Playing Dirty(16)

Kate laughed out loud and clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my god,” she said. “You’re kidding, right? Women actually want you to sign their breasts?”

“You’re barking mad, the lot of you,” I told her with a grin. “Sometimes I feel like I’m a member of some bloody band. I can’t even go for a walk without being spotted.”

Kate laughed and looked at me with her green eyes twinkling. “It can be just as bad in New York,” she said. “I get people glaring at me when someone else recognizes me and says hello. Like they have the nerve to be jealous when I don’t have privacy or anonymity half the time.”

“That sucks.”

“I really don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I love meeting fans, and I know I’m lucky; I’ve been given amazing opportunities. I never even wanted to be on TV, honestly, but now that I’m actually doing it, it’s become my dream career, and I really can’t imagine not doing it.”

I shook my head. “You don’t sound ungrateful,” I said. “I understand. Sometimes you just need a break from all the attention. But you’re right; this isn’t the kind of rubbish I can complain about when I’m talking to Connor. It’s like he lives in a different world.”

Kate smiled, and she took another handful of prawn crackers and nibbled at one of them delicately. “Does he live around here?”

I nodded. “He lives in Manchester, but on the other side of town,” I said. “Moved from Belfast to be here around the same time I got picked up by Manchester United.”

“Did you grow up here?”

I shook my head. “Not really,” I said. “Well, sort of. I lived in Belfast with my parents until I was almost a teenager. Then I moved here to live with my uncle. He keeps a shop around that corner,” I said as I pointed down the appropriate street.

“Oh, okay,” she replied with a nod. “So did you play soccer as a kid? Er, football, I mean.”

“I didn’t get into it until I moved, actually,” I said. “If you can believe it, not many kids in Belfast are out kicking a ball around.”

Kate nodded. “I‘ve heard it can be kind of a rough city. At least I heard it was a few years ago, anyway,” she said. “So why did you move out here with your uncle? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Something bad happened,” I said, not wanting to tell her about my parents dying in a car bombing. “I moved here when I was about twelve.”

Kate nodded. I could tell she was curious but that she wasn’t going to press the issue. “I’ve never been to Manchester before,” she said. “But I really like it. I know why my sister is so happy here. I’m going to have to drag her home once her semester is over.” She cracked a grin at me. “And she loves football, by the way. She took me to the game as soon as I flew in. We barely even had time to change.”

I chuckled. “It’s always nice to meet a fan,” I said, winking at Kate. She blushed again. “I know it probably wasn’t your first choice of entertainment, though.”

She looked awkward for a second. “I enjoyed myself,” she said softly. “I mean, yeah, honestly I wasn’t sure that I would. But I really enjoyed the game. The energy was pretty infectious.”

“Yeah, it’s like that. So why don’t you have a boyfriend?” I raised my eyebrow at her. “You’re bloody gorgeous, I bet you’re beating blokes off with a stick.”

She laughed and blushed again. “I’m not beating them off with a stick.”

“Liar.”

“I guess I just don’t really have time to date,” she continued, in a brisk, professional way. “I couldn’t prioritize a relationship over the show right now, and I think men seem to know that.” She paused for a second and I wasn’t sure whether or not she was going to continue. But then she said: “And I know this sounds weird, but I think sometimes men are put off because I’m on TV. It’s like they feel they have to overcompensate.”

“Like they’re threatened?” I asked.

“Not exactly,” she said. “It’s more of a status thing. Like they don’t like being with a woman who can pay for everything if she chooses to. I think it makes them feel a little emasculated, as 1950’s as that sounds.”

She licked her lower lip and I had the sudden urge to grab her and press her frame to my body. I’ll show you a man who’s not put off by you, I thought wickedly. Just come a little closer and you’ll see, I’m not like the rest of those blokes.