Chapter 18 – Jordie
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Extra cherries
Jordie
Private planes… if you have the means, I highly recommend you pick one up.
“At risk of sounding like a total hillbilly, this plane is the shiz,” I say, reclining back in the luxurious black leather seat across from Phoenix.
“Guess I’m a hillbilly too because I agree. No matter how many times I take one of our planes, I’m always in a little bit of awe.”
I lift my head from the padded headrest. “You have more than one plane?”
Phoenix swirls a finger in the air as he reclines as well. “This is the company plane. We also have a plane the Hale family uses for private travel. Lift the cover of your armrest and press the green button and then the blue.”
When I do, large balls begin rotating and moving against my back. “Dear god,” I moan. “Can I come sit in this chair after games?” My eyes close as the massaging balls do their work against my sore muscles. Coach has been working us hard at practice leading up to our first game of the season.
“Sure,” Phoenix draws out on a groan, obviously having turned on his massage function as well. “I’ll give you the keys to the hangar.”
“Is there a key to the plane door too, or should I bring my crowbar to jimmy it open?”
“You know, I have no idea,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “The crew always has it open when I arrive for a flight.”
Speaking of the crew, a woman in a baby-pink-and-white tailored suit approaches. “Mr. Hale, Ms. McNamara, can I bring you anything to drink now that we’re at our cruising altitude?”
“Some of the juice my mother sent, please. Jordie, you want a little splash of champagne in yours?”
“Mmhmm,” I hum.
“Two juices with champagne,” he tells the woman. “Thank you, Annie.”
The angel known as Annie returns shortly with two stemless champagne flutes and a plate of fruit for each of us. She flips out a drink holder and places my glass in it.
“So your first game is in a couple weeks against New York,” Phoenix notes once Annie disappears to the galley. “That’s a division game, right?”
“Yes, since our league is new, we only have ten teams right now,” I explain, popping a juicy green grape into my mouth. “Houston is in the East Division, along with Orlando, Chicago, New York, and New Orleans. The West has Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Denver, and Kansas City.”
“And you play against the other four East teams first?”
“Yes, and then we play the five West teams in October and November before playing each team in our division again.”
“I noticed the Super Bowl will be right before Christmas.”
“Yep.” I take a sip of my fizzy juice, the flute cool and delicate between my fingers.
I hope like hell I don’t break it because it probably costs more than a black market kidney.
“We don’t have playoffs, so the winner of each division will automatically be in the Super Bowl.
Once we expand to sixteen teams in a few years, they’ll institute a playoff system. ”
“I’m excited to watch you play.” Our eyes meet, and Phoenix offers me a smile. “Reece is too. She’s already told everyone in her play group that Jordie McNamara is her bestest friend.”
My heart clenches at the cuteness of that. “Aww, that’s sweet. Will you bring her down to the field after the first game? We can take a picture together.”
“Good lord, she will probably pee her pants in excitement,” he says, and that reminds me…
I still need to buy some damn panties when we get there.
“So you liked Kam?” Phoenix asks as we take the hotel elevator up to the top floor of the hotel.
I’d met with Kamryn Hart and Tanner Montgomery as soon as we got to Philadelphia today, before Kennedy Jeffries joined us.
“I liked her a lot. Tanner too, but I felt like I really related to Kam since she’s also a female professional athlete. I think I’m going to go with Montgomery Sports Management.”
Phoenix nods, and we exit the elevator. Our feet plod against the sumptuous burgundy-and-gold carpet as he guides me down the corridor. There are only four rooms on this level, and we stop beside the two that take up the entire right side of the floor.
“I think you’ll be happy with them, but I still think it’s a good idea for you to go to lunch with Kam tomorrow. Let her wine and dine you before you give her your final answer.”
“I’m looking forward to it. She’s funny.”
He pulls out two keycards and hands one to me. “She’s a character for sure. You seemed to hit it off with Kennedy.”
“It was so nice of her to invite me to dinner tonight.” I lift my gaze to his. “Are you sure you don’t feel like I’m abandoning you?”
He rolls his eyes. “Of course not. I want you to have fun. She said she’s bringing Sulley too, so y’all have a ladies’ night. Tanner and I will hang out at the restaurant bar.”
Sulley O’Shea is Kennedy’s teammate on the Beavers, and she’s a bona fide basketball superstar. She set all kinds of records and was named Rookie of the Year last season.
“I’m looking forward to meeting her. Would it be weird if I asked them both for their autographs?”
