Page 6 of Bluffed By the Offense

“So, it’s a service vehicle?” he teases.

“It’s a luxury vehicle.”

“... that I also bought my mom,” he says with a chuckle. “Mom van.”

“Maybe I’m ready to settle down,” I say.

“Okay then, QB,” Keller says. “Are you dating someone?”

“I wouldn’t be on this shoot if I were.”

“Yeah. Lucky Linc and O’Connell. They don’t have to go pretend to be in love with a stranger. Only the high-profile bachelors.” Keller pauses. “The things I do for Kate.”

“She's in charge of optics,” I remind him. “Whatever we do for her is best for us in the long run. Besides, this shoot helps raise money for local youth football—especially the kids who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it.”

That was me.

My dad left my mom just after my youngest sister was born. Mom worked two jobs. Football uniforms and registration weren’t in the budget. I got in on sponsorships just like the ones we’re supporting today.

I’ll never forget what it felt like to scrape the bottom of the barrel. And I’ll never allow myself to be so far removed that I don’t have time to give to those who are struggling like we did.

We pull up to Waterford Community Park and find a spot in the parking lot. I text our contact, Bryce, to let him know we’re here. We’re supposed to wait in the car until someone comes to meet us. Something about it being a surprise when we see the person we’re paired with for the shoot.

Bryce texts back that his assistant, Lizzy, will be out to meet us shortly.

A few minutes later, a tall woman in jean shorts and a T-shirt approaches my Escalade. She’s got a camera strapped around her neck and a video camera in her hand.

I roll the window down. “Lizzy?”

“Yes. Nice to meet you, Marcus.” She greets each of the guys by name and then she says, “We’re so grateful you agreed to this shoot. If you’ll just follow me, we have a shaded area where you can wait, and then we’ll call you out when we’re ready.”

The guys pile out of my SUV and we walk behind Lizzy to a canopy with tables of refreshments.

Lizzy looks at me. “The woman you’re shooting with is already here.”

She leads me along the tree- and flower-lined pathway that borders the park, and then she stops in a clearing.

“Marcus Delaney,” Bryce says. “I’m doing my best to be far more chill than I feel so I don’t act like a typical fan right now.”

“Always good to meet a fan,” I tell him, and I mean it.

He clears his throat. “Well, the woman we’ve matched you with is here. If you’d just turn around and close your eyes.”

I do as he asks.

Lizzy approaches me and says, “Here,” placing a bouquet of flowers in my hand. “When Bryce gives the go-ahead, you can turn around and give her the flowers. We’ll get a few shots with the two of you back-to-back first. Your partner is going to come out with her eyes closed too. We’ll have you hold hands before you turn.”

“We hold hands before looking at one another?” I ask.

“That’s how it works,” Lizzy says. “You’d be amazed. We’ve had some actual romances start this way.”

I can hear the delight in Lizzy’s voice.

Bryce quickly adds, “This shoot’s just for the fundraising, though. No matchmaking going on today—unless something clicks besides my shutter.”

I laugh lightly, my eyes still shut, flowers in my hand, and a nervous thud in my heart.

Why? I’m not on a blind date. It’s just a promotional shoot.