Everything was decorated in neutral tones and the place was clearly designed for comfort above all else. I felt a sense of belonging. It was surreal, being in this place that I had fantasized about so many times when I was a younger man.
“Aaron, my boy, come in,” I heard as Bill caught sight of me lingering in the doorway.
“Bill, thanks for the invite,” I said, clapping his shoulder affectionately.
“Of course. I daresay you’ll be watching all the home games from this box soon enough.”
“Not if Jenny has anything to say about it,” I replied, sounding slightly bitter.
“She giving you a hard time, is she?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
“Oh, no. She’s a ball of sunshine,” I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm. He chuckled.
“Trust me, you want a woman with a bit of fire in her. Those types make life interesting.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked, curious about his implication.
“Nothing at all.” I wanted to question him further, but at that moment a man in a suit walked by us holding a bottle of beer. I recognized him as Leigh Anderson, the general manager of the San Francisco Titans. “Leigh, come on over and meet Aaron,” Bill called out.
“You must be the new owner,” Leigh said gruffly.
“Potentially,” I replied. I wasn’t going to get ahead of myself again. I didn’t want Jenny jumping down my throat a second time.
“You look like you belong down there on the field yourself,” he said, giving me an assessing once over.
“At one time, I did. But that was a lifetime ago,” I replied. I didn’t like to think about the injury that knocked me out of commission and effectively ended my football career before it really began. Talk about a crushing blow.
“Well, at least you know something about the game then. Unlike Bill here in the beginning. You know when he first got into this business, he was so green he thought a touchdown was a self-examination.”
I let out a bellow of laughter as Bill glared.
“Oh, very funny. I didn’t call you over here to give me the business,” Bill said.
“Lighten up, old man.” Leigh said, though he looked nearly as old as Bill himself.
“You know, I’m technically your boss. I could fire you for being so insubordinate,” Bill said, his tone light.
“Please,” Leigh rolled his eyes. “You wouldn’t know what to do without me.”
“Well, you got me there. But let’s just see how this coach of yours does today.”
“Are you unhappy with Ballard?” I asked, referencing the new head coach that had been hired at the beginning of this season. I had assumed he was doing well, as the team was one victory away from making the playoffs.
“Oh no, not unhappy. I’m just … wary. The head coach is crucial and must be the right fit. I need to be sure that he’s leading us to success, not just enjoying the advantages of being handed a great team.”
“These are things an owner needs to consider,” a voice said from behind me. I turned and felt my jaw go slack as I took in the sight of Jenny standing there.
Her typical lawyer garb had been traded in for low-slung jeans and a red V-neck t-shirt. The Titans logo was printed on the front and the black, stylized ‘T’ was stretched wide over her ample bosom due to the tight fit. I couldn’t believe the change in her appearance. Her business suits had hidden her curves far too well and now my eyes feasted on her form.
Her hair was pulled back, as usual, but it was in a loose ponytail and I could see that her hair was long and thick. I scanned her face, which looked the same as always, perhaps more relaxed. Is that because of where she is? She raised an eyebrow and shot me an amused expression. I realized she had caught my ogling.
Oh, well. She looks good and I’m a red-blooded, American man.
“Nice to see you, Aaron,” She said in a slightly formal tone. I wondered if she was trying to keep distance due to our heated moment in my kitchen three days ago.
“Nice to see you, too,” I said even as I slowly raked my eyes down her body and back up, biting my lip. “Very nice.” Jenny blushed and I couldn’t stop the wide grin from forming on my face.
“Would you like a steak, Aaron? My chef has a custom Titans brand that he sears into the top of each one. I swear it makes them taste better,” Bill asked, coming up beside me.
“I never say no to steak,” I told him.
“Jennifer?”
“Do you even have to ask?” she replied with a grin. I noticed that her face always softened when she spoke to him. It was as if I could physically see how much she loved the man.
“I’ll come with you,” Leigh said, and the men departed to the kitchen area.
“I didn’t know you’d be here,” she said, tucking her thumbs into the belt loops of her jeans. As she adjusted the way she was standing, I saw a flash of bare skin as her shirt rode up slightly. Her lower stomach was exposed for a moment and I felt my gut clench. She needs to burn those business suits and dress like this every day.
“Bill invited me last week when I approached him about buying the team. He wanted to give me a chance to see what ownership is all about.”
Jenny’s face tightened slightly, and I knew she wasn’t happy with the subject of the team ownership. So much for her relaxed demeanor.
“And what do you think of the suite?” she asked, skirting the ownership issue.
“Honestly? It feels like home.”
“I think so too,” she said softly.
“Jennifer! It’s so nice to see you again,” a middle-aged woman walked up to us and wrapped Jenny in a hug. “And who’s your friend?” she asked, pulling away from Jenny and facing me full-on. Her face lit up as she gave me a calculating look. I felt like I could watch the wheels turning in her brain, putting together the two of us in the wrong context.
“This is Aaron Sanchez. Aaron, this is Phoebe Miller. She and her husband Chuck are old family friends.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, throwing her my most charming smile and offering my hand.
