Chapter 9
RORY
My thoughts kept drifting to Gage’s suggestion that I move in with him during the game, which made it difficult to focus on my job. Percy kept giving me odd looks, which made me self-conscious and distracted me even more.
When the clock wound down on another Nighthawks victory, I heaved a deep sigh of relief. For the first time since I had started my internship, I was thrilled for the game to be over. Unfortunately, Percy still didn’t seem happy with me when I got ready to leave.
“Classes start this week, but I should still be able to update my models with the statistics from today’s game if you’d like me to do that,” I offered.
He gave me a stiff nod. “If you manage to find the time, that would be helpful.”
Cole shot him a look as he headed toward the door. “I’d appreciate getting a copy of Rory’s work. It’ll help me prepare for our first regular season game.”
“I’ll forward it to you,” Percy agreed before hurrying out of the press box.
“Don’t worry about him.” Cole gestured for me to walk out before him. “Gage has your back, which means the rest of us do too.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it,” I murmured.
“Want me to lead you down to the post-game room?” he asked. “That’s where most of the wives, girlfriends, and families go to wait for the players after the game. I can let Gage know where to find you when I see him in the locker room.”
I flashed him an appreciative smile. “That would be great, thanks.”
I was a little nervous since I hadn’t met any of the wives and girlfriends yet, but I knew that Gage had mentioned to his friends that we were dating. This was confirmed by how I was greeted when I entered the room.
“Oh my gosh! You must be Rory.” A cute blonde with blue eyes and a rounded belly rushed over to greet me. “I’m so excited to meet you!”
I returned her smile. “Um…hey. Yeah, I’m Rory.”
“I’m Finley Channing,” she introduced herself. “My husband, Rhodes, and Gage are friends.”
“And she’s the owner’s niece,” another woman added with a grin as she joined us. She reminded me of a fairy-tale princess with her black hair, blue eyes, and pale skin.
Finley rolled her eyes. “More importantly, we have something else in common because I’m an NYU alumnus, and I heard you’re a student there.”
“I am,” I confirmed with a nod.
“Double majoring in computer science and math, right?” she asked.
My eyes widened. “Yup.”
“You’ll get used to Finley knowing all sorts of stuff. She’s very well informed.” The brunette extended her hand to me. “I’m Talia, by the way. Brady Summers is my husband.”
As the second-string quarterback, I’d seen him play a lot during the preseason. “He did great in today’s game. His pass completion percentage was the highest it’s been since he went pro.”
“Oh yeah, you two are going to get along great.” Talia gestured back and forth between Finley and me. “With those analytical minds of yours, I bet you could take over the world if you wanted.”
Finley shrugged with a grin. “Or just the Nighthawks someday.”
“I like the sound of that.” I rubbed my palms together. “Not only have I fallen in love with football statistics, but it would drive my brothers up the wall.”
All three of us giggled at my logic, and any lingering nervousness I’d felt coming into the post-game room disappeared. Time flew by as we got to know each other, and before I knew it, the guys had joined us.
After Gage introduced me to Brady and Rhodes, his teammates quickly guided their pregnant wives out of the room so they could head home. Then he turned to me and asked, “Ready to go?”
“Aw, c’mon, Ledger.” One of his teammates came over and slapped him on the back. “You gave Summers such a hard time for ducking out on us when he started dating, and now you’re gonna do the same thing?”
Gage slid his arm around my waist and grinned. “Yup.”
His teammate flashed me a smile. “I guess I can’t blame you.”
An honest-to-goodness growl rumbled up Gage’s chest. “Mine.”
“Damn, you’re just as bad as the rest of the guys who’ve gotten wifed up.
” The guy held his hands up in a gesture of surrender, but his smile didn’t dim.
“Hey, I’m Sylas, the fullback who protects your man’s ass on the field.
Maybe you can do me a favor and convince him that I meant no harm?
And that you’re up for joining some of us at The End Zone for a drink to celebrate our win and the end of the preseason? ”
“Well, I guess when you put it like that.” I blinked up at Gage. “Maybe we should go? Just for one drink?”
“Whatever you want,” he agreed, brushing his thumb against the small of my back.
“I don’t know.” Another player joined us. He narrowed his eyes, but it didn’t hide the mischievous grin in them. “Axton is pretty chill when it comes to the team partying at his club after games, but I doubt he’ll let anyone underage in, even if they’re with us.”
“I’m twenty-one,” I huffed.
“Ignore Micah.” Gage gave me a squeeze. “He’s just amped up from that interception he ran in for a touchdown. It’s not often that the defense gets to score.”
“Whatever, man. I’m not gonna let you push my buttons when I had a great fucking game, and we’re headed out to celebrate.” Micah shook his head.
“You totally missed the perfect chance to give him a hard time about robbing the cradle,” Sylas muttered as they walked away.
Gage sighed as he guided me out of the room to where his SUV was parked in the players’ lot.
Although I had turned twenty-one over the summer, I still hadn’t gone clubbing.
Russell, Ridley, Phyllis, and Brandy took me out to a bar for my first round of drinks back home, but I’d only had one celebratory shot and a cocktail before Russell declared that I’d reached my limit.
I’d already had a slight buzz, but I couldn’t admit that because giving my brothers an inch meant they’d take a mile.
So I’d ordered another drink and regretted the decision the following morning.
After that experience, hitting the clubs just didn’t seem as though it would be my thing. But going with Gage and his friends to celebrate the Nighthawks winning their last preseason game sounded like a lot of fun, so I was looking forward to our night out.
The only thing dimming my excitement was Percy’s attitude during the game. Something that Gage noticed during the drive to The End Zone.
Reaching out to interlace our fingers, he asked, “Did Sylas’s crack about me robbing the cradle bother you?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m not worried about what people think about the ten years between us. When you really think about it, it’s not even that big of an age gap.”
“Then what’s on your mind, baby?”
Heaving a deep sigh, I explained, “Percy was ice cold to me today…for the entire three and a half hours we were in the press box. It was weird. And very uncomfortable.”
“Shit, I’m sorry.” He reached over to give my hand a comforting squeeze. “Try not to worry too much about him. I already talked to Cole about there potentially being an issue with him after we bumped into him at the elevator. He said you don’t have anything to be concerned about.”
“Really?” That explained what Cole had said earlier about Gage having my back.
“Yeah, he’s gonna talk to him about whatever the hell his issue is with us dating. Cole will smooth things over,” he assured me.
“Thanks for being so observant and taking care of things so quickly.” I beamed a smile at him. “I definitely owe you one.”
“Hold that thought.” He winked at me as he turned into the club’s parking lot. “You can show your appreciation for me when we get home.”
“Thank goodness I said we were only coming for one drink.” I pressed my thighs together to ease the achy need in my core. “Now I wish we’d passed on the invite so we could just head straight back to your place.”
“Our place, if you’d just agree to move in with me,” he pointed out.
“It’s not even been half a day, and you said you’d give me as much time as I needed to decide,” I chided him with a mock glare.
“I also said I would do my best to convince you.”
He pulled into a spot but reversed right back out of it to exit the parking lot again. Twisting around to look out the back window, I asked, “Where are you going?”
“Back to my place so I can get a jump-start on that persuasion.”
The sensual promise in his deep voice was enough to convince me, but I still asked, “What about your friends? They’re expecting us.”
He shrugged. “If they ask, I can honestly say we only stayed for a little bit, and they must’ve missed us.”
“Way to put your geeky mind to work. Now hurry.”