Singer Haley James was used to large crowds of adoring, screaming fans— but she was never the one cheering. Until tonight, that is.
From her court side seat in Spectrum Arena, her giddy cheers joined the chorus of thousands of other booming loud Charlotte Bobcat fans. She couldn't help herself. As the lights dimmed and the announcers began calling the players' names, Haley stood, hands clasped, and waited urgently for jersey number 23 to run onto the court. An explosion of butterflies burst throughout her entire body; the fluttering of one hundred wings pounding in time with her racing heart.
"...and your starting point guard, number 23, Nathan Scott!"
The stadium erupted impossibly louder; Haley found herself cupping her mouth with her hands in an attempt to make her screams stand out. She swore she could feel the arena's floor shaking beneath her feet. If it wasn't already clear, these basketball fans absolutely adored Nathan Scott. He was their MVP after scoring the winning basket in the NBA Championship last year. Haley had wished she'd known him then, to have witnessed his greatness– but, even though this was only the first NBA game she ever attended, Haley now considered herself a Nathan Scott fan for life.
They met only three months ago, during his off season, at a Charity Gala hosted by her Record Label. It was a chance encounter, really. Their circles typically wouldn't have overlapped otherwise. He was an athlete. She was a singer. But, the moment his deep lake blue eyes found hers across the room, she was hooked. He made a bee-line right towards her, and they'd spent the rest of the night falling into flirtatious laughter and warm conversation. Unfortunately, she got swept away by her manager before getting to exchange numbers. She'd worried they'd never see each other again– until, two days later, a dozen bouquet of roses decorated her entire recording studio room with a note attached in his scratchy handwriting, along with his phone number; "I haven't been able to stop thinking of you."
She remembered how her sweaty palms shook as she dialed his number; her cheeks reddening the same shade as the roses in front of her when he answered. Giddy was the only word to describe the way he made her feel. She was thirty-two years old but felt like a crushed-out, blushing teenage girl who made eye contact with the star Quarterback in math class. She'd only imagined this feeling was what all teenage romances resembled; something Haley herself never experienced when she actually was in high school. It was new and exciting and in such a short time, they were already smitten.
They'd kept their budding relationship a secret the first few months; wanting to get to know each other in private, without the pressure of the paparazzi and nosy fans butting in. It was a little difficult to stay under the radar considering their level of fame, but they'd made it work. It was just last week, however, when Haley brought up the idea of taking their relationship public. He had invited her to the Bobcats' season opening game and offered to get her Box seats so she could maintain privacy, but Haley wanted a real first-hand experience within the stands. She didn't want to hide anymore, and, from the twinkling in his crinkling eyes, neither did he. Nathan was ecstatic at Haley's suggestion. He loved the idea of having her right next to the court, so he could look into her eyes and feel his heart race. And so, it was decided; tonight was the night their relationship would inevitably be 'official' to the public.
Haley could feel eyes on her; she was dressed in a Bobcats t-shirt, proudly displaying number 23 on the back. People were surely talking about why a Grammy-award winning artist was in the stands wearing a Nathan Scott jersey. But, she didn't care. All she could see at the moment was him: Nathan ran out onto the court like he himself was a rockstar. A proud smirk stretched over his lips as he joined his teammates at the center of the basketball court.
Haley licked her ever-growing dry lips, inspecting the way the sleeveless jersey clung against her boyfriend's muscular torso; his arms, tan, tone, and bulging with a river of veins, were on full display.
God, he looked so damn sexy.
A rumble of chuckles broke Haley from her thoughts.
"I just said that out loud, didn't I?" She mumbled, her face now flushed with heat.
"Yup," Nathan's agent, and best friend, Clay Evans, said from beside her. Nathan had insisted Clay sit with her just in case fans started to harass her. So far, though, they were in the clear.
"Sorry," She tried to hide her blushing cheeks, but it was to no avail. Just one look at Nathan Scott turned Haley into a flustered mess.
"Hey, I get it," Clay joked, "I've seen the guy shirtless. He's a damn Greek God."
All Haley could do was nod. Her lips now raw from licking them so much. It was a good thing his abs were covered by the jersey material, otherwise Haley herself may have run onto the court like a crazy person.
Her gaze continued to follow his body on the court as they began to warm up. Nathan looked so natural, smiling and joking with his teammates like he wasn't about to play a game in front of 50,000 spectators. She couldn't help but also notice how his eyes kept sweeping over the stands, as if he was looking for her. The thumping of her heart echoed loudly in her ears. The crowd's sceams only intensified, and Nathan was only getting closer to her side of the court. She felt the breath disappear from her lungs when his eyes finally collided with hers. His cocky smirk shifted into a relieved grin, blooming with an edge of flirtatiousness. She waved when he threw her a quick wink, jogging over towards where she was sitting.
"Hales!" His low, gravel-toned voice shouted over the deafening screams, "I'm so happy you're here."
Haley's face turned scarlet. If she was flustered before, she was completely incoherent now, vaguely aware Nathan was even talking to her.
"Hi," she said shyly, "You look–" she stumbled over her words, "you look good."
His grin turned crooked, "not as good as you look right now."
She erupted into a fit of girlish giggles and felt him throw his arms around her waist for an all too brief hug. The scent of his spicy cologne and shower fresh deodorant wafted her nose; she couldn't help but squeeze her eyes closed to savor it. Her arms flung around his neck and brushed her fingers over his biceps, letting them linger even after pulling away, desperate to touch him as long as time allowed.
