Chapter Eighteen

Circle the Wagons

In an instant, Adam is here standing between Evan and the Suit. He is in a frenzy, trying to calm Evan and remove him from the situation. “Evan, you have to leave. Now. Before the police arrive.”

Evan pushes him off and pulls me into his arms. Frantically, he looks me over from head to toe, checking for injuries. Confident that I’m not seriously injured, he wraps his protective arms around me and holds me tight.

“Bullshit. Get the police here NOW. This prick had his hands all over Juliette. He was about to hit her. She wants to press charges.”

I open my mouth to protest, but think twice about it. There are pictures and witnesses. I guess we don’t have a choice but to involve the police.

The next hour is a flurry of activity. The bouncers escort Evan, Adam, and me back to the manager’s office. The Suit’s friends take him to the emergency room for x-rays. It looks like Evan may have broken his nose.

My boss Jack comes back to check on me. After he’s certain that I’m all right, he asks me to explain what happened. I give him the full story. He listens compassionately, and then tells me that I can go home after the police take our statements.

Before the police arrive, Derek comes back to check on us. He’s got an open bottle of Patron Silver and some glasses. I guess the whole bar knows what happened, including Derek and Marcus. I’m grateful for Derek’s gesture. I could use something to calm my nerves. When Evan sees Derek’s offering he stands up, shakes his hand, and introduces him to Adam. Together, we all do a shot of tequila. The burn I feel as it slides down my throat is a welcome distraction.

When the police arrive, they have a few questions for us, but seem satisfied by our account of the events. They take our contact information and then step out to get statements from the witnesses. As far as I know, no one saw the Suit attacking me, so I can’t imagine how helpful those accounts can be.

Shortly before one in the morning, we arrive back at Evan’s house. The entire ride home was strangely quiet. I guess we both have a lot on our minds. I’m feeling incredibly guilty about involving Evan in this mess. He must be wondering about whether or not spending time with me is worth all this trouble. I can’t blame him. I feel like I want to cry. I don’t think we will ever be able to have a nice, normal day together.

“Evan, you go ahead to bed. I’ll join you in a few. I just want to sit alone for a while. Okay?” My mind is on overdrive. I don’t think I can lie in bed and pretend nothing’s wrong.

He walks over and gives me a sweet kiss. “Sure, but don’t take too long.” He locks up the house and disappears into his room.

This entire night was a complete nightmare from the moment Evan arrived. Watching all those women hanging all over him was bad enough. Now, thanks to me, Evan may have serious legal and professional problems.

I literally brought trouble to his door the night I was followed in my car. When my house was broken into, Evan felt obligated to spend a great deal of money on a security system. Tonight, Evan came to my rescue and placed himself in harm’s way. Fate brought us together. It would seem that now fate is conspiring against us.

All the signs are there and it’s best if I acknowledge them now. This relationship has run its course and it’s been a rocky road from the beginning. It shouldn’t be this hard to start a new relationship. It’s supposed to be easy and natural. If we’re having these difficulties now, what’s going to happen later on Evan starts travelling with the team?

I find a glass and a bottle of Smirnoff Green Apple. I’m hoping I can drink myself into a deep sleep and collapse here on the couch. I really don’t want to face Evan tonight. If I could go home, I would. Tomorrow, I’ll explain everything and end it.

I turn on the television, keeping the volume down as low as I can. Flipping through the channels, I find the movie Marley and Me. It suits my mood, depressed and heartbroken.

It’s during the burial scene that Evan comes looking for me. He finds me still on the couch, weeping, with a glass of vodka in my hand. “Juliette?” Evan is looking at me in stunned confusion.

“Evan, go back to bed. Please don’t make this any harder than it has to be.” I blow my nose and wipe my eyes.

“What are you talking about?” he asks, standing there staring at me. I wish he would just go.

“Don’t play dumb, Evan. We both know that this isn’t working. It’s too hard. I’m going to ruin your career. You don’t need this in your life. Just leave me here, please.” More tears start streaming down my face.

