Page 29 of Her New Billionaire Bosshole (The Billionaire’s Bidding #2)

ONE YEAR LATER: SOPHIE

“ A nd now for the ribbon cutting!”

The announcer booms into the microphone, and I watch as the cameras swing around, centering on Elliot and me, holding a huge pair of scissors together.

He’s as handsome as I’ve ever seen him, the sun reflecting off his dark hair, which falls messily over his forehead. When Elliot and I first started dating, he had a strict morning routine, and any deviation from it would send him into a bad mood.

But, after a few breakfast adventures — none of which included green smoothies — I got him to relax a bit. In turn, he’s convinced me that there are some benefits to waking up early, including time for us alone before the day starts.

“You ready?” he asks, raising an eyebrow at me, and even after nearly two years of being together, a flush spreads over my cheeks. He’s caught me staring at him, and he knows it.

Grinning at him, I tug the scissors up, feeling the cool metal against my palms. “Always.”

Together, we close the scissors on the blue ribbon and it flutters to the floor.

Cheers break out, and I smile as Elliot takes me in his arms, kissing me on the cheeks.

When we turn to face the crowd, it’s filled with familiar faces, a sea of blue and orange, all here to attend the grand opening of the Haworth-Nelson Stadium.

The ribbon cutting ceremony, themed cocktails in the main concourse, then the most exciting event — a legacy game, featuring retired players from the team’s history.

Even one who’s just turned seventy, insisting she can do at least two minutes out on the field, before someone will have to replace her.

This isn’t the first stadium in the United States that’s just for women’s athletics, but it is a step in the direction of bolstering this sport, giving our community a place to gather and support the team.

The Texas sun shines down brightly on the crowd, many of whom are in cowboy hats, swinging club scarves above their heads in time to the cheers.

Haworth-Nelson Stadium has a capacity of fifty thousand fans. Construction finished up about a month ago, with two of Elliot’s friends — Rhett and Steven — being the first to get a tour of the VIP area.

“It’s open,” Elliot said at the time, sweeping his hand from side to side, indicating the open panels where most other stadiums might have glass. “So you can still hear the crowd.”

Now, Ms. Haworth finds me amidst the crowd of people all flooding through the entrance, and takes my hand in hers.

“It’s excellent, Sophie!” she says, a little blue Bolts sticker sparkling on her cheek.

She looks radiant today, her gray curls set neatly on her head, little bolt-shaped earrings dangling from both ears.

She’s wearing an orange paisley patterned dress that manages to be both stylish and on-theme.

“The two of you have done such an amazing job! And just in time for the season to start, as well! I’m just so, so impressed with the job you’ve done on this. ”

“Be impressed with Elliot,” I say, wrapping my arm around him and pulling him to my side. He smiles, holds his hand out.

“Ms. Haworth, always a pleasure.”

“Oh, please, Elliot. Why are you always so formal?” Ms. Haworth pushes his hand to the side and laughs. “I was just telling Sophie I’m so impressed with the management for this project. No going over budget or time line — that’s really impressive.”

“Well, our construction team knew they would face Coach Kendall’s wrath if the project wasn’t done on time.”

I pinch his side where Ms. Haworth can’t see, and he infuriatingly doesn’t react to it, other than giving me a loving smile. Elliot Altman, always balancing me out with his blasé attitude.

“Good for you,” Ms. Haworth laughs, before saying goodbye and turning to talk to someone else as we make our way into the main concourse.

It’s already filled with people, the crowd standing outside the food stalls, laughing and pointing out the various details to one another — legacy jerseys on the walls, the Bolts merchandise store, which is open and handing out bags of goodies for all the attendees.

With the energy in this room, I already know game day is going to be electric in this stadium.

I’m just turning to Elliot to mention that to him, when my name rings through the crowd, loud, high, and joyful.

“ Sophie !”

I turn, recognizing the voice, my mouth falling open when my sister barrels right into me. Laughing and squealing, I link my arms around her, flooded with more happiness than I thought was possible.

“You — what ? You’re here ?” My voice is shrill, and people are looking over at us, but I don’t care. I haven’t seen her since Christmas, and it’s taking my head a long time to wrap around the fact that she’s here, physically standing in front of me right now.

“Turns out your boyfriend can be pretty persuasive,” she says, her eyes darting to Elliot’s. “ And he has a private jet.”

“I’m aware.” There are tears in my eyes from laughing, and I can’t help it — I launch myself at my sister, wrapping my arms around her and rocking her back and forth again. “I just can’t believe you’re here!”

“It’s a big day!” Olivia laughs, pulling back and running her hands over her hair. “Now stop — you’re going to mess up my hair.”

“Good to see you, Olivia,” Elliot says, hugging her and stepping back. “We?—”

But he’s cut off by Skylar. “Sorry to bother you, but the event planner had a question about…”

Elliot holds a hand up to us, “I’ll be right back. Don’t have any interesting conversations without me.”

The moment he walks away, Olivia turns me to her, squishes my cheeks between her palms, and asks, “Did you tell him?”

“What?” I pull her hands away, a thrill of adrenaline jolting through my heart at the idea of it. “No, no, I didn’t tell him. I’m not even sure I’m going to do it.”

“Oh, you’re going to do it,” Olivia says, her voice low, eyes shining. “I know you, Sophie.”

I open my mouth to answer that, to tell her that maybe she doesn’t know me as well as she thinks — maybe I’m going to chicken out, let my nerves get the better of me. But Elliot returns, a familiar face beside him.

