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“He did good,” Peyton says. “Okay, let’s order. I’m starving.”
The waitress hears Peyton and comes right over, and we place our orders. Once she’s gone, Autumn folds her hands and puts them on the table.
“Peyton told me what you do for work. I have to say, that has to be the coolest job. You literally get paid to read.”
“Cool? I don’t know about that. You’re on TV.”
Autumn waves my comment away. “It’s not as glamorous as it looks. The hours aren’t amazing. I’m either up at three in the morning or going to bed at three in the morning.”
“How will that work with a newborn?” I ask.
“I won’t go back to work until the season’s over, and then Julius will be home. We do have a nanny, but don’t want to burden her with a newborn.”
“Gotcha. Well, my job isn’t all that glamorous either. The pay isn’t great and sometimes I offer freelance services just to get ahead. I do get to read, and for the most part, the books are really good otherwise I wouldn’t read them.”
“What do you mean?” Peyton asks.
“Being an acquisitions editor means I get to pick and choose what I want to read. If the first three chapters don’t wow me, I’m not continuing.”
“Then what happens?” Autumn asks.
I shrug. “Email the agent and politely decline. It happens, but I try to give each submission my full attention, which is how I ended up at the Pioneers practice. I don’t know crap about football, but Alex helped.”
“Yeah, not all of us grow up like Peyton.”
I glance at her. She’s blushing and looking down at the table.
“Honestly, I don’t know anything about any sport. So, I appreciate the Pioneers helping me out.”
“The owners stress the importance of community,” Peyton adds. “We’re more than just a football team. We’re a family.”
* * *
After lunchand an afternoon of pampering, I’m ready for Alex and this fundraiser. Despite Peyton and Autumn prepping me, I still have no idea what to expect. I know the night will be perfect because I’ll be with Alex. The only downside is the Pioneers have an away game this weekend and they’re leaving first thing tomorrow morning. Tonight is all I have with Alex until sometime on Monday or Tuesday, depending on my workload.
My intercom buzzes and I rush over to it. Before pressing the button, I take a deep breath and prepare for the shiver Alex’s voice gives my body. “Hello?”
“Hey, Kels, it’s me.”
Every. Single. Time.
“I’ll be right down.”
“I’ll be the one waiting.”
We previously agreed that he’d wait for me downstairs so his car wouldn’t be towed. I step into the heels that match my dress perfectly and make sure I have my house key and phone in my clutch. I don’t know why I’m a bottle of nerves, but I’m shaking.
The elevator ride down moves painstakingly slow. When the doors open, I expect to find Alex waiting, but he’s not there. I step out slowly and hear a low whistle followed by a growl.
“Holy shit. Wow.”
I come toward him and see he’s eyeing me from head to toe.
“Honey, purple is your color.”
“Thank you, I love this dress.” The strapless number has a high slit along my thigh and tapers at my waist. When I saw it on the rack, I thought no way. The slit scared me and thought it would show too much . . . of everything. But it’s perfect and makes me feel sexy.
He reaches for my hands and then steps back a little. He lets out another low whistle. “Damn. How am I supposed to keep my hands off you?”