How do I tell him that the pain I feel when I watch him suffer because of me is nearly unbearable? I want to tell him how much my heart aches for him when we’re not together. I want him to know how happy he makes me when he holds me in his arms. But where would that get me? We’d just be right back here again, facing the same problems and making the same decisions.

“What the hell are you saying?” he asks, bewildered.

“I’m telling you that tomorrow morning I’m going home and you won’t have to deal with me anymore. I’ll find a way to pay you back for the alarm system.”

“Juliette, no. Don’t say that. You don’t mean it. You’re upset right now. Things will look better in the morning. You’ll see.” He’s looking at me with those beautiful blue eyes, but the sparkle is gone.

“No, Evan, I do mean it. What’s the point? You’ll be travelling and going places without me. If we break it off now, you’ll be free to date anyone you choose. Someone who can make you happy.” I try to explain.

“But I choose you, Juliette, I choose YOU!” A lone tear appears in the corner of his eye.

“You say that now, but we both know how this is going to end. Sooner or later, you’re going to get tired of taking care of me and trying to protect me. And I’m going to get tired of watching women fawning all over you. How long do you truly believe we can keep this up?” I close my eyes, trying to stem the tide of tears rushing down my face. “And now, tonight, you get yourself in serious trouble because I seem to attract all the unstable nutcases within a hundred mile radius. What’s going to happen when this gets leaked to the press, Evan? Have you thought about that? You could lose your job, all because of me!” Evan brushes away my tears with his hand. The touch of his skin on mine is almost too much to bear.

“Nothing is going to happen. Adam will make sure of it. And even if it does, I don’t care. I would do it all over again if it means you’re safe and protected. Nothing else matters.”

“You don’t mean that. If you lose your job because of me, neither one of us will ever be able to get past that. For once, Evan, let’s just be honest with each other. We can end it now without any hard feelings. We tried. We failed. No worries. No regrets.”

“Honest? Juliette, if you want me to be honest, then here goes. I love you! With every fiber of my being, I love you!”

“No you don’t. You can’t possibly.”

“Juliette, you’re the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep.” Evan pauses to compose himself. He’s visibly upset, running his fingers through his hair, clearly exasperated. He sits beside me on the couch and continues. “Every time I think about my future, I picture you there with me. I know that being with me is difficult. I wish things were normal. I wish things were simple. But they’re not. I know how I feel and I know what I want. I want a life with you. But if you don’t feel the same way, if you don’t want to build a life with me, then you need to tell me now.”

“Evan, I do love you. I love you so much it hurts. But it feels like no matter how hard I try, I just keep bringing you pain and aggravation. That’s why I feel like I have to let you go. We’re just going to continue to hurt each other. It’s just too hard. If we were meant to be together, it would be simple, easy, and effortless.”

He looks at me with those big blue eyes and confesses. “Here’s where I think you’re wrong. I don’t think love should be easy, I think it’s meant to be tough. We’re supposed to work through our challenges together, learn from them, and become closer. Love that’s easy to find is also easy to lose. I don’t want easy; I want fierce, deep, and profound.”

His words hit me hard.

“Come here.” Pulling me closer to him, he whispers in my ear, “I’ve wanted to say these words for a very long time. I. Love. You.” Each word is accented with a kiss on my neck. “Please stop running from me. Each time you do, I feel like a part of me is being destroyed.”

He’s right. Every time it gets hard, I have been running away rather than standing strong and fighting. No more. I’m done running. I want a life with him, and if he’s willing to fight, then I am, too.

“Evan, I love you, too. I’m so sorry.” I crawl onto his lap and wrap my arms around him. “I guess I let my worst fears get the best of me. I’m so afraid that you’re going to look at me one day and question whether or not I’m worth it.”

“Sweetheart, you have that completely backwards. I know that one day you’re going to look at me and think the same exact thing about me. But until that day comes, I want to spend every minute I can with you.”

