Ted's day with Trent Crimm came and went. The article was published in The Independent Friday morning. While Trent hadn't painted an overly flattering imagine of the Head Coach, the piece itself could at least be described as supportive. Ted assured Bailey this was the best result he could have hoped for. It was better than letting The Sun publish something outright damning like the photo.
Keeley arrived with Jamie Friday afternoon. She thanked Ted for doing the article and thanked Rebecca for getting the whole mess sorted out. She actually spent most of the morning upstairs with Rebecca after telling Bailey that she was no longer going to be afraid of the club's owner. When the team broke for lunch, Keeley stopped Bailey on her way into the locker room.
"Sorry, I was just wondering what you were planning on wearing to the gala tomorrow." She explained.
"The charity gala that Rebecca's hosting?" Bailey confirmed. "I wasn't planning on going."
"Not going?" Keeley repeated, scandalized. "You have to go! Everyone always goes. All the players, the coaches, you'd be the only one not there."
"I don't even think I was invited." Bailey told her honestly.
"I can talk to Rebecca!" She suggested. "Her and I are mates now."
"Oh no you don't have to…" Bailey assured her.
"Is there a reason you two are standing here, blocking the doorway?" Roy asked from inside the locker room.
"Sorry, Roy." Bailey apologized and stepped aside. Keeley stayed planted right where she was.
"Bailey says she's not going to gala tomorrow. Can you believe that?" She questioned him.
"Lucky." Roy huffed. "Wish I didn't have to go to the stupid thing."
"No!" Keeley pouted. "Everyone goes to the Gala, Roy. Even George's assistant, what's her name, used to come."
"Genevieve." Roy remembered, rolling his eyes at the mention of the former Head Coach's assistant. "Genevieve was an idiot, [Y/N]. You don't want to be like her." He promised. "But if you decide you want to come to the stupid fucking gala anyway, you can come with me."
"Really?" You blinked at him.
"Sure, why not? Keeley's right. Everyone goes, even Higgins." Roy shrugged. "I heard Yankee Doodle say he's taking Nate and Beard's got some girl he's bringing. You'd be the only one not there. You might as well come."
"I mean if you're sure you don't mind…" You fumbled.
"I don't. I'll pick you up tomorrow at seven. Right now, I've got to go get Phoebe from school." He moved past you and Keeley down the hall to the rear exit.
"Well, now that that's settled, what are you wearing?" Keeley smirked.
That was how you ended up spending the rest of the afternoon shopping for a new dress with Keeley. Aside from the fact that most of your clothes were still in storage, you weren't sure anything you owned would have been appropriate for the event.
"This is fun, isn't it?" Keeley said, sitting on the chair outside of the dressing room.
"It is, yeah." You stepped out of dressing room to show Keeley the floor length sapphire blue gown you'd selected. "What do you think?"
"It's a bit stuffy." Keeley wrinkled her face in disapproval. "If you want to do long, the red one was nice enough, but I still think you should try the short black one."
"Fine, fine." You slipped back into the dressing room and peeled off the blue dress.
"Have you got a boyfriend, [Y/N]?" She asked you from the other side of the curtain that separated you. "Or a girlfriend?"
"Oh, not at the moment." You confessed as you stepped into the black dress Keeley had picked out. You knew as you struggled to zip yourself into it, this dress would be the one. It was a knee length A line dress with off the shoulder sleeves. The dress was made of a soft black velvet peppered with gold glitter. It was beautiful without being too much. You stepped out of the dressing room and showed Keeley.
"Holy shit!" Keeley gasped. "You look stunning! I never would have guessed that's what you looked like under all those cardigans and collared shirts!"
"Um thanks." You muttered awkwardly.
"Roy's gonna love it! Blacks his favorite color, least I think it is. I've never seen him wear nothing else." She mused.
"Roy?" You repeated looking at yourself in the mirror. "Roy and I are just friends."
"Right, yeah, of course." Keeley nodded. You studied her expression in the mirror. She was making it clear she didn't quite believe you.
"I mean it!" You insisted, turning to face her. "Roy's not my type and I doubt I'm his."
"Is there someone else who might be your type?" Keeley asked. "Maybe a certain mustachioed American?" She'd put you in a no-win situation. You knew you couldn't convincingly deny it. You also weren't willing to openly confess it to her. Instead, you ducked back behind the curtain.
"This is the one, right?" You said already stripping the dress off.
"I knew it!" Keeley was reeling. "Aw that's adorable! You and Ted would make such a cute couple."
"That's never going to happen." You ripped back the curtain now dressed in the outfit you'd come to the shop in. You draped the dress over one arm and slung your purse over the other. "Because he married."
"Well married for now." Keeley added. "I'm joking of course. I'm sure he and his wife are very happy and if that's the case maybe you and Roy…"
"Is that why you wanted me to come shopping with you?" You huffed. "To try and play matchmaker?"
"No not at all! [Y/N], I was just hoping we could be friends." She answered. "I won't tell anyone about Ted, I swear. You didn't tell anyone about the photo. That could have really hurt me. I'd never want to hurt someone else like that."
"Why would you want to be friends with me? I mean you're a model and everything." You said.
"Is there some reason I shouldn't be? You just seem like a really nice person." She shrugged. "I could use more nice people in my life."
"I'd love to be friends with you Keeley Jones." You smiled.
"Great!" She beamed back. "Because I already asked Rebecca to seat you and Roy at the same table as me and Jamie so it would have been really awkward if you like hated me or something. Now, what shoes are you planning on wearing with this?" She pointed to the dress on your arm.
A/N: Hi friends, I'm back again with another multi-chapter drop! This story is now up to 21 Chapters on AO3 and I figure its about time I get FF.N all caught up! Please enjoy the next few chapters!