Chasing Home (NFL)

The Boston Bash

“Now I'm here, suddenly I see
Standing here, it's all so clear
I'm where I'm meant to be

And at last I see the light
And it's like the fog has lifted
And at last I see the light
And it's like the sky is new
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once, everything looks different
Now that I see you”

– “I See the Light” by Mandy Moore

Chapter 50: The Boston Bash

            The Patriots played the Eagles on the last day of my Thanksgiving break. I bought a new long sleeve Patriots shirt and some warm Patriots boots for the occasion. New England ended up winning 38-20. The win felt especially good for the team since this was the first time they had played Philadelphia since beating them in the Super Bowl in 2005. I celebrated right along with them.

            What followed was a busy week. All I did was work, study, and take finals. I was exhausted by the time Friday hit. But now school was over, and I only had one more semester left. And Friday night was the Boston Bash.

            Freya and I started getting ready as soon as I got home. At my roommate’s insistence, we had both gone shopping the previous weekend for new dresses. I did not object because I wanted her to look great for Rob. It was a good sign if she was putting a lot of thought into this. My doing the same helped keep her happy.

            Freya had bought a pretty blue strapless winter dress. It glittered on the top and had a sparkle belt. It elegantly puffed out at the bottom. With a silver necklace, silver heels, and her hair done up in a bun, she looked gorgeous. She was ready for a winter ball.

            Meanwhile, I had chosen a long, strapless red dress. It had a slim fitting sweetheart bodice with a lace up back. The empire waistline dazzled with rhinestone accents that created a flattering silhouette. A flowing pleated jersey A-line skirt cascaded to the floor with a comfortable fit. I chose red heals and a silver heart necklace. Then I used mouse on my hair to perfect my curls and put them in their place.

            After we got dressed, we both helped each other do our makeup in the bathroom. I usually did not wear much makeup, so I was grateful for my roommate’s assistance. A half hour later, Freya examined us one last time before nodding in approval. “Tom and Rob aren’t going to know what hit them,” she said with a smirk.

            I could not help but smile at her. “Yep. Let’s go wait for them in the living room.”

            It did not take long before there was a knock on the door. “I’ll get it,” Freya said as she hopped up from the couch. I stood up and followed her to the door. She opened the door to reveal Tom and Rob, both looking quite handsome in their tuxes. “Hey, guys! You look good.”

            “Thanks,” Rob said almost shyly. “So do you.”

            “Lauren,” Tom said as he gazed at me intensely, “you’re beautiful.”

            I smiled warmly at him, feeling happy at the compliment. “Thank you, Tom.” Our eyes were locked together, and I could not look away.

            “Save it for the dance, guys,” Freya teased. “Come on.”

            Tom held his arm out to me and smiled. “My lady?”

            I smiled back at him as I put my arm through his. Why did he have to be so adorable?
 
---

            “You didn’t tell us the dance was on a boat!” Rob said excitedly as we stood at the Boston Harbor, waiting in line to get onto a large boat.

            Freya smirked. “We wanted it to be a surprise,” she said playfully.

            “This looks pretty cool already,” Tom said with a smile.

            I smiled back at him. “I know.” That was the main reason why it was so easy for Freya to convince me to attend the ball. I loved the Boston Harbor!

            “Are you glad you decided to attend this college?”

            I nodded. “Yeah, it’s been great. The classes have been really good, and I’ve met some interesting people. You were right about this being a good choice, so thanks.”

            Tom smiled. “No problem.”

            We were soon inside the party room of the boat. It looked just like a nice, fancy ballroom in a ritzy hotel. The only giveaway that it was a boat was the constant, gentle rocking back and forth. I loved the water, so I found it quite soothing. After looking around, I got into matchmaker mode. Tom and I had to make sure that Rob and Freya interacted sufficiently.

            “We should dance!” I said, trying to sound excited.

            Freya raised her eyebrows at me. “Since when do you dance?”

            I rolled my eyes. “What else are you supposed to do at a dance? Come on.” I took hold of Tom’s hand and walked with him onto the dance floor, which was already populated with students.

            “Yeah!” Rob said enthusiastically. He grabbed Freya’s hand and pulled her along after us.

            The four of us formed a circle and began dancing to the beat of the fast-paced music. Some people stared at us because of our dates, but I ignored. I was actually having a pretty good time as we danced through several songs. After a half hour, we walked off to the side to take a break.

            “I’m going to go to the restroom,” Freya said. “I’ll be right back.”

            I was glad she was allowing me time to talk to her date alone. As soon as she was gone, I turned to Rob and said, “You need to ask her to slow dance.”

