“You know I don’t follow sports.” He gave me a puzzled look. “So you’re dating the football player the agency sent you to protect? Your client?”
“Don’t look at me like that,” I warned. “This isnothinglike you and that harlot. I’m not cheating on anyone. Everything is still perfectly professional between us.”
“If you say so.”
“Yes. I do say so. Now, answer my question. Did you get me the job to make us break up, or not?”
Jessie stared at me for a long time. His expression softened in a way I rarely saw when we were dating, and when he spoke, I could hear the sincerity in his voice.
“I got you the job because you would be good at it. Because you spent a few years at Ramstein Air Base and speak a little German. Because I’m sorry. Because you deserve it.” He let out a wry chuckle. “Fuck, Caz. I thought I was helping you get your dream job. I didn’t realize it would make things harder on you. I never would have done it if I had known. You have to believe me.”
Jessie and I spent a few more minutes catching up, and then we parted ways. I spent the rest of the day thinking about what he said. Part of me had hoped he got me the job just to torpedo my relationship with Luke. That would have made it easy to turn down the job. But since his motivations were pure…
I didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay with Luke, whether that was in Salt Lake City or Los Angeles in the off-season. But I was scared, too. Scared of turning down a once in a lifetime opportunity to stay with someone I had only been with for a few months. Even though that person was Luke August, and everything about him was amazing, I feared that the shine would eventually wear off. If our feelings faded, would I blame him for my missed opportunity?
All I could do was delay my decision and focus on what was next: the Super Bowl.
30
Cazzie
Super Bowl Sunday was a spectacle to behold. The game was scheduled to start at 3:00, which meant Luke left my place at ten in the morning. I didn’t go to the game until the gates opened for regular fans at 1:00. I parked at a satellite lot and took a shuttle to the stadium, where tens of thousands of fans were milling about in the streets, a sea of Vikings purple and Stallions blue.
As I exited the shuttle and walked through the crowd, I drew a lot of stares for the jersey I was wearing. Stallions fans and Vikings fans alike turned to look at me, and a few stopped and asked to take my photo. I bought an over-priced beer from a concession stand and then found my way to the suite Luke had been given for the game.
Luke’s family was already there, both moms and all three sisters wearing identical baby blue Luke August jerseys. When they saw what I was wearing, they all laughed, except Theresa, who only looked confused.
“I love it!” Momma said, hugging me tightly. “Did you sew it yourself?”
“I don’t understand,” Theresa said.
I gestured at myself. “Since I don’t know which team to root for, I cut up two jerseys and sewed them together. One half is my old Vikings jersey, the other half is a Stallions jersey.”
“Okay, but who are you rooting for,really?”Alex asked.
“I just hope everyone has fun.”
Blair groaned. “Come on. You’ve been a Vikings fan a lot longer than you’ve been dating my brother. They have to take priority, right?”
I shrugged. “I’m not telling.”
“She’s definitely rooting for the Vikings,” Blair told Alex.
We mingled and chatted about Luke’s blackmailers, and how relaxing it was to finally feel safe again. Luke’s moms both agreed that he was a stubborn idiot for trying to negotiate with them personally, and that he was lucky I was there to save his life.
“Wait a minute, they flip a coin to see who gets the ball first?” Theresa said. “That seems so random.”
Alex groaned. “You’ve watched every Stallions game with us this season. How are you just now noticing the coin toss?”
“I don’t know! I’m trying my best.” She gave a little fist pump. “Go sports ball?”
Blair rolled her eyes. “I swear you say stuff like that just to drive us crazy.”
“Thanks for putting up with our family nonsense,” Momma said as we took our seats outside the suite.
“I don’t mind! Luke’s sisters are entertaining. Besides, it’s just one game.”
She gave me a sideways look. “I have a feeling you’ll be putting up with us for a lot longer than one game.”