Page 88 of Home Game

The host just nodded. “Come along with me, and we can find you a jacket of the appropriate size.”

I felt my skin getting hotter. I looked back at Emmett for a moment before I was whisked off to a coat closet wherethe restaurant stocked jackets for situations like this. The embarrassment had blossomed into full-blown shame by now, but all I could do was keep moving forward.

After trying on a few, we found one that fit. Emmett was still waiting for me outside the coat closet. Bless his fucking heart, as my mom would say.

“I’m so sorry,” he said near my ear. “I didn’t know.”

“Not your fault,” I said, trying to get comfortable in the borrowed jacket. “Let’s just go sit down, yeah?”

The walk to the table felt like walking the plank.

“Thank you for being here with me,” Emmett said, and when I turned to him, it was like seeing a beacon of light in the dark.

Emmett was so fuckingperfect.

It was frustrating sometimes, because I never felt like I measured up.

But when I looked in his eyes and saw how genuine he was, how deep his beauty went and how much he truly cared, it knocked me on my ass, every time.

Of course I’d fucking try, for him.

Nobody had ever made me feel the way he did. So challenging, so interesting and different from me, and so goddamn hot I wanted to pull him into one of the hallways here and grind against him until I came in my damn pants.

Not that it was time to think aboutthat, right now.

I cleared my throat, scratching my head.

“I, ah, didn’t know it was going to be a big business meeting,” I said. “I thought it would be one guy.”

“I didn’t think he was going to bring more people, too,” Emmett said, casting me a genuineI’m so sorrylook. “But they’re good people. I promise. Are you okay?”

I sucked in a breath.

There was a time when I would have refused to come somewhere like this, and I’d have said my opinion loud and proud, not giving a shit what people around me thought.

But… it meant something to Emmett.

I wanted to be here for him, and him only.

I wanted to do my best for him, and maybe that feeling meant more than my own stupid opinions, for once.

“I’ll be okay,” I told him, smiling as we arrived at the table.

For the first part of dinner, Emmett, Hugo, and Landry caught up with each other. They’d worked together years ago, and now Hugo wanted a big, sweeping marketing campaign for his new electrolyte drink company, Icy Tap.

“Wait,” I said, piping up for the first time in a few minutes. “You’re the owner of Icy Tap?”

“Yes sir,” Hugo said, nodding at me. “Only been in production for about a year now, but we’re growing fast.”

“My team absolutely loves that stuff,” I said. “One of the guys brought some about a month ago, and it’s all we’ve been drinking. It’s delicious. We hydrate with it before and after games.”

A big smile came over Hugo’s face. “I had no idea. I’m incredibly honored. You guys really like it?”

“Love it,” I said. “You’re making a great product. Hell, I can post about it on social media right now, if you want.”

I reached to pull out my phone but Hugo shook his head. “No, no, that’s not necessary. That’s part of what I wanted to consult with Emmett about. I’m not sure if a grassroots, social media campaign is the direction we want to go, or if we want to seek out other brand deals or traditional advertising.”

It occurred to me again that the people here didn’t think like me.

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