25. Hadley
Hadley
THE GALA
There’s makeup, hairspray, curling irons, and even a few chocolate wrappers spread across the bathroom counter in Taylor’s hotel room.
Since the gala is being held at the Four Seasons, and Kingston’s family was hosting a pajama night for all the littles—God bless them—Taylor invited all the women to get ready together.
Kingston agreed to kindly vacate the suite to get ready with some of the guys.
I don’t think that man can deny her anything.
“I think that’s it,” Paige says, swiping the mascara wand through my lashes one last time. “Take a look.”
I swivel in the desk chair we dragged into the bathroom and glance in the mirror.
I don’t even recognize myself. My hair’s gathered to the right in a sophisticated updo of curls, leaving my neck and left shoulder exposed.
My eyes shimmer with whatever magical shadow Paige brought with her, and my cheeks are flushed, though whether that’s from excitement or the blush she liberally applied is hard to tell.
“Well?” she asks. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s perfect,” I say, tilting my head for a better look. “I look like myself, but better.”
“You look beautiful,” Taylor says, swooping into the bathroom to grab more hairpins. “Bryce is going to swallow his tongue.”
“I don’t know about that,” I say, taking another look in the mirror.
Paige grins. “I do.”
“Bryce is either going to propose or pass out. Anyone want to take bets?” Lauren says, laughing.
The room is in chaos. Part of me wonders how Taylor and Kingston will sleep in here tonight. There are hangers, clothes, empty wrappers, and shoe boxes all over the place.
“Don’t worry,” Penny says, smiling. “I already asked housekeeping to come tidy up while we’re at the gala.” She winks and moves into the bathroom for a final make up check.
“Picture time,” Taylor says, setting her phone up on the wet bar. “Everyone squeeze in together.”
After the photo, we head down to the lobby to meet the guys.
“I’m sweating,” I whisper in the elevator.
“Me too,” Lauren says, fanning herself with her clutch. “It’s hot in here.”
I meant from nerves, but I’ll take the out.
When we step off the elevator, the lobby is full of men and women dressed in elegant evening wear. Gowns of all styles and colors sparkle as women walk by, their heels clicking on the marble floors.
“Ready?” Taylor asks.
I swallow down my nerves. “As I’ll ever be,” I mutter.
“Good, because here they come.”
I find Bryce walking through the crowd, and when my eyes meet his, the entire lobby disappears.
His mouth parts slightly, his eyes sweeping over my dress before returning to my face.
“Wow,” he says softly when he reaches me.
“You look amazing.” He presses a kiss to my cheek and I slip my hand onto his elbow.
I turn just in time to spot Colt look up from his phone and see Paige for the first time. He freezes, and the phone falls from his hands, clattering to the floor.
“Oh no,” Jason mutters. “Another one bites the dust.”
Paige blushes and shifts in place as Colt bends to pick up his phone, his eyes never leaving her.
“Well, this should be interesting,” Bryce says, low enough only I can hear him.
“It’s time,” Kingston says, checking his watch. He places his arm around Taylor. “Let’s go show off these beautiful women on the red carpet.”
“Can you tell I’m sweating bullets?” I whisper.
Bryce chuckles. “No one would be able to tell. They’ll be too focused on how lucky I am to have such a beautiful woman by my side.”
We follow the crowd to the red carpet and it’s instantly loud.
Cameras are flashing, people are talking over each other, calling out questions to the players.
Bryce stays close to me the entire time, his hand never leaving my waist or the small of my back.
He replies politely, finding ways to make me feel included.
“And who is this gorgeous woman with you tonight, Bryce?” a reporter calls.
“This is Hadley,” he says, smiling at me. “My girlfriend.” He places a quick kiss on my temple before gently leading me inside the ballroom.
“Are you okay?” he asks once we are out of earshot of the reporters.
I nod. “Yeah, that was… fun,” I say, finding I mean it. “I’ve never done anything like that before.”
Bryce grins. “Let’s get you a drink.”
He leads me to a drink station where there are containers of lemonade, tea, and water available. “There’s a bar over there, if you’d rather get something else,” he offers.
I shake my head. “This is fine.” I take the glass of lemonade he’s made for me and move to the side to make way for others who are in line to get a drink.
There’s a table set up with directions on how to enter the silent auction, so Bryce pulls out his phone and sets it up.
