I passed thousands of fans as I made my way to my seat. A sea of gray and silver jerseys was all I could see as I weaved between people. The most popular jersey I noticed was similar to the one I had on. A few other numbers were sprinkled throughout the crowd of fans, but it was clear Mateo was the favorite.
Smug satisfaction filled me that he was mine. Every woman that I passed clad in his jersey number made me want to declare that he was off the market. They could lust after the hot quarterback, but he would be coming home with me at the end of the day.
Cheers and yells echoed around the concrete walls, the swell of excitement for the first game of the season growing with every passing second. It was such a different atmosphere compared to my skating competitions. Which held a more…regal feeling than a football game. Although, I would almost prefer loud cheers while skating then pure silence.
It took me a good fifteen minutes to get to my seat with all the dodging and weaving. By the time I sat down, I was ready to park myself in the chair and not move until I absolutely had to.
The seats to my right were empty. Behind me and to my left, they were slowly filling up. Hopefully I wouldn’t be seated next to two very loud and opinionated men who thought I wanted to hear said opinions the whole game.
I took my phone out and sent Erin a text. I wished she could be here for the game and then afterward when I met Mateo’s family, but something about a deadline and needing to write ten more chapters was her excuse.
At least I had the next few hours to try and distract myself before I met them, which really wasn’t a comfort at all.
My leg bounced with nervousness as I sat there, eyes darting around at the fans filling the seats around me and then to the field. I wasn’t in the same section as preseason. Now I was seated right above the Titans’ team area where they stood during the game. Only a concrete wall was between me and the field below.
I’d been to a handful of games at the stadium throughout the years, but I forgot the feeling you got. The way your body vibrated and pulsed with excitement because of everyone around you. Feeling like you were a part of something even if you didn’t truly like football or had never been to a game before. It was an addictive sensation.
I couldn’t imagine what Mateo must feel being on the field with thousands and thousands of fans cheering. It had to be deafening and exhilarating at the same time.
I continued people watching until a large group entered the same aisle I was sitting in and the one above. I eyed them with interest as a beautiful brunette approached me. She looked oddly familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I saw her. I could only see the side profile of the tall man behind her, but I caught sight of the jersey they wereallwearing.
I quickly averted my eyes as the brunette sat next to me. The last thing I wanted to do was get caught staring. Ipretended to be busy with my phone until a nudge on my arm caught my attention.
“Sorry,” the woman apologized, “they need to make these seats bigger.”
“No worries. We’re about to be squished together for the next few hours so might as well become acquainted.” I smiled at her. She returned it, but there was something in her expression that gave me pause. Did she know me?
“Nice to meet you…?” She trailed off, waiting for my name.
“Emmie,” I supplied.
“Nice to meet you, Emmie. I’m Josie Boone.”
It took all of a heartbeat for her name to register. Josie Boone. Boone as in… Mateo’s sister-in-law? The sparkle in her eye told me she knew who I was. My realization must have shown on my face because she grinned.
Oh, fuck. That had to mean… I glanced over at the man beside her. He had to be Wyatt, and the rest were definitely his family, too. My eyes darted from one person to the next, mentally listing their names. A few nights ago, Mateo told me all their names and showed me pictures, but I was so focused on meeting them tonight that I hadn’t once thought I’d be sitting next to them at the game.
She leaned in, lowering her voice so only we could hear, which wasn’t hard with the loud crowd around us.
“I take it Mateo didn’t tell you that we were seated right next to each other.” I just shook my head, unable to form words at the moment. When I saw Mateo later, I was going to kick his ass for not telling me.
“That kid, I swear.” Josie shook her head. “I’m the only one who knows about you, so you don’t have to worry about the others right now. You can wait until you two are together after the game to truthfully meet everyone, if you’d like,” she offered. The gesture was kind, yet the panic didn’t subside.
“I…uh…yeah, that would be great,” I managed to get out. She flashed that kind smile again.
Nerves and panic built inside me as I sat there staring at Josie Boone. I was literally talking to the woman Mateo raved to me about.
I was fully prepared to meet everyone later. But maybe in a better outfit instead of my oversized jersey and shorts, hair pulled into a messy French braid. I could have made a way better impression.
But maybe this could work in my favor. Get them to like me the next few hours as a person so when I did meet them, they didn’t dislike me. That pesky voice in my head chimed in.Or they could hate you for lying.
“Hey.” A soft hand on my arm tore me from my thoughts. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to spring all this onto you right off the bat. I didn’t want to sit here and pretend I didn’t know who you were.”
“It’s okay.” I dug my nails into my knee to center my thoughts. “I was prepared to meet you all later, so I’m just a little scatterbrained.”
“No worries, I’d be, too.” There was something about her kind eyes and soft smile that eased the tension in my shoulders. “It’s nice to actually meet you.”
“You too. Mateo talks about you guys all the time.” I kept my voice down, eyes flickering over her shoulder at the others. The smile on her face grew.
