. At times as players left the game, Vince was at their shoulders giving them advice.

  The game ended 67 to 69. Although it was a tough loss, it was a decent comeback after last week’s first game.

  Jacob said as the boys huddled, “Not bad for the second game. We’ve got some things to work on.” Several heads bobbed, and gazes shot to where Vince hung back. “I won’t keep you.” He jerked his head in Vince’s direction. An appreciative smile graced Olivia’s face, but sadness lingered in her eyes. She turned and joined the boys introducing themselves to Vince.

  Jacob lingered for a short while but couldn’t stomach the looks Vince sent her way. She beamed with her typical happiness and adorable charm. As the parents congregated around the team, he managed to shift farther away from the accumulating crowd. With a fleeting glance at Olivia, he strode from the gym. After stopping in his office to gather a few things, he left the building.

  Olivia

  Overshadowed by Vince’s height, she walked beside him through the parking lot to where his charcoal gray Dodge Challenger was backed into a space. She recognized the make of the car enough to notice that this one was completely custom, from its blacked-out emblem to the intricate pattern on the wheels. Boys and their toys! She instinctually canvassed the lot for Jacob’s Porsche. It wasn’t hard to spot it two rows over.

  Vince partially opened the passenger door, making her pause, their torsos nearly touching, her bouquet of roses upside down by her side.

  “I’m looking forward to our evening. How about we swing by your place so you can slip into something nice?”

  Acutely aware of her outfit, she was dismayed that her best black dress pants and floral blouse weren’t up to his standards.

  He must have read her distress. “You look amazing, but I do love you in a dress.”

  The breathy way he confessed made her blush. Unable to meet his intense gaze, she turned her head in the direction of the Porsche. The dwindling sunlight brightened as Vince dipped his head and brushed a soft kiss on her jaw.

  Just as Vince’s warm, full lips made contact with her skin, Jacob strode past two parked cars, crossing to his vehicle.

  She flinched.

  Their eyes met across the distance.

  Jacob looked away first and increased his tempo to the car.

  Oh, great timing!

  Heart galloping, Olivia sidestepped Vince, making a sweeping gesture toward her clothing. She gushed, “Yes! That’s a great idea. I don’t live far from here. Let’s go to my place, and I’ll put on a dress. Um, so let’s go.” Eagerly, she waited for him to move so she could dash into his car.

  He grinned and swung the door wide enough for her to get in. Seated, she scrunched low to the floor, her eyes level with the dashboard.

  While Vince rounded the hood and climbed in, she pretended not to stalk the Porsche that swiftly maneuvered through the parking lot. As it zipped past them, Jacob briefly glanced through the windshield of Vince’s car.

  Vince commented, “Hey, isn’t that Coach Dodge?”

  “Uh, yeah.” She sat up straighter and buckled her seatbelt.

  “Nice Carrera.” He pulled out and followed Jacob all the agonizing way to the traffic light.

  Whatever Vince was saying about cars went in one ear and out the other. All she could concentrate on was not looking into the rearview mirror of Jacob’s car and accidently catching his eye. She exchanged quick breaths like a swimmer when the light turned green, and she fiddled with the flowers in her lap for two more blocks until Jacob turned down a side street. Exhaling a huge sigh of relief, she gave Vince directions to her apartment.

  She invited him up. While she put her roses in a vase and filled it with water, he slouched on the sofa, scrolling through his phone and quietly chuckling.

  “I’ll just be a few minutes,” she said, wondering who he was texting and what was so amusing.

  “Sure,” he barely replied.

  Her bedroom door shut tight, she bypassed dress after dress in her closet. Pausing at a classic navy-blue dress, both sexy and appropriate for the weather, she yanked it free.

  He sprang from the sofa when she reentered and nearly growled. “Dang! You look…” Licking his lips, he wolfishly shook his head. “We don’t have to rush to dinner. They’ll hold my table all night.”

  “Oh, ha, you’re sweet!” She forced a smile. “But I’m famished. Haven’t hardly eaten all day. Pregame nerves…do you get nervous before games?” She tugged her sweater closed, covering her cleavage. Maybe inviting him into the apartment wasn’t such a good idea.

  “Shit!” He changed his tone. “That was rude of me.” Running his fingertips over his brow, he apologized, “Sorry—sometimes I get carried away when I’m with a beautiful woman. Can you forgive me?” He placed his hands on his expertly mussed hair.

  She rolled her eyes at his exaggerated humility. “It’s fine.” Brushing away her concern, she knew she’d never been a perfect date. She usually had jitters, bad. She owed him a chance.

  The swank, recently opened restaurant was packed with stylish patrons. Happy hour had drawn in a vivacious crowd. Oliva raised her brows when they were seated in an open, busy section.

  “This is great!” He beamed, scanning the onlookers and nodding to accept their visual praise.

  Being the date of a local celebrity felt surreal. A few guys called out to Vince, and several women pointed in his direction. Olivia loved people, and conversing with crowded airplane passengers was her thing, but on a date—a first date—she would have preferred a quiet booth.

  Vince set his phone on the table and glanced at it every few minutes as media feeds lit up. When it dinged, he retrieved it and started texting.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked, irked by the interruption.

  He looked up, expectant, and then realized her point. “Couldn’t be better.” He slipped his phone into his back pocket and lifted the menu off the linen table cloth. After a moment he confessed, “My friends want to meet you.”

  “Who are these friends of yours? Basketball players? Fellow students? Your bestie from grade school?”

  He cracked up. “The
y’re players who saw you on the plane the day we met. They want to know if you have other flight attendant friends.”

  “Oh, figures.” She dropped her gaze to the menu, hiding her disappointment. College guys, only interested in one thing.

  “They want us to come back to campus for a party tonight.”

  “I can’t tonight.” Are you one of them?

  “I already told them no.”

  Hope filled her, and she waited for him to continue. His youthful face and bright eyes were endearing, and his boyish smile revealed his optimism. “I want us to get to know each other better—can’t do that around those ass-hats.”

  He was good at saying the right thing and making her laugh. Even though she had to shout across the table at times, there was never a lull in conversation. Vince proved charismatic and vibrant.

  When the waiter offered a tray of delicate desserts to choose from, Vince insisted, “Every special evening should end with dessert.”

  She thought so too.

  “Lady’s choice.” He sent her a smoldering gaze, as if promising more.

  “The chocolate mousse,” she said to the waiter.

  The waiter announced he’d return in a few moments and left them alone—as alone as they could be in a packed restaurant.

  The background noise hummed like music when Vince took her hand. The dim lights seemed to soften the shapes around them, affording them the illusion of an intimate atmosphere.

  “I hope you’re having a nice time.” He stroked the back of her hand. “Because I am.”

  She stared at him, wondering how to answer. Truth was she had a great time talking with him during dinner. She loved getting to know people and he talked about himself, his friends, and basketball nearly the whole time. He lived a large and interesting life. Of course they’d exchanged basic questions, like how many siblings they each had or where they grew up, but she never revealed her personal nature. At her apartment, Vince hadn’t looked around to get a glimmer of her life; he’d been glued to his phone. He hadn’t learned her favorite hobbies—baking and reading romance novels. Jacob had taken the time to learn these things.