IvyMac: I spent the entire morning baking bread and thinking about your name.
GrayG: My name? Honey, if you’re going to think about me, concentrate on my gigantic…hands. Magic hands, baby. The things I can do with these hands are mind-boggling.
IvyMac: Like palm balls all day long?
GrayG: >:-(
IvyMac: Heh. Heh. Your name is way more interesting than your penchant for ball handling.
GrayG: Har. Gray Grayson is a special kind of torture to inflict on a kid. What can I say? My mom was reading The Pelican Brief right before I was born. Decided to name me after the hero Gray Grantham. No one could change her mind. I used to hate it. But now I love it because she picked a name she loved.
IvyMac: It’s a cool name. Bounces in my head: Gray-Grayson. Gray-Grayson!
GrayG: Hands, Mac. Think about the hands.
IvyMac: Gray-Grayson, grabbing balls with his big, strong hands…!
IvyMac: Hello?
IvyMac: Hello?
IvyMac: Spoilsport.
And a few hours after that…
IvyMac: I can’t sleep. Talk to me.
GrayG: Why can’t you sleep?
IvyMac: Because it’s nine-fucking-thirty. I have to go to sleep early because I have to get up early. Have I mentioned how much I hate getting up early?
GrayG: Aside from the three times in that text? Yeah, a bit. ;-) I run plays through my head when I can’t sleep.
IvyMac: Yep. That should do it. I’m glazing over just thinking about it. Thanks, Cupcake.
GrayG: Glad to be of service, honey. You can always count on me.
IvyMac: You’re starting to be the first person I turn to. If that freaks you out, tell me. I’ll dial it down.
GrayG: What? No. Don’t take this wrong, but I’ve kind of become addicted to your texts.
IvyMac: Me too. Talking to you is like talking to myself. Only better.
GrayG: It’s scary that I get that.
GrayG: I feel like I can tell you anything.
IvyMac: You can. That’s what friends do.
GrayG: I’ve never been friends with a girl before.
IvyMac: I’m honored to be your first.
The next morning…
GrayG: So as friends, can I still say inappropriate, sex-related things?
IvyMac: Sure. Think of me as just another guy. With a vagina.
GrayG: A. Shudder. B. Yeah, no. C. I had this dream that you were sucking my 8==> But when I looked down, I discovered it was actually a goat…you know. Then I really woke up because I yelled so hard, I fell out of bed. And now I live in mortal terror of goats.
IvyMac: LMFAO! Gray got it from a goat!
GrayG: >:-[
IvyMac: Goat-on-Gray action! Heeeee! *Falls down ded*
GrayG: You suck, you know that?
IvyMac: No, the goat does! *Dies again* My sides. My sides!
GrayG: Laugh it up, Chuckles.
IvyMac: Okay. I’m good now. Aw, Cupcake, I’m so glad we’re friends. It means a lot to me. I feel safe with you. Like I can be me without worrying about sex getting in the way of things. Or something.
IvyMac: I’m rambling. Ignore me.
GrayG: Honey, your friendship is a fucking gift. Don’t ever doubt it.
After a few more texts, and a few hours of going without…
GrayG: So I got into it with Drew. He accused me of trying to fuck his girl. I would NEVER fucking do that. Whatever people think about me, I would die before I did that shit.
IvyMac: I’d never believe that of you, Gray. I’m sorry you’re hurt. :-(
GrayG: I’m not hurt. You wouldn’t? How do you know for sure? I’m kind of known as a player. Shit, maybe I should call myself Sir Fucksalot.
IvyMac: Stop it. Any guy who crams into a tiny pink car and willingly drives it around town as a favor to his friend wouldn’t turn around and stab that friend in the back. Player or not, you’re a good guy. And I’m the only one who can call you Sir Fucksalot! >:-[
IvyMac: It’s okay to be hurt, btw. I’d be hurt if my friend accused me of that. Do you want me to come home and kick his ass? Cuz I got skillz. Mad ass-kicking skillz.
GrayG: lol. Not necessary. I know Drew doesn’t really mean it. He’s going through some stuff with his leg being broken. Just. Okay, yeah, it hurt that he took it out on me.
IvyMac: :-( {{{{hugs}}}}
GrayG: Ivy, is it weird that I kind of wish you were home? That I kind of miss you?
IvyMac: No. I wish I were there right now. I miss you too.
IvyMac: Okay. About to go into another tunnel. Txt me later, Cupcake
GrayG: Will do. Thanks for listening, Mac.
