The Hardest Fall

by Ella Maise

  “Probably her boyfriend. I don’t know.”

  “Do we kill him? Or just break his legs as a warning?”

  I laughed, but it felt foreign. “Neither. Trust me, he is a better option than what I was afraid of.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Shrugging, I walked away to serve a few newcomers.

  Raising his voice, JP kept at me. “So she’s dating, huh? That means she really isn’t dating you. That’s interesting. Did you know about this or is it a surprise?”

  I braced myself on the bar with one hand and knocked JP’s away with the other when I saw he was reaching for the peanut bowl again. “What’s so interesting about it? She’s dating—everybody dates.”

  His shrug “Oh, nothing. Did you know about it?”

  “Yeah, she said she had a boyfriend and it was complicated.” I gritted my teeth and glared at my friend. “I guess it got uncomplicated. Don’t you have something else to do? I’m trying to work here.”

  “I’m not holding you up. I’m a paying customer just like everyone else in here.” He looked over his shoulder, and I couldn’t stop myself from looking her way again. Zoe was up and leaning over the table to pull her friend up. All three of them made their way toward the small square section in front of the TVs that most of the customers saw as a makeshift dance floor. There were maybe seven, ten people already dancing. “Despacito” by Fonsi started up for the thousandth time that night, yet somehow, it’d never sounded as good as it did just then.

  “Who are we watching?” I hadn’t even noticed Chris and Benji had joined us and were already looking over their shoulders until Benji spoke up. I was never going to live this down, yet that knowledge did nothing to pull my eyes away from the trio I was watching.

  “Is that…your roommate?” Chris asked before JP or I could answer.

  “In the flesh,” JP answered for me.

  “Nice ass, man,” added Benji, our starting linebacker.

  I shot him an irritated look, but his head was still turned away. All three of them were watching it unfold, and there was nothing I could do to stop it without looking like a complete asshole.

  Zoe was slowly swaying her hips side to side, and her lips were mouthing the words to the song with Justin Bieber. Her girlfriend didn’t look as enthusiastic about being on the dance floor, so Zoe grabbed her hands and forced her to move with her. She laughed and twirled under her friend’s lifted arm and managed to pull her farther away from the edges of the tables. When the girl finally started to get into it, laughing along with her, a satisfied Zoe nodded and let go of her hands. Next thing I knew, the guy—her possible boyfriend—lined himself behind her and they started swaying together, all the while singing and smiling. Maybe I didn’t like Fonsi and Justin Bieber all that much after all.

  Then both girls started to dance around the guy, their fingers walking all over his chest, all three of them singing and laughing. Zoe stopped when she had her back against his chest, the other girl did the same when she was at his back, and then as if they’d timed it, they swayed their hips to the beat in small, barely there movements, mesmerizing everyone watching them—my horny friends weren’t the only ones staring. They started to drop down, sliding their bodies all over him. Zoe lifted her hands and that simple white t-shirt that said Live It Up on the front rode up, displaying a few inches of the creamy skin of her stomach, not just to me, but to everyone who was watching them. My jaw clenched.

  When Benji let out a groan, I hit my palm on the bar, hard enough to get the attention of my teammates and some of the other customers.

  Their heads turned to me in surprise. “Can I get you guys something or are you just here for the show?” If my question had come out as a snarl, I had no control over it. “If you’re not here to drink, move to one of the tables, or maybe just head out since we’re pretty full tonight.” JP opened his mouth, but I lifted a finger in his direction. “Don’t even think about it.”

  He raised his hands in surrender but didn’t quite manage to wipe the grin off his face. “This song is lit as fuck, that’s all I was gonna say.”

  Chris eyed JP with interest but wisely didn’t make any comments before turning his gaze on me. “When is your next break? We need to talk about our training schedule this week.”

  Benji pushed at Chris, fucking up his balance on the stool. “Dude, are you serious? It’s the first day of the bye. Take a day off for fuck’s sake.”

