Page 29

Chapter 28

Ainsley

I t has been two weeks since we went out to the lake, and honestly, I feel like I should just move in with Shawn at this point. He has been hitting training and practices hard before his rookie debut tonight, and working in the building he lives in is more than convenient. My suitcase from the lake had a permanent spot in the bedroom before Shawn unpacked it and put it all away in an empty drawer in his closet while I was at work late one night. I was so hesitant to take this step with him because I am just afraid that the easier we fall into sync, the more chance we have of finding something wrong. However, waking up each day curled into his side and then showered with kisses all over my face just reminds me that this is where I’m supposed to be.

The doorbell rings, and I drop my curling iron to go open it, Luna and Blaze following behind me. I swing open the door and see my girls standing there already looking gorgeous with bags in tow. Soph and Millie are here to get ready for the game tonight. Soph heard “courtside” last week and has been preparing all week. She steps inside, hauling a large tote bag on her shoulder. Millie saunters in after her, claiming she is just going to be supportive and knows Liam and Bouch are meeting us there, so she would rather go than miss out. I feel like something is up with her, and I need to carve out some one-on-one Mill-Lee time.

Soph spins around in the living room, taking it all in as Millie leans down to pet Luna and Blaze.

“DAMN. This place is nice. I knew I set him up in a good place, but shit. I haven’t been in one.”

She puts her bags on the couch and begins yanking stuff out of it, scattering it across the couch. Millie and I go to inspect what she brought. I look around and then eye Soph as she grabs a laundromat bag and holds it up by the hanger, flat and pressed.

“Did you bring it?” I ask, wiggling my eyebrows in her direction.

She unzips the front, and I stare at the custom jacket we’ve spent the past couple of weeks designing together. It’s stunning. Black and red leather, Salisu across the back with number 26 below it.

“Isn’t it gorge? And Mils, look what I brought you!”

She holds up a low-cut black bodysuit that is made of an old Titan’s jersey. Millie’s eyes grow wide.

“What? That thing is smaller than my swimsuit. No way that will look flattering on me.”

Soph looks at her, and her mouth hangs open.

“Girl, get out of here. Your body is perfect! The bodysuit is supposed to be tiny to push your girls up.”

Soph does a little shimmy, and Millie goes red as I turn and look at her.

“Just try it on, Mils,” I say, handing her some shorts to go with it.

“If you don’t feel comfortable, you can wear some of my jeans and an old Titan’s tee.”

She nods and heads to the washroom. Soph looks at me and starts undressing, putting on a well-planned dress that hugs every single one of her curves.

“Change, Lee. I want to make sure your man can’t keep his eyes off you.”

I laugh and begin shedding my top.

“Soph, we don’t want him looking at me the whole game. We want his eyes to stay on the ball.”

She nods dramatically, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, okay sure. You know there will be other girls at the game. Let’s just make sure you’re the only one he cares to look at.”

I try to cover up my nerves with a small chuckle.

“I always am,” I say as I shake my ass into the rhinestone denim shorts and slide on my black thigh high heels. Soph throws me my #26 Titans jersey, which she cropped, and I gently pull it on.

Millie comes back out, and Soph and I immediately look at each other in shock and fall to our knees.

She looks up and starts giggling.

“I don’t look that good!” she snickers. We stand up and come up to her side.

“Stop it!” Soph and I interject at the same time.

“You’re wearing this! It’s so good.” I confirm for her.

I take my curled hair out of my claw clip, let it fall, apply one more coat of mascara, and make sure my winged liner is still on point from earlier. I hear the girls putting Luna and Blaze in their room before gathering their things.

“The guys are meeting us there, so we can just walk,” I call back at them, grabbing my purse and heading to the door. I take a deep breath and turn the lights off.

It’s game time.