“Olivia,” Elliot says, “this is Brandon, my brother. Brandon, this is Olivia, Sophie’s sister.”

Brandon leans forward, taking Olivia’s hand and shaking it once. “Nice to meet you.”

“Okay,” Olivia says, cocking her head and scanning him up and down. “So, tell me more about this suit you’re wearing?”

It is an interesting suit — navy blue, with a floral pattern on the inside.

Brandon is the type of guy who feels comfortable in brighter styles, his hair just long enough to brush his shoulders, his eyes a bright blue compared to Elliot’s brown.

He cuts an interesting profile, and it’s no wonder my sister is interested.

“I thrifted it,” Brandon says, looking down at it. I see Elliot cringe slightly — thrift stores make him get germaphobic. I stifle my chuckle as Olivia starts grilling Brandon for details and Elliot slings his arm over my shoulder, dousing me in that spicy scent.

“I know you’re not laughing at me, Sophie,” he whispers, voice low in my ear. Even after all this time, it still sends a shiver down my spine, and I twist under his arm so we’re facing one another.

“And if I am?”

“Well,” he whispers, his eyes dropping to my mouth. “Then I’ll have to come up with some sort of repercussion.”

I hum, leaning in closer to him, but before we can make contact, my assistant coach appears out of nowhere.

“Game time!” Sanchez says brightly, outfitted in a vintage Dallas Bolts uniform. “Everyone to the stands please!”

I roll my eyes and Elliot chuckles, then another surge of nerves rolls through me.

“I’m gonna go… check on everything in the locker room,” I say, clearing my throat and pushing my hair back from my face.”

He’s completely unsuspecting, smiling down at me and leaning to kiss me on the nose. “I’ll save you a spot in the stands.”

“Okay,” I say, stomach turning as I pull away from him and make my way to the locker rooms, knowing I’m not going to see him in the stands.

Not for this game.

When I step out onto the field, suited up for the first time in years, the cheer that meets me is deafening.

The stadium is completely full, tickets selling out for the opening day event the day they went on sale. Everyone is on their feet, whooping and clapping, and a chant rises up from the crowd: Ken-dall, Ken-dall, Ken-dall !

“This is going to be great,” Sanchez says, bouncing on her toes beside me.

“Yeah,” another woman says, “as long as I don’t pull a muscle.”

We line up in our vintage jerseys — me wearing the one I unearthed from the closet when Elliot and I moved in together last year — across from the current Dallas Bolts team.

“They’re going to run us ragged,” Sanchez says, shaking her head.

I laugh, standing in front of the ball, getting ready to kick it back and into play. Emily Bacenas and Simone Bernal run past, give me a high five.

“Speak for yourself,” another of our teammates says, while another adds, “I’m just glad Athens isn’t here.”

She’s not here because she’s on the other side of the world right now, attending a training camp for the Olympic team, for which she’ll be competing this summer after a blow-out tryout session just after our first ever championship win. That was a big year for her.

While we didn’t make it to the big game last year, we had a great season. And, in this stadium, the team seeing the investment they’re worth, I’m betting we’ll have an even better one this year.

The whistle blows and I start the game with a solid pass back to our forwards.

The seventy-year-old legacy player whoops and laughs when she manages a kick cross-field, and I lose myself to the game, to the endorphins of running, tracking the play, handling the ball, the quick, tap-tap-tap of turning it around and bringing it back to our goal.

Caruso scores first, but I manage to follow it up with my own goal, which makes the crowd go absolutely wild. Olivia is the only person I told that I was thinking about doing this, so it’s a surprise to everyone else.

The game ends in a tie, our five-minute halves mercifully short for the older players on the legacy game. I laugh and hug Sanchez, then turn to walk toward center field for the team photo — only to find something else waiting for me at center field.

“Elliot?” I ask, still breathing hard, looking around at the players around us, not understanding what he’s doing down on the field. He’s not even wearing cleats.

“Sophie,” he smiles, looking impossibly handsome, but also something else… nervous?

It’s only when I finally make it to him, standing at center field, that I realize why he might be nervous. Elliot sinks down onto one knee, his back straight as he looks up at me, a smile stretched wide over his face as I bring my hands to my face.

“What?” I ask, still trying to comprehend what’s happening.

“Sophie Kendall,” he says, his voice a bit choked.

“You are the brightest light in my life. When I first met you, I knew that knowing you was going to change everything. I just didn’t realize that it would all be for the better.

You once told me that the Bolts feels like your life’s work — this is my request to officially join you in that venture. ”

Tears are streaming down my face, my hands shaking as I look down at him.

I always thought I’d be more composed in a moment like this — it’s not like it’s coming out of nowhere.

We’ve talked about getting married, about Elliot proposing, but never in any concrete terms. Just that we were both behind the idea of it happening.

“Sophie Kendall,” he says, eyes shining in the stadium lights. “Will you marry me?”

“Of course I will,” I rasp, and instead of letting him get to his feet, I fall to my knees, taking his face in my hands, kissing him, pulling him sideways onto the grass.

“Sophie Kendall,” he says through a laugh and between my kisses. “Do you have any idea how much this suit is worth?”

“No,” I laugh, pressing another kiss to his forehead. “And I do not care.”

“Yeah.” He wraps his arms around me, acting like we’re completely alone instead of surrounded by thousands of cheering fans. His eyes meet mine, and I can see an entire future of looking into those eyes sprawling out in front of me. “Me neither.”

The End

I hope you’ve enjoyed Elliot and Sophie’s story!