Sarah had made a lot of mistakes in her life. It seemed picking a best friend and first serious boyfriend were up there at the top of the list. She figured it was only a matter of time before she knew where running off to Florida with Reid would rank. She felt like she knew him on some level better than she knew anyone else, but the fact remained they were still getting to know each other.
He’d been remarkable the day before, but once she started spending time with him and his teammates, the inadequacies that May had tried to point out were bound to rear their ugly heads. Nico had been curious about her the night before, just as she’d been curious about him.
She’d proven that she was shy, sticking close to Reid’s side and only answering when spoken to. It was one thing to blurt things out when it was just Reid, who made her feel comfortable, but she wasn’t sure about the man with the heavy Russian accent. He seemed nice enough, even joking with her about Reid’s habit of leaving the cap off the toothpaste.
The banter between the two of them was fun to watch. She was hoping they hadn’t used it to lull her into compliance while they put her on a plane that morning. She didn’t have the time or the temperament for a wild goose chase. The flight was direct, but they claimed their flight leaving thirty minutes later would beat hers.
She pulled her carry-on behind her as she made her way to find them, since they both claimed they’d be there waiting for her. Sarah wasn’t sure why Nico jumped on the bandwagon of helping her enjoy the short vacation, but she was willing to see how long he’d hang with them before he ran off. After a racy dream she’d had the night before during some restless sleeping, she hoped Nico was quick to find something else to do.
Sarah found herself walking on her toes as she tried to look around people the closer she got to security. The guys’ plane landed at the airport, but they didn’t get off at one of the gates. Evidently they unloaded where they landed, which meant they had to run around and get into the airport if they were going to find her.
“Sarah.”
She heard Reid’s voice hollering at her, but she couldn’t see him over or around the tall guy in front of her. Stepping to the side, she tried to get a better look, but everyone from at least ten planes had to be funneling in front of her. She didn’t know what was up ahead, just that people had been spread out a little more and all of a sudden they narrowed.
“Reid?” she called back, feeling a little weird doing so.
She kept walking as she danced around and tried to see where he was in the crowd. He was a full head taller than her, so chances were he could make out at least her red hair that she’d pulled back into a ponytail. She didn’t see any other redheads in the herd, so he had an advantage.
“Yes?”
The response came from right next to her, which made her jump. She turned quickly and almost lost her balance as she bumped into someone on the other side of her.
“Careful, chickie,” Nico said as he kept her from falling.
She’d seen Reid walking next to her before Nico caught her, but hearing his voice from the opposite side was just as disorientating. When Reid had called to her, she’d sworn he was in front of her.
“You walked by us, silly.” Reid reached down and grabbed Sarah’s right hand, pulling her away from Nico. “Was your flight okay?”
The guys kept Sarah moving with traffic, even though she wanted to stop and make sense of them appearing out of nowhere. She couldn’t believe she’d trotted by them without seeing them. She’d made it past the security checkpoint, but she didn’t think she was to the point where crowds of people were waiting for the people who had recently landed.
“You didn’t have to put me in first-class. I saw plenty of seats open in economy.”
It had been the first time Sarah had ever sat in the comfy seats in the front of the plane and she’d felt a little self-conscious about it the whole time. She’d had a whole row to herself, which made it easy for her to relax and even get a little writing in. There still wasn’t a chapter done, but the experience did give Sarah some ideas about her characters jet-setting for a quick romantic getaway. She just had to write the chapters leading up to the adventure.
“You wait to see fancy hotel room he got for you. I doubt he spend much time cramped up in our room when you have big Jacuzzi in yours.”
Sarah glanced over at Nico and then looked to the man she’d let do all the vacation planning. She had tried to tell him she’d pay for the travel and hotel, even though he’d said from the start he would. It was almost like she was talking to a brick wall, because he’d have nothing to do with the idea of her paying. She knew he had money based on his admission of a seven-figure salary, but that didn’t mean he had to fly her around first-class and pamper her.
“How in the world do you know about the hotel room and I don’t? Have you guys been here long enough to already go check in?”
Concentrating on her companions, Sarah had lost track of where they were going. She vaguely registered going down an escalator and somehow when she focused away from the backs in front of her, she found they were outside waiting at a cab stand. Being able to walk around with no sense of actually going somewhere was strange, but not unheard of for her.
“I helped pick it out. Reid said you need romantic escape, so I make sure he no skimp and bring big box of condoms. You two have great time.”
Sarah felt her face warm as it turned at least a shade of pink. It’d been hard not to think about what might happen during the three-hour flight, but she hadn’t expected Reid to share with his friend specific plans that involved them and a bed. He hadn’t seemed like the kind of guy who did the whole kiss and tell thing, which made her wonder what other details she assumed about him that weren’t true.
