Joe Football Page 6

  “Well, I thought we could go to the coffee shop in town,” I say, as she shrugs her shoulders. Closing the passenger door as she settles into her seat, I walk over to the driver’s side. We drive through town in amicable silence. Me, partly because I just don’t know what to say. I don’t want to ruin it and make her ask me to drive her back home. So, I remain silent as I go over in my head some topics we could talk about once inside of the restaurant. Arriving at the coffee shop, we are ushered over to a booth quickly.

  “So, were you waiting outside long for me?” she asks.

  “Nah. It took as long as it needed,” I reply. I would’ve waited an eternity for her if I had to.

  “You are persistent.” She smiles, and I feel as if the sun is shining down on me.

  “I try. If you would give me a chance, I could show you that I’m a nice guy.” I show off a full display of my dimples that usually has chicks falling all over themselves. She gives me a smile and shakes her head slightly.

  “I told you, I don’t date…”

  “Yeah, I know. You don’t date football players. But right now, sitting here in this coffee shop, is a man who happens to play football. Football does not define me, or my life. I love the sport, yes, but there is room for one more.”

  She gives me a look, as if she is searching for a comeback. She shakes her head again at me. “You jumble things up for me.”

  “Am I cracking the stone wall?” Please let that be a yes.

  “How about chipping away at it, little by little.” She gives me yet another smile, and I feel as if I just scored some points.

  We sit and chat about school and various other topics for about two hours. The time flies by so quickly while we talk. One of my teammates walks over to our booth.

  “Yo. You think you can give me a lift back to practice?”

  I narrow my eyes at him. Is he cra-? And then it hits me what day of the week it is. Fuck. Practice. Coach is going to make me do extra drills if I’m late. I look over to Favor, who is staring at the two of us.

  “Fav. I’m so sorry. I forgot that I have practice today. Is it okay if we head over to the stadium? I don’t think I’ll have enough time to drop you off at your dorm and get there on time.” I’ve never in my life forgot practice. This is a first for me.

  She averts her eyes, and momentarily, I feel lost without her gaze. “Hey, it’s okay. Why don’t you go with your friend? I’ll find my way back to campus.” She reaches for her purse, but I hold out my hand.

  “No way.” Please, I don’t want this day to end, not like this. “I’d rather be late to practice than leave you.” I’m willing to suffer the wrath of Coach than disappoint you. “But seriously, it would be great if you could watch me play a little.” Please let her say yes.

  She looks at me, then back to my teammate. “Umm. I guess it’s okay.” She shrugs.

  I exhale, offering her my hand to take. Unlike the night at the club, this time she takes my hand without hesitation. I give it a small reassuring squeeze. As if picking up my meaning, she nods her head. The three of us walk outside to my car and hopefully towards a future with her in it.

  Parking inside the stadium parking lot, I tell my teammate to go in ahead of me. I want some alone time with Favor. The two of us walk inside of the stadium together.

  “Shouldn’t you hurry?” she asks as we casually stroll inside.

  I pause for a moment. She stops a few steps away from me and walks over. I take her hands into my own. I need to feel her as much as I need to say these words. “Wanted to show you a great spot to sit. Also, I wanted to say thank you. I know you didn’t want to come here, but it means a lot to me to have you.”

  “I-I don’t know what to say.”

  “There's nothing to say. Just let me prove to you that I’m a great guy, wanting a chance with you.”

  We see some of the team file out onto the field and I know my time is limited. I walk her over to the seats and jog over to the locker rooms to change clothes quickly. Thank goodness I keep extra clothes in my locker, or else I would’ve been late after all. Back out on the field with my team, we do some quick run-throughs of some plays the coach was working on. This is not going to be a very long practice today. We have a game coming up soon, and Coach doesn’t want to work us out too hard.

  Distracted from looking over at Favor, one of my teammates tackles me to the ground. The wind is knocked out of me because I wasn’t braced for it. I stay on the ground for a while, trying to get my orientation back. Coach and some of my teammates gather around me. I start to sit up, but a feeling of dizziness takes over. Holding my head, I try to shake away the dizzy spell. And that’s when I hear it. The sweetest voice coming closer and closer to me.