I look into his eyes, and I see it there, love. Love for me and me alone. I stamp his lips with mine and seal our declaration. Rather than battle it or deny it, I accept it. A calmness sweeps over me and I know that he wants me, needs me, and cherishes me. Knowing that someone is willing to walk through fire for you is the most empowering feeling in the world. Uncertainty made me weak and vulnerable. This feeling of confidence makes me strong and secure. I feel like now I can move forward with Evan by my side.

“Let’s go to bed. I’m exhausted.” Evan sweeps me up into his arms and carries me to his bed. I curl up in his arms and he holds me until we fall asleep.

Much earlier than either of us would like, we are woken by Evan’s ringing phone. Adam’s on his way over. There’s no time for a shower, so I pull my hair up, brush my teeth, and get dressed while Evan makes coffee.

I’m terrified about what Adam might have to say. One of my greatest fears is that last night’s bar fight will end his professional career. He moved to New Jersey so he could stay away from trouble. I’ve brought more of it directly to him.

I find Evan standing in the kitchen. His hair is a mess and he needs to shave. I know how tired he is because I’m exhausted, too. Despite that, when he sees me, his face lights up. I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his waist. “Good morning, my love,” he speaks softly in my ear.

Stepping onto my tiptoes, I whisper back, “Good morning, baby. I love you, too.” It’s amazing how my emotions can swing wildly from terrified to pure delight instantly.

There’s a knock at the door, followed by Adam joining us in the kitchen looking like shit. I think he’s wearing the same clothes from last night. He walks right over and helps himself to a cup of coffee.

“Jeez, Adam, you look like crap!” Evan tells him. “Didn’t you go home last night?”

He answers with one word, “Briefly.”

“Let me have it, where are we on this?” Evan asks.

“You are one lucky son of a bitch. The Suit’s name is Christopher O’Rourke. He works for a pharmaceutical company as a salesman. This isn’t his first brush with the law. Last year, his live-in girlfriend called the cops on him. No charges were filed, but apparently, he scared the shit out of her.” Holy cow, Adam’s been busy. While I was here, feeling sorry for myself, Adam was busy taking care of business.

“So, what’s our angle? How do we get out in front of this?” Evan wants to know.

“As your rep, I will release a formal ‘no comment’ statement for the time being. Meanwhile, we start leaking information and photographs to the press. They are going to try and portray last night’s events as a drunken bar brawl. We have to make them see it as what it actually was – preventing a sexual assault and battery against your girlfriend. In order to do that, we have to establish Juliette as your serious girlfriend and you have to present yourselves in public as a couple. Are you ready for this? Both of you?” Adam seems to have thought this through completely from every angle.

I have a question. “Why the ‘no comment’, Adam?”

“Right now, I think it’s best if the press put the pieces together themselves, with a little help from us, of course. If we make public statements and try to paint this guy as a jerk, there’s the potential for it to backfire on us. The Suit’s the one who had to go to the hospital last night, Jette. You never want to bad mouth the victim, and for now, the Suit’s the victim.”

“Now for pictures. Do you guys have any pictures together other than that over the shoulder beach shot?” Adam asks.

“I have pictures from our dinner on the yacht. And my mother took pictures of us at her house on Easter. I could send them to you if it will help,” I offer.

Adam seems pleased. “Great. Next, we have to get you two out there and seen together right away.”

Evan asks the next question. “What kind of public appearance are we talking about?”

“Well, we have a few options. The Tribeca Film Festival doesn’t start for another week, so that’s out. You could visit the Met or maybe a Broadway show. The Book of Mormon is pretty hot right now. I was actually hoping I could get you two to go to the Garden. The Knicks are there tonight and the Rangers are playing tomorrow.”

“Juliette, what do you want to do?” Evan gives me the responsibility of making a decision. Weighing all options carefully, I know immediately what we should do.

