Page 151 of Off Camera
“But there’s so much cheesecake left.”
“We’ll take it in a to-go box. You can eat it on the way.”
“The best of both worlds,” I say, and we slide out of the booth.
Back in the car, Reid puts on the new Ella Wright album, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat. We drive west on the highway, the city getting smaller and smaller behind us.
“Are we crossing state lines?” I ask, careful not to step on the sunflowers at my feet. “Do I need a passport?”
“It’s just a quick jaunt up the road. We don’t have to clear customs.”
Fifteen minutes later, he’s pulling into the parking lot at FedEx Field.
“I’m confused,” I say.
“It’ll make sense in a minute.”
He climbs out and hurries over to help me out. He swings our arms back and forth as we walk to the employee entrance, the door unlocked and open for him.
“Does the Titans staff frequently let nighttime guests in?” I ask.
“I got special permission. It helps that my best friend is married to the head coach’s goddaughter.”
We walk through the tunnel, and the stadium is eerily quiet. I’ve been in football stadiums thousands of times without fans, but never like this. Never at night without another soul around.
“Wow,” I whisper when we get to the fifty-yard line. I pull my coat tighter around me and spin in a small circle, surveying the area around me. “I forget how big it is sometimes.”
Reid takes off his tux jacket and spreads it over the grass. He sits down and pats the spot next to him. “Come here, Ave.”
When I get close to him, I slip off my heels and drop them to the turf, getting comfortable beside him on the ground. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but whatever it is, I know it’s going to be perfect.
Because it’s him.
“Thank you for tonight,” I say, looking up at him. “It was the best first date I’ve ever had.”
“No one puked, so I think we can consider it a win.” He leans back on an elbow, his legs stretched out in front of him. I mimic his pose and scoot closer to him, a hand on his chest. “I had a motive for taking you there. For bringing you here.”
“It wasn’t to indulge in shitty food?” I ask. “I’m shocked.”
Reid laughs, his breath warm on my cheek. “It was shitty, wasn’t it?”
“The company made up for it. So why am I in enemy territory?”
“Because this…” He hesitates and takes my hand in his. He traces over my knuckles and down to my wrist, his touch resting on the pulse point he finds there. “This is where I started to fall for you, and I haven’t been able to stop.”
“What?” I whisper.
I know my feelings for him aren’t one-sided; he told me as much the other night when he was taking care of me.
Butfalling for yousounds a lot likefalling in love with you, and that might be my favorite thing he’s ever said.
“You made work fun. You had me checking my phone every fifteen minutes, obsessing over what you might say and how I would answer. I made spreadsheets where I tried to figure out your schedule. My friends gave me so much shit. They said I had a crush. They said you were the only one who could hold my attention. I denied having any sort of feelings for you. You were the bane of my existence. My biggest pet peeve. My eye twitched when they mentioned you, but then it all made sense. Hating you felt a lot like?—”
The rest of the sentence hangs between us, heavy and unsaid.
Loving you.
“And what do you think about me now?” I ask.
