Bennett shrugs. “I prefer not to make a big spectacle of it. Let’s just grab a whiskey together once the season is over or something. We’re not getting married until July.”
“Yeah, no,” Jackson says as he stops beside his brother. “There’s no way I’m not throwing you a bachelor bash. As your best man and only brother, I am making it my personal mission to make your grouchy ass let loose and have some fun.”
“Well then we better have Scar join us,” Carson suggests. “She’s the only reason Bennett smiles. I think she cancels out the grump in him.”
“If that’s what it takes for you to agree to let me throw you a party, Scar is more than welcome to join. I promise, no strippers or anything crazy. But you only get married once, we’ve got to do this right,” Jackson points out and my stomach sinks. He’s lying to all of his closest friends and family because of me. I can’t stop the guilt from souring my mood.
“What do you say, Little Red? Maybe we could do a joint party and you can serenade me this time,” Bennett suggests and I smile at him but he must notice how it doesn’t reach my eyes. “We don’t need to figure it out right now. We’ve got plenty of time.”
I’m not sure if it’s the guilt or something else, but there’s a sudden sinking feeling in my gut that I can’t seem to shake.
Bennett
Later that evening as we’re getting ready for bed, Scarlett and I are brushing our teeth before she starts her elaborate skin care routine.
“Be honest, do you really think you need all of those elixirs in your twenties?”
She screws up her face at me. “Elixirs? I think you mean serums. And to answer your question, yes. If I take care of my skin in my twenties, my thirty and forty-year-old self will thank me. You know, now that you’re thirty-one, you should have your own skin care routine that consists of more than just using your body wash in place of a face cleanser.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s all the same. You’ve just fallen victim to the beauty industry’s marketing,” I point out before tugging my shirt over my head and tossing it in the hamper.
“Ugh. How come you doing something as simple as putting your shirt in the hamper is so sexy?”
I waggle my brow at that. “Does my cleanliness turn you on, baby girl?”
“You know, it just might.”
Propping my hip against the bathroom counter, I watch in fascination as Scarlett puts a third product on her skin. “Is that the moisturizer?”
“No, that’s the last step,” she explains.
“How many steps are there exactly?”
“Tonight, only five.”
“Only five? As in some nights there are more? Like, how many more are we talking?”
“Some nights if I double cleanse because of a mask and then I still do my regular serums along with my night serum, then”—she pauses to count—“eight. Actually, no, nine.”
I nod as if that’s not completely ridiculous. She’s a marketer’s dream, having fallen right into their trap. “Wow. Well, what if I start out small with a cleanser and the moisturizer?”
“That would be a great first step,” she replies as she uses a dropper to pour an amber liquid onto her fingers.
“Okay, hand me your cleanser,” I tell her, holding my hand out. She squeezes a dime sized amount of product onto my hand and I stare down at it. “What am I supposed to do with that little of product?”
“A little goes a long way. Just wet your other hand and lather it into your skin,” she explains.
I do as she says, pretending to face the mirror while stealing glimpses of her beside me at her own mirror. “So,” I start but clear my throat. “Itsounds like the jackets you designed were a hit. And Dakota mentioned you were already working on a design for when we make playoffs.”
I’m not exactly sure where I’m going with this, but I want to let Scarlett know I’ll support her in any way I can.
“I love how you say ‘when’ not ‘if,’” she teases.
“Not making the playoffs is not an option,” I tell her. “What are you thinking for the jackets?”
“Well, I was thinking of designing a more lightweight jacket since we’ll be indoors instead of the puffer jackets for the cold outdoor weather,” Scar explains.
“That’s a great idea. I know Kenna had said a few wives from other teams messaged her. Would that be something you’d be interested in?”
