“What is?” I frown.
“Use your time together to figure her out. You can start tonight.”
I glance around the room. Poe is nodding slowly, like he’s tracking what TJ is saying. I don’t follow at all, and I narrow my gaze at Del. “Dude, are you crying?”
Del blinks at me with watery eyes. “I really like the two of you together. I want this to work out.”
“For crying out loud, Del.”
“Literally.” He sniffles.
“Focus.” TJ claps his hands. “Let me tell you how this is going to go down.”
I lean forward. “I’m listening.”
“Tonight, when she gets here, you’re going to act like you’re on a date with her.”
I scowl. “This isn’t really a date-like atmosphere with you goons along for the ride.”
“We’re your wingmen.” Poe puffs his chest up. “Good thing I planned the perfect activity for us.” He glances around the room. “Just need to call in a reinforcement.”
“What?” I frown. I don’t want anyone else witnessing my attempts to rekindle the fire with Rose. “Why?”
“We need an even number,” Poe says cryptically as he taps out a message on his phone.
I roll my eyes. This is a train wreck. I love these guys, but they are incapable of not making a huge deal out of all the things. It’s how we are with each other. I know it’s because they care, but right now, I’d love for them to turn it down several notches.
“Can you play it cool when she gets here?” I try to put the brakes on the runaway train. “What are we even doing tonight? Tell me it’s something normal.”
Poe huffs and looks offended. “Normal is subjective. Normal is no fun. Normal is heartbreaking.”
“Dude. That’s deep.” Del looks impressed.
A knock on the door echoes through Poe’s condo.
“That’s her. Would everyone act natural? Don’t say anything about my feelings for her.” I stand and point at them. “And don’t embarrass me.”
“Aye-aye, 4!” TJ jumps up from his chair and turns toward the door. His eyes are wide, and he looks like an overeager golden retriever puppy. There’s no way he’s going to play it cool. I’m in for an absolute circus tonight. I can feel it.
“I’ll get it. It’s my house.” Poe cuts me off on the way to the door.
Del joins the rest of us. “She knows me. I should be the one to welcome her.”
“We can’t all get the door.” I’m trying to use my body to block out my teammates. “We’ll look ridiculous. I should be the one to greet her. She’s writing the article about me.”
“And you’re in loooove with her.” TJ wiggles his shoulders.
“None of that!” I hiss. “I’m not in lo—”
Another knock sounds, cutting me off mid-lie.
TJ ducks under my outstretched hands and makes a break for it. Del wraps his arms around my stomach and lifts me off the ground.
“Durgen, put me down!”
Poe scoots around us and gets to the door as TJ is swinging it open.
Rose stands on the other side, looking like an absolute athleisure vision in black leggings and an oversized fleece zip up. Her eyes go wide at the sight of us. I imagine the scene from her perspective: four, two-hundred-plus pound football players crammed in the foyer of a condo, one being hoisted off the ground by another, and two looking at her with their tongues practically hanging out of their mouths.
