Chapter 40
Landon
I’m at lunch with the linebacker group when Rori’s text comes in.
RORI: Hi. Can you talk?
As the laughter rings out around the table at something Manny said, I consider how to respond to her.
Everything’s going so well on the football field. With team chemistry. With my own play. I don’t want to talk about heavy things with her right now. Dredge all the emotions up from beneath the surface where I’ve currently buried them. Expose myself to get hurt again by her.
So I ignore her message.
And keep ignoring it. Through the rest of practice. Through dinner. Through the next morning and the next day.
And then the next night, it’s finally here—our annual team charity gala.
As I get ready, I try not to think about what could have been this evening if everything with Rori had been different.
Instead, I want to live in the moment, enjoy this last hoorah with the guys before it’s all business for the season.
The gala is always a shitload of fun. It’s a can’t-miss event that draws a huge crowd of wealthy Orlando fans and local celebrities, along with the players and team brass. There’s usually killer music and even better food, and we all cut loose before the season is official.
Making the success of tonight even more important to me is the fact that Grace is helping to organize the auction tied to the event.
She was able to get her work approved as a project for her class on non-profit organizations and has been diligently collecting donations for the auction ever since.
She’s gathered conventional donations like restaurant gift certificates and spa days, as well as more out-of-the box items like having one of our wide receivers mow your lawn. “Hey, I really like mowing lawns,” Bailey said before Grace took him up on it.
I donated a jersey signed by a bunch of us on the team. Maybe not original, but Grace was excited about the prospect of it raising a few hundred dollars.
The music’s cranking when I walk in, a DJ banging out tunes that have everyone bouncing. There will be live music later after the auction, but I’m not sure I’m going to make it that long.
“Hey Landon,” Carter says as we find each other. “Have you met my girlfriend Jessica yet?”
I look over at the pretty brunette on his arm. “I have, at one of our team barbecues in June. Nice to see you again, Jessica.”
She smiles. “Great to see you too. Do you know which table you’re at yet?”
I hold up the card I was given when I came inside. “Yes, table 10? I’m guessing my sister put me at her table too, although she’s co-hosting the auction later so I don’t know how much sitting she’ll be doing.”
“Oh, sweet,” Carter says. “We are at that table, and same with Johnson. Grace put us all together.”
That’s going to be a blast. Grace, the life-saver, again. I excuse myself to get a drink, stopping to say hello to various friends and acquaintances along the way.
One of whom really did me a solid with Connor. Del, our starting kicker. We hadn’t been one-on-one in person yet for me to properly thank him, so I’d only texted him before this.
“Del, thanks so much again for doing that call with Connor,” I say, holding out my hand.
“No problem, he seems like a good kid,” Del responds, shaking my hand. “I’m sure he’ll excel in soccer at Princeton, but if he visits, feel free to get us all together on a football field. I’ll show him how everything translates from soccer.”
“That would be awesome,” I say, not wanting to be rude by sharing that Connor had shut down any talk of switching to football.
We break up after some more small talk, and then twenty minutes of mingling later, I find our table. Johnson’s already there, and Grace is not, though I see her name card by me.
“Hey, Grace said to tell you that she’ll probably miss the meal getting the auction set up,” Johnson says as I take my seat.
“No worries, I figured it would be insane tonight for her,” I reply, looking around. I know everyone else at the table. Nice.
The meal passes quickly, and all of a sudden, I see Grace and her co-host Roderick hit the stage to kick off the auction.
“Hello, hello,” says Roderick. “Welcome to the Waves annual charity auction. This year, the team has decided to donate all the funds raised to refurbish a community center in one of Orlando’s areas with the most need. Everything that we raise together tonight will go to that wonderful cause.”
The audience claps loudly in response.
“Now, tonight, we’re going to have items donated that range quite a bit,” Grace explains. “We also have a big surprise donation, which we’ll unveil later. So if one item isn’t of interest, stick around for the next. We are going to have quite an array!”
Roderick steps up then and starts announcing the first item.
As bids come in from around the room, I space out for a bit and check the latest baseball scores on my phone.
My plan is to bid on a signed Taylor Swift album coming up later in the evening, something Grace said she really wanted.
Combine being a good big brother with a good deed.
The mood of the auction is lighthearted, with lots of jokes, creative donations, and funny moments as friends try to outbid each other.
When the Taylor Swift album comes up, I have to compete with Carter, whose girlfriend apparently is a huge fan.
It’s touch and go for a few rounds, but eventually Carter relents.
I make an “I’m sorry” face to Jessica, and she waves it off with a giggle.
Without me noticing, over an hour has passed. I only realize because the last couple of big items are up for bid, other than whatever the surprise will be.
“One of our last donations today is an all-expenses paid family vacation to the Bahamas for a week,” Grace says enthusiastically. “Who wouldn’t want to bid on that?”
Like the other items tonight, there are a smattering of people who try to outbid each other and claim the trip. Grace looks so happy, which is awesome to see. She’s worked hard to make this event successful.
As the last auction donation I know about is claimed, both Roderick and Grace step to the center of the stage.
The music creeps up in volume, and the lights swirl around as the tech guy is obviously trying to drive up anticipation of what’s coming.
