Page 53 of Scoring Chance

That thought felt like a punch to the gut. He was right. I knew I wasn’t the only one to see how amazing she was, and now she worked with the basketball team. I bet they were all eager to get a chance with her.

I dropped my head and stared at the mat. I couldn’t let that happen. I needed to show her how I felt before it was too late.

“I know.”

He nodded once and walked out of the room.

* * *

I slid on the double breasted suit coat over my high waisted, wide slacks. The gray fabric had thin navy blue pinstripes, and my look was completed with navy suspenders and a gray fedora.

I had my hair parted and slicked to the side, looking as dapper as I could. Chloe had sent three rolling racks of themed suits down to the locker room earlier this week so none of us had an excuse for not dressing up.

I was grateful one of the more subtle suits fit. There were a few flamboyant zoot suits in the mix, and Olli, Nikolay, and Hartman got stuck wearing the flashy ensembles. I checked the mirror one more time before heading out. I asked Amelia if I could pick her up, even though Nikolay was bringing Elena. I wanted this to feel like a real date.

After the heckling from Madi and my teammates, I decided it was time to tell her how I felt. I tried to prepare myself on the short drive to her apartment, but by the time I knocked on her door my bravery was gone. It wasn’t like I could shout it out to her the second I saw her. I needed to wait for the right moment.

She opened the door looking like she’d stepped back in time. She was wearing a white, satin dress with a navy belt that flared out at her slim waist. She smiled and twirled making the dress poof out around her.

“It’s the best spinning dress.” She giggled as she went around again.

I laughed and watched, appreciating her beauty. Her long brown hair was curled and pinned up so it barely skimmed her shoulders. She looked stunning.

When she finally stood still, I reached for her hand and lifted it to my lips. “You look amazing.”

She blushed and ran her eyes over me. “You look quite dashing yourself.”

“Are you ready?”

She nodded and stepped out, locking the door behind her before dropping her keys in a tiny blue bag.

By the time we got to the arena, most of the team had already arrived. We joined the throng of people. I took her hand and led us through the crowd toward the center where I saw some of the guys.

“There you are,” Chloe said with a relieved smile. “I have you working the games for the next hour.”

I tried not to groan. I knew we were here to help raise money, but I wanted to enjoy the night with Amelia.

“Don’t worry. Once you’re done you have the rest of the night off.”

She said it like I would be allowed to do anything other than make small talk with the donors and guests. I pushed the thought out of my head. That was what the night was about. I’d have to be grateful for any time I had with Amelia. This was first and foremost a work event.

“Go on. I told her I’d help with the auction,” Amelia said with a sweet smile. I nodded and squeezed her hand before walking away.

I nodded at the guys and said a few quick hellos to fans as I made my way to the game area. There was a bingo area, a roulette table, and a jumbo bowling game. It seemed like a random collection, but the crowds that were gathering didn’t seem to mind.

Noah waved me toward the bowling game. “Hey, help me reset the pins.”

I stood across from him and waited for Grant to explain to the next person how to play.

“Having fun?” I asked him.

Noah shot me a smirk. “Oh yeah.”

I sighed and checked my watch so I could start my countdown.

I rotated helping at the three games until Erik tapped me on the shoulder. “You’re out. Go have fun.”

The hour passed quickly, but I was more than happy to find Amelia and spend the rest of the night with her.