"Hey!"Ophelia greets."So glad you decided to come.This is going to be so much fun!Let me do introductions.Rachel, this is Hannah LaRosa and Carlos Cruz-Collado.Hannah is with Callaghan Entay, the goalie, and Carlos is with Landon Stubbs.Hannah and Carlos were roommates before they started shacking up with their respective players.Landon’s a midfielder, just like TJ.He’s right and TJ is left.Rachel is dating TJ Doyle, though she continues to keep up a cock-and-bull story that they’re just friends.Do you fly out to Vegas for ‘just a friend’?I think not.Rachel," she says to me directly, "I just realized I don’t know your last name."
"It’s Cramer."One of the reasons I like being with Ophelia is that she does all the talking.I never have to carry the conversation.
"So, Hannah runs the social media account for the New England Patriots.Carlos is a makeup artist.They are both huge on ClikClak, but they don’t like me to mention that."She smiles sheepishly."Did you say you worked for your family business?What is it?"
I suck in a deep breath.I’ve just met these people.Even though Tyler and I aren’treallytogether, would it damage his image to be associated with me and my ClikClak account?
"Ophelia, give the poor girl a break and let her get a word in edgewise," Carlos chides.He turns around to look at me."God, you’re cute.Adorable."
My face fills with heat."Um, I don’t wear makeup," I say apologetically.
"Don’t apologize to me, girl."
I wish I could be like Ophelia and be unabashedly open with total strangers, saying something like, "My mom was really into it.She wouldn’t go anywhere without putting her face on.She’d spend hours at a time on it.I swear, she looked like a completely different person.You know, like practically catfishing.Maybe that’s why her boyfriends never lasted long.They woke up with someone different than they went to bed with.Anyway, she pretty much sucks, and I don’t want to be anything like her, so I’ve never gotten into the makeup thing."
Instead, I sit quietly while Ophelia continues to ramble, and Hannah and Carlos occasionally chime in.They’re a funny group, and I’m having a good time.
Richie would love them.
I smile, knowing I’m here because of her.Though losing her was the worst experience in my life, I’m emerging on the other side, better and stronger.Maybe even happier.All because of her list.
We’ve arrived at the stadium, and we head inside to the lounge reserved for the WAGs.Carlos is the only man in here, but he doesn’t seem to mind.There are snacks and drinks.There’s even a staff person dedicated to running and getting our alcoholic beverages so we don’t have to stand in line.
This is so cool.
There are only about six other women in here.I’m not sure if most of the team is single, or if coming to games isn’t super popular.
It’s almost time for the game to start, and I’ve yet to get myself a sweatshirt or hoodie to wear.I let the crew know that I’m stepping out and that I’ll meet them at our seats.Ophelia offers to come with me.
"So, it’s basically like high school all over again?"I ask.Even though there weren’t that many other women in the room, the social structure was evident.I was smart not to disclose my place of employment.
Ophelia shrugs."I guess.I think?I’m new to all of this.We all are.It’s the first season for any of us.We’re definitely the new kids."She thinks for a minute."Probably not the cool ones, either, in case you couldn’t tell."
"I’ve never been invited to sit at the cool kids’ table," I admit.That should shock exactly no one."I’m not sure I’d want to, either."
"Me neither, which is why we vibe."
"I don’t know anything about soccer.Do the players’ positions determine their rank?Like that Victoria woman—is her husband the … what’s the soccer equivalent of quarterback?"
"She’s like that because her husband, Pressley Samson, is one of the two captains.She thinks it makes her special."
"Who’s the other one?"There wasn’t another snooty WAG in the lounge.Maybe the other captain isn’t married.
"Callaghan Entay.Hannah’s boyfriend.He’s the goalie, which is probably the most equivalent to the quarterback."
"But Hannah’s so nice!"I say.It’s true.She is smart and funny, and if she was passing judgment on me, she kept it to herself.
"Like I said, we’re all new here.But we’re determined to have a good time, so I’m glad you came with us tonight."
In all honesty, if I’d known there would be more people, I probably wouldn’t have agreed to come.On the other hand, Tyler’s response was worth having to people when I didn’t plan to.His words dance through my head again.He was flirting with me.No doubt about it.The mere thought of it feels like soda fizz in my stomach.
I’m torn between the red-and-navy camouflage-patterned sweatshirt that matches their home jerseys or a simpler navy hoodie.I’m not the flashy patterned type, so I land on the plain navy hoodie with "Boston Buzzards" in red and white across the chest.I pull it over my head, and we make our way to our seats.
I probably should look at getting a shirt or jersey with TJ’s name on it, if only to keep up the pretenses of being his girlfriend to get cheaper tickets.It sits uncomfortably in my gut, the lying and deception.What if TJ gets in trouble for abusing the system?Also, I don’t want to lie to people I could be friends with.
I turn to Ophelia."TJ and I are really just friends.I probably shouldn’t be in the lounge or these seats."
"You can say you’re friends all you want.He doesn’t look at you like a friend.He wouldn’t be buying you these tickets if you were just a friend."