“Her mom didn’t tell me you were dating someone. And someone this handsome, too!” She gave Jenny a dazzling smile. Jenny’s eyes widened, and she started shaking her head vigorously.
“No, we’re not dating,” she said earnestly.
“Really?” Phoebe’s face fell as if she had just been denied particularly juicy gossip.
“Afraid so,” I cut in. “But don’t worry, she takes every opportunity she can get to nag me anyway,” I added in a stage whisper. Jenny narrowed her eyes at me.
“Oh, aren’t you just delightful,” Phoebe said with a light laugh, slapping my arm.
“You better watch out, Aaron. Chuck is glaring at you,” Jenny cut in. I looked toward the kitchenette to see a man in a Titan’s jersey staring at me.
“Oh, that man. He’s always had a jealous streak,” she winked at Jenny. “Don’t tell him, but I love it.” With that, she sauntered away.
Chapter Seven: Jenny
I leaned against the railing on the party deck, looking down at the field below. There was a media time out and both teams were huddled together, discussing strategy. The Titans were behind by seven points, but I wasn’t too worried. We were in the third quarter with ten minutes left on the clock, so there was plenty of time to turn things around. The Cardinals had the ball and were about to make their last attempt at their first down, and they had only managed to move three yards. Overall, I had a positive outlook on the game, despite the presence of a certain arrogant jerk.
Aaron chose that moment to step out onto the deck. He had a bottle of beer in his hand and his eyes scanned the area, taking in the pool and lounge chairs. He sauntered over and leaned against the railing beside me, his forearms resting against the wood and his drink dangling loosely in his grip. I saw his eyes sweep the stadium slowly and there was a relaxed warmth in his expression that I’d never seen before. He looked truly happy to be here.
I
didn’t even realize I was staring until his eyes suddenly met mine. His eyebrows popped as he caught me. I averted my eyes, gazing at the field once again, but it was too late.
“Like what you see?” he asked with laughter in his voice.
“Not particularly,” I lied. He might annoy me, but I couldn’t deny that the guy was nice to look at.
“Then why were you staring?”
“Just wondering what you were thinking,” I said without considering how that sounded. I felt my face heat with a blush when I saw his smile turn flirty.
“Oh yeah? You finally want to get to know me?”
“Not particularly,” I repeated with my own teasing smile. What is this? Are we flirting?
“Well, I’ll tell you anyway. I was thinking about how great this is.”
“The view?” I asked, looking out over the stadium.
“The experience. It’s a dream come true,” he replied, a vulnerability to his voice that made my heart clench.
“It really is. You see those boys down there?” I asked, pointing to five young boys sitting in the nearby VIP section with their parents.
“Yeah.”
“Those are the Little Titans. They are underprivileged San Francisco kids who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to see a pro football game like this. So, grandpa set up a foundation years ago that gives that experience to different kids at every home game.”
“Is that so?”
“Yep,” I said, full of pride at the thought of my grandpa’s generosity and thoughtfulness. “They get to see the game with their parents and get a ton of free souvenirs. The whole team even signs jerseys for the kids to take home after the game.”
“That’s great.”
“I know. It’s a wonderful program and so many kids have had their dream of attending an NFL game come true.” I regarded Aaron thoughtfully for a moment. He was staring at the Little Titans with a carefully guarded expression. “This is part of team ownership, you know. It’s not all just making big money and enjoying the party deck. The team is a part of the community, it depends on community support to thrive. How the team and the team owners are perceived is important.”
“Is that what you think? That all I care about is the big money and fringe benefits?” Aaron met my eyes and I was shocked by the anger I saw there.
“Don’t you?” I asked, uncertainty clear in my voice.
“Believe me when I say that I don’t need the money. And you think this,” he gestured to our immediate surroundings, the deck and the glass enclosed owner’s suit behind me, “is the only thing that motivates me? I could get those things from any NFL team. Why would I put myself through the hell of your constant scrutiny to get this team if money was all that mattered?”
As he finished speaking, Aaron turned and stalked away. I watched silently as he let himself back into the owner’s suite, feeling ashamed of myself. Truthfully, I didn’t know what motivated Aaron at all. Am I being unfair by assuming he couldn’t care about this team as much as I do?
The game resumed as I stood there alone, my good mood tainted by my own thoughts and actions. I knew that I was being defensive with Aaron, but I hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings and I was afraid that was exactly what I had done.
An hour later and the game was coming to an end. The Titans had scored two touchdowns with field goals, but the Cardinals had also gained seven points. So, the game was currently tied 28-to-28 with less than a minute left on the clock. Unfortunately, the Cardinals had the ball and had just made a first down.
It was tense in the owner’s suite. No one was milling about or enjoying steaks now. I was standing with my nose nearly pressed up against the glass front of the suite, my gaze focused below. Grandpa was on the other side of the room standing with Leigh, whose shoulders were tense. They were talking in low tones that didn’t carry to where I stood, but I was sure they were discussing the game strategy and Ballard’s coaching style. Aaron was seated near me in one of the cushioned leather chairs, but he was scooted so far forward that he was barely touching the seat at all. The Millers were out on the party deck, their rapt attention fixed on the field.