Roderick and Grace stay quiet, big grins on their faces, for about ten seconds before the music starts to taper.
“Okay, Grace. We’ve had a fabulous night tonight, and we’re thrilled to report that the team’s owners are going to match all of your donations,” says Roderick. “Let’s hear it for the Blunt family!”
The crowd gives a polite round of applause as Mr. and Mrs. Blunt stand up and bow in acknowledgement.
“Now, we do have one more donation for bidding tonight, right Grace?” Roderick says, turning to her.
“That’s right,” Grace answers. “This is a special one too—and involves a special person.”
Suddenly, I notice that Johnson is staring at me with a beaming smile on his face. I look back at him in confusion before moving my eyes back to the stage.
“We’re thrilled to share that we have a surprise guest tonight, who has graciously donated a one-of-a-kind auction item,” Grace explains, before turning to Roderick.
He follows up in a booming voice. “None other than the American tennis star, and most recently, Wimbledon runner-up, Rori Reilly. Donating six tennis lessons that she will give personally, as well as a meet and greet session with her tonight as part of the package!”
The audience is suddenly a chorus of jubilant chatter. Cheers, ‘ahhhhs,’ and even one loud “NO WAY,” comes from the attendees. Our table’s no different, with everyone showing their excitement at having Rori here.
Except Johnson. He hasn’t taken his eyes off me and is still smiling.
“You knew?” I mouth to him, and he nods.
“You better win this,” he mouths back. “Or I will.” His last word is punctuated with a wink.
I don’t know what to think. Why is Rori here, at my team’s charity event? Why is Grace acting like this is a normal donation? How does Johnson know, and why is he bidding?
“Rori, why don’t you come out here and say hi,” says Roderick from the stage.
Out steps Rori in a short black sequin dress, waving to the crowd. Her hair is up in a simple twist, with a few curls escaping. Her makeup is just enough to make her green eyes stand out. She looks amazing. She looks perfect. Perfectly Rori.
As she takes her spot next to Grace, she continues to glance around the crowd and finally her eyes hit mine. I see her face change for a moment, first in recognition, and then in something I cannot identify. But then she schools her features.
In the meantime, my heart is in my throat. I’m not sure how I’m breathing.
Yeah, I’m not over this girl. Not one bit.
“Let’s do this,” yells Johnson from the table. What the hell is his problem?
Grace laughs in response. “Okay, we have some eager bidders here tonight, Rori. Let’s get started, shall we?”
“Starting bids at $500,” Roderick announces. “An awesome package from Rori, and all for a good cause. Do we have any bidders?”
The bids begin and suddenly I’m in a panic. I notice a lot of guys have their paddles raised. Some other dude is going to hang out with Rori tonight? Will I even be able to talk to her? Do I want to?
“Okay, great, we have a bid for $550. Do we have $600? Oh we do, excellent. $600 to the gentleman at table 3. Do we have $650?” Roderick says as he drives the bidding.
“I bid $2,000,” shouts Johnson, holding up his paddle. A collective gasp goes through the room. I see Rori’s startled eyes jump to Johnson and then to me.
“Wow, you must really want those tennis lessons,” Roderick says into the microphone. “Okay, we have $2,000! Do we have $2,100? Again, this is to build the new community center, and the Blunts will match, on top of the time with Rori here.”
I don’t know what’s happening. Now Rori, Grace, and Johnson are all looking at me. Rori with a mix of hope and pleading, while Grace and Johnson with a look of expectation.
Suddenly, another bid comes in. “$2,100,” says a local real estate agent I recognize. He’s big in the luxury home market, so he has the money.
I feel like a thousand-pound weight is on my chest. I also know two things with certainty at this point. I want a chance to talk to Rori, and all these other men sure as hell better stay away from her.
“$3,000,” I say loudly, holding up my paddle. The crowd roars with approval at the high bid, and Roderick claps his hands.
“Well, isn’t this fun! $3,000 for Mr. Battle. Do we have another bid?” Roderick says.
“$3,100,” comes a voice from the crowd. This time a woman, the owner of a restaurant franchise in the area.
“$4,000,” shouts Johnson, the smirk on his face directed entirely at me.
Oh hell no.
“$10,000,” I say back. Pointing to Johnson, I add in a voice only he can hear, “and she’s mine.”
The crowd is now in a tumult of cheering and appreciation for the dramatics.
Roderick quickly confirms that Johnson is done bidding. “Is that it? $10,000 to Mr. Battle?”
Johnson shakes his head and puts his arms up in surrender.
“Okay, the bid winner is Mr. Battle. Enjoy that time with Rori!” Roderick says.
“Oh, he will,” shouts Johnson.
I’m going to kill him.
Until he turns to me and speaks in more normal tones. “Don’t worry, brother. Even if you had chickened out on the bid, I would have won and handed the prize to you. Grace gave me marching orders.”
I still don’t know what’s happening. But then it hits me that I’m in the same room as Rori and I’m going to be able to talk to her.
I bring my eyes back up to her on stage, as Grace is starting to transition to the next phase of the evening. Rori is still looking at me, but now it’s only hope I see in her expression. A small smile touches her lips.
And I begin to hope myself.