Page 10 of Off Camera
“It’s not lame.” Dallas checks his reflection in the mirror and smiles. “You’re allowed to like someone, Reid.”
“Doesn’t matter if I like her. I’m never going to see her again.” I stand and grin at him. “Are you ready to get married?”
“Yes. No. I’m freaking out.” He runs a hand through his dark hair and gnaws on his bottom lip. “What if Maven realizes she can do better than me? She’s settling, for fuck’s sake. And I can’t get this damn tie on.”
A decade of friendship, and I’ve never seen him so stressed out.
He’s a professional athlete, the kicker for the Titans and the NFL record holder for the longest-made field goal. He’s usually great at performing under pressure, but right now, I can tell he’s panicking.
“Maven loves you,” Maverick says, reassuring him, and it’s the same thing we’ve told him in the weeks leading up to the wedding. “You could show up without a tie and she’d be happy. Hell. You could be naked and she wouldn’t give a shit. She gets to marry you, and that is what’s important.”
“I’m not showing the world my dick,” Dallas says.
“Such a shame. You have a nice dick,” Maverick says, and I snort. “The three hundred people downstairs would probably love to sneak a glance at it.”
“Can we stop talking about my genitalia and focus on the real problem? What is Reid going to do about his mystery girl?”
“I bet I could find her on social media.” Maverick digs in his pocket for his phone and pulls up Instagram. “This is where I shine.”
“Oh my god.” I stand on my toes and peer over his shoulder. “Look at all the message requests you have. Are those all from women?”
“Maybe? I don’t know.” He waves me off. “I don’t notice them anymore. I haven’t checked my DMs in years. What’s this girl’s name?”
“She told me it’s Claire, but I’m pretty sure she was lying.”
“Not starting off on the right foot, man.”
“I can’t fault her. She sat through a dinner with a guy who was sexist as hell. She was probably trying to protect herself.” I shrug. “I can’t shake this feeling I’ve met her, though.”
“Really?” Dallas grabs his tuxedo jacket and shrugs it on. “Does she work for the Titans?”
“No. I can’t place her, but I’ve definitely seen her before.”
“Maybe she lives in your building,” Maverick suggests. “We can organize a stakeout and watch all the women who walk in and out. You’ll be able to tell if you recognize her.”
“Your ideas are getting worse and worse. Look, I appreciate the help, but it wasn’t meant to be, and that’s fine.” I grab the bottle of champagne sitting in a stainless-steel ice bucket and pop the cork. “Today is a special day, and we’re not going to bring the mood down by talking about my pathetic love life.”
“It’s not pathetic.” Dallas takes the glass I offer him and downs the bubbles in one swallow. “It’s just not moving as fast as others.”
“It’s not moving because it’s nonexistent. I’ve accepted the fact that until I’m ready to step away from this job, a partner isn’t in the cards for me.” I shrug and sip my champagne. “Work comes first. Relationships come second. It’s fine. Really.”
“Could you at least put your phone away and try to have some fun tonight?” Maverick asks,. “Make out with a woman you’ll never see again. Have one too many beers and wake up with a hangover. Ignore your responsibilities for a couple hours.”
“I left my phone in my hotel room. I’m not going to touch it until Monday,” I say.
“Thatta boy.” Maverick grins and glances at Dallas. “What do you say, buddy? You want to go see the woman of your dreams?”
“Yeah.” Dallas’s smile turns soft. “Everything is better when Maven is around.” He sets down his glass and looks at me. “Do you have the rings?”
“Yup.” I pat my pocket where two velvet boxes are tucked away for safe keeping. “Do you have the vows, Mavvy?”
“I’ve been guarding these with my life.” Maverick puts a hand over his chest. Emmy’s initials are tattooed on his ring finger, and I smile at how quickly the former playboy turned into a lovesick idiot. He’s head over ass for her, totally fucking obsessed, and I almost got whiplash from how quickly he changed his tune about settling down. “This is the most important thing you’ve ever asked me to do.”
Dallas checks his watch and rolls his shoulders. “Let’s do this before Mae changes her mind.”
“She’s not going to change her mind,” I say.
“I know we’re not in one of those sister-wives situations, but I hope Maven knows she’s not just marrying you,” Maverick says. “She’s stuck with all three of us.”
