The Game-Kirsten Backhard

by Shawnte Borris

  “Just something I can swallow,” I said, lifting my case of Budweiser. “Hey, Pop, what’s up?” I asked while handing him and my brother, douche-in-law a beer.

  “I just don’t understand why you can’t be bothered to bring someone to dinner?” my mother asked as she came into the family room.

  “Now, honey, we wouldn’t want to stink up our house, would we?” my dad asked with a smile.

  Looking over at my dad, I tried to stifle a laugh by covering it with a cough.

  “Ben!” my mom scolded.

  “Sweetheart, I was only kidding.” My dad went over to my mom. He kissed her on the cheek before she left the room. Then, he looked over at me. “Kind of.”

  “Nice, Dad. Thanks.”

  “Anytime, son, anytime.”

  “How’s the team looking this year?” asked Evan, the douche-in-law.

  “All right. We brought up some really good players. Now, we just gotta learn to play like a family on the ice.”

  My sister, Marie, came in with my nephew, Nate, and niece, Lauren.

  “Hey, Uncle Derek,” Lauren said.

  “Uncle Derek, when did you get here?” asked Nate.

  “Just a minute ago.”

  “Cool.” Nate sat down and cracked open his pop.

  “When is Auntie Kirsten coming?” Lauren asked.

  “She should have been here by now.” Marie looked at her watch as she headed into the kitchen to help my mom finish up.

  “Mom, did you hear that Liz and Brad got engaged?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “It’s about time if you ask me. Maybe it will help Kirsten get a move on in the family department.”

  “Yes, I would like to have some grandchildren from her sooner or later.”

  I looked over at my dad, trying to send him a mental message. Help Kirsten out, Dad.

  “Marie, Kirsten is a very accomplished businesswoman. Women like that don’t always feel the need to have a family—”

  Mom cut in. “I know, but—”

  “Sweetheart, you need to realize that Marie and Kirsten are two different people, and they both have equally important jobs. We, my dear, need to accept that.”

  “Ben, in the word of the Lord…”

  Great, here we go again.

  “It says that a man is supposed to work and be the head of the house. The woman is supposed to nourish and support her husband while she bears children and runs the household.”

  “Let’s face it, Dad. There aren’t a lot of men who will make the same or more money than Kirsten. Do you know how hard it will be for her to find a man who will accept that?” Marie asked.

  I wanted to say something on Kirsten’s behalf, but I didn’t want to get sucked into this conversation. I checked the time on my phone. Marie was right. She should be here. I sent Kirsten a text, wondering where she was.

  “You know what Kirsten should do, Mom? She should go to one of those sperm bar places and have a baby that way,” said Marie.

  Mom instantly fell into a chair at the table. “My word, what would people say? What would they think of my family if I were to explain this at a church meeting?”

  “I don’t know, Mom, but at this rate, she’ll never settle down,” Marie said.

  Finally having enough, I said, “You guys, it’s not fair to say those things about Kirsten when she is not here to defend herself.”

  “You’re right, son,” my dad chirped in.

  “All right, brother. You’re here, so let’s talk about you. You’re thirty-one. Why haven’t you had a steady girlfriend or thought about having a family?” questioned Marie.

  “Marie, we all know that Derek is on the road a lot. It is difficult to find a woman who will accept his lifestyle,” my mom said, pointing out the difference between my job and Kirsten’s.

  I stepped away and gave my sister a call. The phone only rang once before she picked it up.

  “Get your ass over here,” I growled.

  “Sorry, dude. Not gonna happen. I got a greasy cheese pizza sitting in front of me.”

  “How dare you leave me alone with them?”

  “Actually, brother, it’s very easy to do.”

  “Kirsten, come on!”

  “Derek, I’m hungover as fuck, and I have a shitload to do before I head out to Chicago.”

  “Chicago?” I asked.

  “Yeah. I got the senior negotiating position,” she whispered.

  “Really? That’s great!”

  “Thanks, big brother.”

