I grinned at him. “Me too, baby. I’m so fucking excited to watch.”
He smacked his lips to mine once more, then picked up his bag and walked out. I watched him drive off, waiting until he was out of sight before heading back to the bedroom to find my phone. There was a message from Freddie.
Freddie: Hey, looking forward to seeing you later. Ready for your first live game?
Emerson: Can’t wait. See you soon! Pick you guys up in a few hours.
Freddie: Perfect.
I walked into Drew’s closet where he’d hung some of my things, alongside the jersey he wanted me to wear. His jersey. Iremoved it from the rail, along with a pair of skinny jeans and laid it out on the bed, contemplating my next move.
I wasn’t normally the type of girl who spent hours getting ready, but I also wasn’t an idiot. If I’d learned anything from spending any time with my brother, I knew full well there was a chance I’d end up in a photo somewhere and didn’t relish being ripped apart by the gossip columns. Drew liked me fresh faced and in sweats, but I’d be damned if I looked anything less than hot as fuck, and it always took longer to appear like you hadn’t spent any effort at all - which is the look I’d decided I was going for.
I turned the shower up hot and stepped in.
Ralph pulled up in front of Cooper and Freddie’s gigantic house and the front doors opened as we pulled to a stop, Wolfie’s enormous bump leading the way. She’d recently stopped coming to the studio, so I hadn’t seen her for a few weeks. I jumped out and gave her a hug, helping her down the steps.
She was so big I wasn’t sure how she’d get in the car.
“Do you want to sit in the front?”
Ralph was holding the door open for her.
“Yes, I think so. I’m finding it hard to maneuver much at all these days with this bloody baby.”
“Not long now though, right?”
She climbed into the front seat of the SUV and rubbed her belly, groaning. “I feel ready to burst, but there’s still ten days until my due date. I’m sure the doctors got it wrong. This is my last home game for a bit though. I had to sleep all day just to get the energy for this.”
I laughed, getting into the back seat. I saw Freddie walk out of the house, shutting the door behind her before she got in the car next to me. With the three of us in matching jerseys, we looked like some kind of girl band.
“Hi, ladies, ready to go?” asked Ralph.
“You bet.”
Ralph drove off and we were soon on the interstate heading into the city.
Freddie’s hand patted my knee. “First live game! You look good in Drew’s jersey.”
Even though I was only in jeans and biker boots, it was a nice change to move out of my usual yoga pants. It had taken me an hour to get my thick hair under control, but I’d blown it out into big waves and it currently rested down my back.
I smiled. “Thank you. He was pretty excited about this. And yes, I am, but I’ve watched most of them on TV already.”
“Just wait until you see it live. It’s so different being there.”
“The atmosphere?”
“Yes. It’s just raw and packed with testosterone. It’s like foreplay,” she cackled. “Watching Coop has always turned me on, but right now with these baby hormones, I can barely make it home without jumping him. Plus he won’t have sex with me before a game, which makes it ten times worse. I’m lucky he’s an athlete with a lot of stamina, because if I’m not crying, I’m horny. Thankfully I’ve not cried during sex yet.”
I threw my head back, laughing. Over the last few months, I’d spent a lot of time with Wolfie and Freddie. They’d taken it upon themselves to befriend me and show me the ropes of dating a Ranger, and I was incredibly grateful. They were funny and sweet, and I’d just about got used to their slightly strange English ways, and Freddie’s unfiltered, forthright way of speaking.
We hit Midtown, and I could see the iconic Madison Square Garden in the distance, lit up in red, white and blue. I’d never been here before, and nervous excitement started to flutter in my belly. We turned into the players’ entrance through big security gates, flashing our passes, and driving down the ramp underneath the arena, stopping in front of a set of double doors where a young man in a suit was waiting. Freddie and I got out of the car, Ralph holding the door open for Wolfie as she slid off the seat.
“Hi, Joey, how are you?” Freddie greeted him. “This is Emerson, Drew Crawley’s girlfriend. Emerson, this is Joey. He works in the PR team for the club.”
He smiled. “Hi, Emerson, good to meet you. Have you got your passes?”
I reached into my bag and pulled them out, putting them around my neck. “Yep, here.”
