Page 7

Micah

N erves collide in my stomach like two high-level linemen duking it out for the Super Bowl.

At the front of the room, our offensive coach talks strategy about Saturday’s game.

Usually, I’m all in on these conversations, but today, I can’t keep the conversation I had with Raeann earlier out of my head.

For two weeks, I’d been checking up on her.

Sending her random texts to keep in contact on a personal level, but then passively?

Driving by her business on my way to the stadium to see if I could get a glimpse.

Every practice, every team meeting. It was a crap shoot.

Some days I got lucky. Some days I didn’t.

She was so close, I could nearly hear her country twang saying my name like she said in the video.

“But I ‘ove him.”

“Who?”

“Micah Freeman.”

Even replaying it now, goose bumps sprout up and down my arms like she’s the best thing that could ever happen to me. It’s a feeling that shines straight out of the cosmic universe and straight into my bones.

Showing up at her store the other day only solidified it for me. I thought maybe I’d overhyped how pretty she was.

I didn’t.

I thought maybe I’d ballooned the light she throws out into the world.

I hadn’t.

I thought maybe I’d exaggerated how sexy I found her.

I fucking did not.

I jerked off in the restroom facilities before practice that day so I could get my head on straight.

I haven’t even had her yet, and I’m already addicted.

Coach wraps up the meeting, and I grab my granola bar from the small desk in front of me and head toward the locker room.

The sweat from practice earlier has long since dried on my skin, and I’m desperate for a shower.

I check my watch, making sure I have time, and I’m glad I decided to bring my tux to the arena, or I’d be late.

“A few of us are heading out to get some drinks, Freeman. Want to come?”

I peer over my shoulder and find the rookie, Cade Farmer, strolling behind me. He was a great draft pick. He and our QB have amazing chemistry since they played together in high school and are still good friends.

I usually don’t pass up an opportunity to hang with the guys—it’s great for team building—but I have something extra special planned for today. “Sorry, man. I’m headed to a charity event. Some other time though.”

“Ah, one of those black-tie deals?”

“You know it.”

He follows me into the locker room and sits a few spaces away at his cubby. “I hate wearing a suit. It makes me feel all uptight.”

“You’ll get used to it,” I tell him. If there’s one thing we have to do around here, it’s dress up. For a sport that’s rough and dirty, they make us clean up a lot. Social events, outside sponsorship deals, game fits, you name it. We have to look our best.

Tonight, though, I’m only dressing up for one person.

Seeing Raeann at the store wasn’t enough.

My attempts to subtly work my way into her life aren’t moving nearly as quickly as I want them to.

When the charity fundraiser came up, I knew this could be the way I’d make my move.

An internet search of this weekend’s events was all it took for me to deduce which one. The Pet Coalition’s Gala.

And Raeann, Athena, and Tab were announced as special guests.

As it turns out, The Pet Coalition had already contacted Joey asking if I would attend since the Wildcats donate annually. He’d told them no since I have a game tomorrow, but they were very happy to receive the call that I’d changed my mind. Fate is most definitely on my side.

In a couple of hours, I’ll be in the same room as Raeann again, and I intend to secure our first date by the end of the night. By any means necessary.

Anticipation makes the hour go by fast. My teammates who are still in the locker room when I change into my blue tux lined with dark blue velvet whistle and talk trash. One of our linemen grabs a towel and flaps it at me like he’s cooling me off.

I do a three-sixty for them. “I’ve got a date with destiny tonight, fellas.”

“Destiny?” Levi sneers. “More like Miss Right Now.”

He tries to fist bump me, but I reach out and ruffle his hair because there’s nothing that Levi hates more than people messing with his perfectly coiffed strands.

“Dude.”

He ducks to look at the mirror in his cubby, putting everything meticulously back into place. I wipe my hand on his towel, trying to remove whatever thick goo-like product he put in it.

“Who is this girl anyway?” Reid asks.

I wave my finger at them. “Not yet. I’m not jinxing anything. You’re all bad luck.”

“Bad luck?” Levi complains. “We’re killing it this year.”

“Just your presence is killing my mood, newb.”

The rest of the guys laugh. I’ve been calling Levi newb since the day I couldn’t call him a rookie anymore. He has that air of immaturity. Hell of a player, but the man still lives in a bachelor pad apartment complete with stacks of pizza boxes in the corner.

