I walk to the other side of the car, pulling the handle to the passenger side. Del shifts in her seat, her dress riding up slightly as she steps down. Now, I've seen girls in heels before, sometimes being the only thing they actually have on, but as her leg stretches out, my eyes lock onto the gold heels. They elegantly lace up her calves and I find myself wanting those tan legs hooked on either side of my shoulders being the one to untie them.
Jesus Christ.
I shut the door as Del stands on the curb anxiously toying with the ends of her ponytail, I offer my hand turning my palm upwards and she offers a small smile before intertwining her delicate fingers with mine, a different feel to how she cupped our hands before. I hand the keys to the valet along with a twenty as we make our way inside.
The Bruts and Bellas is like any other banquet: silver and gold decorations, assigned seating, a three-course meal, dancing, drinking, and phony conversations no one wants to partake in.
The venue is already busy, people dropping off their coats at the coat check, workers walking around with mini appetizers and boosters scanning the room for someone of importance to entertain. I glance at Del, whose head is slightly tipped up, her brows almost imperceptibly furrowed as she gazes the large sign: "Bruts" with a football just under the "S" and "Bellas" with a bow.
"That's degrading," She mumbles before I catch sight of my mother and father approaching.
"Sofia!" My mom opens her arms, embracing Del, while my father offers a handshake, engaging in small talk.
I spot one of the athletic coordinators and wave them over while Del is preoccupied. "Is there anything we can do for you?" the girl asks.
"Yeah, can you take down the sign? It's outdated and we don't want a bad rep." She nods before walking away.
"Stephan," my father speaks up, bringing the attention back to me. "I expect you to talk to Darnell Harrissford tonight." I nod, before giving my mom a side hug and then guiding Sofia by the small of her back toward our table.
"Westerman," I hear Coach Truman call from not far behind, talking to none other than Darnell Harrissfordâfilthy rich aka our biggest donor.
"I'll just beâ" Del motions toward our table, but I cut her off.
"Come with me." I gently take her hand as she trails behind me until we're joined by Coach Truman, wearing a suit for what seems like the first time in forever, Darnell Harrissford and unfortunately now, Austin Tebow and his date as they head this way.
Great.
"This must be the girlfriend," Truman smiles, extending his hand to Del.
"Sofia." She greets him with a smile while Truman blabbers about how she's doing me some good, though my attention is fully on Austin, who seems more engaged with my date than his own.
"Stephan Westerman." Darnell's voice snaps my stare from Austin, and I meet his hand with a firm shake. "You've been phenomenal this season," he starts, then briefly looks at Tebow. "You both have."
"We couldn't do it without your support. You know, as we sayâ" I start.
"The numbers off the field help the numbers on the field," he finishes with a deep chuckle. "Anything to help the school, especially with teams succeeding like you guys have been."
"Actually, my girlfriend here is also the captain of the UFN women's soccer team. Their record beats ours by a landslide." His black, curly eyebrow raises at that comment before extending his hand toward Del. "Is that rightâ"
"Sofia," she finishes, shaking his hand firmly. "We do well for ourselves. Last season we went undefeated, and we're on the same path for this year."
"That's impressive. My daughter plays basketball, so I've been looking to get more involved in women's sports. In factâtake my card." He pulls out a business card from his suit. "Give that to your coach. I have a good feeling about this." He points between the two of us before taking his phone out of his pocket. "Sorry, I have to take this." He walks off, and I'm met with an approving look from Truman before he heads in a different direction.
Del turns to me wide-eyed. "Holy shit. Holy shit?" She puts her manicured hands up on her head. "Oh my god, I'm gonna tell Jordan." She beams before quickly reaching around my neck, taking me by surprise. I respond by snaking my arms around her waist, and for a moment I enjoy the hug, the way her hair smells, how she feels good in my arms, how good her neck smells and then I look up to see Tebow staring his cold gaze snapping to my eyes before walking off with the dark-haired girl beside him.
"Uhhâ" Del pulls away, her cheeks flushed. "Sorry, I just... I've been trying to get close to something like that forâ" She shakes her head. "Forever. So, thank you."