  “Oh, my God. Brice, are you okay?” Favor’s concerned voice comes nearer. She pushes past the big players to get to me. For the briefest of moments, I almost decide to lay on the ground longer to receive more sympathy from her.

  “Yeah, I’m good. Just got the shit knocked out of me.” I start to sit up again, but Favor places her hands on my shoulders.

  “I don’t think you should move. Just sit here for a while.” She kneels next to me.

  “Practice is over. Brice, go to the doc and get checked. You took a pretty hard hit,” Coach orders. Most of my teammates begin to head to the lockers, while some stay behind to make sure I’m okay.

  “Nah. I should be okay. I was distracted when I got tackled.” At this point, I could give my teammate who tackled me a handshake. That hit has now chipped away a few more pieces of Favor’s wall.

  “Safety first. Head over to the doc and give me a full update in the morning,” Coach demands.

  “I’ll take him to the doctor right now,” Favor replies, giving me another concerned look.

  I place my hands up in surrender. “Alright, I know when I’m outnumbered.” I stand up, already feeling better. Coach turns to head towards the offices.

  “What are you doing here, Favor?” Jameson asks, stepping in closer to the two of us.

  Favor cringes when she hears Jameson’s voice. “I came to watch Brice practice.”

  “Is that so? You have time to watch him practice, but can’t seem to find the time to return a phone call or text?” Anger flares in his eyes as his nostrils expand.

  Favor pointedly ignores his outburst, turning her back to him. “Come on, let’s get you to the doc.”

  Jameson takes a step towards her, and I instinctively place her behind me. “We got us a problem?” I stare at him, gauging his temperament.

  “Yeah. Get your fucking hands off my girl,” Jameson scowls at me.

  “I’m not your girl. Go away, Jameson. Leave me alone.” She steps from around me to face him.

  “You’re dumping me for this loser?” He jerks his thumb towards me. I should take exception to his words but I don’t. I did get the girl, after all.

  “We were never a couple, so I can’t dump you. Please leave me alone, Jameson.” She holds her ground against him. He looks at her for a while before walking off the field. She watches his retreating form, then turns to face me. Alone on the field together, I tip her chin up.

  “Are you okay?” I ask her.

  “Yeah.”

  “What’s this business of him calling you his girl?”

  She shakes her head. “I’m not, I swear it. We were always just friends.” She looks away when she finishes her sentence.

  Something inside tells me there is something more, but I’m afraid to push it and lose her. I decide to file it away and approach it another time.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “I’ve taken worse hits than that. I'm all right.”

  She smiles at me and shakes her head. “I’m sure you have, but we still need to get you to the doctor.”

  “Sure, but first things first.” Stepping in closer, I lift her chin up, and her cheeks turn a nice shade of pink. I want to see if I can deepen that shade. She remains still, her eyes transfixed on my own. I wrap my
hands around her tiny waist and bend to kiss her. I move deliberately slow, to give her time to back away if she wants and to my delight, she doesn’t. I’ve waited an eternity to kiss these lips, and finally, we make contact. Closing my eyes, I take in the kiss from the girl I’ve considered my Golden Unicorn, and wonder, How the hell did I get so lucky?

  She tastes of cinnamon and maybe vanilla. My new favorite tastes. We begin the kiss slow and easy, but she does something I wasn’t expecting. She wraps her hands around my neck and pulls me in deeper. My dick gets hard, and I’m almost positive she feels the effect she has on me. Before I know it, we are pretty much grabbing at each other's clothes in the middle of the field.

  Whistles and catcalls come out from across the field. I pull away from her, and we both look over at some of my teammates teasing us. “Shit, didn’t realize we had an audience.”

  “Yeah, looks like they aren’t the only audience.” She looks in the opposite direction. I turn to see Jameson glaring at us from afar.

  Looks like I have an enemy, on and off the field.

