Page 47 of Making the Call
Dani
On Thursday,I have my car loaded for my book signing and my weekend with Luke. I’m just about to pull into the line at the ferry terminal when I get a phone call from my friend Stacey Gardner. She’s meeting me at the hotel tomorrow morning to be my lifesaver and personal assistant for the book signing. We’ve done countless meet and greets as well as signings together, so she knows the drill and keeps me in check.
Eagerly, I hit accept on the call and shout out with enthusiasm, “Hey, You! I can’t wait to see you tomorrow!”
“Ugg,” she moans and sounds like death warmed over. “I’m so sorry, Dani.”
“What’s wrong, Stacey?” Uh-oh, this isn’t good. Stacey’s one of the most positive people I know and has more energy than the energizer bunny on a caffeine high.
A low groan escapes from her before she has a chance to explain. “Uh… I can’t get off the bathroom floor… I think I have food poisoning or the flu. It came on so suddenly. There’s no way I can get to Seattle to help you tomorrow.” Stacey lives in Bellingham and has been my best friend since college. She always helps me with big events. I typically fly her out and together, we crush them. She’s practically my right hand and handles the logistics of the day for me.
“It’s okay, Stacey. I’ll figure something out. I have time. I’m on my way to Tacoma today. I’m catching a Rainier Renegades game this evening, then I’m on my way to Seattle. I have time to set up. You just focus on getting well.”
“Uh… Dani, when did you start watching football? What aren’t you telling me?” Shit. She’s known me for years and even on her deathbed, this isn’t something she’d let slip by her.
“Very recently…” I admit. “I’m…” I hesitate, wondering what to say. Then a thought hits me, and I continue, “I’m going to the game with Damien.” There. That bit of information might make her back off. Things are going so well with Luke, but I don’t want Stacey to read too much into it. Besides, with her puking her guts out, the last thing she needs to think about is the state of my love life.
“When I’m not dying on my bathroom floor, you’re going to tell me,” Stacey warns. “You’ve never liked sports. Damien could have front-row tickets on the fifty-yard line, and you’d pass up the opportunity. What gives?”
“You spend your time worrying about getting better, Stace.” The line for the ferry starts to move. “Look, I’m about to board the ferry. I promise I’ll fill you in on everything once you’re feeling better.”
“Oh, Danika Fallon,” comes out in a deep frog-like voice. “You know you can’t blow this off so easily. I know you. Something’s up. As soon as I get my energy back, you can bet your ass I’ll be getting answers.”
Stacey knows how to make me laugh, even when she sounds seconds away from death. “I’m sure you will. Look, Stace, I’m the next car in line to board the ferry. Get better, and we’ll catch up.”
“Sorry for leaving you in the lurch.” Stacey’s guilt is evident in her voice. We’d been looking forward to catching up this weekend. “I’ll call you when I come back to the land of the living.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I tease. “Get well, Stace. Love you.”
We hang up the call just as I’m being directed onto the ferry. I park my car and decide to stay put for the twenty-minute ride to the mainland. I need to pull up my contact information for the book signing tomorrow. Stacey typically deals with the small details of the day. I know I can do it on my own, but I’ll need to get there earlier than anticipated to set things up.
Damien arrives at Luke’s loft shortly after I do. I invite him up as I take care of the few last-minute things to get ready for the game. I asked him to meet me, so we can ride to the stadium together, then I’ll ride home with Luke.
When he knocks on the door, I let him in and rush to the bathroom in Luke’s room to finish getting ready. “I’ll be right out. I forgot my sweatshirt and jacket in my suitcase. Make yourself at home.”
When I return from Luke’s bedroom, I find Damien enjoying the floor-to-ceiling view of Tacoma. “Did you hit any traffic on the way down from Seattle?”
“Not much. Thanks again for inviting me.” He turns to face me with a smile on his face. He’s dressed in Rainier Renegade gear. He takes off his team hat to run his hand through his hair before replacing it and adjusting it to fit perfectly. He has an oversized jersey with a sweatshirt on underneath. “You must really like Luke, if you’re being subjected to football so soon.”
“The game’s growing on me. I know a lot more about the team since the last game. Besides, I love watching Luke in his element. He’s so intense, and his love for the game’s contagious.”
“Holy shit. You really like him, don’t you?” Damien’s eyes are wide and filled with amusement.
There’s no use denying it. “Yeah, I do, Dame. He’s something special.”
“I knew he was something special when he subjected himself to our entire family for that day out on the island,” Damien teases. “No guy would do that, unless he’s really interested. Not to mention, getting our entire family tickets to the game. I know he’s the head coach and can pull some strings, but if you weren’t special to him, I doubt he’d even bother.”
I can’t say what Luke would do for someone else. But Damien has a point. “Yeah, he’s pretty fantastic.”
“I love that his place is still humble. Luke’s not pretentious or anything. He’s a great guy for you, Dan. You could’ve done a lot worse.”
“Geesh, Dame. Such a vote of confidence.”
“Seriously, Dan. I love you, and I just want you happy. You haven’t dated anyone I’ve heard about since Chris. I like Luke and hope things work out for the two of you.”
“Awe, thanks, Dame.” I walk over and extend my arms for a hug. He pulls me in and pats my back after a few seconds.
“Anytime, Dan. Anytime.”
