We’re driving to Kansas City for the game and listening to sports radio. There’s a lot of speculation that Mark Conway’s football career is over due to concussions and that he’s going to retire soon.
If it’s true, I’ll be happy for Danny, but I feel bad, too. I wouldn’t want Danny to go out that way, having a concussion end his career. I want him to go out in a blaze of glory. He needs confetti raining down on him, fans cheering him, raising the Super Bowl trophy over his head for the third time when he announces his retirement.
Danny calls me. He must really be nervous.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Do you remember that day after prom, how we talked in the hammock?” he asks.
“Of course. That was the day you told me, if we dated, it would ruin our friendship.”
“Do you remember what you told me?”
“Not really.” I don’t remember exactly what all I said that day.
“You told me that I had greatness in me. That I was doing what I always wanted and what I was meant to do.”
“Oh, yeah, the football talk. I remember that. I thought you were talking about what I said about us. You know, when you broke my heart.”
Danny laughs. “We both know I did not break your heart.”
“I still say you did. Ahhh, the one who got away.”
I giggle and wink at Phillip. He rolls his eyes at me.
“Jay, back to football.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“Do you remember after we lost the Texas game? I’d had those two interceptions, and the press—who the week before had thought I was the second coming of Christ himself—threw me under the bus and decided I was overrated?”
“Yeah, I remember. It sucked.”
“You told me that it didn’t look like I was having fun out there. That, when I stopped having fun, the whole team did, too. I remember yelling at you. Because how could I have had fun when I was either getting sacked or running for my life? But, when I watched the game film, I realized you were right. When I’d started falling apart, the team had come with me. You told me I was like the captain of a sinking ship. That, if I let the water get to me, it would get to my crew, too. That I needed to be the leader. Tell them it didn’t matter, that the water was good for the boat, and we were gonna make it to land. You told me I had to lead my offense, be the calm in the storm. That, if I wasn’t confident, they wouldn’t be either.”
“Wow! I was really supportive, and apparently, I’m quite brilliant at motivational sports analogies. I should totally be on ESPN.”
Phillip chuckles in the seat next to me.
Danny laughs, too. “Don’t get too puffed up. You also used to say, ‘Screw it. It’s just a game.’ Tell Phillip he gets points for making me go in the backyard and toss around the football.”
“I’ll tell him, but only if I get bonus points for taking you to the bar.”
“I’m not sure that was the smartest thing.”
“So, why are you calling? You need a little pregame pep talk?”
“Maybe.”
“Hmm, okay. I still believe what I said back then. You were born for this, and you’re exactly where you belong. You can perform under pressure like no one else can.”
Phillip bursts out laughing, but that’s because his mind’s in the gutter.
Danny says, “I like it so far,” but then he bursts out laughing, too, and is like, “although that last part sounded a bit sexual. Has Lori been telling you how amazing I am in bed?”
“Uh, no,” I say, but then I laugh again. “Well, maybe I’ve heard a little, but you know what I mean. I’m talking defensive pressure, which I don’t think you’ll have much of tonight because you have an offensive line most quarterbacks would give their left nuts for.”
“True.”
“So, Daniel-son,” I tease.
“Oh boy, movie references. You aren’t gonna start telling me to wax on, wax off, are you?”
“No, I have a better one. Remember the old movie Iron Eagle? Where that kid flies a fighter plane to go rescue his dad?”
“Yeah.”
“Your offensive line is like his plane. They’re going to protect you. You’re the iron eagle that can’t be brought down, can’t be stopped. You’ll hold your ground. You’ll scramble. You will not take a sack.”
“That’s pretty good. I like it.”
“Good, ’cause, after you win tonight and the reporters are all like, Oh, Danny, you’re so ah-mazing, I expect you to say, I owe it all to Jay.”
Danny chuckles. “That’s why I love you. See ya after the game.”
We’re at the stadium. I was so excited that I packed a ton of tailgating food and lots to drink. The Diamonds came, too, but didn’t bring the RV, and they’re kicking themselves because Lori has to pee a lot. Mrs. Diamond says pregnant women always have to pee. She was gushing on about how Lori’s glowing. And she is. Lori is beautiful, but her strawberry-blonde hair looks thicker, her cheeks look slightly flushed, and although she’s still her normal, skinny self, she looks just a little fuller. Sexier. She looks amazing.
We drink beer in front of her, but I feel funny, doing shots. I don’t want her to feel left out. So, not bringing the RV turned out to be a blessing in disguise because, while she’s waiting in line to use the Porta Potties, I get out the Jägermeister, which is a good thing because I’m probably more nervous about Danny starting than Danny is.
We get to our seats early, so we won’t miss a thing. I’m expecting our conversation to be about the game. But the topic is not Danny’s starting, the fun tailgating, the 9/11 memorial silence, the blimp, the roar of the crowd, the gorgeous weather, or the stealth bomber flyover. The topic Lori wants to discuss is my wedding.
She questions me, “So, how do you want your wedding to be?”
