Fair Catch (Love and Sports Series)

by Meghan Quinn

  If it was possible, Jake got even cockier. “If you win, I’ll leave you alone.”

  “Hallelujah!” Lexi shouted.

  “And if I win,” He interrupted her celebration, “you have to go to the Alumni dinner with me, on a date, dressed up and everything.”

  Lexi cocked an eyebrow. “What do you constitute as a date? I’m pretty sure we both have very different opinions of what goes into a date.”

  “Just a date, maybe a casual touch here and there but nothing else.”

  “No casual touches, you will keep your slimy hands to yourself.”

  “I would think that I would be allotted a couple of touches.”

  Lexi held up her hand to stop him. “Not that it matters anyway, because you’re going down, Taylor.”

  “We will see about that, Knox.”

  They went back into the weight room and they each grabbed the plastic booties that helped them slide on the board and put them on their feet. Margo grabbed their trainer who had stop watches and Swiffer Dust to lube up the boards.

  The board was a thick plastic surface with two rubber stops on each side. The point of the exercise was to work on explosive lateral movements, which Lexi mastered two years ago.

  They each would have their own board and start on the same side. When they were told to go they would have to slide from side to side and every time they returned to the side they started at, that counted as one.

  Lexi grinned as she thought about how she had this in the bag. Not only was she the quickest at slide board but she knew exactly how to work the dust polish to her advantage.

  “Are you ready?” Margo asked.

  She looked over at Jake who held out his hand, as a good luck gesture. She took his hand in hers and tried to ignore the zap of electricity that flowed between them. She chalked it up to the adrenaline of a challenge.

  “Ready.” Lexi said as she pulled her hand away from Jake’s and rubbed it on her shorts, trying to erase the feeling of his skin on hers.

  “Go!” Margo shouted.

  Lexi took off and started bouncing back and forth, reveling in the fact that she was kicking Jake’s ass. She didn’t even bother looking over because she didn’t want to feel sorry for the poor sap. Thank goodness Margo was counting for her because there was no way she could concentrate on counting how many times she hit the board. She was entirely focused on kicking Jake’s ass.

  Her legs were burning from pushing off the rubber and her breath was labored but there was no way in hell she was going to lose to Jake Taylor, so she continued to push herself.

  “Stop!”

  Lexi slid one last time to one side and then hopped off. She put her hands on her knees as she bent over, trying to catch her breath. She stood up and put her hands over her head and looked over at Jake who was just standing there smirking at her. What was he so happy about? He didn’t even break a sweat.

  “What…is…the…count?” Lexi heaved.

  “You got 50.” Margo said, “I think that was your best.”

  Lexi did a mental fist pump, knowing she rocked it.

  “What did Jake get?” Margo asked the Trainer.

  “Sorry girls, Jake got 66.”

  Lexi nearly keeled over. “How the hell did he get 66?” She waved a hand at him. “He’s not even breathing heavily. You’re lying, he did not get 66.”

  “I’m afraid not, sweetie.”

  “How is that even possible, I’m the best at slide board?”

  “Until I came along.” Jake said while puffing his chest. Lexi wished she could take a needle and pop all the air out of it.

  Lexi sat down on a bench. “This doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Sure it does short stack.” Jake said. “Look at your legs compared to mind. I have a wider range than you. Of course I would beat you.”

  Lexi almost choked on his words. Holy hell he was right. How come she never thought about that? He knew all along that he was going to win, even with her speed there was no way she was going to beat him, all he had to do was lean over and his leg would touch the other rubber.

  “You tricked me!” She shouted while standing up and charging toward him. She laid a punch on his arm.

  “Hey watch it.” He said while rubbing his arm. “Don’t be such a sore loser.”

  “I’m not being a sore loser. I just don’t like being tricked.”

  “I didn’t trick you. I just knew my strengths that’s all, something you failed to realize. Maybe if you weren’t so caught up in yourself, you would have looked at the challenge logistically and realized that maybe that wasn’t the safest bet you ever made.”

  “Caught up in myself? You have got to be kidding me!”

  “Uh, can you two love birds take this little love spat somewhere else? You’re distracting the other athletes.” Their trainer said.

  “We are not love birds!” Lexi said over her shoulder as Jake escorted her and Margo into the hallway.

  He looked down at his watch and sighed. “As much as I would love to continue this little conversation, I have places to be. Margo it was nice seeing you. Short stack, I’ll pick you up at 6 tomorrow night. Its formal attire so wear something sexy.”

  He took off down the hallway and Lexi went to charge at him but Margo stopped her. Lexi shouted over Margo’s shoulder, “I’m wearing a turtleneck and slacks!”

  ***

  Jake went to the football locker room and planted himself on the leather couch right next to Mason who was watching SportsCenter on the big screen TV they had in their locker room. Mason turned and looked at Jake with slight shock in his face.

  “Wow, I didn’t know you knew this morning hour existed.”

  Jake watched Mason take a bite of an apple. “I told you man, I’m doing things different this year.”

  “So waking up early is how you’re changing?”

  “That and some other things.”

  Mason waved his hand in the air, silently telling Jake to carry on. “And what would those other things be?”

