Page 35 of Top Shelf

“Oh, Sade…” I manage to whisper, trying like hell to calm myself down.

She looks up at me.

“I’m okay,” she says, sniffing and trying to fight off the pain. I take her hand and bring it to my lips.

“No, you’re not,” I whisper. “But you will be. And there will be a time when you won’t even remember all the things he did and said. There will be a time when you will know how much bullshit he tried to fill your head with. But till then,” I say, tightening my grip on her hand, “you’ve got me. And every time you think about him tonight, or find yourself feeling anxious around him, think of my hands in yours.” I lean forward so my lips are right at her ear. “Think of my mouth on you last night. Think of how badly your fake boyfriend wanted more of you. Think about how badly he still does.”

Her eyes flick to mine, and she swallows. I lean forward and lay a soft kiss next to her ear.

“If you’re not ready to think about how amazing you are, then let me do it for you,” I go on. “When you start to think of him or remember something he said, some lie he told you, think about me instead. Think about how amazing I think you are. How your smile lights up a room. How you are the biggest empath I know, and how people gravitate toward you.” Her eyes are wide now as she turns to face me. I smile. “Told you. I’m the best fake boyfriend there is. Tonight, when you start to feel it, take my hand. I’ll remind you.”

She nods and squeezes my hand, and then I take off for the restaurant.

A little while later, we’re pulling up to some nice-ass restaurant that has valet parking and staff in black bowties. I help her out of the truck before I hand the keys over, and she looks up at me.

“You’re a fucking smokeshow, Blackwell,” I tell her with a wink, and she smiles. I take her hand again. “You ready to be mine again?” The question sounded like I was talking about this dinner. But I’m hoping she knows I’m really asking for a little bit more.

She nods.

“I’m not sure I deserve you, Tyson,” she says with a sad smile, and it makes my stomach knot up. I bring her fingertips to my lips.

“Sade, you deserve every good thing that comes your way, and then some,” I tell her. “I’ll do my best to be one of ‘em.”

I lead her through the doors, and we tell the maître d’ which party we’re here with. He waves another hostess over, and she leads us through the restaurant. I keep Sadie tight at my side, but she’s holding my hand just as tight. And as we weave through people and tables, she wraps her body around my arm, and I want to fucking melt. Finally, we get to a private room in the back, and the hostess smiles as she walks away.

“There they are!” Levi says from across the room, holding a beer in his hand. He’s got his all-business smile on, a master at making conversation. I guess that’s what a decade-plus of playing a professional sport does for you. It makes you a pro at other things, like dealing with people’s bullshit. I’m pretty good with people too, but I’ve been known to be a bit rowdy a time or two. When it wasn’t Levi driving me home from parties when we were younger, it was Sadie. He makes his way to us, hugging me and kissing Sadie on the cheek.

“Aren’t you two just the cutest couple,” he says quietly, a cheeky smile on his face. She laughs nervously, but her grip on me tightens. I smile and playfully punch his arm.

“Is he here yet?” I ask. Levi takes another sip of his beer and shakes his head.

“Not yet,” he says, “but he said he would be.” Then he looks at Sadie. “You gonna be okay?”

She nods, waving a hand in the air. She’s convincing, but I know her.

“Oh yeah, no problem,” she says. “Besides, it’s not about him tonight. It’s about you all and what you’re trying to do for these kids. I think it’s awesome.”

“Me too,” says Lo as she appears next to Levi, leaning in to kiss my cheek. She reaches out to hug Sadie, and I feel her instantly loosen. My sister has that effect on people. She’s calming. “And also,” she goes on, “fuck that asshole. If you need a bathroom break, I got you.” She winks at Sadie, and Sadie smiles.

Levi walks us around the room, introducing us to every single person, one by one. There are fourteen people on the board, and every single one of them has a partner or a date. It’s a lot of handshaking and learning names and forced smiles and fake conversations. But all the while, she’s a perfect gem. She introduces herself, she shakes hands and smiles, she compliments the women’s hair and clothes, and she finds common ground to talk about. She’s always been good at making conversation. She feels out the people around her and figures out how to make them feel like the most important person in the room—all while being ignorant to the fact that the most important person in the room is her.

Just as things are getting comfortable and the waiters are bringing out the hor d’oeuvres, all eyes turn to the doorway. And there he is, in all his preppy, slicked-hair glory. God, his face is so punchable.

He makes his way to Levi, who greets him as politely as possible, chatting and smiling, laughing all too loudly. Lo is standing next to Levi, trying to be polite, but she keeps making eyes at us from across the room. Sadie is in the middle of a conversation with one of the other wives, but I know she can feel him. Her grip on me tightens as she nods, trying like hell to make it seem like she’s fully engaged in the conversation about pre-schools in the area.

After another minute, we all pause at the sound of glass clinking.

Levi stands at the front of the room, tapping a fork against his beer bottle until everyone is looking at him.

“Ladies and gents, I just wanted to take the time to thank you all for being here tonight,” he says. I feel Hayden’s eyes move toward us, so I slink my arm around her waist, pulling her in tight to me. She laces her fingers through mine and lays her head back against my chest.

For a moment, I’m lost in it. Her smell, how warm she feels next to me. It’s so fucking natural being hers.

Shit.

“Just wanted to share some updates. We’re hoping to field five teams next season, starting with fourth grade and going up through eighth,” he says. “We will place openings for the coaches in the coming weeks. I believe you’ve all met our candidate for commissioner tonight, my best friend in the world, Tyson Calway.” He holds out a hand in my direction, and everyone in the room claps—everyone except, I notice, Hayden. I almost laugh. “As you are all aware, voting for the commissioner will take place next week.

“And the last update I have for you is that we are aiming to host a celebrity charity game sometime this winter. We’ve been in touch with a few former NHL players—I have been talked into coming out of retirement myself—and we will be recruiting some of you hockey nuts to play with us. Proceeds will go toward equipment for the teams, rink rentals, jerseys, that sort of thing. Please be on the lookout for more information about that. That’s all I have for you tonight, other than just a massive thank you to all of you. We wouldn’t be here without your donations and your dedication to making this league happen, so thank you. Please enjoy the food and the rest of the evening.”

---