“Um, that might distract me. Or at least help me work off some of these nerves. I didn’t realize I was meeting Nonna tonight.”
Her lower lip quivered, and I sucked it into my mouth. She opened up to me immediately. I pulled away before we could get too heated; there wasn’t time. “What are you afraid of?”
“Are we ready for this?”
“No doubt, Kendra. Look at me.” She did, her baby blues wide and scared. “Is it me you’re afraid of, or the rest of the world?”
“Not you. I’m afraid the rest of the world can mess this up. We’re in a bubble right now, but we’re wide open after tonight.”
“It’s the next step.”
“And what after that?”
“Do you want to map that out before the ball? Or do you think maybe we can get dressed and continue the conversation in the car ride over?”
She looked at the clock on the wall. “Shit, we’re late. Sorry. I’ll be fine. I’ve wanted to meet Nonna since you first told me about her. I just thought tonight would be more involved with casual acquaintances.”
“She’s going to love you.”
“Your parents, too?”
“No, they’re in Florida.” Kendra had clocked it correctly: Nonna’s opinion mattered more than my parents’. They were an afterthought, not a priority. “If it helps, Colby has already told her all about you; she loves you already.” It was shockingly easy to use the L-word.
Kendra nodded and took her gown off the hanger. “Help me zip this thing.”
When she turned and looked at me, she blushed. “Kendra, why are you shy now that you have clothes on?” The woman who blossomed naked in front of a camera got shy with her clothes on.
She swatted my chest. “Go put your tuxedo on. I’m going to check on my sister.”
She leaned against the kitchen counter and was focused on her phone when I walked up behind her. When I approached, she startled. “Everything okay?”
“Yes. Just me, trying to be supportive of my sister and not make the same mistakes again.”
I kissed the top of her head and tugged her toward the door. We both put our coats on, but Kendra stopped before we left the apartment.
“Wait, come here.” She held up her camera to capture a selfie. “If I’m meeting your grandmother, my family group chat gets a picture, too.”
“Damn, baby. We look good together. Send me that too?”
I could hear her phone buzzing in her purse as we rode down to the lobby to meet the car.
I opened my Instagram account, posted the photo, and captioned it “Date Night.” Adding a tag to Kendra, I hit post and sent it off for the world to do what they wished.
THIRTY-FIVE
kendra
“Instagram official, too?”I asked. His confident smirk ripped away my ability to complain. That thud in my chest was my heart, the thing I usually protected a lot better than this, but instead I’d just handed it to him on a platter. Not lost on me was the fact that it was likely safer with him than in my own hands.
We stood in line to walk the short red carpet, and I yearned for the day when I could slip in the door without attracting any attention.
“Mr. Crosby, who is your date?” One of the local sportscasters was in the pool of press waiting to see who would show up.
Jonathan looked at me and gestured for me to answer. I squeezed his hand in silent thanks. I couldn’t even begin to describe how much that small gesture meant to me.
I gave my name, his actions yet another sign that he saw us in this relationship as equals, no matter what our social or work status said.
“Your new shortstop has arrived just ahead of you two.Are there any other team members planning to show up tonight? Is Kendra any relation to Kelsey? Will Sam be here?”
