The Heart of A Champion (An NBA OC X Hailee Steinfeld Romance)

Sweeping Her Off of Her Feet; Salt Lake City Star

Dante should've been used to this. The lights, the glitz, the glamour and privileges of being in a high profile relationship with an A-List celebrity. He was deeply in love with the woman he called his Queen in Hailee Steinfeld but sometimes he could find the paparazzi, the leeches he'd referred to them as 'invasive', 'persistent' and otherwise 'nuisances' and he now understood why so many celebrities were turned off by their relationships being put out into the world without them doing it first. Hell back when they first started dating in 2020, the world knew Hailee was in a relationship but she had displayed a masterclass on keeping the now 3x All-Star as her significant other on the hush due to mutual benefit as she could focus on her career and he could keep hooping. Every now and then, they would drop little crumbs that they were off the market not daring to unveil who they were involved with, but Dante and Hailee had a plan for when they were going to announce their couple hood. Dante was going to whisk the actress and singer, and by extension both of their families to Salt Lake City for a skiing trip while he prepared for All-Star Weekend mainly press conferences, media interviews and scrimmages before the game itself. Only problem was....

(February 14th around 12 P.M., following a loss to the Minnesota, I shit you not, lost to them in 2K23 just like they did in real life LMAO... New York City, New York.)

Dante: Jesus... CHRIST! Flights can be such a pain in the ass. But we made it, and hopefully, just hopefully they ain't spoil to her that I was in the neighborhood. Let's see, I've got Hailee's tickets to Denver and Salt Lake,  flowers to surprise her... cause let's be real readers, girls are suckers for beautiful flowers. Never go wrong with the classical red flowers since IT IS Valentine's Day. Now I just gotta get to my rental for the day so I can treat her to a week she will never forget. Walk with me.

He starts daydreaming about himself and Hailee skiing through a mountain range, feeding each other strawberries or whatever fruit you could think of being intimate, their respective families cheering him on during what would be his third consecutive All-Star Game. Not only that, but he received an invitation to participate in the Starry Three Point Shootout and would join the Trailblazers' Damian Lillard, the Pacers' Buddy Hield and budding superstar Tyrese Haliburton, hometown flavor Jazz Lauri Markkanen, the Kings' Kevin Huerter, Miami's Heat Tyler Herro, the Knicks' Julius Randle and reigning Eastern Conference Finals MVP his close friend and friendly rival, the Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum. They would cap off the festivities by getting some private time with a quick little getaway to Mexico before Dante had to clock for the second half. His session had been interrupted as a car honked at him alerting the basketball phenom he was about ten seconds from squashing him Final Destination style.

Dante: SORRY! Ah ha, here we go. It's good have friends in high places... mainly, your girlfriend's brother hooking ya up with the sweetest rides. It's no El Diablo, but it definitely fits my personality. Now, her parents said she's at the stu recording a new song and has no idea I'm even in the city. So.

He puts his gifts and bags in the trunk as he then presses the start button.

Dante: Let's go surprise a supernova in the making.

(Republic Records Recording Studio...)

Hailee was in the midst of cooking up her new song. She had the lyrics all written down, she had gone through a few rehearsals of the song to see how it would sound, only taking breaks so that she could eat or powder her nose. Dante, having gotten full access since he was  dating one of the rostered artists made his way to the desk as the receptionist as she smiled brightly.

Marcy: Dante! Lovely surprise this is. I thought you'd be in Salt Lake City by now!

He waves back as he sets down a box of chocolates and flowers down.