Page 57 of Cole

On the drive home, he found himself humming along to the radio, a sense of contentment settling over him. For the first time in years, basketball wasn’t the only passion occupying his thoughts.

Once home, he walked to the bedroom and pressed his forehead against the cool glass floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city. LA’s lights twinkled below, a constellation of human activity even at this late hour.

“You’re in deep, Halverson,” he murmured to himself.

His phone buzzed on the nightstand. Cole crossed the room and picked it up, smiling when he saw Annie’s name on the screen.

Annie:Just wanted to say goodnight properly. Thank you for dinner and for making Benji feel so special. He’s still talking about you, even though he should be sleeping.

Cole typed back quickly:Kid’s got good taste. Tell him I said sweet dreams. You, too.

After a moment’s hesitation, he added:Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.

Her response came seconds later:Me neither. Goodnight, Cole.

He set his phone down, the simple exchange leaving him with an unfamiliar warmth. Cole hadn’t dated much since joining the NBA—between the grueling schedule and his wariness about women being interested only in his status, meaningful connections had been rare. But with Annie, everything felt different. Authentic.

Cole moved through his nightly routine with practiced efficiency, but his mind remained fixed on the evening—on Annie’s smile when she caught his eye during the game, the way her hand had briefly held his, the quiet moment in his car. Small gestures that somehow felt monumental.

Sleep came easily that night, a rarity after game days when adrenaline typically kept him awake until early in the morning. He dreamed of blue-green eyes and catching smiles across the basketball court.

Morning came with golden sunlight streaming through the windows Cole had forgotten to cover. He checked the time—7:30 AM, early by his off-day standards, but he felt surprisingly refreshed. The charity gala wasn’t until that evening, so he’d be spending the day with Annie and the others. They weren’t meeting up until ten, giving him time for his usual morning routine.

After a quick breakfast of eggs and oatmeal, Cole headed to the building’s private gym. Even on rest days, maintaining some physical activity kept him centered. He was halfway through his stretching routine when his phone rang.

“Morning, champ,” Aiden greeted him. “Caught the game last night. Thirty-five points? You were showing off.”

Cole laughed, switching the phone to speaker as he continued stretching. “Maybe a little. Had some special people in the crowd.”

“Oh, right,” Aiden replied. “Annie and Benji were supposed to be there this weekend, right?”

“Yep. And their friends Dawn and Andrew came with them.” Cole grabbed his towel and wiped his face. “We’re going to be heading out for a bit today before Annie goes with me to the charity gala tonight.”

“So you’re going official?”

Cole considered the question for a moment. He supposed that was what they were doing. He hadn’t specifically broached the subject with Annie, but surely she understood what his invitation to attend the event would mean.

All the people who were constantly speculating on his relationships with women would be quick to jump on the fact that he’d brought a date to the gala. He should probably prepare Annie for the spotlight that would come from them appearing together.

He knew she was reserved and didn’t share details of her life with just anyone, so he hoped she could manage the focus that was about to be turned on her.

“I hope you have a good time,” Aiden said. “And I expect to hear all about it tomorrow.”

“Maybe next time she and Benji come for a game, you and Skylar could come along too. The more the merrier.”

“It’s been awhile since I was last at a game, so that’s a definite yes. Guess you won’t be home for either of the holidays coming up, huh?”

Cole sighed. “Nope. Schedule doesn’t allow for it once again.”

It had been years since he’d been able to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas with his family. When he’d been younger, Christmas had been his favorite holiday, but since he’d started his professional basketball career, his schedule had no longer been his own.

He would have liked to spend Christmas with Annie, but unfortunately, that wouldn’t happen. At least not that year.

But maybe... in the future.

If the friendship between them continued to develop like it was, he hoped that they’d have the opportunity to celebrate all kinds of special events.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

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