“Don’t even bother bidding on the party cruise,” one of the guys says. “That one’s mine.”
Bryce laughs and holds his hands up in surrender. “It’s all yours, Dante,” he says, shaking his head.
“This must be the woman that had your head in the clouds,” Stone says, approaching the table. “I’m Stone, and this is my girlfriend, Daisy.”
“Nice to meet you,” I say, smiling at Daisy. “I love your dress.”
“Thank you,” she says, “yours is amazing. Did you buy it around here?”
I tell her about the little boutique Penny found while Bryce and Stone spend the next few minutes trading insults like baseball cards. If I didn’t understand what chirping was, I’d think these two disliked each other.
“It’s time to find your seats,” the emcee says, drawing everyone over toward the tables.
Bryce and I sit down and I’m delighted to see we are at a table with some familiar faces, though it looks like Paige and Colt are a few tables away. I wave and settle into the chair that Bryce pulled out for me.
“Isn’t it amazing?” Taylor says, looking around the beautifully decorated ballroom. “I’m impressed.”
“Is that a dog?” I ask, pointing across the room.
Kingston groans. “Looks like Jake brought his dog to the gala.”
Taylor laughs. “I think it’s cute. Peanut is his buddy.”
“The dog’s name is Peanut? He’s huge!”
Taylor nods. “Isn’t he adorable?”
The emcee starts to welcome everyone before I can respond. So I sit back and try to enjoy the moment. After some introductions, the salad course is served while small talk breaks out across the room. Voices murmur while low music plays in the background.
“What are these?” Dante asks, pointing to red and blue flowers placed artfully on the salad.
“I’m thinking they are edible flowers,” Kingston says, moving them further to the side of his salad plate.
“I’m not eating that,” Dante says, shaking his head.
“Child,” Bryce says under his breath.
“Let me see you eat them then,” Dante challenges.
Bryce picks up a flower, pops it into his mouth and starts to chew. “Yum,” he says, but the look on his face gives him away. As does the half glass of water he washes the bite down with.
Dante laughs. “Sucker,” he mutters.
Lauren rolls her eyes. “One thing you’ll learn, Hadley, is that these men may be amazing hockey players, but they are all little boys off the ice.”
“Hey,” Jason says, nudging her with his elbow. “You take that back.”
Taylor laughs. “Didn’t you propose with a children’s book?”
“That was romantic,” he argues. “It was Little Women. A classic.”
I laugh and watch as these players and their wives interact. They seem to have found a sense of family and belonging together.
Bryce leans over and kisses my temple. “Doing okay?” he whispers.
I nod. “Perfect.”
Once we’ve finished dinner, the emcee comes back on stage and announces several awards. Including leadership awards given to Tyson and to Taz Houlihan.
I watch as the men and women in this room laugh together and cheer for each other, and when Taylor leans over and includes me in an inside joke with her and Lauren, I realize I fit here.
I glance across the ballroom toward Paige just in time to see Colt nearly choke on his drink laughing at something she just said.
“I think they are getting along well,” Bryce says.
“It would seem so,” I say.
There’s a pause for dessert, a lovely cheesecake with layers of strawberry, vanilla and blueberry, then another round of awards before the emcee announces its time to dance and couples make their way onto the floor.
“Dance with me?” Bryce asks, holding out his hand.
“I’d love to,” I say, allowing him to lead me to the dance floor.
As soon as we step onto the floor, the music shifts from a slow song to the YMCA, and Bryce laughs.
He joins in the dance, singing along and doing the arm motions.
Everyone is laughing and having a good time.
I spot Paige dragging Colt over to the dance floor where he stands off to the side still as a statue, but watches Paige with a smile on his face.
Yeah, there’s something there alright.
After a few more upbeat songs, the music slows down, and Bryce pulls me into his arms. “Finally,” he whispers. “I’ve been waiting to hold you close all night.”
“Oh, really?” I ask, leaning my head on his shoulder.
“Really,” he says, his cheeks pressed against the top of my head.
We sway together, lost in our own world. “This is crazy,” I say, lifting my head to meet his eyes.
“Which part?” he asks.
“All of it,” I say. “Meeting you in DC when you live in Colorado. Falling in love. You being traded…”
“Feels like it was meant to be,” he says, leaning in and pressing his lips to mine.
I couldn't agree more. Somewhere between the bookstore and the hockey rink, I found exactly where I belong.