  I’m so proud of her. “I’ll be over in a few to celebrate.” I pulled the phone away from my mouth. “Mom, I gotta go. Kirsten needs some big brother time.” I started putting on my shoes.

  “Is she all right?”

  “Just had a rough weekend.” I couldn’t help myself. I had to throw my sister under the bus.

  “You tell her that I want to have a word with her later,” Mom said.

  “Yeah, I’ll tell her.”

  “Fucker!” I heard my sister seethe.

  I laughed. “Yeah, next time, you won’t forget about family dinner.” I was quiet for a minute, not wanting to tell my sister that Mom now knows of Liz’s engagement. “Kirsten—”

  “Yeah?”

  “Mom knows about Liz and Brad getting engaged.”

  “Great,” she breathed.

  “I tried to smooth things over on this end,” I offered.

  “Thanks for trying, Derek. I appreciate it.”

  “See you in a few.”

  I opened the door to head out when Evan came up behind me. “Leaving your beer though, right?”

  I looked at him and nodded. “Yeah, sure.” This guy is so cheap. I have no idea what Marie sees in him.

  I said my good-byes before heading out the door. I was just about to get into my truck when my dad walked up behind me.

  “Is she all right?” he asked.

  “Yeah, Dad, she is. Kirsten got a senior position at her firm. She’s leaving for Chicago tomorrow. I guess she got caught up and forgot about dinner.”

  “She did? Well, isn’t that great? Wonder why she didn’t call to tell us.”

  “Really, Dad? Were you not in the room with me when Marie and Mom were all over Kirsten’s business? If she would have come home and told us, it would have only added fuel to the fire. I wish those two would just chill. Kirsten will find someone when she is ready.”

  “And what about you, son?”

  “Dad, let’s not start this.”

  “I’m worried, son. I worry about all of you.”

  “We know, Dad, and we are grateful. Look, I gotta run. There is a cheese pizza waiting for me.”

  “All right, son.”

  My dad and I hugged and slapped each other’s backs.

  “Try to drink at least a few of those beers I brought,” I said.

  My dad chuckled as he walked toward the house.

  Driving to Kirsten’s, I wondered what was up with her. Usually, I hear from her at least two to three times a week. She would just get on my ass about something, tell me how nice it would be to hook-up with my hockey player buddies, or we’d just go over the games and other team stats.

  Kirsten was definitely my best friend—not that I’d ever tell her that. I could always share my faults and weaknesses with her, and she never had anything to say. She would just listen while we drank. She didn’t really expect anything from me. She loved me for who I was. That was the best thing I liked about her. I needed to find someone like her—not someone who only wanted me for my Backhard jersey.

  I left my sister’s, feeling heavy. I knew that she was hurting, but what hurt more was knowing that she wouldn’t confide in me. As soon as I had seen Kirsten with Drew’s shirt, I knew that he was the one who had broken her heart. What I couldn’t figure out was why either one of them would hide it from me. She was obviously in love with him. I decided to text Drew to see if he would let me in on their little secret.

  Me: You up?

&n
bsp; Drew: Why?

  Me: I need a drink.

  Drew: Mic’s?

  Me: Want me to pick you up?

  Drew: I’ll meet you there.

  Me: Cool.

  I arrived at Mic’s before Drew and headed to our usual table in the back.

  “Hey, Derek. What are you doing here?”

  “Hey, Mic. I didn’t see you when I walked in. I’m just home for the weekend. Mom had one of her dinners again.”

  “The famous Backhard dinners.” He chuckled. “I still can’t imagine how your mom and Marie put up with you and Kirsten at the same time.”

  “Neither can I, but my dad always thinks it’s funny as hell.”

  “I’m sure he does, son. What can I get you to drink?”

  “Two Buds, please.”

  “Thirsty?”

  “Drew’s meeting me.”

  “You and Drew are finally gonna have the talk, are you?”