* * *

F inding your way to your seats in a massive arena like Scotiabank is a lot easier when you're sitting courtside and have seats from the star rookie on the team. Three nice security guards escorted us to the bar to get drinks and snacks before showing us to our seats. We’re right on the edge of the court, to the right of the players’ bench for the Titans. They just wrapped up warm-ups and are cleaning the court one last time before they call out the starters for the game as part of the pregame show.

The girls and I take our seats, and I put my margarita under my seat, stuffing my peanut M&M’s in my jacket pocket. I look up and see Soph with a stern ‘don’t mess with me’ look covering her face, so I track her gaze. That’s when I see security walking over with Bouch, popcorn, nachos, and a beer balanced in his arms. Looking happy as a clam in an old 90s Titans tee, small silver chain, and a backward Titans hat. He sits down in the seat next to Soph.

She drops her head, shaking it so fast her hair whips over me.

“No fucking way, that’s your seat!”

“You bet your Cholula loving ass it is.”

He takes his pointer finger and dips it into his foamy beer, and then sucks it in his mouth.

“I swear to God, Bouch, if you spill one thing on me, you’re gone.”

Soph rolls her eyes, snapping her fingers, getting him to move the beer away from her.

“Aye, Aye, captain!” He salutes, puts the beer down, and then hands her the nachos. She stops and stares at the nachos he put in front of her. Millie and I watch in silence as she just keeps staring at them like they are her best friend, but they just betrayed her.

“Don’t make me feed them to you, Soph. I’m not dealing with you getting hangry while smelling my macho nachos. Just take them.” Bouch pushes them closer to her.

She groans and takes the nachos, picking up a jalapeno from the top and popping it into her mouth.

She chews, looks at us, and shrugs.

“What? Where’s Liam?”

Millie whispers under her breath. “Probably making out with two girls again and will stroll over here with them in tow.”

I cough as I take a sip of my marg.

“Um, no! He won’t be doing that ever again. Oh, wait. Here he comes.” I point across the way at a massive crowd.

She looks over to see Liam walking down the tunnel, signing some autographs for people before he puts his hands up like that is enough for right now. Security brings him over, and he stops right in front of Millie and me in brand new retro black and varsity red Jordans.

I moan, taking in the newly released shoes Shawn has been talking about non-stop.

“Hiya gang! Looks like my seat here is next to Mils.”

He says way too happily, grabbing something out of his jacket pocket.

“Oh, joy,” Millie says under her breath, clearly irritated.

Liam looks at her as she twists back and forth in her seat, already uncomfortable. Millie stands to take off her coat, turning around to put it on the back of her chair. As she turns back around, Liam drops the box of Smarties in his hand as his eyes take in her outfit.

Yeah, my bro definitely knows Millie looks good as fuck and he isn’t the only one near the court that is tracking her now. She sits down in a hurry and crosses her hands in front of her chest. Not realizing that it only pushes her tits up more.

A smile spreads across my face as Liam leans over to me and whispers.

“Um, why is she wearing that?” He asks, annoyed as he scoops up the Smarties and puts them in her hands without looking her way.

“Because she looks good as fuck and our girl is being brave. Plus, like hello, we’re courtside…these players are about to be all over her at the end of the game.”

I wiggle my eyebrows, and Liam scoffs loudly.

“Like hell they are!”

Millie whips around to glare at him. “Liam, I’m twenty-three, not twelve. I can’t keep hiding out in my dad’s place. I have a life to live. Of all people, you should know…you should know…how freaking hard it is for me to want to go chase it.”

I sit back with wide eyes and tuck my chin, as I slap a hand over my mouth to conceal the giggle that slips through at the ass chewing Liam just got from Mils.

Liam leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees and hands in his scruffy blonde hair, and peeks over at me.

“Shut it, Lee.”

I laugh, and the lights go down in the arena as a thundering voice cuts over the speakers. My stomach drops, and my heart beats in double time. Shawn has waited for this moment, and somehow, we’re all here to witness this game. I’m here for him.

