“We’re counting on you, Coach,” Mouse said. “When the TV camera’s on you, you gotta make the date look real good.”
“’Real good?”’ she repeated, not at all sure she’d want to comply with their standards.
“Just be all over the guy, Coach.”
“Yeah, make him sweat.”
“Put a liplock on him.”
“Practice safe—”
“Enough!” Sunny shouted. She loved these kids, but they got out of hand so quickly.
“Settle down,” Leteisha bellowed. “You know how Coach feels about that kind of talk. How’s she gonna go on national TV with all this hassle? We’re here to give her our support.”
The girls quieted down but grinned, unrepentant.
Mouse waved an emerald-green chef’s apron and sung out, “Coach needs to put this on.”
“Thanks, Mouse. Let’s get that apron on you, Coach.”
Sunny groaned.
“See how nice it goes with your hair?” Mouse coaxed, slipping the apron over Sunny’s hair.
At least it would cover the tight, white sweater.
“Go over the game plan, Mouse,” Leteisha ordered.
“Okay. Coach, after you answer the door, pretend you forgot to take the apron off and act real embarrassed.”
She probably would be.
“Then take your time untying the strings.”
“Take a lot of time,” Leteisha added with a wicked smile.
“Slip the apron off slow,” Mouse coached.
“Yeah, reeeeeeal slow.”
“Yeah, like you’re doin’ a striptease.”
“Then the guy sees you in that tight, white top and…”
“It blows his mind!”
The girls high-fived and yelled like they’d just scored the winning basket on a shot from midcourt.
“That does it!” Sunny ordered. “You’re out of here!”
Proud of themselves, the team called out outrageous advice all the way to their cars.
Girls! You took two steps forward with them and one step back. She’d never been as bold, but then Eleanor Keegan’s daughter had known her manners before she’d known her ABC’s.
They were good kids, and they’d worked hard all season, playing with more heart than ability. She’d felt safe promising them anything if they’d win the championship. Of course, now that she knew kids could play over their heads, she’d be careful giving out blank checks.
Winning a championship had been an unexpected thrill and confirmation she was making her life count. Things would be great once she convinced her family to leave her alone. For the girls and herself, she would get through this evening and do her best to dazzle Pete Maguire…if she didn’t break out in hives.
Her burst of confidence lasted until the doorbell rang. “Take deep breaths,” she told herself. “Lots of deep breaths. Focus. Be convincing. Pretend you’re happy to see this guy.”
Donning a welcoming smile, she opened the door in a swoop and struck a pose.
But Meggy, the woman from Dream Date, stood there.
So much for dazzling.
“Hi, Sunny,” the woman said brightly. “We’re set up and ready for Pete to arrive. Everything okay here?”
She nodded, forcing her plastic public smile.
“Good. Like we said on the phone, try to ignore the cameras. We’ll shoot some stuff to establish Part One of your date and be gone before you know it.”
“Great. That’s just great. Really great.”
Pull yourself together, Sunny. Use that college education. Speak in multisyllables. “Are we on schedule?”
“Yes, we are. In fact, Pete ought to arrive in just a few minutes. Have fun.”
“Thanks.” Sunny closed the door and worked on the breathing exercises she’d taught the girls for pre-game jitters. From now on, she’d have a new respect for people who went before the cameras for a living.
She wondered if Pete was as nervous about all this as she was. Probably not. Not with his experience charming the ladies.
Pete popped a fourth antacid into his mouth and wished he’d been an only child. It was plenty nerve-wracking sitting here in the rental new-model pickup Meggy had paid for so he wouldn’t look like a pauper on national TV.
A pauper. He could buy a fleet of new pickups if he wanted to. It was his business what he drove, and he liked driving Old Red, no matter how much money he had. Things like loyalty were important, and he’d had Old Red since high school.
The Dream Date staffer who’d stopped him a block from Sunny’s place handed Pete a two-way radio. Meggy’s voice came through. “Pete, how are you doing?”
“How do you think? Let’s get this over with.”
“Uh, Pete, the audience always loves it when the guy brings the girl a flower. Teresa’s got one there for you.”
The staffer handed Pete a red rose.
“What next, Meggy? A stuffed animal?”
“No, we didn’t think Coach Keegan seemed like the stuffed animal type. But it would be nice if you’d give her a hug.”
“It would be nice if you’d ease up.”
“Sorry, Pete, the staff and I—” she paused, letting it sink in that others were listening “—don’t mean to be pushy. We’re here to make your date successful.”
For the benefit of those others, he gushed. “You’ve done a super job, Meggy. I mean it. If I sounded…unappreciative, it’s because all this is pretty strange to me.”
“We understand. No problem. When you’re ready, drive on down to the house. Try not to look at the cameras.”
Nervous as a kid up to bat at his first big game, Pete approached Sunny’s condo, where a TV van and dozens, maybe hundreds, of teenagers surrounded the place.
Lord, if you’re out there and listening, get me through this. I’d take it as a personal favor if You’d see to it that my hip doesn’t act up and I don’t make a fool of myself.
When he stepped out of the pickup, his eyes swept the scene to get his bearings. Naturally he looked right into a camera. Sorry, Meggy.
Fixing his eyes on Sunny’s door, he made his way there. Concentrating as hard as he was, he forgot the rose clutched in his hand until he knocked on the door, and the thing jiggled in his grip. When the door swung open, his hand held the rose in midair, raised in a salute. He felt like a fool.
But Sunny’s smile was so beautiful and warm, it didn’t seem to matter. Those soft butternut eyes affected him the same way they had on the show. He felt the same zing in his gut. The same shortness of breath.
She glanced at the rose in his hand, and he remembered his manners, offering it to her.
“Thank you,” she said sweetly, touching her nose to the flower, sniffing its fragrance. “What a nice thing to do.”
He thought about giving Meggy the credit, but noticed from the corner of his eye that the camera was recording the whole thing. This was as bad as being on the show.
What