  “Something is going on, Mic…something between him and Kirsten. I can feel it. I haven’t really heard from her in a while, and all Drew wants to do is stay at home.”

  “Do you think it has anything to do with the night you and the boys were here, drinking up a storm?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Drew left with Chrissy. Maybe nothing happened. I mean, he was pretty damn drunk. I don’t think he could even stand if you know what I mean.”

  “Really?”

  “Look, I’m not saying anything either way. I love you all like you are my own children.”

  I looked over and saw Drew walking in the door. “I guess we’ll see what he has to say. Thanks, Mic.”

  “Hey, guys. What’s up?” asked Drew.

  “I was just getting you two beers,” Mic replied.

  “Make mine a Coke.”

  “Coke?”

  “Yeah, I’m laying off the booze for a while.”

  Mic looked over at me with a raised eyebrow. “Coke it is, son.”

  Drew took a seat beside me and stared at the bar.

  “Looks like you do know how to leave the house after all,” I teased.

  “Just haven’t felt like going out, that’s all.”

  “Why? What’s going on?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Drew—”

  “Look, maybe I shouldn’t have come.” Drew went to stand up to leave when Mic came over with our drinks. “Mic, really, all I want is a Coke.”

  “Sit down, son. The beer is for me.” He put our drinks down. “Let me go lock up, and we can all sit and have a little chat.”

  I knew what Mic was doing. He didn’t want me to sucker punch Drew, which was very possible if he had hurt my sister. Somehow, I had a feeling he’d hurt her bad.

  “All right, son,” Mic said, giving his head a nod toward Drew. “You got something to share with us?”

  Drew took a deep swallow.

  Shit.

  “Look, I’m sorry, Derek. You’re one of my best friends, and I never meant to hurt you…” He looked straight into my eyes.

  Shit.

  “But I love her. I love her with everything that I have…but I really, really fucked up.”

  Damn it! “You love her?” I couldn’t keep the shock from my voice.

  “I’ve loved her since the first time I went to your house. I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful. She’s funny as hell, smart, and, dude, she can toss them back better than any man I know.”

  “Kirsten?” Why am I so shocked? I know how great she is. She is my sister.

  “Yes…Kirsten. When I’m with her, it makes me happy to be alive. She fulfills my purpose in life. I want her to be the last person I kiss and dance with. She does and says crazy-ass shit, and I love her for that. She’s strong, determined, and fucking sexy as hell.”

  “Watch it,” I growled.

  Mic placed his hand on my shoulder.

  “But all of that doesn’t matter.”

  I swore I could see tears in Drew’s eyes before he put his head down. I couldn’t say anything. What do I say to something like that? I looked over at Mic to see if he had anything to contribute.

  “Son, what happened when you left here with Chrissy?” Mic asked.

  Instantly, my body tensed. Mic gave my shoulder a squeeze, communicating with me not to lose my cool.

  “Derek, let him get it out.”

  We both turned back to face Drew to let him finish…before I fucking ripped off his head.

  “Go on,” I said through clenched teeth.

  “That’s the thing. I don’t really remember.”

  “What do you fucking mean, you don’t remember? That is my sister, asshole!” I yelled as I stood up.

  “Sit your ass down, Derek,” Mic said calmly. He looked over to Drew. “Keep going, son. We won’t interrupt anymore.”

  “Mic, I should have taken you up on your offer to just call me a cab. That’s my first regret. I should have never let Chrissy take me home. God, what was I thinking?”

  “You weren’t, Drew. That’s the problem,” I seethed.

  “We didn’t go back to my place. She took me to the hotel by the airport.”

  I didn’t think I could have clenched my hands any harder.

  “The thing is…I know for a fact that I didn’t do anything. I think my dick is still limp after all that I had to drink that night.”

  He has got to stop using the word dick and my sister in the same fucking story.

