Chapter 37 #2
“Let’s grab our coats and make a break for it.”
We approached the coat check, a small anteroom tucked discreetly off the main corridor. The door was closed, which was unusual since the attendant had been there all evening. I reached for the handle and found it locked.
“That’s weird.” I frowned, about to knock, when a distinct sound came from within: a muffled throaty moan followed by a deeper masculine groan.
Lila’s eyes widened as she looked up at me, her mouth forming a perfect “O” of surprise. We both froze, listening as the sounds continued, growing more rhythmic and unmistakable.
“Is that—?” she whispered.
“Someone’s getting lucky in the coat room,” I said, trying not to laugh.
Another moan, louder this time, confirmed our suspicions beyond doubt. Lila pressed her face against my shoulder, her body shaking with silent laughter.
“What do we do?” she asked, her voice muffled against my jacket. “I’m not leaving without my wrap.”
I chuckled, pulling her gently away from the door. “I guess we wait.”
We retreated down the corridor, finding a small alcove formed by an architectural recess in the wall. A large potted palm partially obscured it from the main hallway, creating a sliver of privacy lit only by the soft glow of a wall sconce.
“This is ridiculous,” Lila giggled as I pulled her into the alcove. “Hiding out because the coat check attendant is having sex.”
“Well,” I said, leaning against the wall and drawing her against me. “They can’t be too long. People need their coats.”
“Bold assumption,” Lila said, still giggling as she settled between my legs. The alcove was intimate, barely big enough for both of us.
“You know,” I said, my tone growing more serious, “I’m really proud of you tonight.”
She tilted her head. “For what? Not flashing my panties to anyone important?”
“For being you.” I tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “A few months ago, walking into a room full of strangers would have had you tense all night. Tonight, you worked the room like you owned it.”
Lila’s expression softened. “I still get nervous sometimes—that surge of panic when someone looks at me too long, or laughs unexpectedly nearby. And I wonder if someone will recognize me, pull out their phone, and say ‘Hey, aren’t you that epic fail girl?’”
“But you don’t let it stop you anymore,” I pointed out.
A small smile played on her lips. “I’m learning that embracing it takes away its power. And having you beside me makes it easier.”
“I’ll always be beside you,” I said, the words coming out more intense than I’d intended.
Her eyes searched mine. “Thank you for that. For seeing me—the real me—from the beginning.”
“Hard not to.” I brushed my knuckles along her cheek. “You’re kind of impossible to miss.”
“Says the man with the giant billboard on I-95.”
I laughed. “Fair point.”
She bit her lip, a playful glint returning to her eyes. “Speaking of underwear...”
“Were we?”
“I have a sexy surprise for you.” She pressed closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Under this dress.”
The reaction was instant. Physical. Unavoidable. “Is that right?”
She nodded. “I was going to wait until we got home, but…” She guided my hand to the high slit in her dress. “Want a peek?”
“Always,” I growled, my hand sliding up her thigh, savoring the smooth heat there.
Lila gathered her dress slowly, inching the fabric up her thighs with deliberate teasing. I watched, transfixed, until she revealed the edge of something not at all what I was expecting.
“Are you wearing...?”
A laugh burst out of me before I could stop it, loud enough that I had to clap a hand over my mouth to muffle the sound. Lila joined in, her shoulders shaking as she let the dress fall back into place.
The infamous banana-covered shapewear that had been immortalized in the Epic Fail video. She was wearing them tonight, under her elegant dress, at a formal event full of Miami’s elite.
“Surprise, Captain Underpants,” she whispered, barely containing her laughter. “Do they meet with your professional approval?”
That did it. We both lost it. The absurdity of it all hit at once.
We were hiding in an alcove because the coat check was occupied by a randy employee, Lila was wearing her infamous banana spanx to a formal event, and my teammates had gifted me the dumbest nickname on earth.
It was ridiculous and perfect at the same time.
“Your face,” she gasped between giggles. “Oh my god, your face was priceless.”
The sound of a door opening echoed from down the hall, but neither of us moved to check if the coat room was vacant yet. This moment, hidden away in our private alcove, felt too precious to break.
“You’re something else, Prescott,” I finally managed, lifting my head to look at her.
“Good something or bad something?” she asked, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“The best something,” I said, before capturing her lips with mine.
The kiss turned hungry fast, her body melting against mine in the shadowy alcove.
I could taste champagne on her lips, feel the heat of her through the thin fabric of her dress.
My hand slid to her lower back, anchoring her against me, and she answered with a soft, approving sound that made my grip tighten.
I lost myself in the taste of her, the warm pressure of her lips, the gentle give and take between us. The world narrowed to just her.
When we finally broke apart, her cheeks were flushed, her lips slightly swollen. I pressed my forehead against hers, unwilling to put more distance between us than necessary.
I leaned in, my lips brushing against hers, everything between us finally clear. “I love you, Lila.” The words slipped from my lips, raw and true. In the dim light of our alcove, with the distant sounds of the party fading behind us, it felt like the most natural thing in the world to say.
“Mason…” Lila’s eyes widened slightly, her lips parting in surprise. We’d been dancing around those words for weeks now, expressing our feelings in every way but the most direct one.
“I love everything about you,” I continued, my voice low and steady despite the hammering of my heart.
“I love how you wear lucky banana spanx to a billionaire’s birthday party.
I love how you turned your viral nightmare into something good for those kids.
I love how you embraced my crazy hockey life and teammates. ”
Her eyes glistened in the dim light, and she blinked rapidly. “That was almost poetic, Callahan. I’m impressed.”
I bent close, my mouth near her ear as I murmured, “And I especially love tying you to my bed and having my way with you.” As I spoke, I let my fingers trail gently up her arm, feeling her shiver under my touch.
Her fingers tightened on my shirt as she looked up at me. “Mason, I love you too,” her voice thick with emotion. “I think I’ve loved you since that first day in your bedroom. It’s like my heart recognized something then, something I couldn’t ignore.”
I lowered my mouth to hers, kissing her with all the pent-up emotion that had been building inside me all evening.
She melted against me, responding with equal fervor, our lips moving in perfect harmony.
In that moment, tucked away in our secluded corner of the world, nothing else mattered.
Not hockey. Not fame. Not the old humiliations.
Just Lila and me, locked together, choosing each other.