I stared out the windshield as the stadium appeared in the distance. “It really is an amazing building,” I observed.
“I can’t believe we get to be some of the first people to see the team on the field. My brothers are going to shit when they find out about this.”
“Ben too,” I agreed. “But I’m glad he’s working and I get to be here on your big day.”
“Me too.”
Melissa pulled into the stadium’s parking lot and eased into a spot near the front entrance. There were only a few dozen cars in the massive lot, and I knew most of them had to belong to the players. Melissa killed the ignition and pulled two press passes from her glove compartment. She passed me one of the stiff, laminated cards and I pulled the lanyard over my head.
“Are you ready for this?” I asked, my voice enthusiastic and supportive.
She took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m ready. My camera crew isn’t here yet, but they can meet up with us inside.”
We climbed out of the car and made our way to the main entrance. We were greeted by an official looking man wearing a headset. He took one look at our passes and directed us to the press seating near the fifty-yard line.
After finding our seats, Melissa and I spent the next hour watching the players scrimmage on the field. As I watched the game, I felt the strangest sense that I knew one of the quarterbacks.
That’s impossible. I’ve never met anyone capable of playing professional football. Last night’s wine is messing with my head.
About fifteen minutes before the practice wound down, Melissa’s camera crew showed up and shot some footage of the team in action. I’d assumed the after practice interviews would take place on the field and was shocked when Melissa pulled me toward the locker room.
“I can’t go in there,” I insisted. “There will be strange men showering, and changing, and God knows what.”
“Oh come on, Emily. Don’t be such a prude. We’re all professionals and the players are expecting us. No one’s going to be naked.” She pulled me into the room before I had a chance to make any more objections.
To my relief, all of the players were clothed from the waist down. Some still wore their pads and jerseys, but most were lounging around bare chested. The sight was distracting, to say the least.
Larry Davis, the head coach of the Stallions, approached Melissa with a smile and an extended hand. I shuffled behind her cameraman and did my best to blend into the wall.
“Thank you so much for having me, Mr. Davis. I was hoping to ask you a few questions, and then maybe interview a few members of the team,” she explained.
He released her hand and gave her an indulgent grin. “Let me guess. You’d like to have the first local interview with our new star quarterback.”
“I’d love to talk to everyone on the team,” Melissa assured him. “But, of course, if Mr. McAlister is willing, I’d love to speak with him too.”
McAlister? Quarterback…? No. It can’t be.
“I’m willing to speak with you,” a familiar voice boomed through the room and my face flushed hot as I fought the urge to look toward the voice.
“Thank you so much,” Melissa answered, a note of gushing in her tone.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Ethan warned. “I’ll talk to you now and I’ll throw in a sit down after our first home game… on the condition that I can have a few moments alone with Emily. Just to talk, of course.”
This isn’t happening. It’s the wine. I’m home asleep in bed, and this is all just a terrible dream.
I looked up from the locker room floor; every eye was on me. Melissa’s mouth had fallen open in shock while the rest of the team seemed amused by the exchange. I cleared my throat and finally met Ethan’s charming, apologetic gaze.
“Where would you like to talk?” I asked him, forcing a smile that was brighter than I felt.
“Why don’t we step back out to the stadium? Melissa can find us there when she’s wrapped up the other interviews,” he suggested.
I exhaled deeply. “Lead the way.”
Melissa mouthed a quick thank you and turned back to the coach. Ethan walked past his teammates and led me back into the stadium. I was still recovering from my surprise at seeing him and was at a complete loss for words. He didn’t seem to mind the silence though. We sat down and stared at the field for a few moments before he finally spoke.
“You said if we were supposed to meet again, we would,” he reminded me. “So what do you call this?”
“I don’t know,” I hesitated. “I guess I’d call it a coincidence.”
I wanted to believe that’s all it was, but I didn’t. I loved Ben, I reminded myself. At the same time, I felt the strangest pull toward Ethan. And when I looked at him, my heart soared with not only attraction but an odd sense of familiarity. The way it would after seeing someone I loved after a lifetime apart. I didn’t understand my feelings, and that terrified me.
“I’d call it more than that,” he argued. “I think fate is trying to tell us something. You’re destined to give me a tour of this city, Emily Kinkaid,” he teased.
We both knew he wanted a lot more than a tour, though for the life of me, I couldn’t understand why. I was sitting in front of him looking my absolute worst for the second time in a week. He was a professional athlete, surrounded by groupies and cheerleaders on a regular basis. Yet, he wanted me.
“I still have a boyfriend,” I reminded him.
“I still don’t care,” he insisted. “I’ve decided he’s not good enough for you.”
I let out a quick laugh. “Oh yeah? And I assume you are?”
He nodded. “Yes. And before you shoot me down, let me plead my case. First off, I am incredibly attentive. This boyfriend of yours seems to leave you on your own an awful lot.”
“Maybe I’m an independent woman who likes her space,” I suggested.
Ethan stared into my eyes, his face full of understanding. “I can tell you’re an independent woman. But I think that’s more out of necessity, not choice. You’ve spent a lot of time alone in your life, haven’t you?”
I nodded, amazed by how well he seemed to know me. “How did you know?”
“I’ve spent a lot of time alone, too. It’s a pretty common story. My parents divorced when I was eleven. Dad sent checks until I was eighteen, but he stopped showing up for his weekend visits when I was in junior high. Mom married a pompous ass who I still can’t stand, and I avoided them both as much as possible.”
“That must have made for a lonely childhood.”
He nodded. “But lonely was better than pissed off and bitter. So what’s your story? I shared mine.”
“My uncle raised me. He was a pilot, so he was away a lot. And we moved almost constantly, which made it hard to make friends.”
Why am I telling him this? I don’t even know him.
Ethan cleared his throat and stared out at the field. “I understand you’re involved with someone, Emily. I admire that you don’t want to do anything to disrespect that. But I feel the strangest connection with you. I hope you’ll consider being my friend, if nothing else.”