Page 76 of Make the Play

“They’re just people, Corie.”

“People who are important to him.”

“You’reimportant to him.” My phone pings, and she reaches for it, glancing at the screen before handing it over. “Told you.”

Knox: Deep breaths, Corie girl. I know you’re freaking out right now, but I promise you everything will be just fine. Stay in the suite after the game, and I’ll come up to get you.

Me: Cool as a cucumber over here, QB. Good luck today. I’ll be the girl in the Beckett suite, in the Reynolds jersey, cheering you on.

Knox: We’re going to fix that jersey thing real soon, baby.

“Damn,” Sloane mutters from over my shoulder.

I lock my phone screen and turn to face her. “Stop reading over my shoulder,” I scold, with absolutely no heat in my tone.

“You would have told me anyway, and how else am I supposed to gloat if I don’t get full confirmation that you are important to that man? My guess is you’re just as important to him as every other person who will be in that suite tonight.”

“That’s a bit of a stretch.”

“Nope. And the jersey thing?” She waves her hands in front of her face like a fan. “So hot.”

I nod my agreement because she’s right. Knox wanting me to wear his jersey… I don’t know…. It’s like a level of commitment for a player that most women would dream of, and here I am, my dream man, desperate for it to happen.

“That’s why I got you something.” Sloane smirks as she steps out of the en suite bathroom into my bedroom and returns with a small gift bag.

“Where did you get that?”

“I had it shoved down in my bag.” She hands it to me. “Open it.”

“It’s not my birthday.”

Sloane rolls her bright brown eyes at me. “I know that. This is probably more for Knox than it is for you, but it’s also part of the confidence I was telling you about.”

Anxious to see what she’s talking about, I sift through the tissue paper and pull out what’s inside. In my hands is a black bra and panty set. “You bought me lingerie?” The material is silky smooth, and I can’t help but rub the fabric between my thumb and forefinger.

“Oh, my dear Corie. It’s not just any lingerie.” She takes the matching set from my hands and holds it up. The bra band is embroidered in Rampage yellow to sayBeckett. She holds up the silk panties. The front saysProperty of, and on the back, there is an embroidered number 10. Knox’s number. All in Rampage yellow.

“I’m not sure I know what to say.” The pieces are beautiful, and the embroidery is tasteful. “Where did you get these?”

She shrugs. “I made them.”

“What?”

“Yeah, Mom has a new embroidery machine, and she showed me how to use it.”

“Please tell me your mom didn’t help you?”

Sloane tosses her head back in laughter. “She didn’t. I did a few projects for my classroom. We made bears with numbers on their ears for counting and some ribbons with each of the kids’ names to hang on the bulletin board. I bought them online for a good price, and Mom helped me. By the time I was done, I was a pro and thought of this.”

“What made you think of it?”

“You mentioned how Knox wanted you to wear his jersey. I know you’re staying with me tonight.” She winks. “So I thought this might be a little something to cheer him up since you’ll be proudly wearing the Reynolds number one to the game.”

“This is… perfect.” I pull her into a hug. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, we need to finish getting ready, or we're going to be late.” She hands me the bra and panties. “Go get dressed.” She waggles her eyebrows, and her laughter follows me out of the bathroom into my bedroom.

“You're fidgeting,” Sloane whispers. We reach the door of the suite, and she turns to face me. “Are you ready for this?”

---