            Rob blinked. “They haven’t played a slow song yet.”

            “I can fix that,” Tom said, glancing in the direction of the DJ. “A salsa song might be helpful as well. You know salsa, right?”

            Rob shrugged. “Well enough.”

            “Make sure to hold her close when you dance,” I instructed. “The goal is to make her see you as a romantic partner, not a friend. Let your body show her how you feel. Do you understand?”

            “I guess so,” Rob said with a hint of uncertainty.

            “You’ll be great,” Tom said, clasping his friend’s shoulder. “Just like we talked about.”

            Just then, Freya skipped back over to us. “Hey, guys,” she said cheerfully. “What did I miss?”

            “Not much,” I said. “Do you y’all want to check out the food?”

            “Yes!” Rob and Freya said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

            “You guys go on ahead,” said Tom. “I’m going to go request a song, and I’ll be right with you.”

            “Alright.” I said. I had spotted the food upon entering the room, so I led the way over to the table. Here were many fancy-looking appetizers and delicious-looking desserts.

            Freya clapped her hands together. “It all looks so good!”

            “It will probably be gone soon, so let’s dig in!” Rob said.

            We had just gotten our food when Tom joined us. After he filled a plate, we stood off to the side and began to eat it all. We had a good time eating and enjoying each other’s company. Even if my plan failed, I knew this night was going to be a great one to remember.

            We had just finished eating when a festive salsa song started to play. I looked at Tom with raised eyebrows. “You were serious.”

            Tom grinned. “Of course. Let’s dance.” He held out his hand to me, and I shrugged before accepting.

            “Do you want to dance, Freya?” Rob asked with a timid smile.

            “Sure,” Freya agreed. “It sounds like fun.”

            Soon, the four of us were back on the dance floor. I waited until Rob had pulled Freya close before letting Tom take my hands in his. “You’ll have to remind me how to do this,” I said to him.

            Tom smiled. “It’s not that hard. You’ll pick it up quickly.” He first explained the steps to me, and then he demonstrated. We were soon both dancing to the beat.

            “This is pretty fun,” I said with a smile. I looked over his shoulder to see Freya and Rob dancing and laughing together. “It looks like our friends are having a good time as well.”

            “Good,” Tom said, seeming pleased.

            The song ended too soon for my liking. Just as we were all about to head back to the side, a slow song started to play. Tom and I both looked at Rob expectantly. The tight end hesitated before turning to my roommate and offering her his hand once more. “Another dance?” he said with a small smile.

            Freya glanced at me, and I nodded at her encouragingly. Then she turned back to Rob and said, “I would love to.” She placed her other hand on his shoulder, and they started to dance. They looked like a lovely couple.

            “Lauren?” Tom said, breaking me out of my thoughts.

            I snapped my head back to him and blinked. “What?”

            “Dance with me.”

            I was caught off guard by his boldness, and I suddenly felt uncomfortable. I was here for my friends, not myself. “Uh, I was just going to watch them and make sure-”

            “They’ll be fine,” Tom said. He took both my hands and pulled me closed to him, causing me to squeak in surprise. He put one hand on my waist while still holding onto the other one.

            As soon as I looked into his eyes, I found myself captivated by him. I did not even realize it when we started dancing. His eyes blazed with a fire I could not understand. Suddenly, he lifted his arm up and helped me spin around. I smiled slightly when he pulled me closer to him this time. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he placed both of his on my waist.

            “Everything is going to be alright,” he whispered in my ear.

            I knew he was talking about more than just this night, and I could find no words to argue with him. I rested my head on his chest and took a deep breath. My emotions were slowly spinning out of control. I wanted to stay here with him forever. I wanted to kiss him and spill the truth about my feelings for him. My resolve was slowly dissolving, and I did not know what I was going to do. Right now, all I could do was dance.

            Then the song ended. We stopped moving but did not let go of each other right away. Finally, I forced myself to untangle myself from him and step back. “That was… nice. I have to go to the bathroom.” I needed to get away and think about all of this.

            Tom’s gaze was still intense as he nodded and said, “Alright. I’ll be waiting for you.”

            I shivered as I turned away. I rushed into the bathroom and leaned over the sink. Thankfully, there was no one else inside at the moment. I stared at myself in the mirror, noticing a mix of emotions, one of them being panic. I knew I could not keep this up much longer. I did not know if I could continue to be just friends with Tom. How could he stand it?

            I realized it could not be easy on him. I sometimes saw the pain in his eyes, though he tried to conceal. I knew he was trying to act like he was fine for my sake. He wanted to be there for me. I had never wanted to hurt him, which was why I agreed to be his friend. I thought that was enough, but it was not. I was still hurting him. If I did not have any real feelings for him, I would have no reason to feel guilty. But he already knew I felt something, and it must be killing him.