  I had to force my eyes to stay on Chris and not look for Zoe as the damn song finally ended and an old Shakira tune started up. I was too chickenshit to glance her way. I sighed and ran my hand over my head as I exhaled a big breath. “Tomorrow I’m sleeping in, man. I’ll be in the weight room at nine AM, but not a second before that.”

  “So you’re sleeping in one extra hour? That’s not sleeping in, dude. You guys are crazy. I’m taking a day to myself and sleeping in the whole day. I’d like to think I deserve my beauty sleep.”

  JP snickered. “As if you have the balls. Coach would kick your ass straight to the end zone the second you showed up late to the meeting.”

  Benji told JP to shut up with a grumble and turned to me again. “At least tell me you’re coming to the party they’re having at the frat house.”

  “When is it? Tomorrow night?” I asked.

  “I can’t believe I’m friends with you three. How do you not know about tonight’s party man?”

  “Dylan, three pints—stat!” Chuck yelled out the order then disappeared back into the crowd.

  I raised my hands up. “As you can see, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here every night this week. I need to pick up more hours.”

  Benji got up with a huge sigh. “Okay, I’m done. You’re killing my buzz like no other. I’m leaving.” He looked at Chris and JP. “You guys coming or are you gonna hang out with this loser?”

  Chris was the first one to follow his lead and get up. “I’d rather have stale beer at the frat than go home tonight. I’m gonna crash at Mandy’s place.” He rapped his knuckles on the bar top. “I’ll meet you in the morning?”

  I finished filling the pints and placed them on a tray, ready to be taken out to the floor. “You’re on again with Mandy? When the hell did that happen?”

  “We’re not on on, exactly.”

  “What do you call crashing at her place? Don’t tell me you’re gonna sleep on her couch when you’re there.”

  He gave me a one-shoulder shrug and his mouth curved into a satisfied smirk. “Just testing the waters to see if it’s time to be on again. See you tomorrow, man.” The relationship he had with his dad, our coach, was strained at best, and whenever he felt like he needed space, he was never in need of a place to crash.

  Chris was the quiet one in our group. He was the team captain, a good leader out on the field, but when it came to socializing with people, he preferred to stay back. There was always a throng of girls following him like lost puppies, dying to get the quarterback’s attention, but he was more like me on that front than JP. However, unlike me, he didn’t mind random hookups, but even that only happened during the off-season, not when our future hinged on how we did this season with all the eyes we had on us, not to mention the combine was right around the corner.

  “Yeah, see you.” Chris followed after Benji, who was chatting with some of our teammates on his way out, leaving me alone with JP. “What?” I asked.

  “Just one question.”

  I sighed. “What is it?”

  “Do you like this girl?” He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

  “We’re just friends, JP. Not sure how many times I need to tell you that.”

  “Yeah, sure. I get that, and friends are good, but…” He hesitated. “Trust me…not trying to get all sappy on your ass, but you deserve to have some fun, man. If not now, when will you? You know what they say: work hard, play harder. If you want her…” Wisely, he left it at that. “Just think about it, that’s all I’m saying.”

  “I
guess you tuned out the part where I said she has a boyfriend.” I neglected to mention that I was in fact very interested in Zoe Clarke and was only waiting for the right time to make my move, a time when she was unattached and uncomplicated—though maybe I was already too late after all.

  “Like I said, we can always get rid of him or break his legs. Either way—”

  “Dylan, I could use some help over here!” Lindy sing-songed as she put her hand on my arm and winked at my grinning friend.

  “Don’t worry about it, okay?” I said to JP. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Don’t make me come drag your ass out of whichever bed you’re planning on falling into tonight.”

  “I keep telling you, I should be your role model.” He sighed. “Yeah, yeah. Fine. See you around. I’m going to find myself a Mandy for the night.”

  “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “Dude, that ship sailed a long time ago.”

  Putting Zoe out of my mind, I laughed and went to Lindy’s side, helping her with the orders.

