I hadn’t paid any attention. Apparently, we are sitting on the fifty-yard line. I guess that’s a good thing.
“We’re sitting right behind the team!” he exclaims. “Best seats I’ve ever had, sweetie.”
I smile because I’m happy that he’s happy, but I’m starting to get nervous. I’m meeting his parents today. What if they don’t like me? After a little over an hour in the sun, we clean up our tailgating supplies and pack them into Dad’s SUV and head for the game.
“By the way, we’re going to be sitting with Alex’s parents. I’ve never met them, but their names are Jack and Jill,” I explain to Dad.
“Really?” Dad looks surprised. He must be able to tell I’m nervous, because he says, “It’ll be okay. They’ll love you, Stella.”
I’m not so sure about that. I’m not the ideal girlfriend for a guy like Alex. I hope his mom isn’t like mine. I couldn’t take two women in my life who thinks there’s something wrong with me all because I’m not thin. We weave in and out of people and down the rows of steps to our seats. Dad was right, the seatsarefantastic. The players are all down on the field doing stretches and throwing the ball around. I want to look for number eighty-five but think I’ll do it after I sit down. I could just see myself face-planting on these steep steps.
We find our row and slide down the aisle until we spot our seats smack-dab in the center of the whole stadium. I look over to see two really attractive people. They see us and stand. I reach the woman first. She raises her hand to shake mine and introduces herself as Jill Emerson and then introduces me to Jack Emerson, Alex’s dad.
Wow, Alex looks exactly like his dad. Alex is bigger and a little taller, but I can see how he will look when he’s older. It’s a good thing, averygood thing. I introduce my dad to both of them. We sit, and Dad leans over to ask them questions about their family, what they do, where they live, and more. He is a lawyer, after all, so he’s used to questioning people. I’m not too worried because as soon as the game starts, his focus will be 100 percent on the game.
I take the opportunity to look out onto the field, but I’m unable to find Alex, so I check the sidelines, scanning down from one end zone to the other––see I’m learning lingo. I finally spot him directly in front of me. He must have seen me, because he’s come closer to the stands and is looking directly at me. He’s smiling from ear to ear. I smile back, and I’m sure my dimples are at full strength.
He waves and mouths, “Hi! You made it.”
I mouth back, “We did.”
He points to his jersey and gives me a thumbs-up. I think he’s telling me he likes my jersey. I like it too. He waves againand returns to his teammates on the sidelines. Sighing, I watch as he goes about his pregame preparations. Alex’s mom interrupts my thoughts. “You’re even prettier than Alex described,” Jill says, smiling. “He said that you were the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen. I can see why he feels that way.”
I’m blushing so hard I bet I’m purple.
“He said you were a tiny little thing.”
“Well, I’m short but not tiny.”
“Sweetheart, you’re a beautiful girl,” she assures.
I try to smile, but it’s a weak attempt. I turn to watch the activity on the field, hoping to stop the conversation. I’m not tiny, jeez.
“You know, Alex hasn’t dated anyone for a long time. And he’s never let anyone wear his jersey before.”
Hearing those words make my heart flutter in my chest. It’s too good to be true. “I’ve been told that this gesture is significant. I’ve never had anyone do anything like this for me before, so it’s significant for me too.”
Jill grabs my hand and squeezes. It’s reassuring and intimate. I think she likes me so far. Changing the subject, I tell her that I hope it’s okay that Alex let us use these two tickets and that I hope his little sister hadn’t wanted them.
“No worries. She likes to have the house to herself for a day now and then,” Jill explains.
I feel better after that. Alex’s dad nods as he listens to our conversation and smiles at me every once in a while. He hasn’t said much, but he seems like a nice person. I hope he doesn’t think I’m distracting Alex from his goals. I would never want to do that.
The game is exciting. We beat Iowa by twenty-four points, and Alex plays even better than he did last week. He scores two touchdowns and runs for another hundred yards. Apparently, he does a great job protecting his quarterback too. I don’t notice that part as much.
“I think you might be a good influence on my son, Stella. I believe he was playing for you,” Jack Emerson says.
“Oh, no, I’m sure he’s always that good.”
“Not always,” says Jack.
The thought of me helping him with his goals fills me with overwhelming happiness. Before we leave, Alex’s parents invite me and my dad out for pizza. Apparently it’s a family tradition to meet up with Alex and a few of the other guys after the game. While my dad was going to head out right afterward, he changes his mind when the offer is extended. I think it’s because he wants to meet Alex, even though he says he wants to spend more time with me. Whichever it is, it’s fine with me. We agree to meet downstairs in front of the dorm building at five.
“That will give Alex enough time to finish up any postgame interviews, shower, change, and talk to his teammates,” says Jill.
I hadn’t thought about postgame interviews. I bet the media loves him. He’s so handsome and talented––not to mention his amazing voice. When we get back to the dorm, Dad’s adrenaline is still pumping. We turn on the television to watch the postgame show and get to see Alex conduct his interviews––he’s so good at it. I can tell he’s comfortable in front of the camera. He’s very polished.
I imagine him doing these types of interviews after he makes it to the professional league. He’ll draw in slews of adoring fans, especially women, with his charm and charisma. Oh dear, I hadn’t really thought about his adoring female fans. He’s got a million of them on campus. Imagine the entire world as his fan base. Could I handle all of that? Oh, shoot, this is a ridiculous thing to ponder. I’m sure he’ll be done with me by the time he goes pro. I just need to focus on the here and now.