            I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. What was really holding me back? What was the worst that could happen? Relationships could always fail, but was this one worth the risk? I thought about what Peyton had told me. He, out of everyone else, had the most reason to warn me away from him. Usually, my brothers were protective of me and did not like guys who were interested in me. This time, all three of them seemed to approve, even Cooper after her actually met Tom. If they thought I should go for it, maybe the problem was with me.

            I opened my eyes and noticed new resolve cross my features. I was still afraid, but I was more afraid of what I would be missing out on if I did not take this chance. With this in mind, I confidently strode out of the bathroom.

            Tom was waiting for me by the wall. I could see Freya and Rob a little ways away chatting, but I ignored them. I walked straight up to Tom and said, “Ready to get back to dancing?”

            A wide grin spread across is face. “I’m always ready for dancing.”
 
---

            Tom and I left the dance before Freya and Rob, which I found perfectly acceptable. Tom walked me to my apartment. I turned to him as I opened the door said, “Thanks for come with me to the dance. I had a good time.”

            Tom smiled at me. “So did I. Thank you for asking me.”

            I nodded. “No problem.” I hesitated as I remembered something, and then I made my decision. “Look what Freya did.” I nodded up at the wall just above the door frame, where mistletoe had been pinned.

            Surprise crossed his face as he looked up. He glanced back at me questioningly. Before e could say anything, I grabbed his shirt, pulled him to me, and kissed him. I could feel his shock, but he was quick to respond by wrapping is arms around my waist and kissing me back. I let myself enjoy the kiss this time, savoring the wonderful feelings that filled me.

            I pulled away after a few seconds and smiled up at him. Tom appeared dazed at first, but then he frowned slightly and said, “Was that just because of the mistletoe?”

            He had given me an out, but this time I would not take it. I grabbed his arm and pulled him into the apartment. Then I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him again. I closed my eyes and smiled into the kiss. When I broke away this time, he was smiling back at me.

            “What about Rodgers?” he asked.

            There was no hesitation in my voice as I spoke: “I want you. I choose you.”

            Tom’s whole face lit up like a kid’s upon entering a candy store. “Really?”

            I bit my lip, hiding a smile, and nodded.

            He grinned, picked me up, and spun me around in a circle a few times, both of us laughing joyfully. A serious look crossed his face as he put me down. “I promise you are not making a mistake. I will not let you down.”

            “I know.” And I believe it… at the moment. “For my sake more than yours, though, I think we should both promise that, no matter what happens and how much we fight, we will remember how much we care for each other and work together to get through anything.”

            Tom nodded. “I promise.”

            A smile tugged on my lips. “Me too.”

            Then Tom cupped my face and kissed me. I eagerly kissed him back, relishing the moment. How could I have stayed away from him for so long? We were so caught up in what we were doing that we did not notice the door open until we heard two voices.

            “Finally!” said the female.

            “Way to go, Tom!” said the male.

            We broke away and turned to face our grinning friends. “It’s not what it looks like,” I said sheepishly.

            “No, it is,” Tom said, taking my hand in his. I could not help but smile at the contact and lean into him.

            “Aww…” Freya said. “You two are so adorable.”

            “Yeah, but we should be going,” Rob said, nodding at his teammate.

            “Alright,” said Tom. After I walked him to the door, he turned to face me again. “I will see you later.” He gave me another kiss that lasted a few seconds, causing Freya to squeal, and then he and Rob were gone.

            “I can’t believe it!” my roommate exclaimed as soon as we were alone.

            I tried not to smile, but it was no use. “That we’re finally together?”

            “No, that you could resist him for so long. I mean, he’s Tom Brady! You must have a will of steel.”

            I rolled my eyes. “Maybe that’s why I wanted to resist him.”

            “But you made him work for it. Everything is going to be fine now.”

            She looked so eager and sure of herself that I had to believe her. “Yeah, maybe it will be.”

***

A/N: That was fun to write. I hope you guys enjoyed it and thought it was worth the wait. Check out my new football story, Don't Say Goodbye, if you're interested. If you like this one, you may enjoy that one as well. Also, congratulations to the Patriots for winning the Super Bowl! That was th emost exciting game I've ever seen.

Lauren's dress: www.promgirl.com/shop/dresses/viewitem-PD1259942
Freya's dress: www.prommagics.com/pd_5123-Pretty-Unique-Sweetheart-Tulle-Winter-Formal-Dresses-Quinceanera-Party.html