First Down For Love

Passing Notes In Secrecy

       I am in my dressing room preparing for night 3 of my sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. I'm sitting in my makeup chair getting my hair and makeup done by the lovely Alexis Oakley. After about an hour of hair and makeup, my manager walks in with her fierce red hair. "Hey, superstar! So I have some cool news Tristan and his girlfriend Kayla broke up last night so we, as your management took it into our hands to invite him. and he responded and he will be at this show in the VIP tent he is bringing his best friend Ross Travis so I just wanted to let you know that's the plan. And to get excited" I realize that this is happening and it is time I go to my dress rack I look at the many dresses I have which are over 200 since he was coming to my show I look on Google "What color do the kansas city chiefs wear" google comes up with red and yellow so I look at my rack and I find a bright red sparkly short dress and I smile he won't know its for him but ill know so maybe it will make me want to impress him more and put on a great show.

After about an hour I get into the tunnel and squat getting ready to shoot out and perform my first song of the night which was "Dancing in Daydreams" I can't see the crowd but I know he's there somewhere after the first song I talk to the crowd

  "Madison Square Garden, what's up?! Wow, this place is electric tonight! It feels so good to be here with all of you. I'm so excited to share this night with such an amazing crowd. And hey, you might've noticed I'm rocking a little red tonight... I smile letting them all wonder I've always believed in wearing what feels right in the moment so I thought, why not add a little extra color to the night? I mean, red's a pretty powerful color, right? Kinda bold, kinda... unforgettable. Kind of like a Knight in shining armor, if you will...
Alright, enough with the clues. Let's have some fun tonight, no matter who you're here with or what color you're wearing. I'm just so happy you're all here, and I've got some music that's gonna make tonight unforgettable.

 I smile and wink at them all. I go into my second song called "Two-timing Liar" I sing the song about my ex Jared Every time I sing it I get angrier but after I have to go into my next song there is an outfit change. I come back out in a black leather jumpsuit "Alright, alright, alright... feeling the energy tonight! Look at all of you out there I love this vibe! Now, I gotta say... sometimes you just need a little change to shake things up, right? Have you ever had one of those days where you put on something new and suddenly feel like you can take on the world? I'm not saying I'm ready to take on the entire world... but I've got my game plan tonight! Speaking of game plans, shoutout to all the fans who know exactly what it means to wear your pride on your sleeve whether you're cheering on your team, your family, or the people who've always had your back. I'm talking about those who show up when the stakes are high and the lights are brightest, just like a certain red-and-yellow team that knows how to make a comeback when it counts. There's something about resilience, right? About standing tall, no matter the odds. You know, I've been through a few battles of my own been knocked down a few times but I always get back up, stronger than before. And hey, who else knows how to rise like that? Someone who knows exactly how to turn things around when everyone else counts them out... like someone who's been playing the long game. Oh, and trust me when that person shows up, there's no doubt they'll leave their mark. Just gotta keep your eyes on the prize, and stay ready for whatever comes next. So let me hear you tonight,

..........

Tristians pov:

I'm at the gym, toweling off my hair from a solid workout when my phone buzzes in my pocket. A phone call. Not unusual. I pick it up casually with one hand, picking up my axe body spray with the other and shaking it. "Hello, Tristan Knight." A formal and chirpy voice responds to me, a woman named Stephanie Paine. She explained how she is a manager for the pop star Tessa Summers, who is performing tonight in Madison Garden. I prompt her to continue. She elaborates that Summers saw me on SNL, and Paine took the liberty to invite me to the VIP tent at her concert.

This might be a rare stroke of luck for me. A concert sounded perfect to energize myself and have a good time after my breakup, and to relax in between games. Naturally, I agreed. And I was allowed to bring a plus one. Naturally, I slapped my best friend Ross Travis on the back, who was also cleaning up after our workout. "Dude. Me, you. Concert tonight. Some pop singer. And we're going to the mall... I didn't bring the right clothes since I'm leaving in two days." Ross chuckled in reply. He naturally agreed it would be a good time for the two bros to hang out and see a good show and cute girls.

We found ourselves shopping in the heart of NYC. Two big dudes looking clueless. In a Lululemon, I finally caved and googled what to wear to a Tess Summers concert. Glitter, puffy, short. Not exactly my style, or size... but I could make it work. I ran a hand through my hair and dedicated the rest of the work to Ross. He could find me jeans and a sweater or something. A blazer and slacks? Something...

Two hours later, in a crisp white and blue denim matching set I strolled into the stadium with Ross at my side. Feeling like all that. The breakup was behind me. Or maybe I just didn't want to think about it too much, or I'd start regretting it. I shook my head to myself. I had a fun concert to focus on instead. We were redirected to the VIP tent. I propped my shades on my head and took a few photos with fans while I waited for the show to start.

This girl game on stage looking like a princess straight out of Disney. Her red dress was gorgeous, fitting perfectly and looking impossibly poofy. And then she greeted the audience with the brightest smile. She was unforgettable. Her speech went by in a blur, I was mesmerized. She mentioned a knight in shining armor about her outfit. I chuckled to myself- ironic since Knight was my last name.

She sings, her voice well-controlled and skilled. She comes back out in a leather jumpsuit when the song ends. It clings to her like a second skin. Woah. She had a game plan. As she applauded the dedication and appreciation her fans have for being similar to a red-and-yellow team, I chuckled again- ironic since my football team's colors are red and yellow. Huh. Seems like my stroke of luck was turning into a string of fate or something mystical like that.... Nahhh!

This Tessa and all her game references! She must be a fan of sports. I smiled to myself and nudged Ross, sharing my revelation. He nodded thoughtfully. We were on to something, decoding this sparkling singer like I'm sure her fans were decoding the lyrics. But those lines about long games, getting back up, resilience, prizes- it resonated with me. It reminded me of how tough my days on the field could be. I could tell this woman was tough and smart. Impressive. I was ready to listen to her concert with all my attention. Even if pop wasn't exactly what I was into. I could make it work.

Tess's pov:

After I sang about 10 songs it was time for my portion of the show called "surprise songs" When my team posted on Instagram 3 options of different songs I could sing tonight the crowd chose my song called "Am I Okay?" I thought it would be fun to change the lyrics up a little tonight so I get to the part of my song that says "And.....wait there are guys that can communicate?" I changed it to "And wait there athletes that can communicate" and I also changed the lyrics to "Oh my god he walked in like a 6'5 dream heaven sent" After the song the crowd was in shock I gave them a wink and mouth to the crowd "hi Tristan" and I go under the stage for last 3 songs of the night. This time I come out in a whole new outfit that no one has seen before and it's a poofy pink dress I sing my last song on the night usually the lyrics are "Baby we are a perfect beat" but I decided to change up "Baby, we're like the Kansas City Chiefs, Strong together, never missing a beat." the crowd screams and I blow them kisses and go under when I get under the stage my manager is standing there with her jaw on the ground "Tessa Marie Summers you are like in love with this man as a say any press is good press and you did that tonight" I laugh "you know me!"

Tristian's pov:

This can't be a coincidence anymore. Miss Summers is being way too specific. The Kansas City colors a second time, alert me right away. I shoot a questioning look at Ross. He only gives me a confused look back. And maybe I'm a bit sleep-deprived from the late night with SNL, but I swear she mouthed my name there at the end! I mean, Tristan is a generic name. But still. This is too good to be true... or is it? I'm going to have to follow up with someone on this.