“Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting you?”
There was a clank of metal hitting metal. “No, it’s good. I just finished my set.”
“Okay, cool. I got your text.”
“Good.”
I realized at that moment, I wasn’t sure what else I was going to say. Should I make a joke that I owed him one and “wouldn’t mind” giving him a hand job? The silence between us dragged, and I arrived with a screeching halt at the town of Awkwardsville, population: me.
“I was beginning to think,” he said, “the next time I’d talk to you would be in Ann Arbor in November.”
He was talking about The Game. It was Michigan’s year to host. I didn’t like traveling to the stadium nicknamed the Big House, but victory was extra sweet when we made them lose at home.
I swallowed a breath, and even though he couldn’t see me, I straightened my posture to mimic confidence. “I thought we could see each other before then.”
“Oh, yeah?” His voice was eager, and it had my heart skipping along. The music grew softer until it was gone, and it sounded like he was on the move. “What changed your mind?”
“Marcy,” I lied.
“I guess that serving platter I sent them is paying off already.”
I couldn’t hold back the smile. “When do you want to get together, and more importantly, where?”
-13-
JAY
When I pulled into the Findlay, Ohio travel plaza’s parking lot, I spotted her Kia Rio with an OSU sticker in the back window, and was relieved. When things sounded too good to be true, they usually were, and I’d been worried Kayla was jerking me around about getting together.
She stood outside her car, leaning against it with her enormous purse on the rooftop, and her gaze turned away from the sun sinking in the sky. I hadn’t been able to get here any earlier. After my second practice, I’d showered as fast as possible and jumped in my car.
When she realized it was me, she gave a smile and . . . damn. Once again, she looked fantastic. She had on shorts and a tight black tank top, and my gaze lingered on her curves. I ran a hand along the seam of my jeans, adjusting. It was fucking insane how my dick threatened to pop a boner already. We hadn’t even spoken yet.
I undid the locks on my car, and she climbed into the passenger seat. “Hi.”
“Hey. You look nice,” I said.
“Thanks.” She gave me a once-over, taking in my jeans and gray button-down shirt. “You, too.” Was the way I looked having the same effect on her? Her voice was uneven.
“How long did the drive take?”
“About an hour, forty-five.” She clicked her seatbelt. “Can you tell me where we’re going now?”
“Nope, but I’ll give you a hint.” I gestured out the windshield. “It’s that way.”
She stared off in the distance where bright lights streamed down, as I put the car in reverse and backed out of the spot.
I’d gone back and forth on what to do tonight. Taking her to a movie wouldn’t work. If I was going to sit in the dark and not be able to talk to her, I’d rather do stuff other than watch a movie. My schedule and the commute ruled out a late dinner, so I’d eaten on the drive down. I had to keep a strict eating schedule or risk not hitting my target weight. Coming in under or over by three pounds would mean extra hours in the gym, and ain’t nobody got time for that.
No obnoxious dive bars, either. Kayla was too good-looking, and I didn’t need competition. I was already starting in the hole with her because I played for her arch-rival.
“A football game?” she asked.
“I thought we could cheer for the visitors. They probably need some bodies in the stands. Dave’s and my high school team was decent, but when we traveled, it was kinda sad.”
Pleasant surprise warmed her expression. “Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s rough cheering to empty bleachers.”
“If it’s lame, we can always go somewhere else.”
“I dunno. It could be fun.”
It seemed like the Kayla I’d met at the wedding was back, and I was thrilled. I wasn’t sure how much work I was going to have to do tonight to get her over the rivalry, but the answer seemed to be none.
I paid for our tickets into the stadium, and we walked around the fence toward the visitors’ stands. It was dotted with a few people in purple watching the varsity game already in progress, but the home team was up by seven.
“You want any snacks?” I asked.
She shook her head, not looking at me as we climbed the metal stands. No, she was already engrossed in the game playing on the brightly lit grass.
A huge roar came from the crowd of green jerseys on the other side of the field as the quarterback passed the ball and the receiver gained fifteen yards. Kayla made a face and leaned in close to me, her voice low. “What kind of defense was that supposed to be? Zone?”
I gave half a smile. “How was practice for you?”
“It was good. The new cheerleaders picked up the routines fast.” Her gaze drifted to me, like she was reluctant. “And how was practice for you?”
It was hard for her, but at least she was trying. “It was fine. Hot.” I’d rather keep the focus on her. “How many more weeks of camp do you have?”
“Just one. School starts the week after.”
Another swell of shouts came from the large stands across the field. Kayla’s expression hardened. “Did the coaches forget to teach their boys how to block?”
She wasn’t wrong. “Maybe we should watch the cheerleaders.”
Her lips pressed together. Uh oh. I played, which meant when I wasn’t on the field, I was on the sidelines watching my teammates. I didn’t know shit about cheerleading. “They’re not any good either?”
“They’re fine, the problem is me.” She softened. “Cheerleading in high school is totally different from college. Here it’s all about school spirit and performing. In college, we do more stunts and less of the cute routines. People come to watch the game, not us.”
The girls in purple cheerleading uniforms danced on the track, performing more for their coach than anyone else, since the stands were nearly empty.
“Like, their precision is good,” Kayla continued, “but this cheer they’re doing isn’t easy to repeat. It needs to be simple and familiar for the crowd to get into.” Her gaze went back to the game.
“You like cheering in college better.”
She nodded. “I love it. My high school didn’t have a co-ed squad, and I’m all about stunting. The guys can throw me really high. Also, I get to watch the games for free, from the sidelines.” She glanced at me and smiled. “Can’t beat that.”
My days were grueling, and the season hadn’t started yet. It was easy to forget everything except how much work football could be. The enthusiasm in her voice was nice. A needed reminder as I was about to head into training camp.
“Our cheerleaders travel with us when we fly,” I said. “Most of the male cheerleaders are—”
“Gay?” Her tone was defensive. “That’s a huge misconception. Most of them aren’t.”