“Just so you know, I don’t have any concrete plans involving the condoms. I brought them because I wanted to be prepared just in case and he caught me packing them. And romance wasn’t mentioned either. This is supposed to be a time for you to relax and think about things back home only if you want to, which is why I got you the room with the Jacuzzi.”
Sarah inhaled a deep breath at hearing Reid explain things. She’d hoped she hadn’t read him wrong, but Nico had known him longer and supposedly knew him better. It was hard to say whether the friend was speaking based on things he picked up from Reid or if he was just stirring the pot. Reid had warned her that Nico tended to think with his smaller brain more often than not, so she decided on believing the latter to be true.
The trio was directed to a cab and she sat in the middle, feeling like the filling of a sandwich between the two bigger guys. Thankfully, they hadn’t been sent to one of the compact cabs waiting in the long line looking for passengers.
“I had only somewhat been joking about you guys already checking in at the hotel, but since you don’t have any luggage, I’m guessing you already have?”
Sarah knew Reid had packed a duffle bag, even though she hadn’t watched as closely as Nico apparently had. Said duffle bag hadn’t made an appearance as far as she saw. It definitely hadn’t been magically already waiting in the trunk of the cab, where her carry-on was stored.
“No, we waited for you to get here. Our stuff was loaded up with the rest of the team stuff and shipped over to the hotel. Generally, I prefer carrying my bag with me, but we’re not that far behind it and I’m sure it will get to the right place.”
Reid reached his arm over to wrap it around Sarah’s shoulders and pulled her close to his side. Even though the plane ride hadn’t lasted long, she was still slightly tired from it. It was only a little after nine in the morning, and she’d spent a lot of her night tossing and turning in Reid’s bed.
She’d tried to convince him to let her take the couch, as her smaller body would be more comfortable on it than his, but he had refused to listen to reason. That left her alone in a queen-sized bed that smelled like the woodsy scent of its frequent occupant. There were way too many hours alone for her to contemplate whether she was being stupid thinking there was a chance Reid could truly be interested in her.
The idea that she was on some kind of hidden camera show kept popping into her head, but she couldn’t figure out the motive or end game for something like that. Their meeting seemed too random, but maybe that was the point. There was no denying the fact that what drove her to the speed dating event wasn’t some ruse.
She’d let Aaron get back into bed with her like nothing had happened, but the picture of him and Trevor in the hallway had made it back into her memory as she laid staring up at Reid’s ceiling. She couldn’t let Aaron back in her life to hurt her again. She was a glutton for punishment, but there had to be a time when she put her foot down, which meant both Aaron and May were people she was avoiding.
Sarah put her hand on Reid’s thigh and squeezed. His left hand reached over and moved it up his thigh, causing Sarah to laugh.
“Don’t start a game you aren’t willing to complete. I remember very clearly that you cut out of it pretty early the other time we played,” Sarah said.
It was one thing for them to play while their hands were under a table, but Sarah wasn’t sure she’d play with their hands visible and Nico sitting right next to them. She couldn’t deny that being caught with roving hands offered some excitement; she just thought it better that the game be a little more private.
“I was too focused on whether I could beat the crap out of Ted and Glenn at the same time. I think I’ll save the game for after you get settled, though. Our little game might get Nico too excited and neither one of us want to see that.”
“You guys are weird.”
Nico’s response to Reid made Sarah laugh. There was no denying she was weird, but other than giving her the time of day, Reid seemed normal.
“Just for that, I’m letting you take care of the cab and finding our bags while we head in and get settled. Just take my bag to the room for now, but try not to rifle through it.”
Sarah had barely settled in for the ride to the hotel, but looking out the window, it appeared they were already there. She hadn’t looked around the airport as she was shuffled into the cab, but she would’ve thought she’d noticed the towering glass behemoth casting a shadow on her as she got out of the cab if it was at the airport complex.
“Let’s get checked in, and then if you feel the need to stare at the building from the outside, we can come out and have a good look.”
Reid had managed to get her bag and worked to get her out of the spot she’d frozen in place. It wasn’t the first time that she’d travelled somewhere, but she hadn’t stayed anywhere as fancy as the hotel they walked into. Her book tours took her to hotels she considered classy, but they didn’t have giant glass chandeliers hanging ten stories in the air, which was what Sarah quickly counted as Reid ushered her over to the front desk.
“Do you think they’d set up a cot for me down here in the lobby?”
Sarah was joking, but the mystification in her voice didn’t match that. It was no wonder Reid wouldn’t let her look at the hotel rooms as he busied himself booking one for her the night before. She would have insisted on getting the cheapest one available instead of what sounded like one on the higher end.