Phoenix chuckles. “Not at all. I think they’d like yours too.”
“I’m not sure about that.” I jerk my thumb at my door. “I’d better get ready. I’m supposed to meet Kennedy and Sulley downstairs in an hour.”
Fifty minutes later, I’m fidgeting with the black bodycon dress my sister insisted I bring. I’m glad she did because when I asked Kennedy what to wear tonight, she said, “Dress up.”
But it seems so damn short, riding only a couple inches below my ass, a fact that’s intensified by Juliette’s stiletto heels on my feet.
Also, I took a shower and it felt gross to put my dirty underwear back on, so I’m currently panty-less. Yeah. Good times.
A knock sounds on the door connecting my room to Phoenix’s, and I toddle over and open it.
“Hey, do I look stupid in this dress?” I ask immediately, tugging at the bottom hem with one hand and the sweetheart neckline with the other, attempting to make it a couple inches longer. When I look up, Phoenix’s eyes are on my body and his nostrils are flared.
“Whoa.”
“It’s bad, right? Give me a second and I’ll change into… something.”
As I turn to search my suitcase in the hope that some different clothes have materialized in there, I’m stopped with a hand around my wrist.
“Don’t you dare change. You look fantastic.” The command is rough, with a guttural grind around each word. His throat works up and down a few times before he drags his blue eyes up my body, landing on my face and hair. I have no idea what’s going on here.
“I wore my hair down and put on a little makeup. It’s some of the products Hale Cosmetics gifted me after the photo shoot.” I attempt a smile, but I think it comes off as nervous and wobbly. “Did I do it right?”
“You did everything perfectly,” he says, and now it’s my turn to swallow hard because he’s staring at me like I ogled the waffle pops this morning. With hunger.
Our moment is broken when his phone rings, and he yanks it from the pocket of his navy pants, eyes still on me. “Yeah?” he answers gruffly. “What? I’ll call you back.” His entire demeanor takes on an edge of panic as he hangs up and punches a number.
“What’s wrong?” I whisper.
“Tornado in Houston.” Whoever he’s calling picks up, and he says into the phone, “Are you and Reece okay?”
Ah, his mother. His alarm transfers to me, and I call Xander. He’s the only one of my family who lives in Houston since he’s in med school there. The rest of them live a few hours north, just east of Dallas.
“I’m okay,” my brother says immediately. “I’m at the library right now, but I’ve been watching the news, and it wasn’t near either of our apartments.”
I breathe out my relief. “There’s not any bad weather up near Pine Tree Falls?”
“Nope, everything is fine back home. I just got off the phone with Jules. Shit, Pops is calling. Let me go talk to him.”
“Okay, I’m glad you’re all right. Love you,” I tell my brother, hanging up and turning my attention back to Phoenix. The relief is evident in the slump of his shoulders as he talks to his mother, though he’s pacing back and forth.
“Thank you, Mom. And everyone else is good?” He nods along to whatever she’s saying. “Love you too. Call me if there’s any more bad weather.”
“Your family’s okay?” I ask as soon as he disconnects and drops to the arm of his couch.
His suite is the mirror image of mine, with a full-size living room, kitchen, and bar in the front portion.
I assume he also has a large bedroom and bathroom beyond like I do, but the door is closed so I can’t see back there.
“Everyone is fine, but I need to call Eliora back. I kind of hung up on her.” Much calmer now, he finds the number for his pilot, his eyes catching mine. “Is Xander okay?”
I nod. “Yes, and he said the tornado didn’t touch down near our apartments.”
He holds up a finger and speaks into the phone. “Sorry about that, Eliora. I had to check on my family.”
While he’s speaking to her, I text a few of my teammates and receive replies that everyone is fine. I look up when I hear my name from Phoenix.
“Jordie, Eliora said the storm knocked down power lines and trees near the airport. I know we were supposed to fly back to Houston tomorrow, but would you be good waiting until the next day? They’ve grounded all flights until they can get the mess cleaned up.
Otherwise we can try to fly into a different airport. ”
I think about it for a second, recalling my schedule. “No, it’s fine. I don’t have practice for the next two days. I was supposed to meet with my trainer, but I can get the plan from him and work out in the hotel gym.”
“Thanks,” Phoenix says, giving me a half-smile before speaking into the phone again.
“Yes, Ms. McNamara said that would work for her. I’ll get Charlotte to make the hotel arrangements for you and the rest of the crew to stay an extra night…
Uh-huh… Right… Thank you again for the heads up… Please call me if anything changes.”