“I wouldn’t go that far,” I reply.
“Why not?” she asks, putting away her little kit.
“I mean, no matter what, it will be Finnegan getting big, not me. I’m just the Beta under the mask.”
She tilts her head at me and gives me a shake of disapproval.
“Ethan. I’m going to hold your hand when I say this,” she says, grabbing my hand. “You’re fucking hot and talented. Acting like you’re not isn’t cute.”
She drops my hand, and I blink at the woman before me.
“You think I’m hot?” I ask, clearly my brain only picking up that part.
“Come on, Ethan. You have the tattoos, the dark hair, you’re super sweet and athletic. Yes, I think you’re hot.”
The fact is, I didn’t think I had a shot in hell with Sloane. She deserves a pack who can buy her things and take care of her. I work at a diner, and I’m a fucking mascot part-time.
Sloane sighs.
“I’m really getting tired of asking people to ask me on dates, you know,” she says, and I swear I’m having an out-of-body experience.
“Do you want to do something together after the event?” I ask, having no clue why she would even want to go out with me. Sure, she’s stated she’s my friend and that she’s helping me, but a date… with me, a Beta by all means who doesn’t have his shit together?
“I thought you’d never ask. That sounds great,” she says with a smile, handing me the fox’s head and helping me secure it to the body.
She messes around with the head a few times until she’s satisfied. I’m still mystified and wondering how the fuck I’m supposed to get through this event knowing tonight is my shot at making a move on the girl who is well out of my league.
“Alright, let’s go unveil Finnegan the Fox,” she says, taking out her phone as “What Does The Fox Say” plays on the radio and we head outside to the ribbon cutting.
Kids are cheering and people are laughing as I bust out my best moves, doing a few flips and cartwheels before getting to the ribbon itself.
Sloane takes the mic and smiles at the crowd.
“Hello and welcome to the grand opening of the New Haven Humane Society. I’m Sloane Applegate, daughter of the headcoach of the New Haven Foxes. I brought Finnegan the Fox here to celebrate as well as some of our amazing players. Please give a warm welcome to Nix Ahonen, Max Connery, and your fearless captain, Eli Beckford.”
The crowd cheers as the three players come stand next to me.
Sloane hands me the scissors as the director of the new building comes up and gives a speech before thanking us, and I cut the ribbon. Sloane films everything between me and Max, making sure that we’re together and separate, taking pictures with kids and animals alike.
I’m super dramatic with the kids playing games, and I even hold a few babies. I’m proud to say, not a single one of them cries in my orange furry arms.
It’s announced over the speaker that Max Connery has paid the fees for the first one hundred animals to be adopted, and the crowd goes wild, more and more people coming up to him to take pictures.
It’s no easy feat to make a brand new traded player with a past likable, but somehow they are pulling it off.
“Okay, I need to get a shot of you holding some kittens, and do some more backflips. Oh, and do that cute little thing with your hips again,” Sloane tells me.
Thank fuck she can’t see how red and sweaty I am under this suit.
I do the dance and some flips, kids are cheering, and I feel like I’m almost back in high school again. It’s not that I miss high school itself, but cheerleading was something that always made me happy.
This version of Finnegan fills that void. No, this version ofmefills that void.
When we get into the kitten room, Sloane thinks it’s hilarious to grab two orange kittens and make someone take our picture.
“We’re all orange, get it?” she says, and I laugh at her holding my arms out for the cats.
One is sleepy and lazy in my arms as the other one uses the fur of my suit for purchase and climbs up on top of the mascot head. Sloane gets every moment of it on camera, and I can tell she’s pleased with the amount of footage and content she got tonight.
