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“I did.” I poke him with my foam finger, unable to fight back my goofy smile. “Thanks for inviting us.”
“Hey, some of my teammates and I are going to grab something to eat. Do you want to come?” His tone is unsure yet hopeful.
I shoot a questioning look at Lina.
“I have an early meeting tomorrow morning,” she says. “But you should go, Roxy. Celebrate with your man.” She gives me a secretive wink, and I’m tempted to roll my eyes at her. But I resist. Wade doesn’t know that she knows, and he could actually sue me for it.
“Fine. See you tomorrow?” I ask as I wrap her in a warm hug.
“Yep. This was fun. Thanks, Wade.” She waves at us before disappearing into the sparse crowd.
“Ready to go?” Wade croons.
“Absolutely,” I say with a smile. Let’s just hope Emily won’t be there.
The smell in the locker room is awful, a mix of perspiration, cologne, plastic, and humidity. Not a great cocktail of aromas. Thankfully, we’re just passing through, so I manage to smile as Wade quickly introduces me to some of his teammates. I wait in the corridor for them to change and shower before we go out for a bite at a nearby pub.
Unfortunately for me, Emily is tagging along, and I’m not getting any better vibes from Joanne or Denise. They all changed into sexy dresses, and when we arrive, I understand why. Paparazzi are swarming the entrance, cameras at the ready. And I’m still in my sweaty football outfit. Great. As if I needed any more attention on me.
There are twelve of us in total, so the table is a tad crowded. I find a spot between Wade and Uma.
A waiter stops by, and I’m surprised when all the guys order junk food and bottles of liquor. I assumed they were all on the same strict diet as Wade.
“So, Roxanne, what do you do?” Emily asks, leaning over the table until her cleavage is exposed. “You’re not in the industry, right?” Her blown-up lips curve into something that vaguely resembles a smile.
“Em, I’m a journalist,” I practically shout, trying to be heard over the noise. “I work for Fashion Warehouse,” I add, knowing it’ll carry some weight with these girls.
“Oh, that’s cool,” Denise says. “It’s a great magazine. Did the cover once.”
“So, you are into fashion, then,” Emily cuts in, her eyes trailing over my clothes.
“I am, yeah.” I sit up straighter, holding my chin high. I’m not going to let this girl intimidate me. She may be smoking hot, but I’m smart, and smarts always trump looks. I think. “I just thought I’d support my man tonight. It’s important, you know? It’s not just about appearances.”
Wade must have heard me, because he wraps his arm around my shoulders, squeezes me tight against him, and kisses me on the forehead. “Thanks for wearing my name,” he says.
I’m unable to utter a response. My mouth has gone dry, and the delicious scent of Wade’s soap is making me heady.
“Oh, you guys are cute,” Uma coos, bringing me back to reality. “I’m glad to see you with someone, Wade.”
“Yeah! We thought he’d always be the third wheel,” Andrea says, ruffling Wade’s hair roughly. “Aside from Baptiste, of course, but Froggy is a lost cause.”
Everyone laughs, and I laugh along. As if this was just a typical night out with friends. But in reality, I’m stiffer than a stick, because none of this is real. Though I suddenly wish it was.
“It’s been good for him,” Hans snorts. “Since he met you, he’s actually started talking about something other than football. I thought the day would never come.”
Hans’ revelation catches me off guard. He’s talking about me to his teammates? I don’t see why that would be necessary for the fake dating thing. Maybe he wants to ensure the story is airtight, or he’s afraid one of them could blab to the press.
“As if you ever talk about anything but football,” Uma scoffs, rolling her eyes at her man.
Lost in the general laughter, I catch Wade throwing an intense look at Hans, whispering, “Shut up.” And judging by the look on Hans’ face, I’m pretty sure he kicked him under the table.
I wobble my head a bit, trying to snap back to reality, because clearly this isn’t it. My mind’s conjuring up things I want to see, like a hallucination. Yeah, that’s it. I must be high on Wade Hunter. There is no other explanation for what I thought I saw.
12
Opening up
Roxy
