19. Chapter 19
Mariana
The elevator I'm in today is much fancier than the one at the library ten days ago. It goes up smoothly, with no weird sounds screeching around me at all. If this one got stuck, I'd be truly shocked. I smile. I'm safer today because I'm in the Strike's stadium.
I'm also calmer because of what happened with Dom in the elevator.
It's not that he has a magical healing dick.
It's a really nice dick, and he knows how to use it really well, but it didn't cast a powerful spell over me and my life.
As well as that new grounding technique worked, it was the conversation afterwards that changed things.
Talking about my family's way of life put everything on the table.
It didn't fix everything but it gave me peace. That's how things are, and that's that.
Our talk resolved so much of the friction between Dom and me, too.
He understood. We accepted each other. We haven't exchanged sharp texts or hard looks or harsh words since.
Not that we've had a lot of chances to test it, but it feels different.
Something in the air, or something in my mind, or even in my chest. Whatever it is, I'm lighter.
The stainless steel doors open in front of me, and I walk onto the suite floor in search of Evie and the crew. We're watching the Strike's home game together. Afterwards, when the guys are done and they come join us, I'll see Dom. I'll get to check if we really are over our petty arguments.
I find the door with the right number on it, texted to me two days ago.
"Mariana! You made it!" Pen exclaims as soon as I come in.
I grin. "Yes! Excited to be here."
Pen picks up a glass from the bar, making it look like she was in the middle of getting herself a drink. "Do you want to take anything with you? Ames and Evie are sharing some yerba mate, but I feel like something different at the moment."
I smile and pour myself a glass of white wine. "Mate? I don't usually hear people talking about it."
It's not as popular in Chile as it is in neighboring countries, including Argentina and Uruguay, where Evie and Ames' families are from. I only know it from visiting my mom's parents in Ottawa and later in London. They used to drink it every day.
"At least you seem to know what I'm talking about. That means you'll fit right in."
I follow her toward the front, where I greet Evie, Ames, and Nat.
We split between two rows, so we can keep a close group and still watch the game.
As expected, Evie and Ames pass a mate gourd back and forth.
From my spot, I can see the small container with yerba and a thermos of hot water.
It's a nostalgic moment. I didn't get to see my grandparents often, but the memories stayed with me.
"You got here right on time." Nat sips straight from a bottle, the kind you'd expect to be beer or a fizzy drink, though I'm not sure what she's having. "The guys are about to come out."
We stand and watch as the Strike makes their way onto the field. Player by player, they run between cheerleaders and smoke screens. When someone from the friend group sprints out of the tunnel, we cheer extra hard.
Dom is the last one to come out. It feels weird to pretend indifference.
Not here, not after everything. So I applaud and make encouraging noise like everyone else around me.
He wouldn't believe it if someone told him about it, but I know.
It's just like when we were in college, and I went to his games for moral support.
Except this time there are literal fireworks to amp up the moment.
"It's a little different than hockey," Ames tells me after a while. "Which I assume you know? You’ve probably been to football games before."
They're all wearing jerseys, though they have all styled them differently. Nat wears it loose over jeans, Ames has it tucked at the front of her capri pants, Pen's is oversized over leggings, and Evie has tucked it at the waist, secured with a belt into a loose skirt.
I sip from my wine. "I have been to a lot of games and sporting events. My family has always been involved one way or another. But yeah, lots of football. Even more hockey."
Despite my family's proximity to the world, there's one thing I've never done. If I ever wore a jersey, it had SINCLAIR written on the back. No one else's name. Not even when I was with Dom and I was trying to be a supportive girlfriend.
"Was that the family's sport of choice, then?" Nat asks. "Hockey?"
I cross my arms. We're watching the teams set up and get ready for the game. On the mega screen, they show the coin toss. The Strike will start on offense, which means our side of the team will be on the field right away. All of the guys in the friend group are on offense.
"It was a mix of sports, really," I say. "My dad watched soccer. My mom grew up in Canada and she put my brothers in hockey, so we had a lot of that at home. But Cora liked football. I think she did it to be contrarian."
They laugh.
"So a sports family." Ames asked. "Is that why your dad's TV network is focused on it?"
"No, that was just good business. With us, they pushed sports because they saw it as a way to learn discipline and how to work with others.
For my brothers, their sport turned into a career, because for them it meant they could go into managing the team or working with Dad after their retirement with all that experience and connections.
Cora stayed in sports by getting involved from the admin side. "
"But you have another sister too, right?"
I nod and smile. "Maisie. She's incredible. She lives in England and runs the family foundation. I'll be her right hand once I go back."
To some this may feel like small talk. To me, this feels like curiosity, the kind I wasn't sure I knew how to connect with, when I've moved around so much.
It's funny, when I came to Seattle, I did it thinking of work and hookups before going back to England.
Meeting these people is making me want to change a few things.
Friends has a sweet ring to it. If we're bonding, why stop it?
I've never had a chance to make friends I could keep forever.
Even when I go back to London, video calls and occasional trips could keep the connection going.
Except… Dom.
