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“Bryce called me earlier.” Carter’s deep, soothing voice continues, and maybe I’m not getting dumped. “We’ll get back to the phone call from your mother, but he told me that everything was going wrong today. He wanted to give me a heads up that you might not get out of there on time.”

It’s not Bryce’s place to do that, but I can't help but feel grateful for my friend. It makes sense; it’s what this group does—all look out for one another. “I kept meaning to text or call you, but something kept coming up. I didn’t even know it was this late until a minute ago.”

“You don’t need to apologize. Things happen. I’m a flexible guy who’s willing to adjust plans when I need to.”

That’s not something I’m sure I’ll get used to, at least not fully. Will needed a plan and when someone deviated from the original plan, or everything was ruined. Everything we did together came with a calculated reason and, in the rare moments it didn’t, Will was usually more focused on something else.

But Carter is more than willing to meet me halfway. Not only meet me there, but completely change directions to be what I need him to be. I’ve never been someone’s priority before. Never been with someone who wants to spend time with me simply because I’m me.

“Kat?” He sounds worried as he pulls me out of my thoughts. There’s no reason to be focusing on what I had, especially when something so wonderful is standing before me. Or, at least, on the other side of a phone. “Are you still there?”

“Yeah,” I assure him. “Sorry, I just got caught up in my own head for a second, but I’m here.”

He hums, a comforting sound of understanding. “If you’re still up for that date, I’d love it if you could meet me on the pool deck.”

I glance down into the pool through the window in Bryce’s office; it’s pitch-black in there and there is no movement. “Carter, I can see the pool and you’re not out there.”

“It has been a long day,” he teases. “We have two, remember?”

“Well, you didn’t specify,” I tease back with a grumble.

He laughs. “I have a surprise for you.”

“I’ll be right out,” I promise, not waiting for a response before I hang up the phone.

I take a second to fix my reflection in my camera, wishing I’d taken even a moment to put on some tinted moisturizer. The bare-faced look would have to do since he was waiting.

I don’t know what I was expecting to find when I stepped through the doors onto the deck, but it wasn’t what I found.

It was like a scene out of a movie. Battery-operated candles spread across the deck, casting a warm glow that reflects across the water. There’s a massive pile of blankets on the edge of the deck, and a picnic is laid across the blanket.

Carter stands off to the side, smiling at me. His green eyes sparkle in the dim light. “I figured if you can’t make it to the restaurant, I’d bring the restaurant to you.”

Grinning, I close the distance between us, greeting him with a kiss on his cheek. His hands find my hips, pulling me closer as I take in the scene around me. “How did you pull this together so quickly? When did you have time to cook?”

“Oh, no, I definitely didn’t cook,” he immediately replies. “That’s a skill I have never mastered. I’m good at ordering takeout, though, and the restaurant we were going to offers takeout. Josie had some recommendations for the things she thought you’d like, so I got a bit of everything.”

My gaze turns back to the spread he’d laid out, my palms turning sweaty at the obvious sign of how badly he wanted to make this happen. He didn’t get mad when the plans changed; he adapted and came up with something I love more than a typical dinner at a fancy restaurant.

I don’t know what Carter and I will look like together, but I have a feeling this is it.

“I know it’s not a beautiful restaurant,” Carter says, motioning to the blanket, “but I hope you’ll be okay with a compromise.”

Unable to hide my wide smile, I press it against his in a simple kiss. A dumbfounded look takes over his features as I pull back. “This is better than a fancy dinner.”

His surprise is replaced with the grin that always makes me weak in the knees. “Then what are we waiting for?”

I allow Carter to take my hand and lead me into the middle of the blanket, the two of us getting comfortable. There’s a cool breeze coming off the water, but it feels good after running around all day. As Carter opens the food containers, I inhale a deep breath, looking up at the sky. I can’t see stars in the middle of the city, but the smell of chlorine, even as it mixes with the food, and the gentle lapping of the water brings a sense of relaxation to me.

This is going to be the most perfect date I’ve ever been on.

April2024

“Do you have any idea how special tonight has been for me?” When I look over at Katrina, she’s looking down at her hands instead of at me. Throughout our date, she has kept shyly glancing up at me through her lashes. “No one has ever done anything like this for me before.”

There are so many reasons I want to punch Jacobson in the face, and this is becoming the number one. The way he’s made Kat retreat in on herself, and believe she’s not worth being treated with love and consideration. She’s so unsure what to do now, and I hate that he diminished her confidence, but it’s also something I’ve experienced.

What he did to me sucked, but it has allowed me to use my platform in ways I could have only dreamed about. I’ve had so many young, queer athletes tell me I’ve made an impact on their lives and helped pave the way for making the sport more inclusive. He cannot take that from me; I’ve never let him have that power. Now I’m also going to right every wrong he did to Kat, and hopefully, get her to see she deserves a great love.