Chapter 31
brOOKE
I had never felt more on edge than I had over the past three days. However, I was persistent in my job search. It gave me a sense of purpose. I was also toying with the idea of talking to the sponsors, making an impassioned case for Jace and the education center.
Sitting at my kitchen table, I made the first call to Carl Hill.
“Hi, Mr. Hill. Brooke Derringer here.”
“Hello, Brooke.”
“Can I take up ten minutes of your time?”
“Of course.”
“Just a disclaimer, I am not calling on behalf of the LA Lords.”
“I see. You’re on a personal quest.”
“Something like that. I understand all your misgivings in regard to me, and I respect them. I will be honest, I don’t agree with them.
I have thoroughly explained the factors I considered when making recommendations, and my decision was based on hard facts.
Jace is a stellar player, has built a fan base you can tap into, and is generally very easy to work with.
But as I said, I understand you have misgivings.
However, I’d love to talk to you about the foundation.
They are doing a great job there, and regardless of your involvement with Jace, the foundation is a great PR case for you. ”
To my surprise, Carl chuckled.
“You know, Jace called me two days ago.”
“Oh, so you spoke to him about the foundation already.”
“Not exactly. We spoke about you. He was singing your praises, much as you are doing with him now.”
Jace had called Hill? Excitement coursed through me, lighting me up.
“As to the foundation, that cooperation is still under consideration. I happen to think it’s a great cause.”
“It is.”
“Sorry to cut the conversation short, but my assistant just informed me about an incoming call from overseas. I need to take it.”
“Thank you for your time. Have a great day.”
“I will. You too.”
Jace and I had texted in the last few days, but it had been mostly short updates, and I feared that I’d driven a wedge between us when I lashed out at him. I was very sorry for that. I hadn’t meant to, but I’d been upset and so very stressed about having to deal with everything imploding around me.
The call to Jeremy went in the same fashion—Jace had spoken to him too. I couldn’t ignore the hope blooming in my chest any longer.
I was still waiting on Tina’s recommendation.
When I received the first email from a prospective employer asking me for it, I told myself I’d give her another day before calling.
But now I’d just received a second email telling me they wanted to see the recommendation from my most recent job, so I had no other choice but to call her.
I was sure she was backlogged. Tina might have many faults, but she wouldn’t withhold this on purpose.
She answered after a few rings, and it was clear she was driving and had put me on loudspeaker, because I could hear traffic sounds.
“Brooke, hi! I’m on my way to a meeting now. Can I call you back later?”
“Oh, sure. I just wanted to drop you a quick reminder about the recommendation.”
“Crap. I forgot to send you that. It’s just… I’ve talked to Jace, and then I started thinking. Well, procrastinating would be the more appropriate word.”
“Jace spoke to you? I didn’t ask him to, you know.”
“Oh, he made that clear. He’s very fond of you.”
“He said that to you?”
That seemed very unlike Jace.
“No, he roasted my ass for being unfair to you. I just put two and two together.”
I grinned to myself. He’d spoken to Tina and each of the sponsors, defending me. That was… well, I couldn’t describe what I was feeling even to myself.
“I’ll send you that recommendation tonight, okay? Really have to go.”
“Thanks.”
I felt a spike of adrenaline when the line disconnected. I needed to talk to Jace right now. He could be training, though, so I sent him a message instead.
Brooke: Spoke to Carl, Jeremy, and Tina. Thank you for talking to them. It means a lot to me.
He called me three seconds later.
“Hey,” I said breathlessly into the phone as I leaped to my feet, walking from my kitchen to my living room.
“Hey!”
“Thanks for talking to Tina, and the rest.”
“I told you I’m your person.”
“How are you? Prepared for tonight?”
“We’re all good to go.”
He sounded strained. My stomach seemed to constrict into a tiny ball that leapt to my throat. I sat on the steps of the porch, resting my elbows on my thighs.
“Jace, you sound… off. What’s going on?”
Silence. He was hesitating. I walked out the back porch, steeling myself.
“Did you mean that? About regretting us?”
I felt struck dumb. “I said that?”
“Don’t remember the exact wording.”
“Of course, I don’t regret us.”
“I know I kept pushing, but it was just because I couldn’t be without you, Brooke.”
“You’re—”
I broke off at the sound of various voices in Jace’s background. He wasn’t alone anymore.
