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I glanced up at him. There was a faraway look in his eyes. Did he…no. JJ wasn’t the type to want to be with one person only. Surely not? But maybe…
“Hey.” Angling my head so I could speak without being overheard by the others, I said, “Anything you want to talk about?”
Biting down on his lip, he shook his head. “No. Not… No.” He smiled down at me. “Thanks, though.”
“Anytime. You know I’m here if you need me.”
“I know. You’re a good friend.”
We returned our attention to the game…well, I returned my attention to my football player, and before I knew it, it was half-time. Sadly, my footballer didn’t come over, because apparently, they didn’t walk around chatting with the supporters during their fifteen-minute break. Instead, I passed the time brainstorming with JJ about ways to boost my subscribers, and before I knew it, the whistle was blowing to announce the second half.
We had another forty-five minutes to sit through, and during that time, LSU scored another three goals. The atmosphere was electric, and I couldn’t stop smiling. This wasfun. I decided I’d like to come back again, and not only for reasons relating to my footballer.
When the final whistle blew and the players left the pitch, JJ cleared his throat. “Nic, I need to go. I’m sorry, but I’ve got to see G. Do you want to leave too, or are you going to hang around?”
“I know. G comes first. Give her my love.” Pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, I grinned at him. “Of course I’m going to hang around. I still haven’t spoken to my football player yet.”
Climbing off him, I stretched, working out the kinks in my muscles. He tugged his phone from his pocket, waving it in my face. “Text me later with all the details. Don’t leave anything out.”
“I will. Wish me luck.”
“You don’t need luck, babe.” He gave me a quick hug, dropping a kiss on top of my head. “Talk later. And watch out for the mud.”
“Thanks for reminding me.”
When JJ had gone, I followed Noah and Elliot to the building where we’d meet the players. Without my JJ windshield, I found myself shivering. It was my fault for not wearing a coat, but I wanted to get my footballer’s attention, and how could I do that if I was hiding my best assets?
The doors opened, and I held my breath, rising onto my tiptoes to see the players coming out. I enjoyed being short, except for moments like this, when I couldn’t see. And when I was trying to get things out of the kitchen cupboard.
But then, there he was. No longer in his football kit, but in the softest-looking black zip-up hoodie with the LSU team logo and indigo jeans that hugged his legs, all finished with a pair of bright white Nikes. His gaze scanned the crowd again, and when he noticed me, his eyes widened and his brow furrowed, just like they’d done before.
I took a step towards him, and another, until I was standing in front of him.
“Hi.”
“Hi. You’re here. I mean, what are you doing here? Not that I mind—” Cutting himself off, he scrubbed his hand across his face. “Sorry. I just wasn’t expecting to see you here. You’ve never been here before. Or have you? I’ve only just started playing for this team. I just?—”
A wide smile spread across my face. He was so fucking cute, all flustered and unsure. I loved it. As if he wasn’t already attractive enough, he now had to add this cuteness to his repertoire.
“It’s my first time at a football match, and I came to see you,” I told him. There was no point in beating around the bush.
“Me? Why?”
“Because I think you’re hot, and I think you might be interested in me.”
He blinked, and a flush appeared on his cheekbones. “Uh…okay. This is…” Shaking his head, he huffed out a laugh. “Unexpected. Okay.” Chewing on his lip, he studied me for a moment, before he sighed. “Look, you want to go somewhere and talk, or something?”
I wanted to do something that involved our mouths, but talking wasn’t it. Still, better to tread carefully when he was clearly unsure about my being here.
“Okay. Where should we go? Any suggestions?”
“What about The Coffee Collective? It’s just around the corner…or we can just walk around, if you prefer.”
“I’ll buy you a coffee,” I decided. “Lead the way.”
His brows rose. “Bossy little thing, aren’t you?”
I opened my mouth to protest, then immediately closed it. It was true. Instead, I said, “We should exchange names. In case you forgot, I’m Niccolò. You can call me that. Or Nic. Or baby. Or whatever you want, as long as it’s nice.”
