“Hello.” I smiled back and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, even though it was already in place. I didn’t know how to handle myself with the way he was looking at me. It felt awkward.
Ember nudged my foot, silently telling me to stop acting weird.
“I’m Rowen.” He held his hand out for me to shake.
He glanced at Ember and then back at me. “I hope you don’t find this too random, but can I buy you a drink?”
Ember’s eyebrows shot up.
I hesitated for a minute, trying not to overthink such a simple question. He seemed nice and simple, and maybe after the shit day I had, that was exactly what I needed.
“Sure.”
CHAPTER 14
NATE
Half my teamwas tucked away in a hotel bar just off the main lobby. It was loud and cramped by the time I walked in. We had a late-afternoon game tomorrow, but that didn’t stop some of the rookies from treating this like a spring break trip rather than an NFL away game. I sighed when I spotted one of them sloshing a drink on his shirt as he laughed loudly, nearly taking out a woman as she passed him by. “Hey, Shawn,” I called out, walking around a few tables to get to him. “Are you trying to make tomorrow a complete shit show for all of us?”
He stumbled backward while holding a shot of tequila. “I’m fine, I swear.”
“Famous last words,” I said, taking the shot glass out of his hands. “We have a big game tomorrow and need everyone to perform their best. I’m not interested in watching you puke your brains out on the sidelines, so dial it back.”
“I always play my best, and I can hold my liquor just fine.” He slurred and put his hand on my shoulder. He was a little shorter than my six-foot-two frame. While he had more muscle than me, challenging the team captain wasn’t very smart.
I stared down at him. “Remove your hand now, or we’re going to have a real problem.”
He backed up, holding his hands out. “Sorry, Nate, I meant no disrespect.”
I wasn’t trying to be a buzzkill, but it was my responsibility as team captain to look out for these young guys who were just learning about being a celebrity.
I glanced at the table and counted all the empty drink glasses. “I think it’s time you switch to water and get some food in your stomach.”
“Come on, man,” Shawn whined. “It’s only ten thirty. Curfew is at eleven. One more, then I’m done.”
“Listen to Grandpa,” Jax said, throwing a hand around my shoulder and pointing to a few coaches lurking around.
Road games always turned into this. The guys just wanted to blow off steam, while the coaches pretended they didn’t notice, until the shit hit the fan. Then, you had the occasional reporters lingering nearby, like pesky flies looking for a place to land.
I shook my head and pointed a finger at Shawn. “You’ll thank me tomorrow.”
I signaled for the bartender to switch Shawn’s tequila for a bottled water.
A few of the veteran players booed as I slid onto my barstool and ordered a sparkling water with lime. The pressure of being the team captain was starting to show, along with my age.
Ryder was leaning back on his stool, nursing his beer. “How’s the shoulder feeling? It seems like you’ve been living in the training room lately.”
I rolled it back to give it a good stretch. “It’s fine. A little tight, but nothing worth talking about. I’m just trying to stay on top of it.”
I told everyone the same thing when they asked. It wasn’t a lie, just not the whole truth. The shoulder was manageable, but there was a dull ache that I learned to live with. It was more annoying than painful. The training staff constantly focused onit. I tried to keep it quiet. If I complained, it would only draw attention to it. The guys had no idea how bad it was last year or how close I came to not playing this season.
“Good.” He nodded and pulled out his phone. “Everyone is chirping about the matchup tomorrow.”
“Trust me, I know.” I rolled the sleeves of my dress shirt up and rested my elbows on the bar top.
Jax held out a basket of wings and passed it around. I lifted my head when I heard a familiar, obnoxious laugh from the other side of the room.
You’ve got to be kidding me. Across the bar, leaning against the counter, was my ex-agent, Brian Sullivan.
