“Actually, you’re still listed on payroll as your father’s personal assistant. And in that role, you’ve got exactly zero authority over Luca or any other player.” She smiles. “Perhaps you’ve felt like Luca’s boss all this time, and good for you for seeing things that way, but I assure you the organization only knows what’s on the payroll records and org chart.” She takes a happy swig of her bubbly. “Honestly, I think there’s a stronger argument that Luca, not you, had the upper hand and therefore might have stumbled in terms of the employee handbook.” She chuckles. “But I certainly won’t lose sleep wondering about that, if you and Luca won’t.” She laughs at my utterly shocked expression and pats my hand. “Oh, honey. It’s not a problem. I’ll tell HR to draw something up for you two to sign. Whatever’s necessary to cover every conceivable ass cheek—yours, Luca’s, and the organization’s—and that will be that.” She snickers. “Either way, it’ll be a moot point soon, once you start working for me in operations. That is, of course, if you’ll accept my offer?”
“Of course I will! Thank you. Yes!” I hug her in gratitude while holding back joyful tears.
“Now, go have fun,” Ginny coos with a pat to my back before releasing me. “We’ll handle the paperwork next week.”
“Do I need to wait till then to tell anyone about this?”
“Of course not. The job is yours as of right now. Pop some champagne and tell anyone and everyone.”
“Oh my gosh. What’s my job title, exactly?”
She twists her lips. “Good question. I was thinking ‘special advisor and liaison to the owner.’ But I’d welcome your ideas.”
I bite my lower lip. “Well, since you said I’ll be handling analytics as part of my job, I’d love it if that word could be part of my title.”
A light bulb goes off on Ginny’s face and she straightens up. “Chelsea Parker, I’m hereby creating an analytics department at the Mastodons. It’s a department of one for now, which means you’re the head of it!” She giggles happily. “Congratulations, Ms. Parker. You’re now officially the first female head of analytics in the NFL.” As I lose my mind, Ginny says, “Now go celebrate. And don’t bother talking to my nephew about this or anything else. I’ll let him know he can either get with my new ideas or step aside into a new role.” She winks. “Like I said, my nephew answers to me. And now, lucky me, so do you.”
CHAPTER 42
Luca
WHENCHELSEA REACHESme after talking to Ginny, she’s out of breath and wild-eyed. In a rush of excitement, she shouts her good news at me above the blaring music. First, about her successful conversation with her father and brother, and then about her mind-blowing conversation with Ginny.
Feeling overcome with euphoria, love, and joy, I wrap Chelsea in my arms and congratulate her, and we proceed to whisper breathlessly about our mutual elation and relief. With her body pressed against mine, it’s taking all my willpower not to kiss her, right here and now in front of everyone. But I can’t take that next step until I know that’s what she wants, too.
“Does this make me your boyfriend now?” I ask, leaning back from our embrace. “Officially, I mean. Or do I need to be your secret boy toy a little while longer?”
Chelsea beams a beautiful smile at me. “You’re officially my boyfriend. Everywhere and all the time.”
My heart rate quickens. “So … can I kiss you?”
“Please do.” Chelsea puckers and I gleefully peck her lips, just to be safe, even though I want to take her into my arms and kiss her passionately.
“Go talk to my father,” she says. “I’m sure he saw that kiss.”
I salute her and head off. Chelsea told me her father wantsto talk to me when she shouted her good news at me, but I would have beelined over to him regardless, simply to assure him of the depth of my feelings for his beloved daughter.
When I reach my head coach, he’s chatting with his wife and both of my parents, conveniently. Everyone greets me warmly, including the man I came to see.
As the other three parents look on, Coach tells me everything I’d expect a good daddy to say at a moment such as this. Stuff about me treating his daughter right, or else, and I promise the man has absolutely nothing to worry about.
To my surprise, that’s it. The end of the stern talking-to, apparently, because I’m now being barraged by congratulations and questions from the three other parents.
“Who fell first?” Chelsea’s mother asks breathlessly. “It was you, wasn’t it? Chelsea’s always so buttoned up.”
“Yeah, it was me by a long mile.” I exchange a knowing look with my mother, since she knows better than anyone just how hard I fell for Chelsea. Not only because of our conversation at Roman’s opening game this season, but also because she’s the one I asked to pack a certain something from my trophy shelf at home for her trip to Columbus.
Suddenly, it dawns on me this is the perfect moment to give Chelsea that certain something! Right here and now, rather than waiting to do it later tonight in private, as I’d initially planned. Actually, I’d originally wanted to give it to Chelsea last night when I sneaked into her teenage bedroom, but once I found out she didn’t write about me in her teenage diary, I lost my nerve and decided instead to keep it with me and do it another time, whenever the moment felt right. Well, hot damn, that right moment is obviously right fucking now.
“Hey, I just realized I haven’t given a speech yet, Coach,” I say. All night long, people have been grabbing the DJ’s mic and making toasts and speeches to our guest of honor.
“Oh jeez,” Coach Parker says with a chuckle. “A speech from Mr. Personality? God help me.”
When I get to the DJ, he hands me the mic and turns down the music for me.
“Hey, everyone!” I call out. “I’d like to say a few words to Coach Parker.” My gaze drifts to Chelsea in the crowd, and when I see her smiling face, I wink to let her know my conversation with her father went exceedingly well. “First off, Coach, congrats on the Hall of Fame induction, and happy sixtieth to you. You’re an amazing coach and person, and I’m lucky to know you, let alone get to play for you.”
I extol Coach Parker’s long list of virtues and talents for a bit. And all of my comments are the truth. But after a bit, in segue to the topic I’ve got up my sleeve, I say, “So, it’s no wonder you’ve raised such an incredible daughter.” I find Chelsea in the crowd again. “You’re a talented coach in your own right, too, Chelsea. But as important as you’ve been to me as my coach, as of tonight, you’re even more important to me as my girlfriend.”
