Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“Why, thank you, Mr. McGinn,” she says with a flirty bump of her hip against his.
Putting his arm around Brienne’s back, Drake says, “You were great, too, Danica. Very moving.”
“Thank you,” I reply, always a little in awe of the big goalie who looks like he eats nails for breakfast but is a total teddy bear with Brienne.
“Well, shall we eat?” Brienne asks. We say our goodbyes and head off in different directions to find our tables. As I wind my way through, I purposely glance over to where I know Camden has been seated, but he’s not there. Frowning, I look left and right, wondering if a mistake was made in the seating or even worse, maybe he didn’t come.
When I reach my table, I release a tiny huff of disappointment only to have my attention taken by someone standing there.
It’s Camden.
And oh my God, does he look incredible. It’s not just the tuxedo but he shaved and his hair is tamed, and while I don’t like that as much as scruffy Camden, the clean-cut version is very, very nice.
“What are you doing here?” I ask because this is most certainly not his table.
He shrugs and moves to pull out the chair next to me. “I go where I’m told and Brienne’s assistant said this was my seat.”
“Oh,” I murmur in confusion and settle into my chair. Camden helps me scoot it in and then takes his seat again. “Okay.”
I glance around the table and note no other players here. I don’t know a single person, although I met the older gentleman with snow-white hair sitting across from me earlier with Brienne.
We make introductions and everyone congratulates me on my position and my opening remarks. But the table is large and the room is loud with all the chatter, so one-on-one conversations are hard except with the people next to you.
I talk to a lovely lady to my left throughout the salad course. She’s a retired cardiac surgeon at UPMC and her late husband was good friends with Brienne’s father. While I’m talking to her, I’m happy to note the rest of the table engaged with one another. That includes Camden, who is talking to a very beautiful woman sitting on his other side. Granted, she’s in her mid- to late-forties, but she’s exquisite and that age gap truly doesn’t mean a thing. I push down the spark of jealousy, knowing he’s only being polite.
I think that’s all he’s being.
When the waitstaff comes to take away our bowls, Camden covers his mouth as if wiping it clean with his napkin and leans toward me. He says in a low voice that only I can hear, “You look amazing tonight.”
My face heats with the compliment, and I hate that it also reassures me, which means I had a moment of doubt. Maybe it’s natural for me to feel insecure. It’s been a long time since I’ve dated and I have a vague recollection of apprehension at the start with Mitch. Of course we were teenagers and pretty stupid, but I imagine some of it applies here.
The remainder of the dinner is a bit of a blur. The food is delightful and the conversation at the table waxes and wanes as we listen to various speakers. Two other Titans widows share their stories, and Brienne invited the widow of a US soccer player to speak as well. Her story is fascinating because she has a disability that prevents her from working and so an organization such as this can really give her a helping hand.
I have a hard time not tearing up when Coen walks to the podium. He speaks on behalf of the three surviving players—him, Hendrix and Camden. It’s very moving as he reveals their personal losses and how hard they’ve worked to rebuild the team, all while feeling guilty for moving on. I struggle not to reach for Camden’s hand, but I see from the glow of candlelight that he’s fixated on Coen’s words. It’s more validation to him that survivor’s guilt is a very real thing that can cripple you if you’re not careful.
Gage speaks as well, focusing most of his attention on the amazing things Brienne did to rebuild the organization. He was an integral part of that as a player and now as a coach. His words concluded with a standing ovation for our beautiful and determined leader.
Lastly, Stone wraps up at the podium, talking about losing his brother and taking his place on the team. “It was so confusing,” he admitted to the crowd, “and even to this day, I struggle with gratitude for what I have.”
All these testimonials have been carefully orchestrated to pull at heartstrings and get donors to show their generosity. That’s the entire purpose of this event and everyone knows it. Before the evening kicked off, all guests were provided a QR code on a tiny placard at their seats to download the donations app. As the evening progresses and money is pledged, we have a running tally on the drop-down screen onstage.