“Classy, baby, very classy.” Kinley sucked her teeth at him. “Why are you still standing here? Champagne, remember?”

“Duke, why don’t you come with me. Despite what my wife thinks, I only have two hands.”

Duke stepped away, and instantly Angel felt a void where his body heat and physical strength had been. She was being abandoned. She automatically fidgeted with her dress, afraid there was going to be wardrobe malfunction with the strappy chest, or that the top of the Spanx was visible, or, worse, that a muffin top had sprung free.

Kinley gently took one of her hands, stilling her anxiety, and said, “Go on. I’ll take Angel around and introduce her. She’ll be fine.” Her words were directed to Duke, but she was smiling at Angel.

Duke raised an eyebrow at her. Angel nodded an okay. What else could she do? She was not about to beg him to stay—she would not come off as weak or helpless. For damn sure she would not let these people think they had any power over her. She kept her back straight, head up, and put a wall around her emotions as she followed Kinley. Angel added a purposeful swish of her hips to her stride. “Phenomenal woman, / that’s me.”

“I’m so glad you decided to come. Here, let me introduce you to some of my friends.” The hostess waved at a group of women clustered around a settee, some sitting, some leaning, some standing, all drinking and speaking at a hundred miles an hour. “Girls, this is Duke’s … date? Girlfriend? I’m sorry, sweetie, I don’t really know…”

Angel flushed red, stammering, “Um, I, I’m just here on a date. To be honest, I don’t know him that well.” Should I have said that?

Someone said, “Mm-hm. That kiss looked like it was a baby maker. You might want to speed up the introductions.”

There was a burst of laughter, but it was good-natured. Kinley went around the circle, saying the names of six or seven women. Angel didn’t catch a single one, just smiled and nodded. Her fingers itched to fidget with the dress straps, but she settled for slowly twisting Gabriela’s bracelet back and forth.

“Like I said, these are my closest friends. We met during long days in clubhouses. We help each other out when our men are on the road or we’re managing their careers while trying to have our own lives. Believe me, if anything is going to bond a group of ladies, it’s making sure you don’t get shoved too far out of the spotlight.”

So this is the Wives Association, then. The women beside the famous athletes.