Page 173 of Home Game

Me: I’m scared

Ryan: I am too

Me: What are you scared of?

Ryan: I’ll tell you if you let me buy you dinner

He was impossible to resist.

Me: Okay

Ryan: Saturday we have a rest day between games. Does that work for you?

Me: Yes

Ryan: I’ll pick you up at 7

Me: Where are we going?

Ryan: Dress up

I hada lot of panic over what “dress up” meant, but Krista came to the rescue and helped me buy a dress she promised would “knock him off his feet.”

“Krista, I don’t want him knocked off his feet.”

“What do you want?”

“I don’t know.”

She came to stand in front of me. “This whole thing between you and Ryan has been hard to watch, but I get the sense he’s serious about this.”

I bit my lip and dropped my eyes. “Yeah. I know.”

“If you’re not into him, let him down easy but do it quickly.”

“Me? Let him down? This isn’t up to me.”

“Sweetheart, who’s chasing who?”

“He’s chasing me.”

“You have all the power. All of it. And if you don’t want to date him, please don’t lead him on.”

I stared at my serious reflection in the mirror. It never dawned on me I had the power.

It feltlike a thousand butterflies were dancing in my stomach. I artfully styled my hair and used a heavy hand with my makeup. My black and silver cocktail dress fit my body, dipping lower in the front to hint at my cleavage. Cleavage I got from my new lacy black push-up bra. I finished the look with a pair of delicate silver stiletto sandals.

Ikea sat on the back of the couch, looking at me.

“It will be fine,” I told her. “It’s just dinner.”

My door buzzed, and I stood listening to the sounds of him coming up the stairs.

When I opened the door, he took my breath away.

He wore a black suit and his longish hair tickled his collar. He had a cut over one eye, the remnants of a black eye and another cut on his lip. Despite his wounds, he was still the most handsome man I think I’d ever seen.

“You look fucking stunning,” he breathed.

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