Page 153 of Tight Ends & Tiaras
BEN
I switchthe bouquet of flowers from one hand to the other so I can wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans. Sienna would laugh to know how nervous I am right now, but it’s important to get this right. To show her how much she means to me. To prove I’ll be there for her.
Since I met her father a few weeks ago, we’ve barely had two minutes to ourselves. My family has taken turns coming down to Charming to help me with Lily so Sienna can teach her yoga classes. My aunt and uncle agreed it wasn’t fair to have so much of Lily’s care fall on Sienna.
Between that and the chaos of having the entire football program under investigation thanks to Krud, I haven’t had much time to spend with her, and it’s killing me. I mean to rectify that tonight.
After I knock on the door, Maggie whips it open. “Aww! Look at you. Flowers and everything.” She tilts her head back to yell, “Sienna! Loverboy’s here!”
Maggie shifts out of the way as my beautiful girlfriend twirls into the room. Damn. I’m a lucky man.
“You got me flowers?” She takes the bouquet and brings it to her nose.
“They were long overdue.”
Sienna leaps into my arms to thank me with a kiss. “Great game, babe. That little zigzag thing you ran for the touchdown was killer.”
We’re 1-1 since Coach Nicholson has taken over the team, but I’m hoping he can settle us down and get us to re-focus. “Thanks, sunshine.”
“You sure you’re not too tired? We don’t have to go to dinner.”
Fuck that. I don’t say the words, but there’s no way in hell I’m bailing on taking her out tonight. Yes, I’m exhausted, but I am long overdue to take her out on a real date. Getting late-night takeout doesn’t count. Although I don’t have the funds to wine and dine her somewhere ritzy, I know Sienna doesn’t care about those kinds of things.
As we wind through town, I thread my fingers through hers.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asks.
“Nope. Good things come to those who wait.” Teasing her is the best part.
We pull into a barbecue joint that doesn’t look like much from the front, but the back terrace is lit up with those twinkle lights Sienna loves. I know because I scouted it out the other day. She oohs and ahhs over how pretty it is. We chat with some mutual friends we spot when we first arrive, but decline when they invite us to sit with them. I don’t think either of us wants to share our evening with anyone else.
We sit, just the two of us, in a corner of the terrace, surrounded by the warm glow of those sparkle lights.
“How did your yoga classes go this week?”
“They were great. Each session was packed.”
“It’s because you’re an incredible instructor. I overheard a few girls at lunch the other day rave about how your class is their favorite.”
She places her hand over her heart. “That makes me so happy to hear!”
We talk about the game and how rough practice has been since all that shit went down. We brainstorm how we’ll deal with Janelle if she makes more trouble. Sienna tells me about the funny thing Lily did this week.
Sitting here with her like this is the first time I feel like I have a partner, someone who wants to be by my side, for better or worse. God knows she and I have already been through plenty of bad shit together. Hopefully better times are ahead. Starting with this date.
After a delicious dinner, I tug her close. “Are you in the mood for dessert?”
The look she gives me makes me consider taking her straight back to her place and stripping her out of her dress. “Are you on the menu?”
I laugh and kiss her. “Maybe. But we’ll have to be stealthy.”
She gives me a confused look, but I don’t divulge any more details. This woman loves surprises, and I plan to give her as many as she can handle if it makes her happy.
When we reach the retro drive-in theater that opened last summer on the outskirts of town, she hops up and down in her seat. “I’ve always wanted to go to one of these! And I love this movie! How did you know?”
It was either Ten Things I Hate About You or Aliens, and I figured a romcom would please Sienna more than guts flying all over the screen.
I reverse my Rover into our parking spot, and she points behind her. “How are we supposed to see the movie?”
