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SARAH

“ S o we’re going to start from top to bottom. Starting with your socials. No one likes to see party picture after party picture on an athlete's feed. I know you both are young, but the fans want some form of para-social connection. And partying every night is not the way to do that.” I run through the rest of my plans with Deon, Michael, and Bryce. How I hope to find them both brand deals that align with their personal interests and if a press release needs to be made I need to be aware of it.

It’s as if time flew by and an hour later they’re both looking at me like I started spouting French.

“I know it’s a lot. Especially on the social media end. I can run them for now until you both hire reputable people to do that. Same with your websites. And when it comes to your brand deals, I’ll be by your side every step of the way.”

They both look at each other and I have to bite my lips closed to keep from laughing. It’s a look that Mason and Nate gave me when I gave them a rundown of my plan and how I operate my business. Deon and Michael look at each other before he looks at me and is the first to speak up. “Mason’s right. You’re good.”

“Thank you.” I preen because I can’t help it, I love praise for my work. “So you two are playing Sunday at one and I’ll be there. Are either of your families going to be there? I know some publicists don’t like to mix business and personal lives, but me working with you two is as much personal as it is business.”

“Yeah, they’ll both be there,” Michael speaks up.

“Okay, perfect. You two have everything from me and I’ll see you on Sunday.” I stand up and walk them to the door of my office.

The three of them say their goodbyes and I head back to my desk. It felt weird walking into the office after working remotely for the better part of two months. My jeans and sweater combo made me feel out of place in a place where I felt like I belonged prior to meeting Riley. And I’d be lying if I said I missed it around here. But something feels off about being here. I know I would never work for someone else because I know that no other PR agency would make me feel as seen as this one does. Does that mean I’ve let my priorities change? Does that mean I love being a publicist any less than I did a year ago? Maybe it’s me who’s changed and I’m finally accepting that.

Kamryn: What time are you headed over here?

Me: Wrapping things up now. So say thirty minutes?

Kamryn: Okay! See you soon.

I knock out a couple of more emails that need my attention before closing up and peeking my head into Jeff’s office before I leave. “Hey, stranger.”

“Me? You’re the one no longer in the office.”

“You know I love you like a brother I never had. But I love working from my boyfriend’s couch even more,” I brag as I come to sit in the chair in front of his desk.

“So I take it things are going good with Riley?”

“Try fantastic. And thank you for letting me change up my work schedule.”

He waves me away like it’s nothing. But him allowing me to work in Columbus, even though it’s just over an hour away, has helped mine and Riley’s relationship strengthen in a way normal long-distance relationships would have crumbled.

“So what’s new with you? One of the downsides of not being here as much is not being able to bother you.” I chuckle and swat at a pen that Jeff jokingly tosses at me.

“I started seeing someone,” he tells me casually.

“Who?”

“Olivia. She works with your friend, Kamryn.”

“She’s so cute. And you’re robbing the cradle a bit with her,” I tease.

“Shut up before I fire you.”

“Just remind me again how old you are and how old she is.”

If looks could kill, I’d be dead. “I’m forty as you very well know.” I wave my hand out for him to continue. “And Olivia is twenty-five.”

“You know,” I start and hold my hand up to stop him from interjecting. “My best friend and her boyfriend have an age gap. Jeff, I like to tease you. But if what’s happening between you two makes you happy, then you deserve it more than anyone. ”

Jeff’s widow status is not something we discuss a lot. Like Kamryn and Emily losing people they loved, it’s not something we need to talk about. And while I know Jeff’s loss was bigger than theirs it was still a loss.

“How do your kids feel about you dating?”

He sighs and leans back in his chair. “Zoey is hesitant of course. All she knows is her Mom and I together. Thomas on the other hand is too young to understand what my dating someone who isn’t his Mom means. I mean, it makes sense since he wasn’t even walking.”

“Dating is terrifying,” I admit.

Jeff turns his grey gaze, which shines with unshed emotion, to me. “Yeah, but being lonely is even more terrifying. For the record, me dating Olivia isn’t me filling some sort of void.”

“So what is it between you two?” I ask and sit back in the chair and get comfortable.

“It’s like watching the first snow fall of the season. So peaceful, but also fun.” Jeff says it all with a smile and I can’t help but bask in his happiness.

“Her age doesn’t bother you? Wait, how did you two meet? No offense, but you two don’t look like you’d run in the same kind of crowd.”

He swats at my hand that’s on the arm of the chair. “I take offense to that. And happy hour at Breakers of all places.”

My eyes widened at the name of the bar we used to frequent. “You went to happy hour?”

“I get out on occasion when I can get a babysitter. But, yes. She was there for a birthday and was dared to kiss a stranger of her friends’ choosing.”

“Scandalous,” I feign shock. “But also those are the kind of games I’d expect the younger crowd to play. Let me guess, the kiss was love at first sight?”

“Not at first. And no her age doesn’t bother me,” he admits with a faraway look on his face.

“If anyone deserves happiness, it’s you.”

He looks at me and smiles. “So do you.”