“I think we should go to the Knicks game tonight. They televise the entire game and if Adam can get us floor seats, we’re almost guaranteed to be seen together. I’ve seen them airing clips of celebrities at the Garden on all the entertainment news shows. Sitting in a dark theater watching a play doesn’t really make sense.” Even though I would love to see the Book of Mormon, that outing will have to wait. This is business, serious business.

Evan gives me a big kiss, “That’s my girl.” He looks at Adam for confirmation. “Can you get us floor seats?”

“Absolutely. Easy. Done. The game’s not until seven thirty. I want you out there earlier. Can you two do a little shopping and dinner in the city first?”

“I’m not sure.” Evan turns to me and asks, “Juliette, can you take off today?”

“Baby, you don’t even have to ask. I’m in. I love you and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to turn this around.”

“Great! Now I get to buy you a new red dress and there’s nothing you can say about it.”

As we discuss the details of our plans, Adam informs us that Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis are likely to be at tonight’s game. Holy crap.

Adam suggests I call Auggie to see if he can meet the alarm company at our house. He’s going to be tied up leaking pictures and information to the press and helping make our reservations.

Adam’s last words to Evan are encouraging, “Mac, if we handle this the right way, they’re going to want to throw you a parade when we’re done.”

God, I hope he’s right.

Auggie’s on his way to pick me up. Adam is busy leaking our plans to the press, and he’s certain the paparazzi will be following us today. I know Evan’s taking me shopping in a few hours, but I have to look good enough to be photographed now.

When Auggie pulls up in his Jeep, I notice he’s not alone. Maddy is waiting patiently in the back of the truck with her tiny tail madly wagging. The other unexpected escort is Brandon sitting in the passenger seat. The moment he sees me, he jumps out of the car and offers me the front seat.

Brandon is a few inches shorter than Auggie and dressed impeccably. He’s a little more reserved than I would have expected, though. Perhaps reserved isn’t the right word. Proper might be better. He stands with correct posture and greets me with courteous manners. As we make the short drive to my house, I quickly learn why Auggie enjoys spending so much time with Brandon. He asks me lots of questions, gives me his undivided attention, and makes me feel like my answers are the most important and intriguing things he’s ever heard.

With Brandon and Auggie’s guidance, we select a pair of skinny jeans and tall leather boots that reach to my knees. He pairs it with a simple black halter tank and a white open-knit sweater. Nothing too trendy. No bold or daring colors. Simple, classic cuts and colors.

Emmy arrives to help me with my hair and make-up. Before long, I’m ready for my debut. I hope that Evan is proud to be seen with me among his celebrity counter parts.

The installers arrive just as Evan shows up, looking stunningly handsome. He’s wearing a pair of black designer jeans, an untucked white button-down shirt, and a light weight gray V-neck sweater. Instead of the usual sneakers, he’s got a pair of soft black leather shoes. The intoxicating smell of his cologne makes me want to cancel our plans and stay in for the night. Then I notice that in his hand are a dozen red roses. I don’t have to look up anything to know what they mean. He loves me!

I’m a bundle of nerves as Evan drives us to Manhattan. It’s a little over an hour drive to the city, maybe less if Evan keeps driving like we’re being chased by assassins.

Evan gives me a few tips for getting our picture taken by the paparazzi. “Never, ever look directly at the photographer unless you’re posing for a picture. Those ‘deer in headlights’ photos are really embarrassing.”

Posing for a picture? I hadn’t thought of that. “Evan, are we going to stop and let them take our picture?”

“Not while we’re shopping or eating. Make sure you walk slowly enough to let them get their shots, but we won’t be stopping.” I’m relieved to hear that.

Before long, we cross through the Lincoln Tunnel and make our way into the city. Evan expertly navigates the congestion on the roads in the city. He heads directly to a valet parking garage close to Madison Square Garden.