  “You should take your break as soon as it slows down a little,” I said loud enough so she could hear me as we worked side by side. “Talk to your little bugger before he goes to sleep.” Lindy was a single mom who left her three-year-old at home with her dad when she came to work. She called her son on almost every break instead of smoking or shooting the shit with the waiters and waitresses.

  “What time is it?” she asked, her hands busy with shaking a cocktail. Most of the customers at Jimmy’s went for cheap beers since the vast majority were college students, but there were a few fancy ones who went for cocktails every now and then.

  “It’s past nine.”

  She stopped with the shaking, poured the pink drink into a martini glass, and garnished it with a maraschino cherry. “Yeah, he’s probably in bed, waiting for me to call. Thanks, Dylan.”

  I nodded and just as I was taking another order, my eyes found their way back to Zoe again, still dancing. At least I couldn’t spot the dick face anymore, but how long was she gonna dance anyway? Wasn’t she tired yet? And wasn’t she supposed to be shy? How did she look perfectly fine dancing in front of all these people when she couldn’t even look me in the eye for more than a few seconds?

  All of a sudden, I noticed a hand sneak around her waist. A growl escaped my lips and a few of the guys sitting in front of me gave me strange looks. I offered them a chin lift. “What’s up?”

  They just shook their heads and got back to their loud conversation.

  I glanced past them again. What the hell did I expect from my friend? Of course he was there; of course he was talking to Zoe. She smiled at something JP said and took a discreet step back, dislodging his arm without much effort. JP leaned down to say something in her ear and when he was done, he patted her head twice, said something to her girlfriend, and walked away from them. Just as he was about to exit the bar, he turned and hit the door open with his back, giving me a thumbs up and a shit-eating grin right before he disappeared.

  It was a done deal—he had basically given me permission to kick his ass the next time we were on the field. He must’ve known I wouldn’t like his hands on my friend…around her waist, touching her, feeling her body.

  “Dude!” Lindy shouted from the other end of the bar, and I forced myself to look at her. Making big eyes at me, she motioned toward the mug in my hand, which was currently overflowing with beer.

  “Shit!” I shook my hand and cleaned the mug with a rag before handing it off.

  “What’s wrong with you tonight?” Lindy asked, sidling up to me.

  “Nothing.”

  Trying not to react to the eyes I could feel on me, I finished the order and started on another one. My curiosity got the better of me again, and I glanced Zoe’s way. All three of them were watching me. The guy I’d had my eyes on ever since they walked in leaned toward Zoe and got her attention. Either they couldn’t hear each other from a few inches away and the dick face had to lean even closer to her ear—which I thought was complete bullshit—or he didn’t like Zoe’s attention on me.

  Cursing myself for tensing up when I noticed him pull back and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, I got back to my work.

  Not even a few minutes had passed when the guy I’d just served a beer got off the stool, and suddenly I was staring at Zoe’s smiling face.

  “Hey stranger, what are you doing here?” She looked around. “Are you trying to impress someone?”

  There was a small smile on her lips when our eyes met. It took her only a few seconds to hide her gaze from me and get busy with propping her elbows up on the bar. Was she surprised to see me there? Maybe annoyed? Happy? Was the light flush on her cheekbones for me, or was it residue from whatever the hell the dick face had been whispering in her ear? Or maybe she was flushed because of all the dancing she had done. She was still a little breathless, after all.

  There was no trace of a smile on my lips when I managed to force the words out. “What does it look like?”

  She looked confused at my tone and her smile faltered, the corners slowly dipping down as she blinked at me.

  “Is everything okay?”

  I swallowed my annoyance and rolled my neck before taking a deep breath. All I could smell was alcohol, and underneath it, a whiff of fucking berries.

  Keep it cool, man. She didn’t do anything.

  I exhaled before I opened my mouth to speak again. “I’m sorry. Long day. What do you mean trying to impress someone?”