  “When I realized that I wasn’t at home, I tried to get off the bed, but I couldn’t. The room just kept spinning. Whenever I tried, I kept hitting the side tables. I even broke the lamp. Chrissy kept putting me back on the bed, and she tried undoing my pants. Finally, I came to my senses enough that I managed to make it to the door. I remember her laughing when I almost fell through the door. That was when I went to look up at her…and I saw Kirsten at the elevator. She just looked at me. She was fucking crushed.”

  I shot up. I had to get outside, or I was going to kill this prick.

  “Derek,” Mic said, taking a stance.

  “I just need some air. I’ll be back.” I slammed through the front door and pounded my fists on the hood of Drew’s SUV.

  I can’t believe this douche bag. He’s loved my sister forever, and then he has the nerve to pull off this shit! Who the hell does he think he is? I’m going to fucking kill him. “Fuck!” Why didn’t Kirsten tell me? She should have known that I sensed something was up.

  I went back in because I had a few words to share with Drew. I sat down beside him and drank the last half of my beer. “You sure you don’t want a beer? You might need it after what I have to say to you.”

  “I’m sure,” Drew said.

  I sat there for a minute as I tried to put what I was thinking into words, but I was having trouble. My mind was going a million miles a minute. I wanted to tell him that I was going to kill him, but he was like the only brother that I had, and he truly loved Kirsten.

  “You broke her, you know,” I said. Drew looked at me with deep sad eyes, but I kept going. “I saw her tonight. She was a frickin’ mess, Drew. She was packing to leave tomorrow, and I saw your T-shirt in her suitcase. She picked it up and smelled it. Then, she started crying.”

  “She’s leaving?” Drew asked, confused.

  “For Chicago. She made senior partner,” I said proudly.

  Drew sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. He whispered to himself, “I wasn’t there to celebrate it with her.”

  I saw more sadness in Drew than I had seen in anyone my whole life.

  Then, I remembered the news about Liz. Shit. I guess I might as well let him know that, too. “Liz and Brad are engaged.”

  “What?” asked Mic.

  “Yeah, it happened the other night. The girls went out for their annual sorority night. A couple of buddies of mine were at the bar and saw the whole thing. I guess it was a pretty good show.” Not that I needed to know how much my sister could move.

  “How’s Kirst
en taking that?” Mic asked.

  “She’s…look, don’t get me wrong. Kirsten is thrilled for Liz,” I said before looking over to Drew, “but because of recent events, she’s a little broken over it, too.”

  “God, I want to be there for her in the worst way,” cried Drew.

  I laughed. “Yeah, douche, you should be.”

  When Mic also let out a small laugh, too, Drew gave us a dirty look.

  “It’s not like you don’t deserve it,” Mic taunted Drew. “I think of Kirsten as my own daughter. You’re lucky I don’t ban you from here. I just might though if Kirsten stops coming here because of you.”

  Drew nodded.

  “Look, you guys, I love my sister, but she is the most stubborn person I know. I can already tell you that her walls are up, and when those babies are up, she is a real bitch to deal with.”

  “So, what should we do?” asked Mic.

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing? I have to do something. I love her, damn it!” Drew fumed.

  “Look, obviously, you two didn’t want anyone, especially me,” I said, pointing to myself, “to find out about the two of you. You two couldn’t keep a secret like that.” Now, it makes sense. “I saw the way you would look at her when you thought I wasn’t watching or the light touches you would give each other when we were playing pool or poker.”

  “Don’t forget the times I saw you two dancing together,” Mic butted in.

  “Derek, man, I’m sorry. I just didn’t want any friction between the two of you. You are the most important person in her life, and I would never take that away from the two of you.”

  “You could have been honest with me, man. Out of anyone though, I’m so glad it’s you.”

  “What am I supposed to do about Kirsten?” Drew asked, looking between Mic and me.

  “Wait it out. Give her the time that she needs.” I finished the very last of my beer. I looked at my watch. “It’s getting late. I’ve got an early practice.” I was almost at the door when I turned to Drew. “Don’t be a stranger. We’ll work something out to get Kirsten back to you. Just let her breathe for a bit.”