Cameron gasped. “I knew it!”
Terrance laughed and walked around Cameron to sit in a chair at the end of the couch. “She thought you had a secret girlfriend.”
“I knew you were friends, but…” Cameron grinned. “Good for you!”
“You can’t say a word!” Ariana exclaimed with panic in her voice. Her heart was in her stomach and she tightly gripped Nicole’s hand in fear this would be the end of them.
Terrance leaned forward. “Of course we won’t tell anyone. It’s okay.”
Ariana could feel tears stinging her eyes and she couldn’t quite get a breath.
“Yeah, it would be…” Nicole winced.
“Catastrophic? I get it,” Terrance said then he smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Nicole. I’m a fan.”
“Nice to meet you, Terrance.”
Ariana looked between the two of them and suddenly felt Nicole’s hand on her back gently moving between her shoulder blades trying to soothe her anxiety.
“I want you to know that when I got to Terrance’s he was very upset that I’d left you alone,” Cameron said, sitting on the arm of the chair.
“You had a special dinner planned,” Ariana said.
Terrance waved his hand in the air. “There will be plenty of opportunities for us to have dinner after a game.”
“He’s been out of town for a week and the week before that both of my games were away,” Cameron explained. “That’s why tonight’s dinner was different.”
“We know how that goes.” Nicole looked at Ariana and smiled. “She didn’t know I was coming over. I had to make sure she was okay.”
“Good,” Cameron said, standing. “Now we know she’s in good hands for the night. Let’s go have that dinner.”
Terrance smiled and stood up. “You can count on us not to say a word.”
“Thank you,” Nicole said.
Cameron smiled and shook her head. “You and your crush, Ari. Making it real!”
Terrance stopped and turned around. “Nicole, I specialize in matching sports talent with agents. The right fit is paramount in our business. I know how much your network values you andShealyn as their number one women’s broadcast team. You have negotiation power. Don’t be afraid to use it.”
Ariana couldn’t shake the dread that had taken up residence in her stomach. In another world the four of them could just as easily be meeting for dinner together; best friends with their partners out for a good time. Instead she watched Nicole walk them to the front door and couldn’t imagine how she’d negotiate a relationship into her contract.
“That was a surprise,” Nicole said.
“I had no idea…” Ariana said with desperation in her voice.
“Hey.” Nicole sat down next to her.
“Is this it? Are we over?”
“What? I just invited you to go away with me,” Nicole said, putting her arm around Ariana.
“Yeah, right before we got caught making out on the couch!”
“If anyone had to find out about us then I’m glad it was Cameron and Terrance. Don’t you trust them?”
“Yes, I know they won’t say anything, but it shows how delicate our situation is, Nicole.” Ariana gazed into her eyes and softly said, “I don’t want this to end.”
Nicole smiled. “I don’t either, Ari. I hoped maybe while we were away we could talk about us. I think we’re both afraid to say much when we’re together in fear of messing it all up. But honestly, how could it get any messier?”
