Traded by Lisa Suzanne
CHAPTER 14
The first day was a lot.
But I’m up to the task. I’m used to chasing toddlers. Chasing Jack isn’t much different.
I can’t pretend like meeting his family didn’t affect me deeply. I enjoyed talking with them and getting to sit in Jack’s inner circle even if it was only for a couple hours.
That’s rather alarming.
We stayed at the same restaurant for one final drink before we headed home. I stayed up until Jack closed his door to go to bed, and I set my alarm for five in the morning so I could get up, shower, and attempt to get some schoolwork done before it all started over again.
Part of me wonders whether I need some sort of baby monitor. Is it okay for me to sleep? What if he sneaks out in the middle of the night?
These things are out of my control, and I can only do what is within my means.
I find myself distracted looking up articles about Jack Dalton when I should be doing my assignments in the morning.
I’m studying his history. I’m trying to figure him out little by little. But it’s hard to separate fact from fiction on the internet, and I think I’d be better served by talking to the man himself.
But getting him to open up to me is a different story entirely.
On my second day, I ride in Jack’s truck with him to the practice facility for a press conference. I grip my purse so tightly my knuckles turn white as he weaves in and out of traffic the whole way there, and I’m terrified for my life. I send up a prayer of gratitude when we finally pull into a parking space.
The ride is over.
We made it.
“You can stop using your invisible passenger side brake now,” he says.
I glance down, and my right foot is jammed against the floor in such a way that makes it appear as though I’m stepping on a brake. I hadn’t even realized I was doing it. “Your driving is terrifying.”
He laughs. “You’re easy to scare,” he says.
Ain’t that the truth.
We head inside, and I follow Jack through some hallways and into a big room with a bunch of chairs facing a small stage. On the stage is a table with microphones in front of it and two chairs behind it. A backdrop with the Aces logo on repeat over and over perches behind the table, and video cameras are set up in various key places including directly in front of the table.
“Jack,” Calvin says with a broad smile. “So glad you’re here. Let’s head to the locker room.”
We follow Calvin through the press conference room and into a locker room, and he takes Jack over to a cubby with a bench and some cabinets above it along with a pole to hang clothes on. An Aces jersey with DALTON 5 on it hangs on display on that pole.
“Welcome to the Aces,” Calvin says. “This is your locker. The press is arriving any minute, and they’ll start asking their questions in thirty minutes. Take some time to get acclimated, look around the locker room, talk to your agent or publicist if you need to, and prepare yourself however you do for a press conference.”
“Yes, sir,” Jack says. He stares at the jersey, and in fact I haven’t seen him look away from it since we both first spotted it.
“Can I get you anything?” he asks.
Jack shakes his head.
“Mitch and Steve will be by shortly,” Calvin says, and he presses his lips together and nods at me before he exits the locker room.
“Who are Mitch and Steve?” I ask.
“Mitch Thompson is the head coach,” he says. “Steve Shanahan is the general manager.” He’s still staring at the jersey.
“Do you need to call your agent or publicist?” I ask, simply repeating what Calvin just mentioned.
“No,” he murmurs.
I stand quietly beside him, not really sure what he’s staring at. He shakes his head and seems to snap out of it. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He blows out a breath. “Just the first time I’m seeing an Aces jersey with my last name and my number on it...not Luke’s.”
“Is it surreal?”
He nods. “Incredibly.”
He seems almost...human today.
The coach and general manager come in and introduce themselves, and I see him switch from the introspective man staring at his jersey who seemed like he was on the precipice of opening up to me into the charismatic athlete everybody loves both on and off the field.
I watch him during the press conference as he thanks Mitch, Steve, and the entire Bennett family for the opportunity, and I listen to his words as he talks about learning his new roles and responsibilities with this team. I watch as he talks animatedly and excitedly about the potential to bring more wins to Vegas, about meeting his new teammates and setting goals with them. I watch as he fields questions like an absolute pro—even though he didn’t talk to his agent or his publicist immediately before the questions began. He addresses what it’ll be like to play with his brother here in Vegas, too, and how excited he is to get started.
He was human for a minute with me, but then he turned back into the professional he’s known as. I just hope I get more opportunities to glimpse the man he was if for only a few seconds with me.
I think he’s someone I could actually grow to like.
