The Lion in the Library

She's spent her whole career being looked at. He's spent his whole career being watched. Neither of them had ever truly been seen—until a lost stuffed lion brought them together in a Los Angeles library.

I came to Los Angeles to finish my book and consider a career-changing offer to join their football, umm … I mean soccer team. I am not looking for a woman. Especially not one with two kids, two ex-husbands, and a dialect coach who keeps telling her to sound less like herself.

Then she walks into the library like a golden age movie star, carrying two children and somehow still looking like she owns the place. She doesn't recognize me. I don't recognize her. For the first time in fifteen years, I'm just a man. Not The Lion. Not the famous footballer. Just Leo.

Turns out she's only the most famous telenovela star in all of Mexico. And I'm only the most famous soccer player in the world. And we're both starting over in L.A.

But when the paparazzi come knocking and jealous exes start making trouble, I realize that for the first time in my career, I'm genuinely terrified of losing. Not a match. Not a trophy. Just one woman who licks her ice cream cone like it's the role of a lifetime and still doesn't even know my jersey number.

I'm completely done for.