Page 97 of Power Play Daddies

My mom beams even wider. “It’s lovely to meet you, Daisy. Please, have a seat.”

We all sit down, and I glance at Daisy. I know she’s probably feeling the pressure, but she’s handling it way better than I expected.

My mom’s already scanning the menu. “What will we be having today?” she asks, looking over at me.

“Eggs Benedict for me, as usual,” I say, smiling. “And the French toast for Daisy.”

Daisy raises an eyebrow, looking at me. “How do you know what I want?”

I chuckle. “Trust me, I know.”

She smirks, shaking her head but going along with it. “Fine, I’ll have the French toast. Sounds good.”

Mom glances over at her. “And I’ll have the crab cakes,” she adds, looking at the waiter who’s already arrived. We all place our orders, and the waiter heads off.

“So,” my mom says, flipping through a catalog she’s got on the table, “I came back because… I finally found those kitchen taps I was looking for. Here, look.” She slides the catalog over to me and Daisy. “Which one do you think, Daisy? I want something that goes with classic black marble.”

I’m watching Daisy closely, a little amused by the whole thing. She’s clearly out of her element, but she’s keeping it together.

She looks at the taps and hums thoughtfully.

“I think the stainless steel ones would look great,” she says after a second, pointing at one of the designs. “They’re sleek and modern, but not too...over the top.”

Mom nods approvingly. “I agree. You have a good eye.” Then she turns to me with a grin. “Maybe she can help me with the rest of the house.”

Daisy laughs, shaking her head. “I’m not an interior designer, but I can give advice.”

I watch them for a second, proud of how Daisy’s handling herself. She’s confident, and that’s exactly how I want her to be around my mom.

After a beat, I turn to my mom. “By the way, Daisy’s working on a piece about me and the team.”

“Really?” My mom lights up, looking over at Daisy. “I can’t wait to read it. You’re writing about Mason, huh?”

Daisy smiles, nodding. “Yep, and the rest of the team. It’s going to be a fun piece.”

“Well, I’m looking forward to it,” my mom says. “You should come by and visit once it’s finished. We’ll have a little celebration.”

Before Daisy can reply, my phone rings. I glance at the caller ID. It’s Coach.

“Excuse me,” I mutter to them as I stand up and walk away.

As I talk to Coach Ace about the practice tomorrow, I see them bonding. My mom’s laughing at something Daisy said. It feels… right. I like it.

I’ve got a feeling this is going to be good. But there’s still that big thing I need to tell my mom.

“Are you listening?” Coach says.

“Yes,” I reply, turning my attention back to what he is saying. I’m required to go for conditioning because the team therapist is worried about me.

He goes on and on and on. The whole conversation takes close to seven minutes.

I wrap up the call and head back to the table. Just as I sit down, my phone buzzes again. I glance at the screen. It’s a reminder from the team.

Practice tomorrow. Don’t be late.

I put the phone down and smile at Daisy and my mom. “So, how’s the food?” I ask them.

Daisy blinks at me once. “It’s perfect,” she says.