  “You’re behind the bar.”

  I looked down at myself and around me. “Yeah, I work here. That’s how bartending works. You stay behind the bar and serve drinks.”

  “No you don’t,” she fired back.

  “Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”

  “No, I mean, bartending?” She looked taken back. “You’re really working right now?”

  “Yup. What did you think I was doing?”

  Her teeth lightly grazed her bottom lip. I watched her mouth move as she said something, but I was too busy admiring her lips and missed it completely.

  “What?”

  She leaned forward an inch or two and yelled a little louder. “I said, I thought you were trying to impress someone! You know how attractive bad boys are to girls, and you’re a football player on top of that. Basically, double the trouble.” She widened her eyes. “And bartenders tend to be—not that I’m specifically saying you’re hot or anything, but I thought you were just back there—”

  Looking over her shoulder, I met the dick face’s eyes. Both he and the other girl were watching Zoe and me. It was his own idiocy that he’d let her come to me, so why should I be the one to stay away? She was my roommate, my friend, after all. Fuck him.

  I leaned on the bar, bringing us closer, and rested my arms right next to hers. Only inches separated us. If she moved, my skin would drag against hers. She stopped rambling and took in the repositioning of my arms. Then, knowingly or unknowingly, she shifted in her seat, moving her delectable little butt from right to left.

  “Zoe,” I said, my voice lower since we were now closer. “You’re rambling again. It’s too cute, and it’s completely okay if you think of your friend as hot. I think you’re hot, too.”

  My arm brushed hers when Lindy walked behind me and I was forced to move forward another inch. She completely ignored the fact that I’d just called her hot—or maybe she simply thought I was joking—and leaned forward as if she couldn’t help herself. The movement was barely perceptible, and I would have bet she hadn’t noticed it herself.

  “I didn’t say you were hot.”

  “I’m pretty sure you just did.”

  “No,” she said slowly. “I just meant they tend to hire good-looking guys so that—” She let out a breath and changed the subject. “I didn’t know you worked on top of everything else you did. Your schedule is crazy. I’m just surprised, that’s all.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “I specifically remember telling you I was
n’t rich.”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t think you…I just didn’t think, apparently. You know me and my tendency to stereotype football players. Most people usually think they get everything handed to them, and apparently I’m one of those people, but…I like that you’re working.” She huffed. “You’re a really…” She scrunched up her nose then shook her head. “Never mind.”

  I leaned closer and my forearm grazed hers again. We stayed skin to skin. She couldn’t keep her eyes away. I would’ve loved for her to finish her sentence, but there was something else I wanted to know more.

  I turned my head a fraction, bringing my lips closer to her cheek area—the cheek her boyfriend’s fingers had brushed only minutes before. “So that’s your boyfriend, huh? I don’t think he likes that you’re over here talking to me.” The bastard was still watching, and it was starting to get on my nerves.

  Her head snapped up and her eyebrows drew together. “What? Where?”

  I pulled back. “Your boyfriend,” I repeated, motioning to the guy with my chin. At that moment, his arm was casually draped over the booth and he was chatting with the girl sitting across him instead of staring at us. “The one you’ve been dancing with since you walked in.” I turned my eyes on Zoe. “And I thought you were shy, Zoe—seemed like it since you can’t even manage to look into my eyes for more than a few seconds—but that girl dancing up there didn’t look all that shy.”

  Slowly she turned back to me. My muscles were tensing up again. Why was I getting so worked up over her dancing with her fucking boyfriend? It wasn’t like I didn’t know she had someone, and I should’ve been happy that it was just a student. I straightened away from Zoe, deciding to actually do the job I was getting paid to do and help Lindy with the customers.

  After I served a few, I checked to see if Zoe had left, but she was still sitting there waiting for me, her eyes tracking my movements.

  I found myself back in front of her. I was being a dick without meaning to. “Can I get you and…your friends anything?” I asked a little loudly so I wouldn’t have to lean in again.