Chapter 5

Caitlin Clark adjusted the hem of her dress as she stepped into the packed club with her teammates. The pounding bass of the music reverberated through her chest, and the vibrant lights danced across the crowd. Her team had insisted on celebrating her 23rd birthday in style, and although Caitlin wasn’t much of a partygoer, she couldn’t say no to the idea of a night out with her crew.

Lexie Hull, her teammate, threw an arm around Caitlin’s shoulder. “Tonight is your night, Cait! We’re going all out!”

“Yeah, Caitlin!” Kelsey added, already heading toward the bar. “We’re not stopping until you’ve had the best birthday ever.”

Caitlin grinned, her heart light with the buzz of celebration. They found a corner booth, and drinks quickly started flowing. The club was alive with energy, and Caitlin was just starting to let loose when her eyes landed on someone familiar across the room.

Sienna Callaway.

The ESPN reporter looked completely out of place in the wild crowd, yet somehow, she fit right in. Her fitted black dress shimmered in the strobe lights, and her green eyes sparkled as she laughed with two companions-one of whom Caitlin instantly recognized as Camden Mollory, the Indianapolis Colts’ star wide receiver.

Caitlin’s heart skipped a beat. What was Sienna doing here?

Lexi noticed Caitlin’s gaze. “What are you staring at?”

“Nothing,” Caitlin said quickly, but her teammates had already followed her line of sight.

Aliyah smirked. “Well, well, well. Isn’t that the ESPN reporter who interviewed you? Sienna something?”

“Callaway,” Caitlin mumbled, her cheeks heating up.

Lexie nudged her. “Go say hi. It’s your birthday, and she’s clearly celebrating something too.”

Before Caitlin could protest, Lexie pushed her off the booth. With a resigned sigh, Caitlin made her way toward Sienna.

Sienna spotted her as she approached, and a sly smile spread across her lips. “Caitlin Clark. What a surprise.”

“I could say the same about you,” Caitlin said, trying to play it cool. “What brings you to a place like this?”

“I’m celebrating,” Sienna replied, taking a sip of her drink. “My article on you just got published, and it’s getting amazing feedback. Figured I’d toast to my success.”

Caitlin chuckled. “You wrote an article about me, I’m flattered, and you didn’t think to let me know?” Caitlin feigned innocence, her tone light and teasing.

Sienna’s smile turned teasing. “Why ruin the surprise? Besides, I had a feeling you’d see it eventually.” Sienna teased Caitlin, playing along to Caitlin’s playful banter.

“Smooth,” Caitlin said, her tone light and flirty.

Sienna gestured to her companions. “These are my best friends, Mia and Camden Mollory. Twins, as you can probably tell.”

Caitlin extended a hand to Mia, then turned to Camden. “Camden Mollory, huh? Caitlin raised an eyebrow. “Colts’ tight end, right? You’re a beast on the field.”

“Thanks,” Camden said with an easy grin. “I’ve caught a few of your highlights too. You’re a hell of a player.”

The group fell into easy conversation, trading stories and jokes. Caitlin couldn’t help but notice how effortlessly Sienna commanded attention, her laughter lighting up the room. But she also noticed the way Sienna sometimes stayed quiet, letting Mia and Camden take over.

Camden noticed too. His sharp eyes flicked between Caitlin and Sienna, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips.

“So, Caitlin,” Camden said, breaking the flow of conversation, “you seem pretty interested in my best friend here.”

Caitlin raised an eyebrow, unfazed. “Can you blame me?”

Sienna rolled her eyes, but a faint blush crept up her cheeks. “Camden, don’t start.”

“What?” Camden said, feigning innocence. “I’m just pointing out the obvious.”

Caitlin leaned closer to Sienna, her voice low and teasing. “Looks like your friends know you pretty well.”

When the group started to drift into separate conversations, Caitlin seized the moment.
“So, Sienna,” Caitlin said, her tone playful, “is this how you celebrate all your successful articles, or am I just lucky to catch you tonight?”

Sienna gave her a sidelong glance, her lips quirking. “Depends on the article. This one was worth celebrating, though.”

Caitlin leaned in slightly, her voice dropping. “Maybe it’s the subject that made it worth celebrating.”

Sienna rolled her eyes, though a faint blush crept up her cheeks. “Don’t flatter yourself, Clark.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare,” Caitlin teased, her grin widening.

Before Sienna could respond, Mia nudged her with a grin. “I think someone’s had enough to drink.”

“I’m fine,” Sienna insisted, though she set her glass down on the bar.

Camden chuckled, placing a hand on Sienna’s shoulder. “She’s right, though. You’re not as smooth when you’ve had a couple of drinks.”

Sienna shot him a mock glare, but Caitlin noticed how quickly she latched onto the excuse to step back from their banter.

“I’ll take that as my cue,” Sienna said lightly. “It was nice seeing you again, Caitlin. Happy birthday.”

“Thanks,” Caitlin replied, watching as Sienna turned to leave with her friends.

Camden lingered for a moment, catching Caitlin’s eye. “I’ll have to catch one of your games soon. You’re fun to watch-on and off the court.”

Caitlin chuckled, shaking his hand again. “Looking forward to it.”

Caitlin couldn’t help but feel a surge of intrigue. The way Sienna carried herself, the way she interacted with her friends-it all left Caitlin wanting more.

As Sienna disappeared into the crowd with Mia and Camden, Caitlin returned to her booth, her teammates bombarding her with questions.

“Who was that?” Brianna asked, a sly grin on her face.

“No one,” Caitlin said, though her thoughts were far from casual.

“Doesn’t look like no one to me,” Sophie Cunningham teased.

Caitlin ignored them, her mind replaying the night’s interaction. Sienna Callaway had a way of getting under her skin, and Caitlin wasn’t sure if she wanted her to stop.

Authors Note :

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GOAT CC <3, I’M LATE ON THIS CHAPTER BUT I KNOW FOR A FACT NOBODY IS ACTUALLY READING THIS SO WHY AM I UPDATING AM I THAT BORED???
ANYWAYS, I KNOW I SAID I WILL STOP WRITING SO YEA IT’S STILL UP FOR DEBATE. AHHH I CAN’T BELIEVE MY FAVOURITE PLAYER IS NOW 23 🥹🤍

Xoxo V 💜💜💜