The press conference was packed with people. This was not surprising, because after a great end to last season, when the London Panthers took first place in the standings, many journalists wanted to hear about new players in the teams, as well as hear a new strategy for management.

You were the journalist who was responsible for the interview, and your colleagues handled the rest of the recordings. The arena combined the venue itself, where the games were held, and several gyms, locker rooms, and the hall itself, where the press conference was held. And as soon as you came out from behind the double doors and saw him, the famous libero, you knew you had to turn on the microphone.

"Jonathan, how do you feel about the new member of the team? They say this setter is very smart."

Johnny froze when he saw you coming a little closer to him and holding out a tiny microphone in his direction.

"It's Johnny, ma luv." He replied with his charismatic smile, and after quickly looking you up and down, returned the attention to your eyes. "And I'm lookin' forward to it. To a lotta wins, a lotta good games."

He just came out of the gym, doing arm training. His T-shirt had distinctive sweat marks on his back as well as the collar, and a towel was draped over his shoulders. He knew that girls liked that look, he saw the comments they left under his profile pictures.

But you were professional. Kept your tone clear and questions structured. Hell, you didn't even smile once, even though he checked you out and called you "love".

A workaholic to the core, Johnny realized.

"Whatcha doin' tomorrow night?"

You blinked a couple of times, trying for a second to figure out how this relates to the interview.

"Sorry?"

"Tomorrow night. Ya wanna go somewhere? I can pick ya up."

And then you snorted.

Actually snorted and waved your hand, as if he was saying something stupid instead of trying to ask you out. And maybe that would have made him angry, wanting to prove to you that he wasn't joking. But it was your light smile that made his heart skip a beat.

That's why the next evening, when you left your office building, when it was already getting dark, you found him. He was standing next to his luxury car, hands in the pockets of his jeans, and his eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Said I'd pick ya up, ma luv. Even if I had to wait 'til damn midnight."