December 21, 2021
Laurie and Mandy had left the house by the time Marc and Sarah woke up Tuesday morning, as the former was dropping off the latter at Michelle's prior to heading to Dewey so Marc would be able to use her Durango for any errand-running he needed to do. After cleaning up and changing, the two of them grabbed breakfast from the kitchen and sat down at the dining room table together.
Sarah: We should decide where we want to go for date night next Tuesday. Will my logistics superstar do some browsing and throw out a few suggestions?
Marc went through a couple of websites with lists of the top restaurants in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, looking for ones that were reasonably-priced and not too high-scale.
Marc: Napoli's Italian. Prices aren't ridiculous on any of the entrees. Chilis if you want something more predictable in terms of menu. How far afield should I be looking?
Sarah: Dallas side of the metroplex.
Marc narrowed his search field and brought up more options.
Marc: There are several restaurants at some place called The Union. Maybe choose there, then make the decision after talking with the others?
Sarah: That's doable. Now, New Year's Eve. We're flying back to Harrisonburg on the 1st, so we'll probably want to find something near the airport for convenience's sake, meaning we'd stay over after the party and go from there to DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport) the next day.
Returning his concentration to his laptop, Marc ran a search for events scheduled for that evening, coming up with a few possibilities.
Marc: New Year's Eve Celebration at the AT&T Discovery District, 20s-theme party, free with upgrades available.
Sarah: Send me the link for that one.
Marc forwarded the page's address to Sarah, then went back to scrolling. "Black and White Party at the Statler Ballroom."
Sarah: That's part of the hotel, right?
Marc: It looks like it. Let me see if they have a package deal that would include party, amenities, and accommodations.
Sarah: Better yet, I'll call them because, this might be one time where dropping my own name might prove effective in cutting through some red tape or dealing with opinionated and snooty front desk personnel. Hanging around with Paige, Jocy, and G (Juarez, 2021 Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player) at the ESPYs taught me a couple of things about what people are willing to do to get close to you or claim a brush with greatness.
Marc: Don't go to that extreme, please.
Sarah: Why not, Doc?! I never do anything for you and this would be a good chance for me to use whatever clout I might still have to treat you like the knight-in-shining-armor Caroline said you were during our meet-up with the Badgers at the Lincoln Memorial.
Marc: Again, you don't have to do it, but if you want to shower me with some of the benefits that are available as a result of being your partner, I should be grateful and accept your benevolence.
Sarah contacted the Statler and inquired about their New Year's Eve happenings. After being transferred to the hotel's concierge, she asked him the same question, which he answered in full. Satisfied with what she had been told, she was returned to the front desk, with whom she booked the standard overnight package. After providing the relevant information to secure the reservation, the hotel representative upgraded Sarah to the VIP package and lowered the cost of her and Marc's stay by nearly half.
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Under The Radar: A Redshirt Diary
FanfictionSarah Fuller was a goalkeeper on the Vanderbilt University women's soccer team, but is best-known for being the first woman to play in and score in a Power Five Football Bowl Subdivision game. Having finished her degree with two years of eligibility...
