Intercepting Daisy Read Online Free PDF Page A

late dinner at the bar, and see what developed. He wrenched off the tie he still wore from his flight earlier, unbuttoned his collar, and grabbed his jacket as he slipped his cell phone and keys into his pocket.
    The winds were so strong outside he felt the elevator car swaying in its shaft as he descended. It occurred to him that staying in his condo might have been a better idea. If the power went out, he’d be climbing fourteen stories worth of stairs on already-tired legs.
    He could handle it. The elevator opened onto a lobby packed with those who’d sought shelter from sideways rain and winds. The milling, talking crowd didn’t seem to take much notice as he wound through them and headed toward one of the restaurants claiming to offer gourmet comfort food.
    The hostess standing next to the front door (and the bustling lobby) gave him an apologetic smile. “Hey, Grant. How are you doing tonight?”
    â€œI needed to get out of my place for a while. Is there an available table inside?”
    â€œWe’re slammed,” she said. “The power is out at several other restaurants, and everyone came here instead.” She bit her lower lip. “There might be a seat at the bar. Will that work for you?”
    The bar was fine. He wasn’t going to attempt to try to find food anywhere else.
    â€œI’ll take it,” he said.
    â€œFollow me, then,” she said.
    She reached out to grab the door and motioned him inside the dimly lit restaurant. He’d noticed before that she didn’t wear a ring. He’d never made a move on her, despite the fact that he ate here at least twice a week. She was attractive, but there was something about her he couldn’t quite put his finger on that warned him away. She was friendly but not flirtatious. In other words, she wasn’t into him.
    He didn’t bother with women who didn’t show interest. If there was one thing he had in common with his teammates, it was that he really didn’t chase. Why put himself out there when there were so many others who were happy to let him know they wanted him?
    He elbowed his way into the bar area and slid onto an empty barstool. He’d have something to eat, enjoy a couple of drinks, and go back to his place to sleep it all off.
    After a game, most of his teammates went out to dinner with their agents or their families. He knew he would be invited if he expressed interest. The other guys on the team had formed a tight connection, but he hadn’t made much of an effort to join in. Most of the time, this suited him just fine. He really didn’t need a bunch of people in his face all the time. Not hanging out with his teammates also ensured he wasn’t questioned about his personal life. Things were great until he woke up at three AM alone and wondering why he didn’t seem to make the easy friendships with others that most people valued in life.
    He was probably still shaken by his experience earlier—the idea that he could be gone and he should have made more of an effort in life to expand his circle a bit. He didn’t want to think about people crying over his death, but he’d like to think that a few people might miss him.
    Maybe it was a function of getting older, or maybe he was tired of the superficial relationships he seemed to have with everyone else in life besides his parents. It felt weird to admit that he was sometimes lonely.
    He wasn’t going to start putting notes in his teammates’ lockers (“Do you like me? Check yes or no,”), but he could start by inviting a few of the guys out for a beer or some type of get-together more often. It would be nice to know he had a few friends in the area. If he’d made an overture or two before tonight, he might be enjoying some time and dinner with a friend. Or friends.
    It also wouldn’t hurt to date a woman more than once. He’d already checked his phone three times to make sure he still had