The print edition of the Strangers on a Train series will be releasing in just two more days! To celebrate, we've been posting excerpts from each of the five stories, one per day. Today it's Back on Track's turn.
The story takes place on the Napa Valley Wine Train. Allie has a fledgling marketing biz, and has been trying to get baseball superstar Matt to pose for a celebrity beefcake calendar, but with no success. He's hiding out from his fans, worried about an injury that could sideline his career. They have just met--when Allie sat down next to him and used a lying game as an icebreaker.
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“Your turn,” Allie said. “Tell me three things. And I can guess which one is the lie.”
“Sounds good,” he said.
She sat forward, her chin on her fists, waiting for his answers. He picked up a glass filled with a pinot or merlot and spent a minute or two thinking, as if he was trying to decide where to start.
He glanced at her a couple of times, and then a huge smile brightened his face, and Allie could swear his eyes were twinkling again. Or maybe they were sparkling. It was hard to decide. She was definitely mesmerized, so much so that she almost missed what he said next.
“I’m Matt Kearns.”
She gasped.
“Have you heard of him?” he asked casually, swirling the wine in his glass while he studied her face.
Heard of him? She’d been trying for months to convince Matt Kearns to pose for her client’s celebrity calendar. Unfortunately, his manager made sure she never got to talk to the baseball superstar, even though she had called every couple of weeks to make her pitch. But Allie couldn’t let this guy know about that.
Especially since she’d realized about five seconds ago he really was Matt Kearns.
Allie nearly shivered. She’d seen a couple pictures of him when her client had waved around a wish list for the calendar. At the time, she had thought his pics were gorgeous, but now, up close, he was incredible. Handsome in that rugged way that made modern women melt, even when they swore they were immune to such things. His eyes were an intense blue, and his skin was tan from being outside all the time, making his smile seem more brilliant in comparison.
She didn’t have the strength to check out the rest of him. Well, except for his long legs encased in skin-tight jeans. And a button-down shirt that covered up what everyone knew was a killer body. Baseball uniforms didn’t leave much to the imagination, after all.
Allie needed to fan her face, but she couldn’t, because then he would know she was thinking about his physique. She supposed she could blame her red cheeks on the wine she’d consumed.
If only he had agreed to be part of the calendar. It was for a worthy cause—rescued greyhounds. But he’d refused repeatedly, his manager saying Matt wanted to be known for his baseball skills, not the results of his strenuous workouts.
Now here he was, sitting right next to her.
But she was confused. Did he want her to know who he was? Or had he told her his name in the hope she wouldn’t have heard of Matt Kearns, and he could hide in plain sight?
She had thought coming up with one lie would be the tricky part of this whole scenario. Now she had to figure out whether to act like she believed him or thought he was lying.
The only thing she knew for sure was she couldn’t blow this opportunity. The calendar was way more important than ending her dating slump.
She glanced again at his baseball cap. “Matt Kearns.” She tapped a finger against her lips, then tilted her head to the side. “Isn’t he the one who catches footballs or something?”
His eyebrows shot up with obvious surprise, and she thought he growled before saying, “He’s a pitcher. With one of the best arms in the league. An ERA of 2.92, and three-time winner of the Cy Young award.”
Allie covered up a smile. “Oh, him. Now I know who you’re talking about. That’s a good one. Funny you should mention him.” She leaned forward and looked from side to side before whispering, “I dated him for a while.”
~~~
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