The Crush (79)
Allie Sutton-Pierson only laughed. “Absolutely not.”
Before we walked into the restaurant, I stopped to straighten the lapels of my jacket. Allie studied me with a practiced eye. She swept a hand over my shoulder, brushing off some imaginary lint.
“Do I look intimidating?” I asked.
“No.” She smiled. “But I’ve known you since the day you were born, so I’m biased.”
“Fair enough.”
“You do look very handsome, though. If I’m allowed to say that.”
“Thank you,” I told her, only the slightest warmth crawling up my cheeks. “I’m just trying to keep up with my date tonight.”
She shook her head with a smile.
Mastro’s Ocean Club was close enough to my house that Allie’s driver swung through to pick me up on her way. She’d made private reservations and called Ned personally to see if he’d join her for dinner while she was in town.
“I can’t believe he said yes,” I said. “Isn’t he suspicious of why you’re asking?”
“Men like Ned are appallingly predictable. Because he’s one of the newer owners, he still feels like he has something to prove. Because I’m one of the female owners who doesn’t have anything to prove, he’d never turn down the chance to impress me on his own turf. I told him I was hoping to pick his brain about a few things.”
“Can’t guarantee you’ll find much in there,” I muttered.
She smirked. Allie smoothed a hand down the front of her fitted red dress. Like she said, I’d known her my entire life, and even in her fifties, she was an absolute bombshell.
“You ready for whatever happens in there?” she asked. Tucked under her arm was a black leather portfolio, and I still had no idea what she was coming into this meeting with. Whatever it was, it was good enough she wanted to deliver it face-to-face.
“Beyond ready.”
“I didn’t tell your parents I was coming here. What you share with them is up to you.” She lifted her chin. “You had my complete discretion from the moment you asked for my help.”
“Haven’t decided on that one yet,” I said. “Does Uncle Luke know?”
At the mention of her husband, she grinned. “Yes. He’s the only one who gets all my secrets. It’s killing him not to be here.”
“Because of what Ned might do?” I tilted my head to the restaurant.
“Oh no, Luke knows I can handle guys like that. He just likes to watch when I eviscerate them.”
I laughed. “So I’m not playing bodyguard tonight?”
“I certainly hope not.” Her face grew serious. “I need you to trust me, Emmett.”
I tilted my head to the side. “I do.”
“I mean, once we’re in that room and I tell him why I’m there, I can’t have you interrupting me.” She held my gaze. “You have to trust me that I know what I’m doing.”
If I’d learned anything in my years of playing football, it was that gut instinct when it came to the right coach, the right captain, the right leader. And every single instinct was screaming that she was the person I could trust most with my career after this. “I got your back, Aunt Allie. No matter what.”
“Good.” Her eyes were sharp, focused. “Ready?”
I held out my arm. “Let’s do it.”
Allie tucked her hand into the crook of my elbow so I could escort her in. She’d reserved a private dining alcove in full view of the restaurant. He’d have no choice but to stay unless he wanted to make a scene, and we made sure to walk in about ten minutes after Ned. With any luck, he was enjoying his first drink of the evening and sweating the fact that she hadn’t arrived yet.
The ma?tre d’ greeted us with complete deference, and only a few heads turned as we walked back toward our table. No one approached, and no one lifted phones for pictures or videos.
Ned was seated when we came around the corner, and his eyes widened. Because I was so much taller than Allie, he saw me first. He set his drink down and moved to stand when Allie greeted him with a wide, stunning smile.
“Ned,” she gushed. “It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you.”
His gaze bounced back and forth between us. “The pleasure is all mine.” He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t aware Emmett was joining us tonight.”
I gave him a smile and pulled Allie’s chair back. She sat gracefully, motioning for us to join her. “Please. Don’t stand on my account.”
Ned and I took our seats, and he tugged at the collar of his shirt.
“Tough loss on Sunday,” Allie said. “Tampa is hard to contain.”
I sat back in my seat and waited for him to answer with a raised eyebrow.
“Uh, yeah.” Ned blinked. “Looks like Washington is off to a similar start.”
She hummed, eyes locked on her menu. “Our division is tough this year, no doubt about it. We’ve struggled at quarterback since James retired, so that doesn’t help.”
“So that’s why we’re here?” Ned’s face turned an unattractive shade of red as he set his elbows on the table and leaned forward. “I’m not going to hand him over to Washington because you took me out to dinner and look good in a dress.”