“I’m pretty sure you’re going to want something a little more private, so I’m going to have to veto that idea.”
“Hey, Reid,” a guy with jet black hair said as they got closer to the desk.
Sarah wanted to dive into the need for privacy, and whether it meant Reid had particular reasons for mentioning it, but seeing the newcomer kept her mouth closed. He seemed a little older than Reid, and rounder around the belly, so Sarah didn’t think he was a player. Since he was standing on their side of the front desk, she also didn’t think he worked at the hotel.
“Hey, Johnny. This is Sarah, who will probably stomp on my foot for introducing her as my girlfriend, but I’m going to do it anyway.”
Johnny raised an eyebrow at the introduction, but didn’t hesitate to reach out to shake Sarah’s hand. Sarah didn’t mind the designation, and it wasn’t the first time he’d used it. She just thought when he’d said it to May that he was trying to prove the woman wrong, even if Sarah and he hadn’t sat down to discuss labeling.
“Nice to meet you, Sarah. I’m guessing I’ll see you at the team meal tonight. My advice is to arrive early. We may bring in tons of food, but these guys pack it away like they have hollow legs, especially after a game.”
Sarah smiled and nodded, not sure how to answer. Reid hadn’t mentioned anything about a team meal and the idea sent a tendril of fear through her body. The statement, and the night before had proven to her that she had a lot to learn about being with someone who played on a professional sports team.
She’d sat quietly in the suite Reid had gotten her a ticket for, only receiving a few questioning glares in her direction. After the game, she’d wandered out to the parking lot and waited by Reid’s car, which apparently wasn’t the right move because he’d seemed ruffled when he finally found her there.
He’d expected her to stay in the suite and wait for him, but when other people had left, she thought she was supposed to too. She would’ve just called a cab to take her back to his place, like she’d done to get to the game, but she couldn’t get into his apartment without him. The situation ended with an agreement that they would both make it clear the whos, wheres and whens for any future outings they were separated.
Johnny returned Sarah’s smile and then grabbed something from the man helping him at the desk and waved as he headed towards a bank of elevators. Sarah followed his movements, and then let her eyes settle on Reid, hoping for some information.
“Johnny is our equipment manager, and clearly he has a big mouth.”
Reid rolled his eyes and stepped up to the desk to get the keys for their rooms. Sarah didn’t have anything specific to say on the subject of Johnny’s big mouth, so she waited for Reid to explain further. It only took a second for him to get the keys, so he was quick to jump back in their conversation on their way to the elevator.
“They put a feast out after games and for the most part everyone shows up to eat and families are usually included, if they’re around. I had thought we’d maybe enjoy a more private dinner, but if you want, we can go tonight and I can introduce you to everyone.”
“As your girlfriend?” Sarah asked as the elevator doors closed in front of them.
The elevator was glass and looked out into the lobby. As it rose, she was able to see the massive chandeliers closer. The orbs of glass caught light from every direction and looked like they had rainbows dancing in them.
“The title rolls off the tongue a lot easier than possibly, maybe in the near future, girlfriend, so if it’s okay with you, I think I’ll stick to it.”
It was a little funny that there was even a question of whether Sarah would agree to it. When she’d met Aaron, he’d taken a while to officially call her his girlfriend. Even after they’d slept together the first time, he’d introduced her to friends and coworkers as his close friend. Reid had immediately admitted that relationships weren’t his thing, so Sarah assumed that had something to do with his willingness to give things a label five days into the relationship.
“That’s fine, if anyone asks, I’m still using the long title,” Sarah replied with a laugh that she hoped made it clear she was joking.
“If you do, I’m not against proving you wrong with a little PDA. Like I said, though, it’s up to you whether we go to the team thing or have room service delivered.”
The elevator doors opened and Sarah saw that they were on the top floor. She didn’t immediately move to get off, so Reid tugged on her hand to get her moving. The idea was already floating in her head that the top floor was usually reserved for special, otherwise overly extravagant, rooms and the golden hallway that greeted her made it pretty clear that she was in way over her head.
Words weren’t her friends as she stood mute while Reid let loose of her suitcase and waved a card in front of the reader on a door. When the light turned green, he opened the wooden door and pushed Sarah to enter the room ahead of him. She wasn’t letting go of his hand, so he had to quickly grab her bag before it was left as she yanked him in behind her.
The already mentioned huge spa tub was the first thing she saw, simply because it was in the center of the room they entered. She took a brief second to take in the king-sized bed, the glass bar set up with bottles of imported beer and wines lined up across from it and the large television that took up most of one wall, then she spun around to face the man with a goofy smile spread across his face.
“I hope you know that whether you want to or your team rules allow it or not, you are staying in this room with me.”