“Coach wants to talk to us.”
I thought I heard a familiar female voice among all the male ones.
“Is Hailey there?”
“Yes. She took off a few days to watch the games. Will you watch tonight?”
“You bet I will. I’ll be cheering for a certain handsome MVP.”
“Hopefully the Lords’.”
“Haven’t made up my mind yet.”
“I miss you, Brooke.”
“I miss you too.”
I was smiling from ear to ear as I finished the call. My heart was beating so fast that I actually pressed my palm on my collarbone, trying to calm down a little and regulate my breathing.
Returning to my laptop, I intended to continue with the tasks I’d planned for today, then decided to change my plans.
I’d been so busy licking my wounds and fearing that Jace would think less of me and that it would in turn taint or lessen his love for me, that I somehow led him to think I regretted our relationship.
Never.
When I first met Jace, I was not ready for him. I’d been defensive, still putting myself together, almost convinced I wouldn’t be able to dream again. But now I was ready for him and his love.
I opened up an airline website in my browser. I was flying out to Miami. Tickets were relatively inexpensive because there were many flight options.
I could take care of everything else later. The recommendation could be emailed from everywhere. I could answer my phone from Miami as well as I could from here.
I booked a ticket on the first plane, which gave me just enough time to reach LAX. It was morning, and the game was in the evening. With the five-hour flight time and the three-hour time difference, I could make this work, but just barely. There better be no delays.
I’d never packed so fast. A few pairs of jeans and T-shirts. Toiletries. I’d nearly forgotten my nightgown, though I was fairly certain Jace wouldn’t have minded. When I texted Franci to cancel our TV date tonight, she cheered for me.
Franci: Yes!!! Go get your man.
Once I landed in Miami, I discovered that several other passengers from my flight were there to watch the game, but I didn’t find anyone to share a cab with because they were staying at a different hotel.
I checked the time as I hopped into an Uber, barely refraining from urging the driver to go faster.
I knew the team’s schedule. They were going to leave from the hotel to the stadium in half an hour, and I wanted to meet Jace before. I wanted him to know I was here.
I tapped my foot on the floor of the car, biting the inside of my cheek. When we reached the hotel, I practically jumped out of the car, slinging my backpack over one shoulder.
Once I was in the lobby, I realized I didn’t know the number of Jace’s room. Reception wasn’t going to simply tell me without calling him first, and that would ruin the surprise.
Then I remembered Hailey was here too, and I called her.
“Great to hear from you,” Hailey said.
“Hailey, hi! So… um, I’m in the hotel where you and the team are staying. Could you tell me what room Jace is staying in?”
“You’re at the hotel?”
“Yes. In the lobby.”
“Ooooh, I’m in the lounge. Wait, I’ll come meet you.”
“Is Jace with you?” I asked in a panicky voice. “I want to surprise him.”
“Just me.”
Hailey joined me a few seconds later, pulling me into a hug.
“So you’re here to surprise my brother, huh?”
“Yes.”
When she let go, I thought Hailey’s smile was a little smug—or knowing, perhaps?
“Hailey, is there something you want to tell me?”
“What? No, not at all. I’m just glad you’re here. Jace will be very happy,” Hailey said, a little too quickly. Something was definitely going on. At any rate, I didn’t have much time for guessing games now. I wanted to catch up with Jace before the boys left for the stadium.
“What’s his room number?”
“2012.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you later.”
I darted toward the elevator, impatiently pressing the button, even though someone else had already pressed it.
When the elevator doors finally opened, I was the first to dart inside. I was the only one going to the twentieth floor. I tried to keep my composure while walking toward Jace’s room, but my heartbeat was so erratic that I had trouble inhaling properly.
By the time I knocked on his door, my entire body was on edge.
“I’ll be right out,” Jace called. “Just a minute.”
I knocked again and heard Jace sigh in frustration, then the sound of footsteps walking toward the door.
When he swung it open, his expression was serious, but then the grim set of his mouth gave way to an enormous smile.
He held his arms open, and I walked right into them.
He pulled me inside the room, and I dropped my backpack to the floor, lacing my hands at the back of his neck. Jace kissed me hard.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“Wanted to surprise you.”
He bit my bottom lip lightly, sending a searing hot impulse through me.