  “Well, I just won a date with Lexi. I’m taking her to the Alumni dinner tomorrow.”

  Mason looked at Jake with honest surprise. “How the hell did you pull that off?”

  “Won a bet against her, long story but she’s going. Not the ideal way I wanted to take her but I guess I’ll take what I can get.”

  “Wow, I’m impressed man. I don’t think anyone other than Parker has scored a date with her.”

  Jake thought about how beautiful she looked this morning. She didn’t have any make up on, her hair was up in a ponytail and she had on gym shorts and a softball t-shirt but he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She was beautiful, naturally beautiful. He had never felt like this before, he never felt such a strong attraction to another person. Ever since he laid eyes on Lexi, she was all he could think about. That was why he talked to Parker and scored some valuable information about Lexi.

  Jake was actually surprised about the amount of information Parker was willing to divulge about his best friend. Jake didn’t care too much about the strong bond Parker and Lexi had but if it was going to help him get some alone time with Lexi then he didn’t mind too much.

  “Earth to Jake.” Mason interrupted his thoughts.

  “Sorry.”

  “Man, you have it bad don’t you? You really like her.”

  Jake shrugged and ran his hand over his face. “I don’t know. All I know is that I can’t stop thinking about her and I just want some time to get to know her. She’s beautiful and sassy and an amazing athlete. For a second I thought I was going to lose to her at slide board, she was good.”

  “You challenged her to the slide board? That was risky, she owns that thing.”

  “I know, she was damn quick but thanks to my long legs I edged her out.” Jake laughed. “And shit was she furious. I kind of get joy out of making her mad. She has quite the little temper.”

  Mason laughed. “Yea, she’s a firecracker. I’ve watched some of her games and if she do
esn’t get a call she likes, she nearly flies off the deep end.”

  “I can imagine.” Jake pulled out his phone and started typing out a text message.

  “Who are you texting.” Mason asked being nosey. He finished his apple and threw the core into the trashcan. “Nothing but net. I should have gone out for basketball.”

  Jake looked up at the trashcan. “Because you can shoot an apple core into a giant trashcan from three feet away? Ok, keep dreaming bud.”

  He sent a text to Lexi.

  Jake: Had fun this morning, we should do it again sometime. See you tomorrow night

  Jake could all but hear Lexi gasp when she realized he had her phone number, another righteous score form Parker. He tried to give Parker something in return but he wanted nothing. All he said was to not hurt Lexi. For some odd reason, Jake got the impression that Parker actually approved of Jake making a move on his best friend. Hey, that was one less boundary he had to cross to get closer to her. Winning the best friend’s approval was always difficult, so he was glad Parker was so easy going. Winning Margo over was no problem either. She seemed eager and willing to throw Lexi at him.

  Mason and Jake were arguing about a highlight they saw on SportsCenter when Jake’s phone chimed with a text message. Not being able to contain a smile knowing it was Lexi, he looked down to read what she wrote.

  Lexi: This is Professor Lyon. Lexi’s phone has been confiscated due to it going off in class. In order for her to get it back, you, whoever this is and Lexi better report to my office at two this afternoon to issue an apology and go over proper phone etiquette in the classroom.

  “Oh shit.” Jake muttered.

  Mason turned toward Jake and asked, “What’s wrong?”

  Jake turned the phone so Mason could read the text message. Mason threw his head back and laughed. “Looks like you’re starting off on the right foot.”

  Mason patted his back and took off for the weight room. Jake could feel his chest tighten. This was not the way he wanted to start things off with Lexi. He could see her little face fuming right now. The thought of it sort of made him smile. Yes he might not be starting off on the best foot, but he got to see her again today, that was a plus in his book. Maybe not hers but he was going to win her over soon enough. He always did.

  ***

  Margo was adjusting her bra when Parker Hill came up from behind and grabbed her waist, startling the crap out of her. She gathered herself before she turned around to look at those chocolate brown eyes that starred in her dreams every night.

  “Hey darlin’. How come it’s ok for a woman to adjust her tits in public but if a guy touches his junk he is looked at with disgust?”

  Margo lifted her head and made eye contact with the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. She had a crush on Parker ever since Lexi introduced him to her their freshman year. He was the perfect man; athletic, sensitive, handsome as hell and funny but there was one thing wrong with him, he was untouchable. Lexi and he had a fling for a little bit and there was no way she would break the friend code of going after her best friend’s ex, even though Lexi and Parker were best friends now. It would be too weird for everyone.

  Margo thought about his question. “Maybe because men are dogs and love watching women touch themselves while us ladies have class and know what’s disgusting.”

  Parker seemed to weigh her answer and answered with a heart breaking smile. “I think you’re right about that. We are dogs. Do you have anywhere to be right now?”

  “Nowhere at all.” She said even though she should be writing a paper that was just assigned to her but due the next day. What teacher did that? Especially right after summer break. Margo thought there should be an understanding of easing students back into the swing of things, not bombarding them with useless educational material that they were not going to really apply in the real world.

  “Great, let me buy you a drink and we can sit and chat.”

