“Long story.”
Aaron
I couldn’t believe that I was nervous. I’d lucked out seeing the name Sixes Bar & Grille on a box in the background. When we hung up, I looked it up and was happy to find out it was close to the stadium. After practice, I headed here, knowing that I only had about an hour before I had to be back at the stadium for our eight o’clock game.
I pulled open the heavy wooden door, and the sounds of laughter and people talking assailed me. Since I’d grown up in a small town in Indiana, this was the type of place I was used to going to. It was a place only the locals knew about, where people gathered just to shoot the shit and spend an evening relaxing.
I ducked under the doorframe more out of habit than necessity. When you’re six-eight, you learn to duck after the first time you almost knock yourself out.
When I glanced up, almost everyone was staring at me.
“What can I get you?” Danny, according to his name tag, asked.
“Just water. I’m looking for Vivian.”
He fixed me a glass with ice and then added the water. “Someone has already gone to get her.”
“How did they know I was here for her?”
“She didn’t. But since this is mainly”—he pointed his chin to behind me—“a cop and fireman hangout, when the shooting guard for the Orlando Lightning walks in, the owner gets summoned.” He smirks and slides me my glass.
“So, I’m assuming the whole idea of flying under the radar is shot, right?”
“Pretty much, but don’t worry, these guys are good people. They won’t bother you.”
I nodded my thanks, and he rapped a knuckle against the bar. “Great game the other night against the Bulls, by the way.”
“Thanks.”
“Vivian should be out in a second. Let me know if you need anything else, okay?”
“I will. Thanks.”
The guy walked away to pour a draft for another customer, and I took a second to mentally shake off the nerves that were trying to crawl their way up my spine.
Fuck. What was I thinking just showing up here like this? I needed to leave. My eyes tracked toward the door as I berated myself for being so stupid. I had just crossed a million and one boundaries and landed in the stalker zone. Leaving a five-dollar bill on the counter as a tip, I pushed back my stool, already having my mind set on slipping out before she even knew I was there.
I was almost to the door when I heard her, “Going somewhere, Aaron?” I turned and met a little thing of a woman with black hair and bright green eyes.
Two men walked up, both were wearing sheriff uniforms, one was very Mediterranean looking. Vivian turned her attention to them. “I love you, both of you. You can go home and tell your wives that this is who Vivian drunk called.”
I listened feeling a little more relaxed realizing that they at least knew about our story.
“You got drunk and called an NBA star?” the deputy with blond hair said. “Forget my wife, I think you need to worry more about my sister. Stella is not going to let you live this down.”
Vivian turned back to me, “Aaron this is Deputy Carter Lang and Deputy Kayson Christakos.” She pointed to each man. “I’ve known them forever and Carter’s sister is one of my closest friends. When the guys got married their wives joined my group of close friends.”
I shook hands with each of them.
“Now that you all know each other, excuse us.” Vivian tugged my hand and pulled me toward the back of the bar, to what was clearly her office.
“Mikki, good god woman,” Vivian snapped. “Will you excuse us please?”
“But . . . but this is Aaron Skkye, he’s the reason I try to get all home games off.”
“Mikki, please.” Vivian met her employee with a no-joking, don’t-push-me kind of eye glare. I fought not to chuckle.
As Mikki left the office, she closed the door behind her, and I stepped closer to Vivian. “Sorry to drop in unannounced, but I only have a few minutes before I’m due back at the stadium.”
“You’re a professional basketball player?”
“I am.”
“Then why lie and tell me you work for Romero Holdings?”
“That wasn’t a lie that is who I actually work for.” I stepped closer and cupped her face. It wasn’t the right time, she wasn’t ready for me to kiss her, but god, I wanted to. “I was so close, we were so close, and . . . I needed to see you, face-to-face.” Vivian patted her hair. “Stop, you look adorable.”
“I have no makeup on.”
“I don’t care.” I tilted her head up to face me. “Go out with me.”
“Where?”
“Not sure yet but on a date. Please.”
She bit her lower lip, and her eyes seemed to have a hard time meeting mine. “Okay. I’m nervous though.”
“Why?” My thumb trailed along her cheek.
“It’s been about eighteen years since I went on a first date.”
“You haven’t been on a date since . . .” I didn’t want to finish that sentence.
She shook her head.
I leaned forward and kissed her cheek before whispering, “We will make it special.” When I pulled back enough to look her in her eyes, I added, “I’ll pick you up at six thirty tomorrow night, I’ll get your address from you later.”
“Okay.” The smile she gave me was heart stopping.
“I hate to meet and run, get it, see what I did there? Eat and run.” I was chuckling at my own joke, which was lame, so I stopped and took a deep breath. “But, truthfully, I have to go, Little One. Promise to text me your address?”
She nodded, and I fist pumped.
“Your
