“She’s in la-la land.” Bizzy assumes correctly.
“My family calls it Grace Space,” I tell them both. “It’s happened for most of my life. My grandma coined the term.”
“Grace Space is much classier than la-la land.”
Bizzy’s phone rings, and her face lights up. She answers, dropping her head and speaking softly as Claire motions to the waiter for our bill.
I check my own phone and see a message from Nick from about ten minutes ago.
Nick: Coach is confiscating all our phones. Some shit about getting our heads in the right place. New England has beat us the last three meetings, and he’s pissed. See you after the game. Plan on celebrating all night long.
I shudder in my chair, feeling his words. He doesn’t have his phone, but I send him a reply anyway.
Me: All night? Think you’ll be up to it? If you’re too tired, I’ll do all the work…
“Rodney is here. Shaw says traffic is awful,” Bizzy tells us, slapping down her credit card before I can reach for my wallet.
“God, I love your overprotective husband. It’s awesome to have a driver for our girl’s nights.” Claire sucks down the rest of her drink. “And I don’t have to be at work until Saturday, so I’m definitely letting loose tonight.”
“You know, Mathis, Nicky, and Shaw all split the cost. It’s not only Shaw,” Bizzy informs us.
This is news to me but not a surprise. The more I learn about Shaw, the more I understand Nick is a lot like him. And who am I to complain if I have a designated driver for GNO?
Claire slices her eyes to Bizzy but doesn’t say anything as we get up to leave. This has been happening a lot since Claire’s confession at the game. Bizzy has called me several times, explaining she’s on a mission to push Mathis into admitting his feelings for Claire. She’s convinced that Claire and Mathis belong together and is pulling out all the stops. She says Shaw is hesitant to get involved but is not discouraging her.
Of course, Shaw doesn’t say no to her. Ever.
I tried to talk to Nick about it, too, wondering if he knew anything about why Mathis was resistant. He replied with, “I’m not really concerned with my brother’s love life,” and that was the end of the discussion.
Rodney is in front of the restaurant, holding the car door open when we exit. Each of us greets him with a hug and get into the back to find a chilled bottle of champagne waiting. Claire takes no time pouring us a glass as we head to the stadium.
The whole way, we talk about our plans for the weekend. The closer it gets, the more excited I become to introduce Nick to my family. I’m still nervous about his star status and the locals descending on my parents’ farm once they learn Nick is there. Mom assures me she’s been able to keep his presence quiet. The actual festival will be trickier, but we’ll deal with that on Saturday.
Shaw was right. Traffic is awful, and we barely make it to the suite before kick-off. Shaw is waiting at the door with a scowl on his face. The instant he sees Bizzy, he visibly relaxes.
Then he turns the scowl to me and raises an eyebrow. “Did Nick get a hold of you?”
“Yes, I sent a text.”
“He wants me to get you to the player’s entrance after the game. Regardless of the outcome, he’ll have to speak to reporters. Bizzy and I will wait with you.”
“What about me?” Claire asks.
“Mathis is taking you home.” He says it so naturally, as if we should have known.
Bizzy’s eyes grow wide, and I can practically hear her squealing in her head. She gives me a quick wink but doesn’t dare say anything.
The suite is packed when we enter. I wave at the people I met last time and see Maria and Seth seated with Shaw’s boss and a woman I don’t know. Claire whispers that the woman is Gail, Shaw’s assistant. When her eyes meet mine, she smiles warmly.
Mathis joins us, standing close to Claire. This wouldn’t normally strike me as unusual since they are friends, but it’s the expression on his face. He does a full body scan of her, and his eyes grow stormy, landing on her short skirt.
It’s then I notice the Bennett Boys all have a similar glare. There is no mistaking he’s finally seeing the big picture. Maybe Nick said something to him, but whatever it is, I know the look is packed with promise.
The game starts, and it doesn’t take long for New England to score, sending a groan through the room. We all turn our attention to the game as Miami’s offense takes the field. Nick runs out, and the crowd goes wild. The familiar music starts and the Jumbo-Tron flashes his picture as the crowd starts chanting, “Sexy, Sexy, Sexy.”
The cameras zoom in on him, and his face fills the TV screens around the room. He adjusts his mouth guard and scans the field. His eyes then sweep upward. Seth and Maria both jump out of their seats waving wildly, and Seth points over his shoulder at me.
Nick gives a chin jerk and closes his eyes. When he opens them, a mask of confidence is in place as the line gets in formation.