"Then you must have been in sports, too?" Evie asks. "What did you play?"
"A mix of everything," I reply. "Volleyball and swimming were my favorite, but I knew it wouldn't be my career.
So every time we moved, I found something to do.
I played hockey in Toronto and swam in Vancouver.
I played volleyball in New York and learned to ride when we were in Houston.
I haven't been as committed in the past several years but, you know.
Everything goes through drier seasons in life. Right now my focus is on my career."
We've been chatting while standing, not to miss the Strike's drive. They've just snapped the ball for the third time, and we all quiet as we watch Logan work through his progressions before finding his target.
I'm not sure why my heart flutters when the ball flies long and straight into Dom's arms, drawing a cheer from the crowd.
"Oh! Dom's got it!" Pen exclaims. "And he has room!"
"Run, Dom. Run!" Nat leans closer to the glass, not wanting to miss a thing.
I resist the same urge. To stop myself, I bring my hands together and squeeze. Ames has a similar thought, but she grabs onto Evie's arm instead.
Dom sprints down the field. A couple of players from the opposite team try to reach him, but give up when it's clear Dom will score. Still, I hold my breath. Until he crosses the line and noise explodes all around.
It makes sense why the big screen reads HEAR THE THUNDER. That's exactly what it feels like, up here in the suite, where the roaring of the crowd seems to make everything shake. Dom dances with Saint, and Logan and Bear celebrate at the center line, while Damián prepares to kick the extra point.
The vibe is immaculate. I relax and even smile. Pride for Dom feathers down my torso, just because I loved him years ago, when he dreamt of moments like this. If I feel affection for him today, that just makes sense.
With the team switching to defense, we sit down and go back to our drinks.
"This season is looking really good, huh?" I ask.
The team hasn't lost a game yet, and the walls of the Thunderdome echo with excitement for the dream of a second championship in a row.
The prep for the Partners' Party and the Gala in December keep me busy, but everything is moving smoothly in that department, too.
And I'm surrounded by lovely people I'd love to call my friends one day.
Would it be too gullible of me to think I can be friends one day with Dom, and have them all be the foundation of my new life?
Maybe, yes. Or it may be a way to prove I can get whatever version of life I choose for myself.
Evie nods. "Really good. Numbers are solid, the guys are doing great…"
"So your wedding is getting postponed?" Nat turns sideways to study Evie. "I thought you were hoping for a fall wedding."
"Didn't work out," Evie says. "It's tricky. I don't want to affect the season in any way, despite Logan not wanting to wait. Several conversations later, and… we booked a venue for the offseason."
"There's a date?!" Pen exclaims.
Evie grins. "RSVPs going out soon."
Several expressions of joy come to life around me, and I manage to smile and ignore the little seed of doubt growing in my stomach.
I can be playing with this idea of friendship in my mind, but I should remember that the kind of community I'm imagining takes a long time to build.
Even if I get an invitation, being a wedding guest isn't enough to go from coworkers to friends…
and being friends like that with Dom may be pushing it…
"We want to keep it intimate," she says my way. "But Logan and I would love to have you there, Mariana."
"Oh, don't worry about it. I understand. I'm… not in the inner circle. I get it."
It seems like the polite thing to say.
"No, no." Evie shakes her head, an encouraging smile on her face. "Logan and I don't have big families. We'll invite our friends, some people from work… and we really do like you. We would love to have you there."
I hesitate. This is probably a conversation I should have with Dom, to give him a chance to share how he feels about it all. I'd hate for it to take us back to when things were rough.
"Are you unsure because of Dom?" Evie asks. "I didn't think things were too bad between the two of you."
She reads me with no issues. Maybe I should worry about that too.
"No, they're not too bad…" I try.
"If there are things we don't know, that's fair," Ames says. "If you have any reason to want to avoid him we don't know about, we won't keep forcing you to spend time with him. Unfortunately, sometimes guys that seem really nice can surprise you."
"Socially, at least." Evie smiles. "At work we may not be able to avoid it, but my wedding is different. We can work something out for that."
I shake my head, but they keep reassuring me.
"And if there's anything HR needs to know," Pen adds. "If he's doing something wrong at work, we can be objective. You shouldn't have to deal with unprofessionalism or harassment…"
I wave my hands in a calming gesture. "No, no. He's… okay. It's not like that."
"I'll confess I have been paying attention." Evie smirks. "All I saw was some… irritation."
I chuckle. "You noticed, huh?"
She nods. "The guy is friendly and chatty and caring… then suddenly turns into the Ice King around you. Except his eyes. Hot with anger."
I mirror her gesture. "I called it the Dull Dom look."
"Nothing dull about it, in my opinion." Evie laughs.
"It's okay," I say. "Things are getting better. I think. I just don't want to mess any of this up."
Nat grins. "I guess we'll see by the end of the game if things with Dom are better, yeah? They always come here as a group."
"Great." I keep my tone light. "Now I know for sure you're all going to be paying attention."
They all smile the same cheeky way.
"Oh, Mariana," Ames says. "We already were."