“Oh, come on. Your mom wasn’t calling me newb last night.”

His intended dig doesn’t do anything to me, and the guys don’t even deem it worthy of a chorus of Ohhh s.

“My mother would eat you alive. Plus, only gold diggers and party animals love you, Levi. There’s a difference between them and what I got in store for me. You’re too precious to understand.”

“Fucking ouch.”

Davis cuts in. “He’s right. You have a certain…aura about you. Let me see… What’s it called?” He pretends to think. “Personality repellant.”

Levi slips a pair of aviators on, keeping his cocky smile. “I’m a goddamn diamond in the rough. Haters.” He gives us a peace sign and swaggers toward the exit. “Have fun wifin’ up. I’m about to get these pregame nerves fucked right out of me. Porn style.”

He leaves, and the rest of us stare at each other. “Porn style?” Cade questions. “What does that even mean?”

“It means Levi thinks all real relationships are boring and prude.” The smirk Reid gives is one that hits me deep in my soul.

It’s a glimpse into my future.

I take that high with me on the ride to the venue.

Excitement outshines any nerves. I picture Raeann’s perfect lips falling into an O when she sees me.

Her anxious eyes widening. I love how I make her heartbeat skyrocket.

The rapid movement of her pulse. The way she can barely think to talk when I’m present.

The valet at the swanky downtown venue takes my vehicle, and I walk inside, fastening the top button of my coat.

A woman with a nametag approaches. Peggy.

The name sounds vaguely familiar, and when she introduces herself as the president of The Pet Coalition, I realize she’s Joey’s contact.

“It’s so nice of you to be here, Mr. Freeman.

I bet we’re going to have a great big donation because of you. Your idea was spectacular.”

I hide my knowing smile. “Thank you, Peggy. I’m honored to do it.”

“Enjoy yourself tonight.”

“Oh, I will,” I promise while I take her hand and shake it.

Events like this can be a bit of a chore, usually, but I take a cursory survey of the room with ease before grabbing a glass of champagne off a waiter’s tray.

It doesn’t take long before I’m surrounded by well-meaning, high-society couples who always show up at these things.

I can barely remember their names even though I’ve had to make conversation with them on numerous occasions.

Small talk is the absolute bane of my existence.

I don’t care how the weather is, I want to understand what makes each person tick.

I want to know what the looks shared between couples mean.

When the blonde looks at her husband without blinking when he decides to take a sip of champagne, is she pissed because he said he wouldn’t drink tonight?

Is she applauding him for letting loose?

Or is she just wondering when she can get back to fuck the pool boy?

With these types of people, you never quite know.

Raeann and I are different. We didn’t always have money. We understand the value of a dollar, and right about now, I can guess that Raeann has probably never had as much money before in her life, and she’s probably ecstatic…and a bit scared. I get how that is.

“Aww,” the same blonde I was speculating about sighs. “Wait, isn’t that the girl from that heinous video?” She peers at me with a huge smile. “Run, Micah, before she sees you.”

The whole group laughs, and my hackles rise. “It’s Mr. Freeman, actually.”

I swallow the last sip of champagne and hold my glass out to her. She takes it, only because she’s caught off guard. Then I leave the glass and the rest of the society crowd while I watch Raeann enter the building, Athena by her side, like always.

I’d planned to watch her for a while, see how she makes conversation and delay the payoff of talking to her, but Athena has other ideas.

She drags Raeann right to me. By the way Raeann runs to keep up with her, I get the feeling she never does that. The floppy-eared beauty gives me her usual greeting, two paws on my chest. Raeann gasps. “Athena, no.”

“We have to stop meeting like this,” I tell Athena, sneaking glances over her head.

The reality of Raeann realizing it’s me is better than my imagination ever could’ve conjured. All the color drains from her face and is replaced with a fierce blush across her cheeks. “Micah.”

“Miss Gorman.”

She stares at me for a few long seconds, and I wonder if she won’t be able to speak like our last two meetings. Surprisingly, she shakes off her discomfort and says, “I swear, she loses her mind when she’s around you.”

Athena sits down after that, looking very innocent.

Raeann brushes my lapels. “I hope she didn’t get any paw prints on your nice suit.” Her voice dies in her throat, her breath catching when she takes me in.