"Good luck."
"Thanks," Nathan's grin never faltered, "I'll see you after the game."
Neither of them were aware, or even cared, that the entire interaction was captured by hundreds of fans recording videos on their phones; the news of their relationship now leaking everywhere.
Haley watched with a beaming smile as he ran back out into the center of the court, getting ready for the game to start. Her heart still yet to return to a normal rate.
"I guess I'm chopped liver now," Clay teased, "he didn't even acknowledge me."
Haley laughed but didn't take her eyes off of Nathan. Her gaze was permanently fixed on him. She pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, nervously anticipating the next time he'd look her way.
Pull yourself together, James, she inwardly coached herself. It was getting embarrassing, her blatant staring as if no one else in the world existed. But every time she looked at him, it happened: this transportation to another age. It's like they were blissed out high school kids. As if sensing her stare, Nathan looked back towards her while listening to his coach. Haley shifted nervously, feeling the urge to hide, not wanting to look foolish for blushing and giggling like a mad man.
It was always like this; even their first date. He'd invited her to his penthouse apartment in the heart of Charlotte, where he cooked her favorite meal of mac 'n' cheese – thank God it wasn't something he could mess up he had joked– and then they'd settled onto his couch to watch American Pie. Well, it was more like American Pie was playing on the tv while they engaged in a very steamy make out under a blanket, until Haley drifted off to sleep in his arms. She'd awoken the next morning in a dreamy haze, embarrassed for having stayed the night. But, Nathan was a perfect gentleman and had even made her a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon. It was genuinely the best first date she'd ever had; simple but thoughtful.
From that night, they'd become nearly inseparable. Nathan had even invited her the next day to his 'guys night', claiming he'd miss her when she would be gone the following week for a media tour in New York. His friends were fun, and kind, but wouldn't stop making jokes about Nathan acting like a doting school-girl whenever Haley was around. The guys were playing some video game, but Nathan had his hands in her hair as they'd made out on a love seat– Haley desperately trying to stifle her sighs.
Then, just last night, after picking her up from a recording studio session, Nathan had opened her car door for her. A simple and sweet gesture that sent her heartrate sky rocketing.
They'd driven around for a while, just talking and listening to music, before eventually parking to watch the sun set, which turned into Nathan pulling her into the backseat of his Range Rover, where they'd once again kissed until they'd become breathless. Haley was falling harder and faster each and every day. It may be considered early in their relationship, but if Haley was being completely honest, she knew from the minute they'd met: Nathan Scott was the one.
No one ever had her, not like him. He had her heart and soul, completely and fully. It's like he knew exactly what she wanted. Nathan would drop everything for her in the blink of an eye if she'd asked him too. He was the sweetest symphony. A song she'd never want to stop singing. The voices in her head had his name on constant replay. Haley was officially and blissfully in love with Nathan Scott. It had her wanting to kick her feet and scream at the top of her lungs.
"For the record, Hales," Clay continued, once again breaking Haley from her thoughts, "I've never seen Nathan look at another girl the way he looks at you. He's like completely in awe of you all the time. I swear you're all he ever talks about now."
Once again, Haley wanted to squeal with pure delight. It was one thing to be all crushed out on the hottest guy she'd ever seen, but the fact he felt the same about her was the greatest feeling she'd ever had– even including winning a Grammy award.
"I feel the same," she whispered, glancing at Clay who was proudly watching Nathan run down the court with the ball. In the midst of her lust-filled haze, the game must have started. Haley sat up straight and attempted to zone in on what was happening. Occasionally, she'd ask Clay for clarification. She didn't know a whole lot about sports, but she was having fun learning.
Nathan was on fire the entire game; any time he'd score or do something pivotal for the team, he'd look right over at Haley and send her a nod or a smirk, and an occasional wink. And every single time, she'd turn to a pile of love-sick goo. She felt her bones melting and face flushing.
"You're officially coming to every game," Clay said, just as enthusiastic as she and Nathan were when the Bobcats won. Haley was practically jumping up and down, clapping wildly with excitement coursing through her veins. She had loved watching Nathan play, and loved cheering for him even more.
It was then that she noticed he was being interviewed by a sports reporter, who happened to look and point towards Haley. Nathan was beaming. Suddenly, the jumbotron in the arena focused in on Nathan and the interview played through the loudspeaker. Haley watched with rapt attention.
"Nathan, congrats on a huge win tonight," the reporter said. "You beat your highest scoring percentage already and it's only the first game of the season. What do you attribute it to?"
Nathan wiped the sweat from his brow and looked for Haley in the stands, smiling slightly, "I just feel so lucky to have great coaches and teammates. We all work really hard at practice. I couldn't do it without them, but yeah, tonight was just extra special."
The reporter nodded, then looked over his shoulder to where Haley was sitting. "We couldn't help but notice a certain interaction before the game started. Care to tell us about it?"
Nathan chuckled into the microphone, "I guess you could say I had a good luck charm with me tonight. I had a special someone in the stands and I knew I had to do whatever it takes to impress her."
"Well, I'm pretty sure it worked," the interviewer laughed at Haley's blushing face. The camera turned towards her and she waved shyly. The arena once again erupted into an ecstatic roar.
And, just as Clay had predicted, Haley James (who would later become Scott) became a permanent fixture at the Charlotte Bobcat games.