"Thank you for having me." I shake his hand.
I'll never remember everyone's name. Especially since Duncan included all their nicknames too.
But I won't have to.
Rarely do people make repeat appearances in my life. It is a solitary, transactional business. I'll remember the names of people working withme, or for me, but with the number of fans I meet there's no way I could remember them all.
Duncan gets pulled in to help Emmett’s grandmother with the candy chute and Harper waves me over as she chats with her friends.
"Well we have already decided on the venue," Harper says as she pulls up a property listing on her phone. "It's the same villa as our engagement party."
"Felix will be thrilled." The light brown haired one says with a knowing look in her blue eyes.
"One less thing for him to chase down. I'm sure he uses the blueprints for planning." Ivanna, the tall blonde one says.
"Yes, and he already had connections with caterers and bakers." Harper locks her phone screen and smiles. "Wouldn’t it be fun if you played the cocktail hour?" She asks with a hand on my forearm. I narrow my eyes at her and she winks. "I'm a really big fan. I mean, we all are. Laila is going to be upset she missed this."
"It’s really too bad she has to work again tonight." Caroline says. "I wonder if she’s banking all these holiday shifts to make time and a half before taking maternity leave."
"Not a bad plan." Ivanna says.
"But, we’re not going to brag to her or anything. Duncan was very firm with us, we couldn't tell a soul we got to hang out with you tonight." Caroline says. "In fact, it was the most serious I've seen him in a long time."
"Maybe ever." Harper says.
"So how long are you in D.C.?" Ivanna asks.
"Just through early December."
"Make Duncan give you his family pass. He always says he's saving it for his parents but they're living the retired life in Arizona and only meet us when we play out west." Caroline says as she starts typing something into her phone.
"Umm, sure." I shrug and force a gulp of beer down my throat.
"It would be fun to have you at the games. Although we might need additional security if you're going to be there. I think fans would go wild." She says.
"Sometimes I can fly under the radar." Harper and I make eye contact and I try to convey my gratitude for her discretion. "But yeah, I probably need to clear it with the organization." I shrug basically confirming what we did last time. "But my publicist, Zara, handles that for me."
"Why are you wearing a skirt?" A small voice asks.
"It isn’t a skirt, it’s a kilt." I say to the little girl with a gold and white outfit and purple hair in a bubble braid.
"What’s a kilt?" She asks before popping a lollipop in her mouth.
"It’s a traditional clothing item for Scottish people. I’m Scottish."
"Hi Scottish, I’m Tilly." She holds out a sticky looking hand.
I shake it tentatively as a woman dressed in a similar outfit to her daughter’s slides up. "No Till, this is Rhys."
The kid looks between her mom and I trying to puzzle it all together.
"Tilly, do you want to go find Stella with me?" Harper asks as she holds out a hand inviting Tilly to grasp it.
The kid shrugs and saunters off. "Sorry about her."
"Don’t be." I wave it off.
"She’s all hopped up on sugar and I need to get her home to bed. Good thing there’s no school tomorrow." She bounces the toddler on her hip and holds out a hand to me. "Danielle Bradford, Coach Bradford is my husband."