“I don’t like us fighting,” he whispered against my lips. “But if it means I get surprises like this one, I could get used to it….”
He feathered his lips along my jawline, up to my cheek. He skimmed his hands from my hips up to my back, then to my ass, as if he wanted to touch me everywhere at the same time. I was content just to be in his arms again.
“I’ve missed you, Brooke. There are a million things I want to tell you.”
“We’ll have plenty of time tonight.”
“You’re sleeping in my room.” His tone was firm, bossy.
“Well, I haven’t booked a room for myself, so that works for me.”
His phone buzzed, and Jace grimaced.
“That would be Andrew, reminding me I’m late.”
I clutched at his shirt, knowing that he had to leave but unwilling to let go. Just a few more seconds. Jace kissed me again, tangling our tongues fiercely, making me shudder.
“Hailey has my VIP tickets,” he said afterward.
“I’ll talk to her. I already ran into her in the lobby. Now go, before Andrew storms inside here.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Brooke. It means a lot to me.”
“Go get them.”
After Jace left, I hopped in the shower. The players had to be there early, but I still had plenty of time left. I texted with Hailey so we could share an Uber to the stadium.
I had come prepared with the jersey I’d bought a while ago.
I put it on, ready to cheer for my man. I pulled my hair in a ponytail and smeared on some eye shadow and lipstick, though I was sure I’d chew off the lipstick by the time the game was over.
Jace didn’t seem as if he ever cared if I was wearing makeup or not, but I wanted to look impeccable, especially after rushing to his room looking less than put together.
I descended to the hotel lobby a little too early, but Hailey was there as well.
She looked impeccable, in high heels and a beige dress reaching down to her knees and hugging her figure.
Not many people could pull off walking into a stadium looking like that, but Hailey wasn’t just wearing a style. She owned it.
“Jace is often late, and you’re always early. Is there a correlation?”
“I think he was always late just to spite me.” Hailey grinned, taking in my clothes. “Nice. Haven’t thought about wearing a jersey.”
“Hailey, you look as if you’ve never worn a jersey in your life.”
“I did when I was a kid. Up until Val gave me the fashion bug. Started to ‘borrow’ her clothes when I was fourteen. She pretended not to notice, but then all her clothes would mysteriously find their way back from my room to hers.”
“Well, Val was a great sister. I fought with mine over clothes on a weekly basis.” I was too excited to stay put. Apparently, so was Hailey, because she suggested we could leave already.
“Yeah, let’s go. Who knows how long it’ll take us to get inside.”
Since we had VIP tickets, it took no time at all. Even after buying drinks and snacks, we still had thirty minutes until the game began.
The players were already out on the arena, performing their warm-ups. The stadium was smaller than the Lords’, and because our tickets were front row, I had no trouble catching Jace’s attention when he looked up.
I turned around briefly so he could see the number, and when I faced him again, my heart stuttered at the pure joy on his face. I caught Hailey’s expression as I sat down. There was that knowing smile again.
“You make him so happy.”
“It’s not hard to do that. He’s always such a positive person.”
“I’ve known him for far longer than you have. Trust me, there’s happy, and then there’s this.” She pointed toward the field. “I knew it. You’re—"
She stopped abruptly, pressing her lips together. Ah-ha. My instincts had been spot on. That knowing smile could only mean one thing. Hailey was keeping secrets.
“I’m what?”
“Great. You’re great.”
“Hailey, you honestly don’t think you’re fooling me, right?”
“My lips are sealed. And you can tell Jace I told you nothing.”
“Nothing about what?” I bluffed.
“Nice try.”
Wow. Hailey was getting better at keeping secrets. I didn’t have time to ponder creative methods that would lead to secret spilling, because the game began. I’d never seen a game quite like this one.
Andrew scored at the seventy-five mark, and then Jace at the eighty-first. I had no clue who was cheering harder for Jace: Hailey or me. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be able to speak the next day. Adrenaline coursed through me for the rest of the game, and even after it was over.
“Shall we go to their locker room?” I shouted over the sounds of the crowd.
“It’s best if we head straight to the hotel now,” Hailey said. “It’ll be madness outside if we stick around until the team leaves.”
“You’re right.”
I was just too excited to jump right back into Jace’s arms. On second thought, perhaps it was best to wait until we were at the hotel to jump him, or everyone was going to witness some PDA.