“Thanks. Have you introduced her to the kids?”

“I want to. But until Zoey is comfortable with me dating someone else, I’m going to wait. Olivia is also understanding.”

We tease each other about our love lives and he loops me in on what’s happening around the office before I say goodbye to him a little while later to head to my car to make the short drive to Kamryn’s house. Or should I say Mason and Kamryn’s house. To say I’m still shocked that she agreed to move if he found them a place to live that was spacious for all of them is an understatement. While I’ll miss her cozy little house, it was just that. Little. And not the best place for her huge quarterback boyfriend and her two pets.

I pull into the long driveway and park off to the side. I don’t pay any mind to the extra cars in the driveway as it’s probably a crew they hired to start planning the remodels. These two have been in full go-go mode for the last two months to make this house a permanent home and Kamryn is picky. On the walk to the front door, my phone buzzes with a text from my favorite guy.

Riley: T minus how many hours until you’re back home?

Me: Someone’s needy.

Riley: Yes. Yes, I am.

Me: You can survive a few hours without me.

Me: I’m about to walk into Kamryn’s and then I’ll be home.

I knock on the front door and open up without waiting for an answer. Should I wait? Definitely. I’ve found my friends in too many compromising positions to count and have seen way more than I ever wanted to see. I keep my eyes to the floor as I make my way to the kitchen.

“Happy birthday!” Cheers greet me when I walk by the living room and my phone slips from my hands, clattering to the floor.

I look around the room at my friends and the athletes I’ve worked with who’ve become friends. And in the center of the group is Riley holding up a banner. Kamryn is the first to break from the group and tackle me in a hug.

“Did we pull it off?”

“Did you see my face?” I ask rhetorically. “How..?”

She pulls back but leaves her hands on my shoulders. “It was all Riley’s idea. He texted me a couple of weeks ago about setting up a surprise party for you.”

“He did?” I ask and my gaze moves over to him as he talks animatedly with Mason.

“Yeah. He’s a good one. And maybe a little hurt that you didn’t tell him when your birthday was.”

I nod wordlessly in agreement before Kamryn moves around the room being the gracious hostess.

“You’re tough to surprise, you know that?” Emily asks when she comes over with Dylan on her back.

“It’s because I hate surprises,” I tell her and stick my tongue out at her .

“Why do you hate surprises, Ms. Sarah?” Dylan asks with his chin popped on her shoulder.

“Because sometimes they’re scary. Do I not get a hug? It is my birthday after all.” I ask, popping my fist on my hip.

Emily shuffles around and Dylan slides into my waiting arms. I know he’s a bit too old to carry, but he is on the shorter side for his age. Plus he still somehow has the baby smell. I dramatically squeeze him tighter and blow raspberries on his neck before setting him down.

“Emily, can I have cake?”

Her hand falls firmly on top of his chestnut brown head and gently shakes. Emily looks at me to make sure it’s okay that he gets cake before me and I nod my head. “Sure. But only one slice.”

He runs off and she turns to me. “You look happy, Little Bird,” I tell her.

“I am. I could say the same for you,” she observes.

Her and Adam finally got back together a couple of months ago after we had a small intervention. Watching him run out of his restaurant to kiss her for their reunion was like watching a romantic comedy.

“God, I feel like you and Kamryn,” I tell her unabashedly.

“And how’s that?”

“Nauseatingly happy.”

Emily snorts into her fresh glass of champagne. “Coming from Ms. Doom and Gloom, I take that as a compliment that you’re actually a girl underneath all that snark.”

“Thank goodness for that.” I jump a little when Riley comes up and wraps his arms around my waist. He places a kiss on my cheek that has Emily smiling at us in her I know a secret look .

“I’m going to go find my boyfriend.” Emily says and leaves us as fast as she can.

I lean my head back against Riley’s shoulder and then move out of his arms as I turn to face him. “How did you keep this from me?”

“Do you know how easy it is to plan things during road games?” Riley wraps his arms back around my waist and holds me to him. “Also, we’re going to have a little talk about you not telling me when your birthday was.”

I wince. “It just wasn’t something that came up. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. But do you know what this means?”

“No.” I say skeptically and a little nervous.

“That we’re both fire signs. Which now makes sense as our sex life burns hotter than the fucking sun,” he finishes with a smile that has me leaning forward and laughing into his chest. “Happy birthday, baby.”

I tilt my head back and look up into the eyes that have become my favorite to look into these past couple of months. “Thank you.”

What I thought would be a day of going through and helping Kam and Mason plan their wedding, turned out to be one of the best days of my life. The man I love has effortlessly woven his way into my world. The man I love has made me fall deeper and deeper in love with him than I ever thought possible.

Is the happiness I once thought to be an illusion something tangible? What Riley’s parents gave him, an everyday adventure in the form of love and living in the moment, he’s somehow given me. Something I never had when I was growing up. Something I wish to never lose.

And as I blow the candles out on the second cake that Kamryn had provided for me, I look straight into the eyes of the one my heart sings for and wish on every candle, eyelash, and shooting star that he’s in my life for as long as possible.