forget you’re not from Seattle. We take our sports seriously, and that includes starting the pre-party at seven a.m.”
My eyes grow huge. Jeez. No wonder Monica was in a rush to get here. “Everyone’s been drinking since seven?” I squeal and stare back at the crowd. “Are they going to remember the game once it’s over?”
He chuckles and shrugs. “Not our problem. Kara took the first shift, but the crowd is filling out, so we need you. Do you understand your mission?”
I catch myself before I salute the tall slick-haired blond and simply nod, letting him place the stack of tickets in my hands.
“Great. If you need more, come see me.”
I walk off. After only a couple weeks of working with the booze-loving team, I know the drill. Have fun, be part of the crowd, flirt, strut, and through my sexual prowess, sell the Tito’s-wannabe liquor like it’s the new Smartwater. I definitely don’t hate the gig, and I’m happy with the payout. A few events a week combined with my new job at Edible Desire should bring in enough to live on until I discover that perfect dream job Monica is so sure I’ll find.
For now, I’m okay with the in-between. I’m okay with not knowing where I’m going to end up. But I hope I figure it out soon, before the anxiety hits and before the feelings of failure seep into my bloodstream like poison.
I don’t want to believe that modeling was all I’ll ever be great at. There has to be more to this life. Deep down, I can feel that there is.
My smile is currently aimed at a hottie wearing the opposing team’s jersey—which I find a strange comfort in—when someone sidles up to my right and hooks their arm in mine. I turn to see Monica with a giant grin on her face. I already saw her in full attire this morning, but now that I’m wide awake and staring at her under a perfect sunlit sky, I can’t help but smile.
She looks ridiculously cute with her Ryan jersey over a fitted gold hoodie that matches the stripe around her upper arm. Her hair is pulled up in a high ponytail. Her shimmery purple heart earrings match the getup. And even though she’s wearing super cute boots that give her some lift, I still dwarf her in height.
“Hey,” I say with a laugh. “How’s the pregaming?”
“Amazing, of course,” Monica says with a pop of her heels. “I heard the hot chick in the Seattle jersey is handing out White Water drink tickets.” She nudges me and wiggles her brows. “By the way, I’m talking about you, sis.”
I roll my eyes, rip a few tickets from the stack, and hand them to her with a wink. “Knock yourself out. Who are you here with?”
Just then, the familiar auburn-haired girl I’d come to know as Monica’s best friend, Chloe, approaches, smiling, along with another girl I don’t recognize. “Hey, Maggie. Good to see you again,” Chloe says. “Do you know Jazz?”
I shake my head and greet them both fondly. I’m happy to know that my sister has picked some good friends to hang out with. I hand them both a few coupons, ignoring Bentley’s request to keep drink tickets to a one-per-person minimum. Obviously, he didn’t mean my friends.
“Did you decide if you want to come to the game?” Monica perks up. “I can start asking around for an extra ticket.” She wiggles her brows, and I just laugh.
Chloe jumps in. “Oh! I can ask around too. Gavin’s friends are always trying to sell a few tickets.”
Monica grins then starts to look around like she’s searching for something or someone. “Speaking of your fiancé, where did he go?”
Chloe points at the food truck. “He’s hungry, like always.”
I look at where Chloe is pointing, and I spot Gavin almost immediately. Then I notice the guy next to him. My chest heats, and I squint to make out the figure better. “Is that Desmond?”
“Yup.” Monica laughs. “We usually meet up before the game. There’s a bunch of us over there.” She points at a corner with a group of tall, round tables pulled together. I never realized Monica had so many friends here, but clearly I haven’t made any attempts to step out much, especially not to a game on a Sunday.
Not wanting to dive deeper into conversations about Desmond, I turn my focus on Chloe. “You must be excited about your wedding next week. Monica showed me her