After generously tipping the valet, we start walking towards Fifth Avenue. I’ve been to the city countless times. There’s so much to do in Manhattan, I love to find any excuse to visit. From a very young age, I’ve always enjoyed going to the city to visit a museum, eat at a trendy restaurant, or shop in specialty stores. I’ve seen over dozen Broadway plays over the years. But until now, I’ve never been clothes shopping in Manhattan. I never found the need to pay excessively high prices for similar clothes that I can find in my local mall for a reasonable price. But I have to remind myself that this is not for me, but for Evan, and as such, I will do my best to stay positive and open-minded.

I know enough about the city to know that the shopping district on Fifth Avenue is over twenty blocks away, so I’m not surprised when Evan hails a cab. We hop in, and Evan instructs the driver to take us to the corner of 5^th and 54^th Street.

When I step out of the cab, I’m in a shopper’s paradise. Surrounding me are Fendi, Tommy Hilfigger, the Gap and Diesel, among other large stores and small boutiques. The smell of hot roasted almonds and cashews invade my senses. The sidewalks are crowded with shoppers, sight seers, and native New Yorkers scurrying on their way to and from work.

Evan takes my hand in his and leads me towards the Diesel store. I’ve seen him wearing Diesel jeans, and I know they are one of his favorites. Out of the corner of my eye, I believe I see a man across the street with a large camera pointed at us. I squeeze Evan’s hand and tilt my head towards the camera. Evan brings my hand to his lips and places a loving kiss on my hand. It’s an affectionate gesture that I hope was caught on film.

Since Evan knows exactly what he wants, we head to the men’s department first. He is an efficient shopper, and selects a pair of medium washed blue jeans with pockets that hang a little low. I try to hide my shock when I see the sticker price of $298.

Once we get to the women’s department, I try to find the cheapest pair of jeans they have, but there are none under $150. Evan looks at me, shaking his head. “Baby, if I take you to a store and tell you to buy a pair of jeans, don’t worry about the price. Trust me, it’s just one pair of pants.”

Evan convinces me to try on a pair of slim fit bootleg jeans and I can’t deny, I love them! He takes one look at the way they hug my butt and our brief discussion is over. He’s buying them for me and I’m going to let him.

With our first purchases in hand, we start walking back down Fifth Avenue. Evan wraps his arm across my waist and I slip my hand into the back pocket of his jeans. It’s a short walk to our next stop, Saks Fifth Avenue. Evan has his heart on buying me a new red dress. I’m not completely comfortable with the idea of him spending more money on me, but I don’t have the heart to turn him down.

Natalie, a personal shopper, finds us the moment we enter the dress department. Evan makes himself comfortable in the sitting area and I am escorted to the dressing room. Under Evan’s direction, Natalie brings me about ten cocktail dresses to try on. Before I agree to show any to Evan, I ask Natalie to get me a pair of black heels. I’m wearing tall boots today, and the only way to really see how a dress will look is with the right shoes.

I know exactly which dress I like and I’m pretty sure Evan will too, so it’s time to have some fun with my man.

First I step out in a red dress with black leather trim. It’s a little too edgy and Evan is unmoved by it. I follow it with an assortment of tunic dresses, asymmetrical dresses, flared dresses, dresses with one sleeve, dresses with long sleeves, and none of them are quite right.

I tell Evan, “I’m not in love with any of these dresses, baby. I don’t want you to spend your money on something unless I absolutely love it.”

Natalie chimes in, “I believe there’s one dress left you haven’t tried yet.” She knows it’s the dress I really like. She’s a good sport.

Evan tells me, “Sweetheart, I don’t want you to settle. If you don’t see anything you love, then we won’t buy anything.”

I give him a quick kiss and slip back into the dressing room with Natalie. The last dress I try on is a Herve Leger Cap Sleeve Bandage dress with a cutout back. She zips up the back for me, and I slip on the black heels.

I step out to find that Evan has struck up a conversation with another young man waiting for his wife. He doesn’t even notice me until his new friend stops talking and stares in my direction, mouth agape. He nudges Evan to look and our eyes meet. I turn around to show off the revealing back, and I think I hear him gasp.