The past few weeks, I have seen him staying up and reviewing the playbooks, studying the film from the team they are playing tonight. I have quizzed him while he showers and I brush my teeth, while he cooks and I brush the dogs. He is ready. More than ready, and I couldn’t be prouder to be in his corner tonight and hopefully every night from here on out.

“Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the game opener for your... Toronto… Titiannnnnnnsssss! We’re going to switch things up tonight for the rookie on the team as we introduce to you the starting five players of the evening.”

We see the guys walk through the dark tunnel, and lights start flashing all around. The whooshing of fog machines fills the court at each of the four corners takes over. Shit, this is intense.

The five players I’m assuming are starting tonight sit on the bench while the other teammates form a tunnel towards the court. The back of number 26 is in my direct line of sight, sitting on the bench. Hell, yes, baby. I clap and yell loudly so he knows I’m cheering him on.

He deserves to start tonight. I’m getting overly excited, but butterflies set in as I know there is a lot riding on him in this game, this season. I pull out my phone and take a slow-motion video of the entire arena around me, stopping on the back of his jersey and zooming in. This is his first game in the league. His dreams must feel like they’re coming true tonight, and I want him to be able to look back on this.

Millie looks over at me and waves her phone, mouthing at me ‘I’ve got you.’ Clearly understanding that I want to document the night for him, but I also want to be fully present in the moment with him.

The speaker comes back on.

“Toronto, let’s make some noise.”

The announcer clears his throat. “Excuse me, Titan fans, are you strongggg?”

The crowd climbs to their feet around us and roars. I’ve seen nothing like this in Scotia before.

“I said Toronto, ARE. YOU. STRONG?”

The crowd goes nuts as the opening beats of 6 God by Drake comes booming out of the speakers and light strobes around the court.

“Well, Toronto, we’re about to be Salisu Strong, give it up for your…starting… rookie, Shawn “Books” Salisuuuuuu!”

The crowd chants, “Books, Books, Books!”

Shawn stands up and turns his head, looking straight at me and winks. He glances at Liam and blows him a kiss. Oh, Liam is about to be pissed. The crowd is so hyped for Shawn, my body is shaking, the hairs on my arms fully standing up. I can feel it in my bones, after this night he and this city will never be the same. A pit in my stomach forms as I remember how hard that transition was for me with Liam, and I immediately get uneasy. I felt like I had lost my brother to the league that year. God, I don’t want that to happen to us.

I look over as he claps his hands three times together. Bouch’s hollering as loud as he can, hopping to his feet, him clapping his hands has me laughing so hard.

The song continues ‘Shit, hot up in the 6 right now.’ And the crowd practically screams the walls down in Scotia. The announcers are looking around to make sure nothing is going to get seriously damaged from the noise.

Damn, this is a surreal out-of-body experience taking this all in.

I hear the deafening chants of ‘Books’ still calling out around me, and I jump to my feet, joining them. Millie and Soph climb to their feet beside me as Liam slowly stands, shaking his head, stunned by the idolization Shawn is already receiving from the city.

“This motherfucker.”

We all laugh. Aww, Mr. Toronto’s ego is getting a little bruised tonight.

Shawn comes running and clapping around the side of the court, stopping right in front of me. My face turns bright red, as I know all the cameras and lights that were focused on him are now on me. He sticks his pinky out in front of my face, and I smile from ear to ear. I hook my pinky with his, kissing my thumb as he kisses his, and I wink.

“Go get em, B!”

He smiles and is off to get ready for the game. We all sit back down, but the crowd around us is still going crazy for Shawn.

Bouch leans over to us as he shoves handfuls of popcorn in his mouth.

“Do you think they know he is from Texas?”

Liam pipes up.“Right?! That’s what I was thinking.”

Millie looks at Liam like he is a total buffoon.

“Liam, you're from Texas, and the city calls you Mr. Toronto. I don’t think the crowd gives a shit.”

Soph and I’s jaws drop as Bouch laughs and holds out a fist for Millie to bump, and adds.

“Touche, Mils.”