Page 84

“Wow.” I blink twice, then eye her up and down. She’s dressed in a long emerald-green gown with her hair down in curls. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she says with a small smile. “Hold on. I just need to grab my coat.” She disappears for a quick second and then returns with her long beige dress coat in her arms.

“Here. Let me.” I grab the jacket from her, hold it up behind her, and she sinks into it. “Ready?”

She nods, and we head out of the door and descend the three steps in front of her building.

“My Jeep is right over here,” I say while pointing down the street to a parallel parking spot I was lucky enough to grab.

When I arrive in front of my vehicle, I open the passenger side door for Scarlett.

“You don’t have to.” She waves me off.

“I want to,” I say as I grab her arm and assist her into my car before settling into the driver’s seat.

It’s only a short drive to the hotel, the location where we have the Revs’ holiday party every year. Many players look forward to it, but this is the first time that I’ve anticipated it, and it has everything to do with the woman beside me, and not the famed menu.

I pull up to the front of the luxury hotel in downtown Boston, and tip the valet driver as I exit my car. I rush over to the passenger side to greet Scarlett, but her small heels step on the ground before I’m able.

I glance around the front of the hotel, and it’s empty. I grab Scarlett’s hand and lead her down the hallway to where the ballroom is, squeezing her hand right before I let go before check-in. Do I instantly miss her warmth? Yes. Do I regret it? Kind of, but at the same time I don’t want Sebastian to cause a scene here if he caught us doing something he’s uncomfortable with. I know he approved of this particular outing, but I’m sure I wouldn’t have his blessing if he knew exactly what I wanted to do, and have been doing, with his sister.

I’m lucky enough that she’s my date tonight.

We enter the ballroom, and the scent of pine overwhelms my senses. There are at least five Christmas trees scattered throughout the ballroom and red flowers on every table.

“Wow! Look at all the decorations!” Lettie squeals.

“Like them?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

“Of course! They’re beautiful. I love the poinsettias as the centerpieces.”

Poinsettias. That’s what they are.

I make a mental memory that she loves them, and a plan to buy some for her next year.

We meander through the ballroom, stopping to say hello to teammates, until we find our assigned table filled with fellow offensive linemen and their partners.

“Hey, man,” I greet Ant and his wife and introduce him to Lettie before getting reminded he already met her through Sebastian.

Speaking of which, a massive hand clasps my right shoulder. I turn to greet my fellow teammate, and see it’s Sebastian with Annie beside him.

I pull him in for a half-hug greeting, and then move to Annie and draw her in for a quick hug. I turn to Lettie to…I don’t know. I can’t introduce her, as she knows my best friend more than I probably do, and already Annie too. But it turns out I don’t need to do anything, as she’s deep in conversation with her brother already.

My knees shake as I shift my weight. My throat is dry all of a sudden.

“Anyone up for a drink?” Annie asks the group.

And yeah, I am, and my gaze swivels to Lettie, where she nods her agreement.

The four of us all move to the bar and grab drinks. We mingle with different teammates, and I introduce Lettie as my date whenever I get the chance. I love having her on my arm, and I wonder if I’ll ever have a real opportunity in the future.

The air at the holiday party is light and fun as the regular season just ended and we did, in fact, secure the first-round bye.

Our next game, and our first playoff game, is in two weeks, which takes the pressure off a tiny bit, especially for some of my more serious teammates.

We get ushered to our seats a little bit later as our club owner makes the same speech as last year, but we all just smile and applaud.

Dinner is also the same each year—surf and turf, and yes, Sebastian drools over his meal every time.