“I just want it to be nice. Pretty flowers, a pretty dress, a fun party. I love parties.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “Yes, we all know you love partying, Jade. But this is your wedding. It’s not supposed to be some drunkfest. Although how about a New Year’s Eve wedding? Confetti, hats, noisemakers—and I won’t be a moose yet.”
“I like the idea, but that’s way too soon! We’re going to have a long engagement.”
“So, have you set a date?”
“No. You were at our party. We’ve been engaged for two days. Why does everyone keep asking me that? It makes my head hurt!”
Phillip leans over and whispers in my ear, “Or maybe it’s the Jäger.” He pats my back and says, “I think we’re gonna need a few more beers here.”
He runs to get beer while Lori continues talking, “I’m not trying to pressure you, but we’re thinking about taking a babymoon. I was trying to figure out when would be a good time to go …”
What the heck is a babymoon?
I am gonna interrupt her and ask, but she keeps talking, “And I know you haven’t asked me yet, but I assume I’ll be your maid of honor.”
“Matron of honor,” I remind her. “You’re married.”
“Oh gosh. Matron? Really? That makes me sound so old. There needs to be a different name for that. We need to come up with something. Like, you could really hurt people’s feelings with those labels. I’m married, yes. But I’m not matronly, and I don’t want to be a matron. And what about the poor woman who’s thirty-five and never been married? Are you going to call her a maid of honor? You might as well call her an old maid because I’m sure that’s how it’d make her feel. We seriously need to rethink this.”
I wonder if I’m going to get a word in edgewise. Or get to watch the game.
“And here I was, stupidly thinking my wedding day was supposed to be about my and Phillip’s undying love.”
“Oh, hush,” she says. “Don’t be such a whiner.”
I stand up and cheer loudly. Danny just made a great pass, and they’ve moved the ball down to the red zone.
“I promise to okay my date with you before we make it official. Now, what the heck is a babymoon?”
“It’s a vacation that you and your husband go on before the baby’s born. It’s time to relax and connect while it’s still just the two of you.”
“That sounds like a vacation.”
“Yes, Jade, it is a vacation,” she says with a sigh. “They just call it a babymoon because of the timing. I mean, a honeymoon is just a vacation, too.”
“Yeah, I suppose. Can we please watch the game now?”
The game was so exciting. It was a purely offensive battle. Danny played really well and threw for over three hundred yards. It was back-and-forth scoring. You could tell it was going to come down to who had the ball last. Unfortunately, it was the other team. We lost by a field goal with only three seconds on the clock. Bummer.
We were supposed to stay at Danny and Lori’s, but they’re remodeling their house, and it sounds like it’s a disaster right now. Mr. and Mrs. Diamond are staying there since one of the guest rooms is done, but we didn’t want to stress Lori any more or have to sleep on the couch, so we got a hotel.
Phillip pulls me down on the bed. “Do we need to start talking about wedding stuff? My mom seems to think we do, and I heard Lori asking you about it.”
“Eventually, we do. I guess it depends on when we wanna get married.”
“I’d marry you right now if I could,” he says while running his hands through my hair.
“Awww, Phillip.” I give him a big smooch. “I know everyone thinks we need to start, but I think we need to take our time. Enjoy this. Lori told me tonight that she’s going to be my special bridesmaid and when I could and couldn’t have the wedding.”
Phillip laughs and says quietly, “Control freak.”
I laugh, too, and then I say, “I’m still seriously in shock that we’re even engaged! It sorta feels like a dream. If it wasn’t for this ring on my finger, I don’t know if I’d even believe it happened.”
Phillip gets a naughty look on his face. “A dream, huh?” He quickly pins me down on the bed. “Oh, Princess, you’re definitely awake. Maybe I need to remind you of that.”
He reminds me by recklessly kissing me and pulling off my shirt.
Later, we’re lying here, exhausted and grinning at each other.
“Still feel like a dream?” he asks.
He’s slowly running his fingertips up and down my leg, which makes me kinda feel like I’m in a dream.
“Yeah,” I say, “a hot, sexy one.”
“Okay, so I saw you were flipping through the bridal magazines Mom gave you. Did you see anything you liked?”
“Phillip, the game was on. Do you really think I was looking at them? I was just flipping to make her happy.”
“I heard Ash say we need a wedding theme. What does she mean? Like the frat parties we used to have? Like a boats and hoes wedding?”
“Not funny, but, yeah, I guess. Really, I have no idea what she means. I’m pretty sure all the weddings we’ve been to have just had a color scheme, not a theme.”
“Your favorite colors are turquoise, orange, and purple. Those going to be our colors?”
“They sound awful together. Turquoise might be pretty though. What color would you want?”
He kisses the top of my forehead. “Doesn’t matter. This wedding is all about you.”
“No, it’s not! Hey, don’t think you’re gonna get out of helping me plan by saying that. This wedding—if we even have one,” I tease, “is going to be all about us.”
“I like us.”
“You wanna talk about colors and wedding themes all night?”
“No, I think I can come up with something a little more fun than that,” he says. He rolls on top of me, kisses me, and makes me forget about weddings again.