Next day…
GrayG: Everything is cool with Drew. He apologized for being a dick. We tossed around the football today. He hadn’t touched one in a while, so that was good.
IvyMac: Good. I’m so glad. I know how much he means to you.
GrayG: I’m going over to hang out with him and his girl, Anna. You’d like her. She’s saucy too. But, you know, not *special* saucy.
IvyMac: You’re risking your nuts, calling me special sauce. Don’t think I won’t make good on my threat whenever we meet.
GrayG: There you go, talking about my nuts again. One day, we gotta address this fascination you have with them.
IvyMac: Sure, we can address it, and then you can limp away.
GrayG: Empty threats, Mac. You know you couldn’t hurt me. You love me too much.
IvyMac: Whatever, Cupcake. Have fun tonight. Helpful party tip: don’t mention your nuts <—basic rules of polite society 101
GrayG: Damn, you’re telling me this now? The topic of my nuts has always been my go-to conversational opening. O.o
IvyMac: The more you know, Gray.
GrayG: What would I do without you to guide me?
IvyMac: Best not to think about that, Cupcake.
GrayG: Yeah, the idea is too terrible to contemplate. Stay safe, Ivy. I’ll txt later. You gonna be up?
IvyMac: Yes. Don’t think I can fall asleep anymore without your nightly text.
GrayG: Miss you.
IvyMac: Miss you too.
A few days and several texts later…
Gray
If life has taught me anything it’s to appreciate what you’ve got. Take something for granted and it could be gone before you even realized what you had. I learned that lesson from my mom, though I wish every day that I hadn’t. One day she was baking me apple cake and reminding me to study after football practice, the next day she’s pulling me into the den to tell me she had cancer. Hell, I remember every word of the conversation. Every fucking word punched into my flesh as if they were nails. But particularly I remember how she ended it: Live every day to the fullest, Gray. Appreciate life to the fullest, promise me that.
And I have. I still do. Enjoy the moment. Revel in it. Soak up life and fuck the rest.
It’s simple, really. I party because it’s fun. Enjoy women because I love them. Love their sweet scent, their musical laughter, and their soft curves. Play football because it’s the greatest fucking game on earth. And it’s worked for the most part. I’ve had fun.
Only now living in the moment is getting harder to do. I find my attention wandering to the future. I find myself wanting that distant future now. Here. Because of Ivy Mackenzie.
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Author’s Note
One of the first lines I wrote about Dex appears in THE HOOK UP, when Drew wonders if Dex is “pulling a Tebow”, which was Drew’s way of saying he suspected that Dex was a virgin. Until then, I hadn’t considered writing a virgin hero, but the idea stuck and fit with Dex’s quiet, reserved nature.
Later, when I was doing research for THE GAME PLAN, I came across a story about the infamous cheating site, Ashley Madison, offering a reward of one million dollars to anyone who could claim they’d taken Tebow’
s virginity. It was too fantastical to pass up, and it fit with Dex’s underlying fear of his private life being publicly exposed.
It was in my head to have a spinoff featuring Violet, Fi’s hacker friend, threatening to destroy the site by releasing the client roster to the public. Because that really would be a meaty tale. And then the Ashley Madison hacker scandal ended up happening in real life about a month before I finished the book.
All of which is to say that THE GAME PLAN is my “ripped from the headlines” homage.
Hope you enjoyed!
Acknowledgments
A huge thank you to the awesome people who gave me feedback, sent me NFL/football factoids, and basically held my hand throughout the writing process: Jen, Elyssa, Sarina, Tessa, Monica, Carolyn, and Jill. Thank you, most excellent beta readers, Katie and Sahara. Thank you, Nina, for your on point PR skills and advice.
Gray’s terrible joke comes to you via one drunken night with my sisters, Liz and Karina. I believe it was Karina’s joke. Thank you for that.
To my husband who held down the fort while I was writing, and to my kids who gave me encouragement along the way.
Thank you awesome readers and bloggers—without you this book would not exist.
And a special thanks to the members of The Locker Room, the best place to hang out and talk sports romance (heck, ALL romance) that I know. If you’d like to hang out with them, and interact with me on a daily basis, click HERE to join.
About the Author
Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather be. She is a RITA award winner, and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as making the USA Today bestseller list. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. You can sign up for Kristen’s new release e-mail HERE
@Kris10Callihan
KristenCallihan
www.kristencallihan.com
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The Game Plan (Game On #3) Page 30