Page 54 of The False Start (Off the Bench)
Chapter Thirty-Eight
LILA
T he next couple weeks pass by in a blur of color and happiness as the Avalanche dominate Dallas in the NFC Championship, Katie and I screaming with delight in her apartment as we watch them play at the AT Kevin was second. Clearly it was the right move.
“You’re incredible. Can you send it to Kevin so he can get the paperwork started?”
“Yup, will do.” I smile, my heels click-clacking against the hardwood flooring as I make my way down the hall.
“What’s up with you?” Colton asks lightly as I enter the glass conference room.
I shrug, an idea taking shape in my mind. The offer is out of my mouth before I can think about the consequences. “Hey, do you want to come to the Super Bowl?”
His mouth drops open for a full five seconds. I know because I count them.
“Are you serious?” He glances around wildly. “Am I being punked?”
I roll my eyes. “That show hasn’t aired in years.”
He narrows his eyes at me.
“Yes, I’m serious. Katie can’t go, and Sadie’s busy, so I have an extra ticket.”
“Oh my god, you are serious.”
“Do you want to come or not?” I snap.
“Of course I want to come. I’d do your paperwork for a month to come.”
“This is probably a good time to tell you I’m resigning. So, you’ll be doing it anyway, at least for the clients who don’t follow me, but good to know.”
It’s a full seven seconds this time, and I smirk, waiting for the words to process in his mind.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yup.” I accentuate the p sound, smacking my lips together.
“Well damn, and here I was starting to enjoy working with you.”
I grin, because he’s grown on me too.
“So, the Super Bowl?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely. I’ll book my flight right now.”
True to his word our meeting starts approximately ten minutes later after he’s secured a ticket for the following afternoon to Florida.
“Let me get this straight.” Cal says in a flat tone. “You’re bringing the guy you used to not be able to stand, instead of Katie, or literally anyone else, to the biggest game of my career.”
I cringe, grateful he can’t see me through the phone. “He’s not been so bad lately. And Katie can’t go, she has to fly to LA, and it kinda slipped out.”
“Fine,” he says with a sigh. “I said they were your tickets. I’m not going to be annoyed at how you use them.”
“I know, it was kind of an accident. But it’ll be fun,” I say with false cheer as I gnaw on my bottom lip.
I swear I can hear his eyes rolling.
“I think he’ll get along well with my dad and Alex.”
His voice softens. “I’m proud of you for inviting them.”
“Thanks,” I say quietly. I’m a bit proud of myself too honestly.
“They’re both so excited.”
“I can’t wait to see you tomorrow, Tampa kind of sucks.” I can hear laughter in the background and smile, because even with his teammates and friends, my man misses me.
“I’ll be there soon. And I’ll be there to meet you on the field after you win the Super Bowl.”
“Don’t jinx it.”
I laugh. “The jinx can’t hurt you when you’ve got the talent.”
“I have to go. We’re watching film all day today. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
The heat is nearly unbearable as I step out of the airport in Tampa the day before the Super Bowl.
“Wow, I thought I’d at least be fine with a hoodie. It’s February,” Alex complains, stripping his Avalanche sweatshirt off in favor of an Avalanche t-shirt underneath.
“You really went full out, didn’t you?” I mutter.
“Hey, it’s a lifestyle.”
“I’d think you’d be more decked out in gear yourself since you’re dating a player,” challenges my dad, wearing a matching hoodie to the one Alex just took off. He removes his glasses, foggy with humidity and wipes them clean.
“I can’t believe you got matching sweatshirts.” I roll my eyes.
“We offered to get you one too,” Alex defends himself, and I laugh.
“Katie would kill me if I was on national TV in a hoodie.” He shrugs in response as my dad flags down a cab.
“Kayla didn’t text you at all while we were in the air, did she?” he asks, nervously looking at his phone.
“No, why?”
“What if the baby comes early?”
I roll my eyes, but my dad responds before I can.
“Son, if she was that close to making me a grandpa, neither of us would be here right now.” He claps his son-in-law on the shoulder.
“Now get in, I’m sure Lila has some event to get ready for tonight.
” He winks at me over the roof of the car as I slide into the backseat, leaving my suitcase for them to heft into the trunk.
I’m nearly ready for my first official girlfriend-of-the-player event—as long as you don’t count the gala, which I’m not.
It’s not an officially sponsored event, but Maggie texted me this morning and asked to meet up, so we’ll at least grab some drinks and maybe meet some of the other players’ plus-ones.
I’m just putting on a final dab of perfume when she’s knocking on my hotel door.
“Coming,” I call out, hopping on one foot as I tug the zipper up my bootie.
I throw open the door to find not Maggie but Cal, in an extremely poor attempt at a disguise: sunglasses and a baseball hat pulled low over his forehead.
I burst out laughing, and his eyes narrow. “What are you wearing?”
“I didn’t want to get followed,” he mumbles, pushing past me into my room.
“What are you, a superhero?” He pouts at me, and I sober myself. “Are you allowed to be here?”
“Good to see you too.”
“Oh, shut up.” I hug him, and he presses his mouth to mine before I pull away, yanking the Yankees cap off his head. “Of course I’m happy to see you. But I thought you had to stay with the team.”