Bailey had been working like a mad woman after she met with the players that morning, and it continued well into the afternoon. Startled by the shrill of her office phone, Bailey quickly swung her desk chair around to oblige the demand for the small piece of office equipment. "This is Bailey," she answered on the phone.
"You have a call," the receptionist, Geneva, said as she transferred the call, not waiting for Bailey's response. Bailey waited for the double beep, which indicated a successful call transfer, "This is Bailey," she said for a second time.
"Bailey!" The pleasant yet unfamiliar voice said on the opposite end of the line, "Hi, how are you?"
"I'm sorry, who might this be?" Bailey asked of the gentlemen who had contacted her.
"This is Casey. Don't tell me that you have forgotten about me already", he feigned being hurt by her not recognizing him.
Rising in her seat, Bailey scrambled to locate her notes for the SummerFest, "Uh, Casey, no, I have not forgotten you. I just did not recognize your voice."
Hearing the rustling of papers in the background, "Did I catch you a bad time?" Casey asked.
"Oh, no, what can I help you with?" Bailey asked, hoping that he was calling to discuss the SummerFest.
"SummerFest, and the real question is what can I do to help you? Did you know that it is one of my favorite events?" Casey inquired.
"No, I did not know that this was one of your favorites and thank you for volunteering. You are the first player to reach out. I surely hope more of you guys feel compelled to help", Bailey admitted. "Is there something in particular you would like do at SummerFest?"
"I did have an idea or two that I would like to share with you, but I would like to discuss them in person," Casey replied.
"Sure! No problem," Bailey started. "I am working on the logistics for SummerFest right now, but I can take a break from that for a while. I can see if there is an open conference room available. What time can you be up here? Bailey asked.
"No!" Casey cursed himself, and his response was sharper than he intended it to be. Clearing his throat, he followed, "I mean, I have a few things that I'm about to do, and I do not feel like heading back to OC." Taking a deep breath, Casey continued, "Would it be possible for us to meet somewhere?" There was a long pause, and Casey checked his phone to see if the call had been disconnected.
Bailey felt uneasy at Mr. Christopher's request, "If it is better for you, we can meet tomorrow…"
Casey did not want to lose his opportunity, "I really have these great ideas, and I have to get them out before I forget them," for dramatic effect, he added, "You know us football players aren't good with memory. Hazards of the job."
Bailey felt conflicted. Was it appropriate to meet with a player outside of the office, even if it was to discuss Oilers’ business? "Hmmm, sure, we can meet this evening." Against her better judgment, Bailey continued, "Does 6 pm work for you?"
Fist pumping for his victory, "The earliest that I could make is 6:30 pm, and that's if we meet downtown." Casey replied, "You know traffic can be crazy."
"Okay, 6:30pm," Bailey begrudgingly responded. "What is your number? So, I can text you for the exact meeting location."
********************
Bailey arrived at Casa la Vida fifteen minutes late; she scanned the restaurant looking for the man she had dinner plans with. "Where could he be?" Bailey asked herself. Instead of standing at the restaurant's entryway, Bailey strolled around the restaurant, hoping to locate her dinner companion. As she made her way past the bar, Bailey noticed that there was an alcove off to the left; as she crooked her neck to get a better view, she saw the profile of a very handsome man. Making her way to the secluded section of the restaurant, Bailey gathered her thoughts. She vowed to keep it strictly professional with Mr. Christopher despite feeling like a giggly schoolgirl whenever she was in his presence. Little did Casey know Bailey had a crush on him in college, and now that she was a professional working for the Oilers said crush was now unacceptable and inappropriate. Never did Bailey imagine that she would be working for the Oilers, and as the universe would have it, low and behold, there she was, working for the Oilers and preparing to have a dinner meeting with the bad boy of the American Football League, Casey Christopher.
Making her final strides to the table, Bailey took a deep breath, "Casey, hey, my apologies for being late." Bailey was awestruck when Casey stood in her presence and hugged her for a greeting.
"It's cool, any longer and I would have thought that you stood me up," he teased.
"Oh no, I would not do that," Bailey reassured him. "In this industry one only has their word and integrity." Placing her sweater on the back of the chair, Bailey continued, "Plus, you are doing me a favor by contributing to the SummerFest. I would not pass up any opportunity to discuss it."
Bailey and Casey discussed SummerFest and Casey's increased leadership role and responsibilities for hours. She found it surprisingly easy to talk to Casey; in addition, Bailey found his perspective to be refreshing. At a quarter after ten, Bailey excused herself and thanked Casey for stepping up with SummerFest and covering the cost of her meal. The two debated on who would cover the dinner bill while waiting for it to arrive, and it turned out Bailey was slow to check. Bailey had plead her case to cover the bill, and when that plea had fallen on deaf ears, she insisted on paying her portion. Much to her dismay, Casey did not allow that either. Bailey felt a sense of triumph when she coaxed Casey into letting her cover the tip. Though he had already added the tip when he paid, he did not battle too much with Bailey when she insisted on leaving the tip.
********************
"Mina, answer the phone," Bailey said hurriedly, drumming her fingers on her car's steering wheel. Bailey was at a red light, hoping her best friend would pick up. "Mina?" Bailey asked on the third ring, hoping she heard the phone being answered.
"Yeah, what's up?" The sleepy voice on the other end of the line responded.
"Did I wake you? I am so sorry; I need someone to talk to," Bailey pled, hoping that her friend did not have to be at work too early the next day.
"Naw, girl you good. I was on set for thirty hours straight, yesterday, and today. The good thing is, I do not have to return until three tomorrow afternoon, so you're good. What's up?"
Bailey and Mina had been friends since junior high school. They met in seventh grade at Drew Middle School in San Francisco. Mina was a transfer student from Texas and found Bailey friendly compared to the other girls in her classes. Mina's father was in the military and had recently retired before moving his family west to be near Mina's mother's family. A natural athlete, Mina ran cross country and track for Drew. Drew was known for its academic excellence and superior athletics department. Unfortunately, Drew lacked one thing Mina missed about Texas: Black people. The number of Black students, teachers, and staff was minimal.
"I had dinner with Casey Christopher tonight." Bailey blurted out.
"You did what?" Mina was aghast.
"Well, it was for the SummerFest. You know that big event I told you about?" Bailey explained, "Well it turned out that he had some ideas on how to get more players involved."
"So, what's the big deal," Mina asked.
Considering her words wisely, "I think I like him," Bailey admitted.
“Bails,” Mina sounded exhausted, "do you want to go down that road with a professional athlete? You see all that Nyh has gone through with Julius, and they started dating in high school."
Bailey was silent for a long while as she pondered her friend's response. It was no secret that their friend Nyhrie got played by her basketball superstar boyfriend, now husband. Did Bailey want the distraction of being romantically involved with a professional athlete? Could she handle the consequences of such a relationship?
"You know Mina," Bailey started, "you're right. I think I was overcome with excitement. You know I have had a crush on Casey for years. It is not every day a girl can work with her crush. Especially when he is a superstar."