“I’ll see you guys later,” she said at the door. “Jordan, the next time you come around with tequila, I’m going to kill you.”
The quarterback blew her a kiss. “The next time I have tequila, you can make us some of your famous margaritas.”
“Deal.”
The other guys waved and said their goodbyes. He watched her walk off in the sunshine, the light picking up the red and gold highlights in her hair. He slumped against the counter.
The next time…
She was including him in her future again, even if she didn’t fully realize it yet. He dished himself a plate of food and came over to the table, checking to make sure the lone chair wasn’t oozing with honey or some other disgusting substance. He’d bet money the practical jokes weren’t over for the weekend, and time was running out.
“So…” Jordan said as he bit into blueberry multi-grain French Toast. “Looks like tequila wasn’t such a bad idea after all.”
“Shut it,” Blake said as he chewed. Good manners flew out the window when they were together. Then his neck prickled. “Wait. Did you get Natalie drunk on purpose?”
“Who could forget The Natalie Show?” His friend lifted a shoulder. “You ended up staying over, didn’t you? And she just agreed to buy you new briefs, right?”
Of course. Everyone knew about the Twitter incident. “What are you? A lip reader?” The question was rhetorical. They all read lips pretty well after spending most of their adult lives playing in ear-splitting crowd noise.
“Had to help a friend out,” his buddy said.
The guys were all looking at him now, and he shifted in his seat.
“You were all in on it.” He could read it in their faces now—all the careful planning that had gone into their game. Renting the snake so he’d lose. Making sure he was the Smuck so he could make Natalie laugh. Getting her drunk so he could take care of her. And his briefs…
“You are so diabolical.” Then he got choked up. “Man, I love you guys.”
They all had a moment of back slaps, fist bumps, and man-hugs.
“I’m sorry about the ice water,” Blake mumbled after their moment of bonding.
Jordan lifted his hand to his ear. “What did you say?”
Sam elbowed him in the ribs. “Know when to cut the cute factor, Jordan. It can get annoying.”
Blake found himself smiling throughout the rest of the meal, even if he was wearing day-old briefs and the ugliest 1980s outfit of all time as his underwear swung in the breeze in the tree outside.
When Natalie texted him later to say she had his briefs, he jogged over with a newfound bounce in his step, Touchdown running at his side. She was waiting for him in the middle of the bridge. Somehow it felt like a sign that she’d met him halfway. The package was warm from her hands when she handed it to him awkwardly, their fingers grazing each other. It did crazy things to him, thinking of her hands on his briefs, even wrapped like they were in plastic.
“Well…I’ll see you later.” She had taken a few steps away from him before he found his voice.
“Would you like to go running with me tomorrow after work?” During the offseason, they’d run together a few times a week.
“I…ah…sure.” Her mouth tipped up. A half smile.
His heart burst in his chest. “Great. I’ll come by and get you.”
She nodded and scampered across the rest of the bridge, Touchdown prancing behind her.
He clutched the briefs to his chest. Something had changed last night. She still loved him.
More than anything he wished she could remember the words she’d told him last night.
Chapter 18
Andy took a minute out of his jam-packed Monday to check his emails as he chomped on a sandwich. He’d seen fifteen patients so far today and expected he’d see at least that again before he headed home. There were a couple emails from the hospital administrator with hospital policy reminders about MRSA. A patient had contracted the staph infection after having open heart surgery, and everyone was in a panic from the hospital board down to the cleaning staff. He’d taken to showering and changing at the hospital before he went home.
He texted Natalie again. She’d told him she was mostly recovered from her hangover, but hadn’t said much else beyond thanking him for returning her car. He wondered how she was digesting the news that Dare Valley High had offered Blake the head coaching position, but that was a topic he knew not to raise. Sometime this week he’d have to thank Blake for acting as his wingman and looking after his sister. The way Natalie had acted with Blake under the influence gave him hope. She still loved him. It had been all over her face.
A Skype chat box appeared in the right-hand corner of his screen, and he grinned. Lucy O’Brien was typing.
Hey Andy Cakes. How’s it hanging?
Only his best friend going back to kindergarten could ask him that. Not even his sisters could get away with it. He set his turkey on whole wheat back on the thin cafeteria napkin and rubbed his hands on his blue scrubs.