“And that’s why you’re my best friend.”
“Did you see the new billboard by the Bergen Town Center?” Hope asked, as she unloaded Styrofoam clamshells filled with their lunch order onto the side table in Amber’s office.
“No. What about it?” Amber started opening lids and inspecting Hope’s selections. There was chicken tikka masala, shrimp curry, mango chutney, and lemon rice. Hope even remembered Amber’s favorite masala chai tea. Amber scooped a few spoonfuls of each onto a paper plate. This is the way they always ate, sharing their food like a couple instead of ordering their own individual meals.
“Oh, nothing much,” Hope replied, in a sing-song voice. “It was just this supersized photo of a gorgeous blond-haired, blue-eyed Adonis promoting a sports drink.” She leaned closer to look Amber directly in the eyes. “And he was shirtless.”
Blond-haired, blue-eyed Adonis?“Robert? Do you mean there’s a billboard of Robert on Route 4? Shirtless?”
“Yes.” Hope nodded purposefully.
Amber paused to take in the image her mind conjured up, and she suddenly felt as if she needed a cold drink. “Why is he shirtless if he’s only promoting a sports drink?”
“How else are we going to see the sweat dripping over those incredibly defined abs?”
Amber stared at her friend, mouth agape, while the image reappeared in her head, only this time fine-tuned. And it was spectacular.
“I swear, it backed up traffic for three blocks. It’s a wonder there wasn’t a five-car pileup the way people were slowing down to stare. I’m going to have to re-route my way home.” Hope drew on the straw in her cup and glanced upwards contemplatively. “On second thought, I’m going to have to re-route so I pass that billboard whenever I go anywhere. I’ll just add extra time to my travels.”
“Hope!”
“I can’t help it. You got yourself one gorgeous man there. Are we going to the home game this weekend?”
Robert had been begging Amber to go to a home game all season, but she was too nervous about being exposed. There had been too many what-ifs. What if Robert had invited her to meet the team? What if Robert had mentioned to Coach that his girlfriend was attending the game and he mentioned her name? What if the jumbotron zoomed in on her face because Robert asked the cameraman to point her out? OK, the last one sounded a little far-fetched, but she wasn’t taking any chances. Now that Robert knew Coach was her father, it was a little different. Robert knew to be discreet, and she really wanted to attend the game. “OK. I’ll tell Robert we’re going.”
Sitting in the stands at MetLife Stadium, watching Robert and the Bucks play live for the first time since they’d been together, had Amber jumping out of her seat.
“I thought you were trying not to attract attention,” Hope said.
Amber immediately shot back into her seat, paranoia washing over her. The odds that her father could see her from this section were practically zero, although you shouldn’t have to see a person’s face clearly to know your own daughter. At least she hoped that was the case. She certainly was able to spot her father at a distance. His bulky frame, wide shoulders, his take-charge posture, and his constant gesticulations while continually bellowing to the team, was his M.O. She could spot him a mile away.
“Excuse me. Pardon me. Sorry.” Manny made his way down the row to take his seat on the opposite side of Amber. He carried a cardboard tray containing three cups of beer and handed one to Amber and one to Hope.
“Thanks.” As soon as Amber took a sip, the crowd cheered and jumped to their feet. She couldn’t see what was going on, so she gulped down the mouthful of beer and rose. The Bucks had the ball. She could see Robert, almost lost among the players, just another blue shirt and blue pants. His helmet hid his handsome features, but the large white letters that displayed his name on his back, as well as his number, enabled her to keep track of him.
Pride, elation, exuberance, and a million other emotions flooded her as she watched her man do his thing on the field. He ran effortlessly. Quickly. With the speed of a jungle cat. He shoulder-butted people out of the way, knocked them down and ran over them, ensuring they didn’t get near Lewinski, who ran like a bullet.
Lewinski got broadsided on the 20-yard line, and Amber cringed. Whenever anyone took a fall—whether it be a player on her favorite team or their opposition—she felt it. She held her breath, pressing her lips into a thin straight line, until Lewinski was on his feet with his arms in the air proclaiming he was OK.
“I’m having so much fun,” Hope told Amber, a little while later in the ladies’ room. “I’m so glad you finally decided to come and got us these tickets. See? It’s not a big deal.”
“I know. I’m just so sick of this whole rivalry between me and my father. I’m done with it.” Amber was tired of pretending, hiding, evading, and the whole mess of it all. She wanted the cards on the table. Let the chips fall where they may.
“You should’ve been done with it a long time ago, Amber. It’s ridiculous that it’s going on for so long.”
“It’s not that simple.”
Hope didn’t know the full story. No one did. Amber was the only one who knew all the details. All the dirty little secrets. And there were still some blanks that needed to be filled in.
On the way back to their seats, Hope stopped Amber. “What’s the story with Manny?”
Amber quirked her brow, knowing full well why her friend was inquiring. “What do you mean?”
“Is he single? Married? A girlfriend?”
Amber slowly shook her head. The last thing she needed was more drama, which is exactly what would happen if her best friend got involved with Robert’s best friend. “My God, Hope. Don’t I have enough going on in my life?”
“This has nothing to do with you.”
