MILE HIGH

19

I grew up right outside the city, and I was thankful to get out and go to the University of North Carolina when I did. There’s just something about being in Nashville that makes me feel like I’m not good enough.

I’m not blonde enough. I’m not tall and skinny enough, but I’m not short and petite enough either.

At least that’s how I felt growing up, and going back there has been hanging over my head ever since I took a job with a hockey team. It’s a stop on the NHL schedule, whereas I could avoid a hometown visit when I worked with the NBA.

Ryan is lucky. He doesn’t have to go back there multiple times a year for his games. Though he would be welcomed back with a parade, I’m sure. He was a local high school celebrity, and I was his twin sister that girls were nice to in order to try to get close to the star basketball player.

Regardless, I still have a couple of friends from high school, and though we aren’t super close, we are close enough that I should probably tell them I’ll be in town next week.

“Hey, Vee!” Ryan calls out as he walks through the front door.

Popping off the couch, I look at him with wide, eager eyes. “Did you get me one?”

“No ‘hello’? No ‘my dearest brother and favorite person in the entire world, how are you?’”

I scrunch my nose in disgust. “Gross, no.”

“Yes, I got you one.” He tosses the tinfoil-wrapped hot dog in my lap. “But you know I can afford to feed you a little better than a five-dollar street-meat hot dog for dinner, right?”

“Don’t judge me. The United Center’s street-meat is the best.” I eagerly unwrap my dog, finding it piled high with grilled onions and peppers, doused in mustard. Just the way I like it. “What time do you want to head out?”

“Head out where?”

My head snaps back to him in the kitchen. “To the movies. We’re still trying to get to the seven o’clock showing, right?”

“Oh, f**k, Vee. I completely forgot that we made plans tonight.” Guilt overtakes his face. “I have a date.”

“Oh.” Which is a pure surprise. Because well, my brother doesn’t really date.

“I can cancel.”

“You have a date?”

“Yeah, but I’m going to cancel.”

“No, don’t do that.”

My brother hasn’t dated since he’s been in Chicago. He’s too focused on basketball and his career to add women into the equation. In fact, he practically refuses to date, so even though he’s probably hoping I’ll help him get out of it, there’s no way I’m going to enable his singleness.

He’s the absolute best person I know, and he deserves to be happy, even though he thinks the only answer to that is basketball. Unfortunately, his first date in three years aligns with the only plans we’ve been able to make in weeks. Now that it’s basketball and hockey season, we won’t be seeing each other much.

“Can I make it up to you? We can go as soon as I’m back from this series of road games,” he eagerly offers.

“I’m leaving for Nashville the day before you’re home, but don’t worry about it. We’ll hang out eventually.”

Ryan comes behind the couch and wraps his arms around my shoulders. “Please tell me not to go.”

“You’re going. Who is she anyway?”

“Our team’s GM’s niece.” Ryan takes a seat on the edge of the couch. “She’s going to some big movie premier, and our general manager called in a favor.”

“So, you are going to the movies.”

A subtle laugh heaves in Ryan’s chest. “Apparently, she needs some kind of PR overhaul, and who better to show up with than straight-laced, boring Ryan Shay.”

“You’re not boring, Ry.”

“I’m pretty f*****g boring, Vee.”

“Well, maybe you’ll actually like her?”

“Not my type. This is strictly a business transaction.”

“How do you have a type if you don’t date?”

“Uncle’s money? That shouldn’t be anyone’s type.” Ryan quickly shakes his head in disapproval. “Speaking of dates, there’s this big charity gala coming up that I need a date for.”

“Perfect, ask your brother-stealing famous movie star girlfriend.”

“You’ll go with me, right?”

“Sure. If I’m not on the road for hockey.”

“You’re not. It’s one of your players’ charities. Active Minds of Chicago. Take my card and buy a dress for it. It’s black-tie.”

I tilt my head around to look at him, my eyes narrowing. “I have my own money. And besides, I’d rather find something secondhand.”

Ryan pulls his head back. “No way. Vee, you know I think your thrifted style is great, but you cannot wear a dress from a thrift store to this thing.”

“Why not?”

“Because that room is going to be filled with the highest-paid athletes in Chicago. You’ll stick out like a sore thumb.”

That statement quickly solves our debate. That’s the exact kind of attention I don’t want.

“Fine. You can buy me an expensive-ass dress to wear around your rich-ass colleagues.”

A satisfied smile slides across his lips. “Take the black Am-Ex when you go.” He gives my shoulders a quick squeeze before swiftly snatching the hot dog from my hands and taking a giant bite.

“What the hell?!”

“f**k, that is good. I’ll have to get myself one of those next time.” He wipes the mustard from the side of his mouth. “So, Nashville, huh? You gonna tell Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb you’re coming back to town?”

“If you mean Hannah and Jackie, then I’m not sure yet. Haven’t decided.”

Ryan rummages through the kitchen pantry, looking for something to snack on. “Don’t. Those girls are evil.”

“They’re my friends.”

“They’re not your friends, Vee. They’re mean girls.”

I let out an exhausted breath. My brother is right, but they were my closest friendships in high school, no matter how much I felt left out from our trio.

“Speaking of mean girls...have you talked to Mom?”

Ryan shoots me a death glare over his shoulder. “Mom is not a mean girl.”

“Not to you. You are the favorite child after all.”

“No, I haven’t talked to her. But you better tell her you’re coming back to town. She’s going to want to see you.”

No, she’s not.

“Yeah, of course, I’ll tell her.” I avoid my brother’s stare before he figures out the truth that I hadn’t planned on letting my mom know I’ll be back home. I would love to see my dad, but my mom? Not so much.

“Speaking of that gala...” Ryan takes a seat on the armrest of the couch, eyeing me cautiously. “Brett hit me up today.”

“Why?” I quickly snap.

My brother inhales a deep breath. “He wants to visit. Come to that event.”

“Visit? Here? Like Chicago?”