  Chapter 8

  Favor

  After the kiss on the football field, I feel like my little world I’ve built around myself has turned upside down. I felt that kiss down to my core, and I crave it again. But he is a football player, and I don’t date football players. Enough with the damn game already. My father ignored me for the better part of my childhood because of this damn sport. Every aspect of the game was lived and breathed in my household. I need a break from it. And what does my fool self go and do? Start to have feelings for a damn football player. And not just a regular player, but a star player that the NFL is rumored to start negotiations with, most likely next year. Ugh, can I be even more stupid or predictable?

  It has been hard being around Brice since that kiss. I swear, I’m changing underwear three times a day because of him. Laundry is getting to be expensive, all because of a kiss that I can’t forget and want more of. He has tried to approach the subject with me a few times, but I stick to my usual mantra. I see the question in his eyes, but he refuses to ask. Thank goodness. He still doesn’t know that his childhood idol is my father.

  I’m surprised Jameson hasn’t let that cat out of the bag yet. He’s such a cruel person. The night of that kiss, Jameson showed up to my room, demanding answers from me. He wanted to know how could I let Brice kiss me when I wouldn’t even let him hold my hand in public. He just can’t seem to get it through his thick skull that I’m not interested, nor will I ever be. I know he has been whining about it to my father because he called me. Dad never calls me. Ever. But he called to find out why am I cheating on Jameson, and how could I do that to a good guy like him. He even went as far as to say, ‘I thought I raised you better than this’. He raised me? A nanny practically raised me. Dad was never home, and when he was, he only had time for my brother. Mom, when she wasn't off doing charity work or planning a party, really couldn’t be bothered with me. So, I was always either left to myself or the care of a nanny.

  My mother even called under the guise of, when she and my father come up for the dedication ceremony, where would Jameson and I like to have dinner. As if. There is a new wing that will be dedicated in my brother’s name. Trevor Hollister Hall, it is to be called. My mother took on the bulk of the fundraising responsibilities to get the wing built in record time. People from all around the football community donated money. And to think it will happen in a just a couple months. I choke up when I think about it. But I’ll be damned if my parents are going to force me to be with Jameson. I will not pretend for the dedication ceremony. I absolutely refuse.

  Arriving at the English building, I walk past Jameson talking to a group of friends. He looks at me with longing in his eyes, and I ignore him as I walk inside the building. In my English Lit class, I see a usually late Jana already seated. Some of her cheerleader friends are hanging around her, and one of those bitches is in my seat. Oh hell no. I walk over and stand right in front of her. She looks up and jumps.

  “Oh sorry, Favor. I didn’t see you.” She stands, and I sit without acknowledging her.

  Thank goodness Professor Corey begins class, and the slut brigade goes back to their seats.

  Professor Corey hands out the grades for our projects. I don’t bother to look at mine because I always get A pluses. Jana stares at her grade and lets out a ‘Woo Hoo.’ The class cheers her on.

  “I assume that means you got a good grade?” I goad.

  “Better than good. I got an A minus.” She dances in her seat.

  “Congratulations.”

  “I owe it all to you. Thanks for helping me.”

  “You’re the one who put in the hard work.”

  “So did you. Truly, thank you. We gotta go and celebrate.”

  “Sounds good,” I hedge, waiting to hear her recommendations for celebrating.

  “Awesome. My treat, of course. We can get dinner and then go dancing at the club.”

  “You had me at dinner but lost me at the club.”

  “I’m not taking no for an answer. I feel like shaking my tail feather.” She does a little wiggle in her seat.

  “Okay fine. I must love you as a friend.”

  “I’ll text Cal and find out if he wants to join.” She takes out her phone and begins a rapidfire texting. “He’s down. We’re going to par-tay.” She is standing and jiggling her butt to a beat that is clearly in her head. Some of the guys in class gaze at her. I can almost see the hearts in their eyes.

  Later that night, the three of us go out to eat and head straight to the club. Grabbing a seat at a booth, some friends and members of the cheerleading team head over to us. A round of Bart Simpson shots goes around. I just stick to my usual water. Jana stands and says she is ready to dance so, of course, she grabs Cal and me to head onto the dance floor with her. The floor is wall to wall people, and someone accidentally pushes Cal, who stumbles backward into the football player Brice had words with before, Kevin.