"I didn't do anything. Your record speaks for itself," I assure, while her vibrant smile takes over her face and she searches her purse for her phone before heading out the room.
+++
I make my rounds with the boosters before exhaustedly taking a seat at the circular table with Demarcus to my right and Del. The discomfort in her body language clearly caused by Tebows presence from across the table.
"All that chatting do a number on you too?" Demarcus takes a dramatic exhale and I nod in agreement before turning back to Del.
"A lot of tension there for people who've just met." I state lowly and she chooses to ignore my comment now avoiding my gaze. I watch as Tebow gets up leaving his date while the dark haired girl toys with her utensils bored.
"Want a drink?" I look over at Tebow by the bar and Del's eyes snap to mine. "Im asking you to leave it."
I get up making my way to the bar a healthy distance away from Tebow, that is until the two girls in between us leave the bar, so I guess it could be fate that I so happen to have a front row seat of Kevin talking his ear off although he seems a lot less interested in what he has to say and a lot more intrigued in watching Del from across the room.
"Is there something interesting over there that I don't know about?" I ask my tone dry facing the opposite direction leaning on the bar table.
He keeps his face forward his tone cold. "Feel like you would know about it." He shrugs.
"Two sweet tea's" I briefly smile at the bar tender, ignoring Tebows comment. She then places the drinks infront of me.
"You pussy whipped or what?" Kevin laughes and I squeeze the glass in front of me stopping my myself from knocking it across his thick skull.
Tebow stays silent his eyes briefly meeting mine before looking back at the table. "Well I can assure you it's not that good."
That's it.
I shove Tebow into the bar table causing a couple drinks to fall and glass to shatter, which inevitably causes attention to face us, but I don't care, before I can do anything else a voice interrupts me... probably for the better.
"Seriously Stephan?" I turn around to see Del, her brows furrowed and a barely noticeable frown on her lips, but I notice.
"Del-" I attempt to explain but she walks away.
"Trouble in paradise?" I turn to look back at Austin with a smug expression on his face, I take another step towards him and his smirk widens looking at something behind us... someone, I turn to see a very unimpressed coach Truman.
Fucking fantastic.
Instead of giving this asshole another moment of my time I follow Del towards the exit while she leads us to the empty hallway. "Still following me?" she asks, irritation clear in her tone and the strong clank of her heels against the hardwood flooring.
"It's a dead-end," I state, considering I know the place like the back of my hand.
"Actually, it's not." She stubbornly pushes the door at the end of the hall open to reveal a storage room filled with stacked chairs, extra tables, and a surprising number of windows letting in the navy light. I follow her in and, in a swift motion, shut the door, trapping her against it.
"Then what is it?" I ask lowly, holding her gaze. I notice the rise and fall of her chest, her cleavage more visible from this angle, along with the gold butterfly necklace she likes to wear. I trace her collarbone until the necklace rests on my finger.
She grasps the necklace out of my grip. before pushing me off, her eyes blazing. "What is wrong with you?"
"He was saying things-"
"What kind of things?" She interrupts.
"You, kind of things."
She stays silent for a moment and I can see the thoughts spewing in her head. "Im not talking about him im talking about you- Stephan." She takes a step closer and I can see her eyes becoming glossy. I step forward my hands finding their way to her face my thumb gently wiping away a fallen tear.
She allows herself to fall into my touch before her face screws up and she grasps my arms pushing them off. "Stop. Literally stop." She wipes her cheek with her forearm.
"Im not doing anything-"
"You are." She pauses, "let's keep this strictly business." She takes a step back pacing before facing away from me. "Do me a favour?"
"Anything Del you know that." My voice remains soft, my hands now shoved in my pant pockets. She turns around her expression stoic, void of any anger, sadness, tears.
"Leave me alone."
"Except that."
"Why?" She snaps and the silence between us becomes thick and heavy. The question hangs in the air, and in this moment I don't have an answer, at least not what that she'll like.
"Exactly." She speaks softly before exiting the room.
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