I watched as the teams lined up, anticipation swirling in my gut. This final play would determine the playoffs. There was so much on the line…
The ball was snapped, and the Cardinal’s quarterback took off to the left with it, weaving around the bodies in his path with agility. I was surprised that it seemed he was going to run it, but as soon as I had that thought, he stopped and planted his feet. With the kind of fluid motion that comes from years of practice, he brought the ball up near his ear with both hands before winding back with his throwing arm and swinging it forward in a circular arc, releasing the ball at the perfect time to send it flying forward. My heart plummeted as I saw the ball soar 20 yards, toward a receiver that was ready for it.
“No!” I heard Aaron’s voice coming from my right and I sensed that he had stood up to watch at the glass with me. I didn’t look at him though. I couldn’t take my eyes off the field.
I let out a gasp as one of the Titans’ defensive linemen intercepted the ball at the last second, snatched it from the air mere feet in front of the receiver it was intended for. Landing with an enviable grace, he took off like a rocket down the field.
“Go, go, go, go!” I screamed out, hearing Aaron yelling the same thing beside me. Grandpa and Leigh were both shouting incoherently. I watched as the Titan leaped over a pair of fallen players and powered forward, several players hot on his heels. He was rapidly closing the distance between himself and the goal line. Is he going to make it?
I was holding my breath as I watched him run full-out. Come on … come on …
“OH!” Aaron let out a bellow as one of the Cardinal players leaped forward and finally tackled our guy, just ten yards from the goal line. So close…
There was another time-out due to the change of possession and I glanced up to see that clock showed twelve seconds left. Yikes. This was going to be a close one.
“They should kick it, it’s a sure thing at this distance.” Aaron said from beside me. I turned to see that his eyes were still locked on the players below. He appeared to be talking to himself.
“I’d pass it,” I said, causing his attention to snap to me. He raised one eyebrow and smirked. “You just can’t bring yourself to agree with me on anything, can you?”
I shrugged, secretly glad that his earlier anger had disappeared. “I can’t help it if you’re always wrong.”
“Well, let’s see what they do,” He nodded toward the field as the players set up for the final play. I bit my lip in anticipation.
The ball was snapped to the quarterback again and he backed up several steps. My eyes narrowed on his form as he turned his body and positioned feet. He was going for the forward pass! I started to smile. I was right! I could hold this over Aaron’s head until--
My triumphant thought was cut short when the quarterback handed the ball off to a running back. Whoa, that’s bold.
The clock was counting down, and twelve seconds turned into ten. The running back tucked the ball under his arm and whipped around the pocket.
Nine…Eight…He surged forward, toward the end zone.
Seven … Six … Five … A Cardinal player dove toward him, arms outstretched to grab the ball. He spun around like a dancer and continued to close the distance to the goal line.
Four … He was a couple of steps away. Come on.
Three … Two… A Cardinal player that had been hot on his heels fell, his hand wrapping around the running back’s ankle. He stumbled forward.
One … The running back’s upper body landed within the end zone, the football touching the grass while still grasped tightly in his hand.
“We won!” I shouted out bouncing on my feet and throwing my hands into the air. I turned to face Aaron. “We won,” I repeated, looking into his face. I was exhilarated by the close victory.
“YES!” Aaron replied, wrapping me i
n a hug and spinning me around before I had a chance to register what was happening. He lowered me back to my feet and steadied me. We were much closer to one another now and I noticed that his dark eyes had small flecks of gold hidden in the irises.
We stood staring at each other for a moment, the thrill of celebration making us gleeful. My eyes flickered to his lips and I saw his eyes darken.
“This calls for a drink,” Leigh’s voice came from behind Aaron. We broke apart hastily and saw him trying to open a bottle of champagne. Moving to the kitchenette to grab champagne flutes, I didn’t know whether I was happy or disappointed by the interruption.
Chapter Eight: Aaron
Bill can sure hold his alcohol. We had been celebrating for the past hour. The Titans were victorious and would be going to the playoffs. There was plenty to drink to and Bill had been putting them away at an impressive rate.
“I thought you Stanford boys knew how to party,” Chuck said with a chuckle. He was sitting with Bill and I in the overstuffed chairs by the fire. The post-game interviews were playing on the TV and Leigh was currently going through a player analysis with the new head coach by his side. He had taken off to face the cameras after one glass of champagne and we had moved on to beer in his absence.
“I don’t know if anyone can celebrate like you two,” I said as I finished off my fourth beer. Truth was, I could keep up with the best of them, but I felt like maintaining a light buzz as opposed to getting heavily drunk tonight.
It was only the three of us in the owner’s suite now. Jenny and Phoebe had finished their initial glasses of champagne and then gone to escort the Little Titans to the locker room to meet the team and get their jerseys signed. Not that I care where she is.
I wasn’t sure if I was being honest with myself or trying to convince myself that I wasn’t attracted to her. Suddenly, as if my thoughts had drawn her to me, the door to the suite opened and she walked in with Phoebe trailing closely behind. I looked away quickly, not wanting to be caught undressing her with my eyes. Maybe I’m little bit too buzzed.
Tech Titans: The Complete Billionaire Romance Series Page 33