  “Oops. Sorry man,” Cal says, and turns back to Jana and me.

  “Fucking watch where you are going next time, fag,” Kevin snaps.

  “Dude. I said I was sorry. Someone pushed me, and I stumbled.”

  “What, if you’re not sucking dick, you’re unstable on your feet?” Kevin taunts.

  Cal’s cheeks turn red. I step in front of Cal. “Listen. He apologized. Let it go.”

  “I don’t want no fucking fairy touching me,” Kevin yells out, as some people cheer him on.

  My body tenses and a burning heat builds within me to the point of boiling over.

  “Not a problem. He might catch something,” I retort, before I grab Cal, and we head to the middle of the dance floor.

  “I can’t believe I slept with that idiot,” Jana complains.

  Neither can I, but honestly, who am I to talk?

  “Thanks for defending me.”

  “Always.”

  “Listen, let’s forget about that asshole and get back to what we came out for. Have fun and party,” Jana declares.

  We do as ordered and the three of us dance for several hours. I spot Brice sitting with Egon and some friends of theirs. He notices that I’ve caught him staring and he stands, sauntering his way over to us on the dance floor. Grabbing me and pulling me into his chest, we begin to move to the rhythm of the music. What is it with the two of us and dancing?

  “How much longer?” he asks in my ear, so I can hear him over the music.

  “Longer?” My tone is uncertain.

  “How much longer will you keep denying the attraction we have? You felt it the same way I did when we kissed. I know you feel it now. You wanna take things slow? I can do that. I’m willing to wait. I’ve been waiting for you for a year, so a little bit more time won’t hurt.”

  Looking up at him, I see the sincerity of his words in his eyes. “Waited for me?”

  He places his hand on my cheek. “Yes. I wanted you the first day I saw you a year ago.”

  “Bu
t I didn’t know you a year ago.” I’m puzzled.

  Smiling down at me, he says, “I know. I introduced myself to you at one of the team’s bonfire parties. You told me then you don’t date football players, and walked away. I’ve been chasing you ever since.”

  I’m blushing by his admission. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember.”

  “S’okay. I’m pretty sure I might’ve come off cocky at that time anyway. I probably deserved it.” He has a sheepish grin.

  “Hey. Jana is ready to go,” Cal interrupts.

  “Oh. Okay. We can leave.” I sigh heavily.

  “Let me go to the bathroom first. Be right back,” Cal says, and turns to head to the bathroom.

  “Have dinner with me,” Brice says.

  “What?”

  “You know. Dinner. It’s usually the last meal of the day. It comes to a couple of hours after lunch. Lunch, by the way, is the second meal of the day, if you were wondering.”

  “Funny.”

  “I won’t take no for an answer. I’ve told you before, I just happen to be a guy who plays football. Okay? Nothing more and nothing less.”

  “Fine. Dinner.” I’ve finally run out of arguments.

  “Good. Next week, Friday, work for you?”

  I blink rapidly. “A week?”

  “Hmm. Don’t tell me I’m growing on you.” His eyes twinkle.

  “Maybe,” I admit. Let’s face it, I’m disappointed about not going out with him sooner.

  “Where’s Cal?” Jana asks.

  “He went to the bathroom.”

  “That was ages ago. I’m ready to go now,” Jana says in a whiny voice.

  “Hey, I’ll go and see if he’s still in the bathroom,” Brice offers. We both thank him, and he walks towards the bathroom. Moments later, Egon runs over to us.

  “Brice needs the two of you right away.”

  Jana and I exchange wide-eyed looks with one another before running in the direction Brice went, pushing people out of our way. We get to the men’s bathroom; the door is being held open by one of the many individuals standing around watching the scene in front of them. My heart drops, and my stomach does a flip when I see Cal lying on the floor. His boyish features are marred with bruises and blood. A few minutes ago, he was lively, and now he’s unconscious. What animal did this to him? Only one comes to mind. Kevin.