“Well? Say something, baby. Do you like it?” He says nothing, just nods his assent. “Natalie, I think we’ll take it,” I tell her. I guess we’re done shopping.

I cannot wait until we get back to Evan’s house tonight so I can thank him properly for taking such good care of me today.

Evan takes me by the hand and we step out to find a cab. The same photographer from earlier today is still hanging around, but this time he’s waiting right outside the doors as we exit. We do our best to ignore him, but still allow him to get a few good shots. Fortunately, a cab pulls up for us immediately.

Now that we’re done shopping, Evan offers the driver a nice tip to wait at the parking garage while we bring our bags to the car.

For dinner, Evan is taking me to my first Gastropub, “The Spotted Pig”. Jay-Z owns the building and celebrity sightings are frequent. Little did I suspect that the celebrity du jour would be Evan ‘Big Mac’ McGuire.

We barely have a chance to look at a menu when a football fan comes over to shake Evan’s hand. Evan’s as charming as ever, and answers his questions patiently. The staff here is well versed in handling celebrities, and I’m grateful when our waitress comes over to intervene. She politely asks the gentleman to return to his table and allow us to enjoy our meal. He shakes Evan’s hand, wishes him well, and happily retreats back to his dinner companions.

“Juliette, I’m so sorry about that. It happens sometimes.” The male fans I can handle, but the female groupies are a different challenge altogether.

We are able to finish eating most of our meal until we have one final interruption. Joey Griffin is being seated at a nearby table. As he walks past us, he recognizes Evan and stops to say hello. Evan introduces me as his girlfriend. This is my first real celebrity encounter and I’m sure Joey can tell. I reply in a mousy, “Hi,” while I turn several shades of red. They chat for a moment and it seems Joey wants Evan to be a guest on his talk show soon. Evan tells him that Adam will be in touch with his staff. It feels a lot like two business associates making plans for a lunch meeting.

Joey excuses himself and the hostess seats his party. “So, you know Joey Griffin, huh?” I ask him. Evan explains to me that he was on Joey’s show once last year and he really enjoyed the experience.

By the time we finish our meal and pay, I’m starting to feel more relaxed. That is, of course, until we step outside the restaurant. We are greeted by not one, but five or six photographers all snapping pictures of us and calling out questions.

“Big Mac, introduce us to your date.”

“Hey, Evan, how’s the team lookin’ this year?”

One guy even shouts out, “Where’s Averee?” I think he’s talking about Averee DeVeau, the pop star Evan dated briefly.

Then the question we were waiting for is shouted, “Can we get a comment on last night’s bar fight, McGuire?” The others follow suit, and shout similar questions at us as we make our way across the sidewalk.

Evan does his best to ignore them and escort me directly to a waiting taxi. He tells the driver to take us to the Garden. Now it’s really show time. The stress and anticipation are making me both nervous and excited, causing my stomach to churn uncomfortably.

As we approach the Garden, Evan asks the driver to bring us to the backstage entrance. He seems oddly relaxed, confident even. But when he reaches up to run his hand through his hair, I know he’s concerned.

We pull up in the back of the arena and I see a uniformed employee at the door with a clipboard wearing a headset. Evan exits the taxi and walks around to escort me from the car. The staffer recognizes Evan and welcomes us to the Garden. We are ushered through the backstage area. It’s the complete antithesis of glamorous. We walk through bins of trash, pallets stacked with cases of beer and water, and random building materials in piles scattered around the floor.

The service elevator, which is more accurately described as a cage, takes us to the floor level of the arena. After navigating down a few narrow hallways, a red carpet appears which leads to a set of double doors. I can hear the dull roar of the crowd waiting inside for the start of the game. Evan gives my hand a reaffirming squeeze, reminding me that he’s still thinking about me.

The doors open, revealing an enthusiastic crowd and the dazzling lights of the court. Our escort points out our seats and wishes us well. I squint to see where he pointed, and sitting beside a pair of empty seats at Center Court are not only Jason Sudeikis, Olivia Wilde, but also Ben Stiller, and his wife Christine Taylor. For some unknown reason, my feet refuse to move. I don’t know if I can do this.

