Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
JASPER
“Okay, how the fuck do I tie a bow tie?” I ask, fidgeting with the damn material around my neck.
Not for the first time tonight.
“How have you never tied a bow tie before?” Noah asks, swatting my hand away. Using deft fingers, he ties it with ease.
“Excuse me. I always did the clip-on ones.”
“That says a lot,” Noah snickers.
“Fuck off.” I grab my drink from the table and take a sip. “And thank you.”
Having done fancy events in the past, I should be able to manage to tie a scrap of fabric together, but I can’t.
Maybe if I had someone like Quinn to help me.
Fuck. I should not let my thoughts stray there. No good will come of it.
“Look, you need to put on a happy face for a few hours and then you can be done,” Marcus says.
“Who says I’m not happy about tonight?”
He waves a hand in my direction. “Whatever you’re thinking right now gave you a look.”
Bode nods his head in agreement. “The kind that says you’re mad about something.”
“I’m fine.” It’s little more than a growl, but at this point, I don’t care.
It’s been almost a week since I last talked to Quinn. It’s the longest we’ve gone since we started talking. Well, except for the time she ghosted me, but she had her reasons.
This is more self-inflicted.
Because I can’t keep falling for her if she’s never going to want to meet in person. I couldn’t take it. Hell, I’m already halfway in love with her.
“We’re going to go upstairs and grab the girls. Want to meet us in the ballroom?” Bode asks.
“Sure.”
We all leave Marcus’s room, and while the guys head upstairs to their partners, Noah, Graham, and I head toward the ballroom. We spent the afternoon bowling before heading to the hotel to get ready for the evening ahead.
We haven’t even made it into the ballroom, and everything about this hotel is grand.
Velvet curtains hang from the walls with low, flickering lights.
Waiters with trays of champagne greet us.
It’s bougie as fuck, and the team wants us to wine and dine everyone to get them to open their pocketbooks to raise money for the team’s new charity this year.
“Wow.” I let out a low whistle as we enter the ballroom.
Tall vases of flowers sit on each table surrounded by small, flickering candles. Long swaths of white fabric hang from the walls and ceiling with glittering lights behind them. People are milling about as servers in white jackets serve hors d’oeuvres and glasses of champagne.
I grab a glass and take a gulp.
“You sure you’re okay?” Graham asks, eyeing me over his own glass.
Some of our teammates are already here, lingering near the walls so as not to be the first to break the ice.
“Would you guys quit asking me that? I’m fine.”
“Sure you are,” Noah says. “Maybe you just miss Twatopotamus.”
“Her name is Zucchini,” I growl. “That is not catching on.”
“Oh yeah, he misses his cat.” Noah ignores me. “That’s pretty cute.”
Ignoring them, I find our table and drop down into my chair. All of the guys and their partners come and take their seats.
This is one of those times I hate being the only single person. The empty seat next to me is a glaring reminder that I’m alone.
Who knows? If Quinn had decided to come over and meet Zucchini—and me—maybe she’d be here with me tonight.
I make idle chitchat with everyone, eating my bland chicken.
It’s fine. It’s like every other fundraising gala before this one. I’ve never brought anyone before, so why am I moping about it now?
Maybe it’s because I wish I had someone with me? I can’t imagine what would have happened if I told the guys about Quinn and wanting to bring her and then she didn’t show up.
I don’t know if I could ever live down that embarrassment.
Before long, we’re shuffled out of our seats after dinner before Genevieve takes the stage. Something I know because the girls have talked about it all night.
She’s a force on stage. In a black dress with a cut-out on the side, it highlights her curvy figure.
Hell, maybe I could try and talk to her again. We had fun talking for those few minutes before she sang the national anthem.
Couldn’t hurt.
The universe must be working in my favor when she walks in our direction after finishing a few songs.
“Hi there.” Genevieve comes up to our table. “I’m Genevieve. It’s nice to meet you.”
I snort but Bode elbows me in the side.
“What?” I throw my hands up in defense. “It’s not like she needs to introduce herself when she’s the world’s biggest pop star.”
She smiles at me and it does funny things to my insides. “It’s only polite.”
“More polite than him.” Bode laughs.
“It’s nice to meet you…” Genevieve holds her hand out to me.
“Jasper.” Taking her hand, a flash of electricity moves up my arm. “But we’ve already met before.”
Should I be offended she doesn’t remember me?
She flashes me an award-winning smile. “I think I’d remember if I’d met one of the Knights’ greatest players.”
“Then she clearly hasn’t met you,” Bode jokes.
“Ouch. You going to let him talk to you like that?” Genevieve asks me before turning her attention toward Bode. “I think you should respect your elders.”
“He’s not that much older,” Bode mumbles
“We’re meeting the world’s biggest pop star and you guys are arguing over who is older?” Harper shakes her head. “I’m sorry, we can’t take these guys anywhere.”
“They’re always like this,” Stevie confirms. “But we love them anyway.”
“They sound like keepers,” Genevieve says.
“That they are,” Chloe says, smiling at Dax.
“Well, it was nice to meet you all. I was taking a quick break but need to get back up on stage.” She throws up the peace sign. “Got to go.”
“Who says that?” Noah laughs as she retreats.
“Holy shit.” My eyes fly to the space Genevieve vacated.
“What?” Dax asks.
“It’s her.”
“Her who?” Marcus asks, looking confused now.
“Her,” I reiterate.
“Okay, you saying her again doesn’t help me know who her is,” Marcus says.
“I have to go.”
I set my drink down on the table and run. Fast. I don’t want her getting away. Not when I’m finally in the same room with her.
Busting out of the double doors of the ballroom, I look both ways. A flash of blonde hair turns the corner at the end of the hall and I chase after her.
I am not letting her out of my sight.
“Genevieve!” I shout after her.
The hallway is quieter back here. She’s moving fast for being in a pair of tall, silver heels.
“Genevieve.” I try again. This time I’m closer. I see her hesitate for a moment before she keeps walking.
Not breaking stride, I call out again.
“Quinn.”
She stops dead in her tracks.
Bingo.