Contents
9. Zanders
Overview
On the flight to Nashville, a tabloid fuels Evan Zanders’s bad-boy image, which he admits he’s maintaining to secure his contract. Evan’s fixation on Stevie surfaces as he repeatedly calls her over and awkwardly asks to see her. Maddison warns him not to pursue her, and Evan resolves to keep boundaries.
Summary
During a team flight to Nashville, Maddison shows Evan a tabloid headline implying Evan left the arena with a new woman. Evan shrugs it off, revealing he’s leaning into a cold, womanizing persona because his agent, Rich, believes it will help Chicago re-sign him. Maddison mocks the logic, arguing Evan’s performance should be enough.
Despite insisting he’s just playing a role, Evan keeps pressing the flight attendant call button to summon Stevie. Internally, Evan admits his interest began after their recent lobby encounter in Chicago, shifting his season’s plan from antagonizing her to trying to win her over—though he reminds himself not to “shit where he eats.”
When Stevie arrives again, Evan fumbles and ends up asking if he’ll see her in Nashville, revealing his attraction. Stevie teases that he always seems to show up wherever she is, and the pilot’s landing call cuts the interaction short.
After Stevie leaves, Maddison seriously warns Evan not to sleep with her because she works on their plane and gossip would spread. Evan acknowledges the risk and commits, at least verbally, to keeping his distance and maintaining professional boundaries.
Who Appears
- Evan ZandersProtagonist; sustains bad-boy image for contract leverage, fixates on Stevie, awkwardly asks to see her in Nashville.
- MaddisonTeammate and best friend; calls out Evan’s attraction to Stevie and warns him to keep boundaries.
- StevieFlight attendant; endures Evan’s repeated call-button summons and parries his awkward interest with teasing.
- RichEvan’s agent; pushes the bad-boy persona Evan believes is necessary for re-signing in Chicago.