“Is there anybody I should avoid? Or be mean to? Are you on anybody’s shit list? Because I won’t stand for that,” Lexi said. She put her hand on my thigh and gave me a small squeeze.

“Nope. It’s all good.” I hoped that was true. The closer we got to the event, the more I sweated. I turned up the air.

“Oh, babe. You’ll ruin your makeup.” She touched my brow and adjusted the vents to blow on me. “Are you that nervous about tonight? I mean, you’re going to be around your people. If anyone should be sweating, it’s me. I’m going to meet your boss and the owner of the Cheetahs.”

She wasn’t this self-centered when we first met. “It’s a lot for both of us.” I turned my attention back to the road and got us to the event right on time. I gave the valet my fob and a hefty tip to keep the car close. If things went south, I wanted to get out as quickly as possible.

“Looking good, Coach.” Anthony Quinn, our running back, stopped to introduce us to his girlfriend, Crystal. She was friendly and they looked stunning together.

“You both look amazing.” I introduced them to Lexi who turned up the charm.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you. Sutton talks about you all the time,” she said.

Anthony beamed with pride. “It’s been great having her on our team,” he said.

There was a comfort walking into the hotel with another couple. I was sure they would break off from us as soon as we got to the ballroom, but having Anthony next to me helped me relax.

“Are you excited to talk about your charity? Running Back Packs, right?” I asked him. If I remembered correctly, the organization gave food-insecure children packs of easy-to-prepare food for the weekends.

“It’s near and dear to me.” He emphasized by placing both hands over his heart.

“I think it’s great,” I said. I reached for Lexi’s hand when we found the ballroom.

“Your hands are sweaty, babe.” Her hand grew limp in mine and I knew it was only a matter of seconds before she dropped it.

“Sorry. I’m a little nervous.”

“Sutton, over here.” Brandon waved me over to a table with the offensive coaches. The large table was already littered with glasses of wine, water, and longnecks. I wondered what time everyone arrived. “This is my wife, Tina.”

I shook her hand and introduced Lexi to the table. The men smiled at her appreciatively and the other wives, once introduced to us, seemed snobbish except for Tina. Lexi wasted no time in finding a waiter and ordering a glass of chardonnay. I asked for water. The last thing I needed was alcohol.