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The older man with graying hair chuckles. “I remember watching that on television when I was a kid. They had to flip it over with a crane! At the time, my parents were stationed at Mildenhall, England, and I begged them to take me. Sadly, they did not.”
“Were you in the military, Mr. Scott?” When Penny says his name like that, an image of a Scottish Star Trek engineer comes to mind. I almost laugh when I see an uncanny resemblance between the Scott in front of me and the man from the show.
“I was. I was a pararescueman in the Air Force.”
“That’s cool!” Penny wipes her mouth and then clears her empty dish from the table. Since she can’t reach the faucet to rinse her plate, she does the next best thing and sets it on the counter. “Does Anna get to come to the game today, Dad?”
“I don’t see why not. She’ll need a Jersey and a beanie, though. Can you make sure that you take Anna to the gift shop and pick those up?”
Anna smiles, but there’s a mischievous glint that I’m not sure is a good or bad thing. “Don’t worry, Aiden. I have that under control. When I found out who I would be working for, I came prepared.”
“Oh. That’s great! I have seats reserved in the family section. I’ll just make sure that I add your name to the list.” A warm feeling washes through me at the thought of Anna rooting for me alongside my family. It’s a feeling I’m not entirely comfortable with, so I open my big mouth and add, “I should warn you. You might encounter my ex-wife.”
Chapter eight
Savannah
Aiden left around ten o’clock to be at the arena by eleven, and I was thankful I kept my wits about me. He looked super sexy in his suit this morning, and when his voice spoke softly in my ear, I almost melted. I hadn’t wanted to kiss a man in years, but this was the first time I had been truly tempted.
I expected that Aiden thought by telling me that there was a chance I could run into his ex-wife, he would elicit some kind of negative reaction from me. I just stared at him and blinked innocently since Martha had already warned me of a possible encounter.
I hadn’t lied to Aiden when I told him I came prepared with the appropriate attire to attend the game. I’ve always been a fan of the Savannah Rockets since they’re the team I grew up with. It wasn’t until Aiden Shaw was signed as a free agent 14 years ago that I got my first jersey with his name on the back. I have jerseys with other players’ names as well, simply because I was young, and he wasn’t the only “smokin’ hot” one on the team. I have never had the opportunity to attend one of his games in person, and I’m really looking forward to finally doing so tonight.
As I get dressed, I opt for a baseball cap instead of my beanie. It will be easier to pull it down so that it shields my face should I get caught on camera. I’m not famous, but anyone who has lived in Savannah for at least fifteen years could recognize me. I want to reduce the chances of that happening. I’m assuming that the only reason Aiden hasn’t figured out who I am is because he was away at college when I gained most of my notoriety.
When I come downstairs, Penny and Martha are waiting for me. Both are wearing Rockets paraphernalia that clearly sports the Shaw name. “What do you think?” I turn in a circle with my arms stretched out to show them my full get-up.
Penny scrunches her nose, but Martha bursts out laughing. “If you wanted to get my son’s attention, that would do it.”
“What? You don’t think he’ll like it?” I tease.
“No,” Penny says emphatically.
Martha wipes away a tear from giggling, “You’ve got guts. I’ll give you that.” She sends a quick text and before I know it, our entourage has returned. Jack, Jeremy, David, and Scott all smile when they see what I’m wearing.
With traffic, it takes us about an hour to get to the game. I imagine that the parking lot to be a zoo when we arrive—and it is—but we have VIP parking and are able to avoid most of the crowds. Tailgaters are everywhere, having a wonderful time and partying it up. As family members, we’re escorted through the tunnels to our seats, which are roped off specifically for the players’ special guests. A few female fans to our left and on the other side of the rope give me some scathing looks while others look relieved.
I guess those ladies are the “puck bunnies,” which is a term used for women looking to hitch their ride to a player. I ignore them, scanning the crowd for any potential threats before taking my seat. Martha and I have Penny wedged between us while Jack and Scott box us in. David and Jeremy are in the fan section but close enough to reach us quickly if needed. Perfect.
I notice that there is an empty seat on the other side of Martha, between her and Jack. “Martha, is that seat saved for Reggie?”
“It is. He’s going to get off work early today so that he can be here. I just hope he makes it before the game starts.”
Reginald Shaw grew up wealthy and never had to work a day in his life if that had been what he wanted. However, he has always been driven and now owns a very successful marketing firm in the heart of Savannah. According to my file, he also has a department within his company comprised of a devoted team of agents who manage other athletes’ careers. Reggie personally takes care of Aiden and Swank.
I continue to scan the crowd, not making eye contact with Martha when I ask her, “How did Reggie go from marketing to becoming a sports agent?”
“It started when Swank was drafted out of college and wanted someone trustworthy to look out for him. When he asked Reggie, my husband delved deep into learning all he could about becoming an agent. Swank landed one of the highest-paid contracts for that year’s draft at $400,000, and people started talking. It was only surpassed when Aiden was signed on two years later. That’s the moment things really took off for him. When other players started seeking out Reggie to represent them, he decided to create a team of agents. Reggie never wanted to be an agent, which is why he only represents Aiden and Swank. Oh, there he is!”
Penny starts bouncing in her seat, thrilled that her grandpa has arrived and comes bearing gifts. “Grandpa bought snacks!”
I stand up to help him, but Jack beats me to it, taking one of the boxes containing four drinks and a dozen hot dogs. The remaining box has four drinks, four hotdogs, a bucket of popcorn, and a box of licorice. He’s got the balancing act down to a science, and I have to admit, I’m impressed.
Once Reggie is seated, he passes out the hotdogs and drinks while Jack does the same for the security team. “Anna, I didn’t know what you wanted to drink, but I didn’t figure that soda was your thing. I have sweet tea and unsweet tea. Which would you prefer? I like both and can drink whichever one you don’t want.”
“Thank you, Reggie. I’ll take the unsweet tea, please. I prefer to save my calories for things like hotdogs. And if I had to guess, you like things on the sweeter side, hence your beautiful wife.”
Martha beams at me, “I knew I liked you for a reason.”
