“What time is the red carpet?” The tulle on Violet’s lilac dress rustles as she hops onto the couch beside me.
The crumpled agenda sits on the bedside table. I’ve already checked off breakfast at the hotel, uniform pick-up, morning media, practice, and lunch with the team.
“Two thirty,” I say. “Are you ready?"
Violet shakes her head. “Mom said there are gonna to be lots of cameras. Are you allowed to hold my hand while we walk?”
I can’t help but smile as I pull her against my side. More often than not, Violet seems so much older than eight years old, but right now, she’s the little sister I held tight to as we waited for Mom to get home from work.
“Of course, but I’m scared too. Promise you won’t let go?"
Her fear wanes, replaced with a smile. “I’ll protect you, and you protect me, C.C.”
“Wait, I’m feeling left out! Who’s going to protect me when I get scared?” Standing by the door, Mom looks like royalty. The plum jumpsuit flows around her ankles, bringing out the flecks of green in her eyes.
“Wow, Ma. You look great.” My head shakes as I take in our outfits. “Are we all matching by accident or was it fate?”
“Very planned.” She pats my cheek. “Thank your agent for that.”
My agent. The same woman who admitted she loved me. Past tense, sure, but even then, those were never words we shared.
They’re words I wish I would’ve said long before I left for California. Words I felt before I even knew I’d be leaving. Words that still ring true and are very much present for me.
And as much as I want to bring it up and tell her I felt—feel—the same, I know the meeting she wants to have in a few minutes is not about that.
I kneel down to lace up my sneakers, white with lavender soles.
“I’ll be back soon,” I say, hugging them both. “Going to meet Shay.”
As the elevator doors slide open, I find her in the crowd instantly. Amid the bedazzled gowns and sharp suits, her pink pantsuit blazes like a beacon. It pulls me by an invisible string across the room, unseen but unstoppable, until I’m standing right in front of her.
“It’s unfair for you to look this good and not walk down the red carpet with me. Is there a chance you’ll change your mind, Agent Shay? I’d love to have you beside me.”
“In your dreams.” Slender fingers drift toward my shirt, and the cotton sighs beneath her touch. “You look good too. Lavender is your color.”
“Thank my seamstress. She did all the hard work.” I follow her lead and take a seat on the cushy bench. “What did you want to talk about?”
She pulls three sticky notes out, and I smile. No yellow. Everything is pink. Exactly how I like it.
Shay holds up the first one. “The red carpet should be easy. As planned, you’ll walk down with your mom and Violet. Fans will be lined up behind the barriers. They’ll probably have baseballs to sign, so here’s a Sharpie and a backup.” She tucks them into the pocket of my suit jacket. “Selfies are okay, but only if you’re feeling up to it.” She taps her nail against a line, and I laugh.
Don’t do anything you don’t want to do
I nod. “I’ll try my best.”
“Good. Second note, I coordinated with the communication team. When they announce your name on the red carpet and at the game, they’ll say Cade Owens. No nicknames. No titles.”
The room stills. “You told them not to call me the golden boy?”
Her head bobs. “The crowd may be screaming it, and I can’t make any promises with reporters, but yes. If the emcee even thinks about muttering golden boy, there’ll be hell to pay.”
For the guy who has been struggling to figure out who he is, having one event with my real name being called instead of the one assigned to me makes me more excited about tonight.
“Why did you do that?”
Finally, she meets my eye. There’s an unreadable twinkle in the deep color. “Because boundaries are important, and today is for you.”
We both look down at the final sticky note between her fingers, but she’s cut off mid-read when my name is called. It takes a moment to locate the voice, but then I see the scruffy brunette charging toward us.
