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Scanning the crowd around us, I make a quick check for any unwelcome surprises. The only person raising a semi-red flag on my radar is this guy in a suit on the steps, studying the crowd.
I pull my gaze away from him, but my focus remains. I track him in my peripheral vision, and my hairs stand up on my arms.
“Everything okay?” Chloe asks as she sets her hand on my bouncing knee.
“Man on the stairs to our right. He’s been standing there and looking around,” I whisper to her without moving my head.
“I’m sure he’s just looking for someone he knows. Maybe he just got here.” She tries to calm my nerves.
But her attempt fails miserably as he takes a step up to our row and turns our way. I stick my hand in my bag to wrap my fingers around my bottle of pepper spray, and then I remember I couldn’t bring it in because of the damn bag checks.
Shit. I clench a pen and click it to expose the pointiest part.
He’s only a couple of seats away when I dare to look up. My stomach twists. He’s looking at me like he knows who I am, like he’s here for me.
I grip the pen tighter in my hand and get ready to fight.
“Are you Nikki?” the man shouts over the deafening noise of the crowd.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart pounds against my rib cage as I nod my head.
“Would you and your friend come with me, please?” the man asks with an enthusiastic smile.
“Why would we do that? We don’t know you,” I snap and quickly calm my growing fear.
If this were an attempt from Trey, he wouldn’t have done this. He would have waited until after the game to make his move. He would have grabbed me in the chaos of the emptying rink.
“Mr. Costello sent me to bring you both to new seats,” he tells us, less friendly than before.
What is Cam doing?
Guilt burns my chest as I realize I was rude to this man for no reason. But I’m taking enough risks as it is. I don’t need to be taking any additional ones by following a strange man simply because he requested it.
“Cam sent you?” I ask him again simply because I don’t know what else to say. “Where are you taking us?”
“Down to the glass.”
Chloe grabs both of our purses, and I release the pen instantly.
She stands up. “Thank God. Let’s go!”
Before I can protest, she grabs my arm and pulls me up out of my seat and begins to follow this guy.
“Chloe, what the hell is wrong with you?” I shout-whisper to her.
“Cam went out of his way to do this for you. Take it for what it is and stop overthinking it, Nik. Enjoy it, please,” she says sweetly.
My heart contracts as I let my fear fall away. Fear that this was all a setup from Trey. That he knew about Cam and this was an elaborate plan.
I can’t believe Cam really did this for me, that he went out of his way to move me to a better seat. I honestly didn’t think that I would find someone after Trey. I swore love and men off for good. I swore to keep to myself and stay hidden. But it’s impossible to be invisible around Cam. He sees me like no one ever has.
“Right this way,” the man orders as we continue to descend the stairs.
After what feels like a short hike, we reach the glass and are brought to two empty seats next to the Nighthawks bench.
Did he pick these seats on purpose, or did they just happen to be free?
