Shealyn smiled and nodded.
As they put their things away Nicole looked for Ariana Villa. She wanted to make sure she was all right, but she’d played the rest of the game and knew the team wouldn’t have let her if anything was amiss.
She and Shealyn walked across the court and through the tunnel to reach their dressing room.
“Are you changing?” Nicole asked.
“Nah,” Shealyn said.
“Me neither,” Nicole said, grabbing her clothes from the closet. “I’ll walk out with you.”
Nicole walked into the bar and looked to her left where most of the tables were occupied. She glanced to her right and saw her best friend waving to her midway down the long bartop.
“Hey,” Nicole said, placing her garment bag on an empty bar stool.
“Let me take that,” a man said, reaching over the bar.
“Thanks, Stuart,” Nicole said, handing him the bag.
“I’ll put it back here out of the way,” he said. “Don’t you look sexy? By the way, great game and great commentating, as usual.”
“Ah, you’re too sweet,” Nicole replied.
“Shall I bring you a beer?”
“That would be perfect.” Nicole turned to Kate and smiled.
Kate opened her arms and they hugged. “It’s good to see you. Stuart’s right. You’re looking good!”
“You, too,” Nicole replied, sitting next to her. “It’s already crowded.”
“I don't know how some of the players beat you here,” Kate said. “But they’ve taken up the space in the back by the dance floor.”
Nicole glanced over her shoulder and saw several of the New York players already celebrating their victory. “They had a good game.”
“I caught the end of it when I got here,” Kate said. “So, how are you? How’d it go?”
Nicole nodded. “Good. The broadcast went well. No opening-game problems.”
“What’s this I hear about a player landing in your lap?”
Nicole chuckled. “It was one of those things.” She shrugged as the memory of Ariana Villa’s eyes flashed through her brain. “Hey, how’s Emily?”
A sweet smile appeared on Kate’s face. “She’s wonderful.”
“Still in marital bliss after all these years,” Nicole said with a smile.
Kate chuckled. “I’m so glad you two didn’t hit it off when you went out.”
Nicole laughed. She had gone out with Emily on one date right after she graduated from college. A couple of days later she and Kate ran into Emily and Nicole introduced them. As they say, the rest was history.
“When she found out we were meeting after the game she asked who you were dating,” Kate said. She gave Nicole a look and waited.
Nicole smirked and took a sip of her beer.
“Uh huh, that’s what I thought,” Kate said.
“You’re married to the love of your life,” Nicole said. “I’m married to my job. We’re both happy.”
