“Ciao Valentina. Sei bellissima.” Cecilia’s words have me blushing and I thank her.
“Grazie. You look stunning, Cecilia.”
“You speak Italian?” My eyes quickly jut to my leftwhere I have forgotten Nico who stands there watching our interaction.
“Luca. Cecilia,” I address them. “This is Nico Loving. The newest addition to the Drillers.”
Luca holds out his hand and Nico grasps it with a firm grip. “Nico. You are quite the buzz around town. I can’t wait to see what you can do on the field.”
“Yes sir. I hope to live up to my college days. Things are a little different now. No more college freshmen chasing after you. Now I have to worry about out running two hundred and fifty pound linebackers looking to crush me.” He smiles and eases with the talk of what he knows best.
Football.
Luca laughs and Nico turns to Cecilia to address her. “Good evening, Mrs. Amato. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Pleasure. As my husband said, you are all that people can seem to talk about.” She gives him a pointed look and it’s a clear indication that, while her husband was talking about his athleticism on the field, she is talking about the one off.
Nico swallows down his shame and drops his hand. I see the way he rubs his palm against his leg, wiping away the sweat already pooling with embarrassment.
Luca looks beyond us and smiles. “Nico, come with me. I see my good friend and I know he would love to meet you.”
We turn our heads to see a large man walking towards us with a tiny redhead hooked onto his arm. I immediately recognize them as Phoenix and Vivian West. The MLB star pitcher and the sassy journalist who tamed his wild ways.
Maybe I should take a lesson from her on how to keep Nico’s pants zipped up tight.
“Holy shit,” Nico whispers then clears his throat. “My apologies. I’m just a little starstruck right now.”
“Yeah. Nix definitely has that effect on people.” Cecilia smiles but rolls her eyes and shakes her head in the same breath.
The couple step into our small circle and I must admit that I myself am a bit taken by the husband and wife duo. They are theIT couplein Houston, and a direct line to many people who may need me one day. Whether in crisis or simply to represent them in other aspects of their career.
“Ah. One of my favorite ladies. How are you tonight, Vivian?” Luca’s warm welcome tells me that they have more than just player and owner relationship.
He kisses her cheeks and she rises up on her red heeled feet. She’s a small thing, probably standing only a bit over five feet, while Luca is a very tall man.
“Your flattery will get you everywhere, Luca.” Vivian smiles then immediately hugs Cecilia. “Girl. I have so much to tell you.”
“Can we hold off on the stories that will scare our new friends away until later? I don’t want to show our crazy cards just yet.” Cecilia tilts her head in our direction with a smile
“Oh. I’m sorry. How rude of me. I’m Vivian Kelley-West.” This woman is gorgeous and I think I have a little girl crush.
“Hi. Valentina San Ramón. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Kelley-West.”
“Valentina San Ramón? Oh I’ve heard about you. All good, of course. You’re the miracle worker for the misbehaved.”
I can feel my cheeks heat with slight embarrassment, but also pride that I’m making a name for myself.
“Didn’t you help Ayla Banks with her little…mishap last year?” Phoenix jumps into our conversation without any introduction.
The woman he refers to is a prosecutor who had a run-in with another woman. And by run-in I mean she ran over her husband’s mistress with a golf cart after catching the two of them together.
It was a bit tougher to handle as many people supported her reaction (even me), but I was able to help Ayla avoid jail time by getting her into an anger management program. When she was finished, she decided she wanted to live a quiet life away from the pressures of her job, and moved away to a small West Texas town. She did so alone as she dropped her cheating husband in a flash.
“Yes. That was me.” A small smile pops up, but I quickly move the conversation from me to a man I’m trying to do the same for. “Mr. and Mrs. West. This is Nico Loving. He’s the new Tight End for the Drillers.”
All eyes focus on him, and Vivian gives him an appreciative up and down, arching her brow and smirking. Phoenix pinches her side and she growls at him.
“Leave the poor kid alone, Viv.” He scolds his wife, smiling the entire time, and she sticks her tongue out at him. “Real mature, Peaches.”