Evan turns to me and flashes his million-dollar smile. I steel myself, take a deep breath, and throw my shoulders back. He whispers in my ear, “Thank you so much for doing this for me. I love you, baby.” And with those simple words, I find myself following him like the pied piper. He could lead me anywhere and I would follow.

As we walk across the floor to our seats, I scan the crowd, taking in the sights and sounds of this spectacle. The moment Evan steps into the light, he’s recognized. Men and women alike start hollering his name while cameras, large and small, begin to flash feverishly. Another squeeze on my hand offers me the encouragement and support that I need.

Evan has never met any of tonight’s celebrities, but he confidently walks right over to them, seemingly unimpressed by their stardom. I guess it’s no wonder, really. Evan’s been surrounded by celebrities for some time now and the mystique is gone for him.

Throughout the game, Evan is very attentive and generous with his PDA. His hand is, at all times, either wrapped around mine, resting on my shoulder, or caressing my thigh.

During half time, I discover that there are other celebrities at the game. Sitting two rows behind us is none other than the infamous Averee DeVeau. No wonder the photographer asked about her. Word must be out that the former lovers are both in town.

I do my best to ignore her, but that proves impossible when she makes her way down to the floor to say hello to Evan. She throws her arms around his neck and kisses him. Evan tries to back away, but Averee is not having it.

“Oh, Evan, I knew I would eventually run into you. When are we getting together?” she asks. “Did you hear? I’m doing a short run in ‘Chicago’ on Broadway. You have to come see me.”

I feel completely invisible and terribly inadequate. Averee is absolutely beautiful. She’s rail thin, much taller than my five-foot-five, with long blonde ringlets playfully sweeping across her shoulders. She’s got perfectly porcelain skin and blood-red lips.

Evan wraps one arm around my waist and pulls me close, “Sorry, Ree,” he explains, “you didn’t give me a chance to introduce you to my girlfriend, Juliette.”

She looks at me and makes a face like she just tasted something bitter. “I heard.” I’m stunned and speechless.

Looking back at Evan with a lustful stare and in her most seductive voice, she tells him, “When you get bored, call me.”

Arrogantly, she whispers to him, but loud enough so I can hear, “You have my number.” And off she goes.

Evan pulls me to the side and apologizes for her privately. “Sweetheart, please don’t be upset. I had no idea she was here.”

“Baby, she obviously still has a thing for you. Was she always such a bitch? How did you stand it?” I ask him.

“She was actually a lot of fun, so long as she was calling the shots. I don’t want to talk about her anymore. That’s my past. You’re my future. Let’s get back to the game,” he tells me.

“Gladly,” I respond. Together, we return to our seats at Center Court.

Jason and Ben have us laughing all night long. Ben Stiller is utterly the funniest person I’ve ever met in my life. I’m enjoying myself more than I could have ever imagined.

Just when I begin to see my new acquaintances as mere mortals, there’s a time-out on the court, and the announcer introduces the new Sentinels’ back-up quarterback, Evan “Big Mac” McGuire, to the crowd. Cameras focus on Evan and show his image on all the screens in the arena. He stands and waves to the crowd as they erupt in cheers and thunderous applause. He sits back down beside me, slides a lock of hair behind my ear, and whispers, “At least they didn’t boo. I guess that’s a good sign.”

My worst fear was that the news media would portray Evan as a bully, or worse, a criminal. We’ve spent the day purposefully unplugged from the chatter of news and gossip. All we could do was place our trust and faith in Adam and his PR skills. By the look of the public’s reaction tonight, I’d say that confidence was well placed.

Now I know what Evan’s concern was on the ride over. He wasn’t nervous about rubbing elbows with celebrities, that’s old hat for him. He was nervous about getting jeered and taunted by the fans. I reassure him, “Baby, they know a good man when they see one. I love you so much.”

Date: 2015-02-28; view: 698