Page 40 of Meet Your Match
Maven
The crowd was so thick outside of Boomer’s, I had a panic attack when the black car dropped us off.
I’d ridden with Vince, Jaxson, and Carter, and while all their eyes lit up with excitement at the multitude of people clamoring to party with them after their win, I’d shriveled into the corner of the car. I was cursing Livia under my breath for not agreeing to come out with us. She had clients early in the morning, so I understood, but I hated that I didn’t have her here.
It wasn’t that I had an issue with crowds. Hell, I’d been in one of thousands of people at the stadium without issue. But a sea of people clamoring to get a glimpse of who’s in this car, a sea of people who would be staring atmewhen I exited this thing?
My brow was sweating just thinking of it.
I was used to beingbehindthe camera, and Vince must have picked up on that fact, because he frownedwhen he looked at me over his shoulder and saw what was no doubt my very hesitant expression.
“Hey,” he said. “Look at me.”
Screams ripped out when our car came to a stop, and security fought to keep people back, like the guys were rockstars instead of athletes. I supposed it was one and the same in this city.
A warm palm sliding over my knee called my attention away from the chaos, and I found Vince, his eyes set on mine as his hand squeezed.
His massive, talented hand, one that could score goals and mold art from clay. He smoothed his thumb over the skin just below the hemline of my skirt, and I swallowed, not daring to look down at where he touched me.
“You’re with us,” he reminded me. “And we’ve got you. Okay? We have a VIP area in there that’s completely roped off. You only have to be in the crowd for a few minutes while we make our way in.”
I nodded, a little embarrassed by my anxiety. “I’m sorry, I just…”
“Your phone.”
“What?”
“Pull out your phone. Pretend like you’re recording, or actually record it, we don’t care,” he added, and the guys nodded behind him.
“The seas will part for you, Maven. Everyone knows you.”
Those words from Carter made me blink.
Everyone knows you.
I hadn’t considered that, hadn’t thought about the fact that my social media accounts were the most watched in the city right now. I didn’t know if that made me feel better or worse.
With a final nod, I pulled a deep inhale through my nose to prepare me, and Jaxson opened the door for us to climb out.
The crowd cheered when we did, but it wasn’t the nonstop, high-pitched screams you’d hear for a rock band. It was loud and deep, a sea of grown men hollering their approval and respect for the team. Of course, thereweresome women in there, too. Plenty of them. But they didn’t crowd us when we got out like I thought they would.
Vince grabbed my hand, anyway.
I tried not to focus on that, on how small my hand was in his as he led us through the small opening they’d made for us to make our way into the bar. I tried not to let it impact my breathing, how confidently he held me, how proudly. He pulled me through that crowd like I belonged to him.
My free hand held my phone, and I clicked the button on the side to start the video as I followed Vince in.
“Maven! We love you!”
I followed the source of the chant, smiling a little when a group of three college-aged girls waved excitedly at me.
“Told you,” Vince whispered in my ear, tugging me close enough to do so. I felt his breath warm on the shell of my ear, and a shiver spread over my skin.
“Are you two dating?!”
“What’s it like, Maven?”
“Vince, let’s do pottery together!”
