Page 65 of Fall For Me
“You said first of all, but you didn’t state your next point,” Cal reminds me.
“Oh yeah . . . Second of all, I’m meeting her entire family . . . which happens to beyourentire family. I needyourhelp not Aiden’s,” I say, plucking a white button-down dress shirt out of my closet and holding it up to my chest in the mirror. “You think she’ll like this?”
He laughs, shaking his head. “Dude, you’re ate the fuck up. You’ve already met her entire family. Also, if you didn’t want Aiden’s advice then why’d you?—”
“What’s wrong?” My head whips around at the sound of Aiden’s voice.
“Ah. Just in time. He doesn’t know what to wear to our family dinner,” Cal tells him.
“Wear that blue Armani suit you wore to the team meeting a few weeks ago.”
Cal laughs as I give him a look and toss an arm in Aiden’s direction. “See what I mean? Wait. What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean, what am I doing here?” Aiden pulls his phone out of his back pocket. He gives the screen a few quick taps, then flashes it in front of my face. “You said, and I quote . . . ‘SOS. I need you to come over.’ See?”
Fuck!I sent the text to the group chat.
“Mac, are you okay? I got an SOS text,” Carter calls through the house. “Well, I don’t see any blood so that’s a good sign . . . Oh, there you are . . . and you seem to be alive and well. What’s going on?”
“He doesn’t know what to wear to the family dinner,” Aiden tells Carter.
“Not the white shirt, that’s for sure,” Carter says, forcing me to toss the button-up onto the bed along with the other shirts.
Cal slides past me, pulling out a fitted navy shirt, adding, “Yeah, that wasn’t your color. This one’s not bad, though. Goes good with your skin tone.”
They all jump into action, holding different articles of clothing up to me and arguing over what looks good and what doesn’t. I move to grab a couple of shoe options off the shelf.
“Which of these?” I ask, and turn back around, holding up the shoes.
Carter covers his mouth with his fist while Cal rolls his lips together, both of them trying hard not to laugh. Aiden doesn’t even try to hide it, that mother fucker just bursts out laughing. I cut a glare at each of them, realizing this was all a joke.
“Everybody, get the fuck out! I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Go back to your families,” I snap, striding into my bathroom to take another shower. I pop my head back out of the door. “Thanks for coming over to make sure I’m not dead. You can all fuck off now.”
Shutting the door behind me, I brace my hands on the counter and stare into the mirror, talking to myself.
You got this. You’ve worked your ass off to get her back. That was the hard part . . . well that and refraining from being murdered by Coach. He didn’t try to kill you at the hospital. Probably because there were witnesses and ICU beds onstandby. He didn’t try to kill you at the arena or during practices either. Again, because there were witnesses.
Quit being a fucking pussy.
It’s just dinner with your woman and your friends . . . And your coach. You’ve done this a hundred times.
Hopping in the shower, I try to shake off the nerves but fail. Thank God, when I open my bedroom door, the dickheads are gone. My eyes cast down to my bed and set out is an entire outfit in all black—black diamond pattern button-down dress shirt, black slacks, a stylish black belt with a gold buckle, black dress socks, and black dress shoes.
What the fuck? Am I going to a funeral?
I pick up the note lying on top of the shirt.
Wearing all black shows authority and confidence.
~Aiden
P.S. Don’t forget flowers and a bottle of wine.
P.P.S. Rub one out before you go over there for Christ’s sake. It’ll calm your nerves.
Why am I not surprised by the post-postscript?
Tossing the note back down on my bed, I look over the outfit. Aiden has style, and he’s onto something, but I don’t want to look like a goddam undertaker. I trade out the black slacks for a pair of jeans. There. That’s better. I stand at the end of the bed, studying the outfit I just pieced together. Reaching over, I snatch up the black slacks and lay them back down next to the shirt.
