All people saw of me was my TV persona, which wasn’t the real me. Not all of me, anyway. Speaking of which, I would be on air for a good chunk of the day. Sunday was when everyone rested except athletes and analysts like me. It was my longest gig of the week. I had two games to cover, which would keep me in the studio for around seven hours.
On Sundays, the job felt like work. But it was still just sitting around talking about sports. I would do that for free, if I had any friends to watch a game with. I wondered if Clara was into football, or if not, if she would be willing to watch with me anyway.
We could cuddle up on the couch while I explained things to her, maybe bet on the winner.
Someone knocked hard on my door, and I jumped. “Luke!” Bonnie called. “Get it in gear. It’s almost showtime.”
I had zoned out thinking about Clara. It had been happening a lot lately. Ever since that fake kiss in front of the camera, I’d been daydreaming about a real kiss away from the spotlights.
Every time she held my arm or bumped my side when we browsed the market, my heart took flight and I had trouble breathing. I felt guilty for enjoying it. The whole thing was a show. Sure, we were having fun, but it wasn’t real and it couldn’t be real.
Bro code meant sisters were off limits. That was non-negotiable. Nic would never forgive me. I needed to get my head back on straight.
“I’m coming,” I told my producer.
In the makeup chair, Delphine powdered me up in a flash, and then Bonnie shoved me into my seat at the desk for the pregame show. My co-hosts were present and ready, every inch the professional I used to be. Clara had me zombie-walking through the day.
The show got started and we went over our predictions and showed highlight clips from earlier games in the season. I did my part, adding my opinions and comments, but my thoughts were still divided.
When my co-host Rob lobbed me an unscripted question, he caught me off guard. “Luke, what’s highlight of the weekend so far?” he asked.
Without thinking, I said, “The Christmas market was a lot of fun.”
My co-hosts glanced at each other and laughed. “I meant football highlight,” Rob said. “But I guess being in love has turned you into a big softie.”
Ironically, instead of soft, Clara often had the opposite effect on me, but I couldn’t announce that to the world on air.
“All I can say is she’s an amazing woman,” I said, looking straight into the camera. “But back to the games.”
I managed to get through the rest of the broadcast day without slipping again. But as soon as I was finished, I stripped off my microphone and took the stairs one flight up. The smell of pine hit me before I left the stairwell, and I suspected it was Clara’s doing.
I stepped into a winter wonderland. The theme of the party was immediately obvious. I should have known she would go for a Nutcracker motif. Her recently cancelled play had beenThe Nutcracker, so it was something she was familiar with.
Giant toy soldiers were stationed around the office, their hats almost brushing the ceiling. Clusters of giant candy canes were bundled to look like trees, making a red and white peppermint forest in one section. In another, life-sized ballerina figures stood on rotating pedestals, striking elegant poses. Christmas music jingled and jangled from the sound system they’d set up.
I was stunned into stillness, staying on the fringes beside a pile of giant fake presents. Clara was in another section, hanging massive shiny ornaments from the ceiling. She was laughing and smiling with new friends she’d already made at the office. I wasn’t the only one who liked spending time with her.
I didn’t want to disturb her and ruin the vibe. Not yet. It looked like she was in her groove, feeling the flow and having a great afternoon. I stepped back and just looked at her like a stalker.
A strong hand clapped me on the shoulder. I turned to see Marshall. The older board member was chuckling and shaking his head at me. “The way you look at her reminds me of when I met Kerri,” Marshall said.
His wife was handing my fake girlfriend another ornament, and they were giggling about something.
“She’s something special,” I said, smiling as I watched her.
“We’ve got that gala in a couple days. You should bring her.”
“Good idea. I’d forgotten about that.”
“It’s funny,” Marshall said. “I remember all those years ago when you first limped in here, insisting we should hire you. You were still recovering from a career-ending injury but you wanted to get back to work.”
I chuckled at the memory. “I remember, too. Was I right or was I right?”
“I certainly don’t regret it,” he said with a laugh. “You were a wild young man, and I never expected you to settle down. Clara seems good for you. Why did you keep her a secret for so long? Kerri loves her.”
“Yeah, I should have said something, but it was new for me. I figured it was better to keep things under wraps until I saw where they were going.”
“Where is it going?” Marshall elbowed me. “Are you going to make it official?”