  Parker ordered them both smoothies from the kiosk in the middle of the campus square while she found a little bistro set to sit at. She watched Parker’s behind shift back and forth while he waited for their drinks. God he was gorgeous, and he didn’t even flaunt it like Jake, that made him even hotter.

  When he turned around with their drinks he spotted her, lifted his head in her direction to acknowledge he saw her and smiled. She sighed. She would never get tired of his smile. She dreaded there last year in college because she knew he was going to go off and do bigger and better things while she was going to hopefully get her masters or get a job. She wouldn’t have moments like this anymore and she most likely wouldn’t see him very much due to his soon to be very busy schedule.

  A strawberry banana smoothie was placed in front of her as Parker asked, “Why the frown, sweet cheeks?”

  Margo half smiled at him. “Oh just thinking about a stupid paper I have to write.”

  “Man, the blood sucking professors already started attacking you?”

  “Of course, I should have been smart like you and Lexi and taken some summer classes that way my senior year would be a breeze.”

  He tilted his drink toward her. “Yes, you should have. Haven’t I always told you to follow my lead? Honestly Margo, when are you going to learn?” He said with a grin.

  “I think I learned the first time I followed your lead and I ended up in a dumpster in the early morning with your jersey wrapped around me and the worst hangover known to man.”

  Parker threw his head back and laughed. “Ah, good times.”

  “No, not good times. That was the last time I ever followed your lead.”

  “At least you have a great story to tell your grandkids one day.”

  “In order to have grandkids you actually have to have sex and some kind of significant other.”

  The moment she said the words she felt a flush of embarrassment rise from her toes to her cheeks. What would possess her to say something so candid, especially in front of Parker?

  He looked her up and down and said, “Don’t worry, there will be men knocking at your door when you’re a teacher. They’ll be begging for parent-teacher conferences.”

  “I don’t even know if that’s what I want to do but I guess it’s something to look forward to.” She said with a halfhearted smile.

  Parker probably realized how awkward the conversation became and changed the subject quickly. “So, how about Jake and Lexi? I got a brief text from Lexi this morning about going to dinner with him tomorrow but I don’t know any details.”

  Margo leaned forward and put her hand on his arm. “I was there.”

  “What?!” Parker shouted “And you’ve been holding out on me?”

  Margo relayed all the details of the eventful morning she and Lexi had this morning. Margo specifically liked describing the way Lexi’s face contorted into pure hatred when Jake said to wear something sexy. She already liked the guy for giving her friend such a hard time.

  Lexi could be so stubborn and such a hard ass sometimes, it was refreshing to see someone push her buttons and make her do things she normally wouldn’t even consider. Never in Margo’s life would she have thought Lexi would go to a formal dinner but Margo was proven wrong, thanks to Jake Taylor.

  Parker leaned back in his chair and blew out a whistle. “Damn, I like Jake for Lexi.”

  Margo shoved his shoulder. “I was thinking the same thing. She is always on guard and Jake is able to slowly pluck away at her walls she puts up and I like it. Plus it’s just great to watch her get all frazzled around him.”

  “I agree. You should have seen her at the football party after Jake approached her on the porch. She was practically dragging me out of there and she couldn’t stop talking about how ‘infuriating’ he was. If I didn’t know any better I would say she has a bit of a crush on him.”

  “I said the same thing to her this morning. Of course pure denial spewed out of her mouth but I can tell she likes him and is fighting it off.”

  “Only time will tell.” Pa
rker said while sucking the rest of his smoothie down with his straw. He took her empty cup and tossed them in a trashcan that was right next to them. “Well I have to get going. Keep me updated on the Lexi and Jake situation. I want full details.” He said with a wink.

  “Don’t you worry I’ll report later, we’re going shopping after practice for a dress.”

  Parker laughed. “Ha, good luck with that. She will most likely want to buy some sort of peasant gown.”

  “Not if I have anything to say about it. She is going to show off every asset God gave her.”

  That comment made Parker frown which caused Margo to think maybe Parker still had feelings for Lexi, he seemed awfully interested in her life, but then again he was her best friend. He was probably just looking out for her and why would he be pushing Lexi onto Jake if he had feelings for her? She was just imagining things.

  Margo gave Parker a quick hug, which he returned, sending chills through her body. “I will see you later. Keep me posted.”

  “I will.” Margo waved good bye and watched him jog toward the practice fields. Sighing once again, she picked up her bag and started walking toward the villas to start on her paper but she knew she wouldn’t be able to get anything done because all she would be able to think about was those chocolate brown eyes that called to her in her dreams.

  ***

  Lexi paced back and forth in the hallway in front of her professor’s office, occasionally looking at the clock on the wall.

  “Where is he?” She muttered to herself. She had to go to practice and she didn’t have time to wait for Jake to show up so she could get her phone.

  The one day she forgot to turn her phone on vibrate, that egotistical maniac had to text her. And how did he even get her number in the first place? There were two suspects, Margo and Parker. She didn’t feel like showing any mercy toward them next time they met up, no she was going to kill them both with her bare hands. Because of them she was going to be what she thought was late to practice and she once again had to see Jake. Why was it that she went three years without even having a conversation with the man but now all of a sudden, she sees him three times in two days? Not that she was counting.