“I know, man—I’m sorry—”
“No—you can’t just send me a text canceling on the Big Game, Gardner. You call me to tell me about your dry cleaner’s vacation. Really—a text?”
“I know, I just knew how disappointed you were going to be.”
He was right. Drew was beyond disappointed. “Jeff. The Bengals actually made it into the playoffs. Then they made it to the AFC Championship. I have tickets. And you’re canceling.”
“I know, and I feel like a jerk, but I just have too much—”
“I swear, if you say work, I will get in my car, drive to Chicago, and choke you out.” Drew leaned forward and massaged his temples with his free hand.
“I really am sorry, Drew.”
He knew it shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but for some reason, Drew felt as if he needed to have some one on one time with his best friend. He needed to be reminded of the good old days.
“It’s no big deal. Whatever, it’s mostly a work thing anyway.” He was supposed to spend the afternoon tailgating for the station, and after that, he had planned on having a few beers and losing himself in the crowd with his oldest friend while watching the game they had been dreaming about since they were kids.
“Are you sure?”
“I mean, it still sucks. I was really looking forward to it.” An understatement if he ever made one. While all the little girls were planning their future weddings, Drew and Jeff were planning the day they would watch the Bengals actually make it to the playoffs.
“Take Anna.” Drew actually snorted.
“Right, because she’d really get a kick out of that. Even I know that girl hates football.” He shook his head.
“So what? Invite her anyway. You never know.”
“I do have other friends, Jeff.” But they both knew he was lying. Outside of work, Jeff was really the only person Drew had a personal relationship with.
“Then invite one of them. Go to the game, get drunk, start a fight. You know, your usual.”
Drew remembered those days with great fondness.
“Right, and I’ll have Anna be my wingman.” He shook his head again, this time sighing. “Well, thanks for letting me know.”
“I’ll pay you back for the ticket—”
“You know I won’t take it anyway.” Drew reached out and traced a pattern on the table. “It’ll be payback enough to know you’re holed up in some tiny, windowless office, while I’m sitting there watching something historical take place.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine. You always are.”
“Yeah, yeah…I’ll be sure to enjoy myself extra hard.”
“Thanks,”
And with that, Drew ended the call and tossed the phone on the couch beside him. He leaned back once more, turning the TV up a little louder.
He tried to imagine taking Anna to a football game—how bored she would be, how annoyed she would get with him. He couldn’t even bring himself to imagine asking her.
But then he pictured her sitting beside him, her cheeks pink with cold, her green eyes shining brightly…
And he decided he’d better break out the liquor.
He obviously needed to kill a few brain cells.
~*~
Anna was sitting at her desk when her phone vibrated. She looked up and touched the screen to open the message. It was just one word, but she couldn’t deny the smile that touched her lips.
Drew: Coffee?
She stared for a moment before typing back, debating what to say.
Tea?
It was barely a minute before she received a response.
Drew: Be there in 5.
She had been wondering if she was going to hear from him again. After the weekend had passed, and Monday and Tuesday had come and gone, she’d pretty much decided that Drew had indeed come to the conclusion that the world of adult relationships was something that he couldn’t quite handle.
It was nice to know that he hadn’t given it up just yet.
She closed the folder she’d been staring at just moments ago and put it away, deciding she should probably call it for the day. A game would be picking up in the gym and she was ready for a little distraction.
She met him in the lobby, where he was casually leaning against the wall.
“Couldn’t wait to see me?”
“Couldn’t wait for that, actually.” Anna pointed to the cup in his hand and he grinned as he righted himself and held it out to her. “Would you like to join me?”
“Ooh, where are we going?” he asked.
“To watch the basketball game, of course.”
“Funny you should mention watching a game…” Drew held the door open for her and followed her through, waiting to continue until they were seated. Anna didn’t miss the way the three girls sitting a few rows higher up leaned in and whispered as they looked her way. She raised her eyebrows at them knowingly before she waved.
“Go on, Drew.”
“Well, you know…I was just going to see if you wanted to go to a game with me.”
“A basketball game?” She turned to look at him.
“Actually, a football game.”
“You’re kidding.” She almost laughed at him. If there was one sport she just couldn’t bring herself to like…it was football. It was too much testosterone and not enough…anything else.
“What? I thought you might enjoy it. Didn’t you say you needed to try new things?”
“I don’t believe I said that, no.” Anna turned her eyes briefly to the court, where three boys were scuffling over the ball.
“Oh, well—then perhaps I’m suggesting it.” He took a drink from his cup. “I mean, I don’t know what happened with you and Jeff, Anna, and I’m not asking. But, as an outsider—I have to say…you seem bored. Whatever happened to that spunky girl with the red streaks in her hair?”
“She grew up.” Anna turned back to the court now, avoiding his eyes.
“Well, growing up and forgetting what it’s like to live are two entirely different things.” And as he said the words, she thought of her grandmother. Hadn’t Nana said something similar to her only weeks ago? “Come on, Annabelle. In the name of friendship, please don’t turn me down.”
“I wasn’t your first choice.” It wasn’t a question—she was certain that, originally, Drew and Jeff had made plans to go to the game. She didn’t want to get into the specifics of what had happened, but she could only assume that Jeff had canceled on Drew.
“But you’re much prettier company.” Anna rolled her eyes at him before she turned back to the court and sighed loudly.
“Fine, I’ll go. But I’m warning you in advance—first, I know nothing about football. Second, I don’t really care to learn.”
“Yeah, yeah, just wait until you’re there.” The smile on his lips reached his pretty blue eyes and she had to turn away again so that he wouldn’t see her own smile. She wasn’t quite ready to trust Drew, and more to the point, she didn’t want him to see that he could affect her so easily. “Which is actually my second point. Do you mind…meeting me there?”
“So not only are you asking me to spend my Sunday at a football game, but you want me to drive to Cincinnati on my own?” She immediately wondered whether she was being invited along simply as the designated driver.
“It’s for your own benefit—I’ve got to be there a few hours early for work, and I don’t want you to waste your entire day.”
“Oh.” Anna felt her cheeks flare and Drew chuckled beside her. “Then sure, I can drive myself.”
“I’ll just drop my car off at your place Sunday morning, then? That way you don’t have to go out of the way or anything—”
“I don’t mind—”
“No, no, I insist. Really, I’m already inconveniencing you enough—” His tone was exaggerated, and before she could stop herself, she swatted playfully at his shoulder. His eyes found hers and she felt her breath catch in her throat for just the briefest of moments.
She
understood exactly why so many women seemed to melt in the palm of his hand.
His charm was undeniable.
“I’m just glad you’re going with me, Annabelle.”
“We’ll see if you’re still saying that Sunday night.”
~*~
Once Anna finally made it through the hell of traffic and parked her car—luckily, Drew had given her his VIP parking pass—she had to check her phone for directions. He had sent her a message before she’d left telling her where to find him, but she still felt nervous going into unfamiliar territory.
The show was over, but he and his partner were still sitting at the table, a line of people in front of them as they waited for pictures and autographs. She held back for several minutes once she located him so that she could observe Drew in his element—and it was impossible to miss the way some of the women threw themselves at him. More than once, she saw him take a piece of paper she could only assume had a phone number written on it.
Finally, Drew noticed her—and his smile widened as he waved. She watched as he leaned over and said something to Dave, his partner, before backing away from the table. As he made his way toward her, he stopped for a picture, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly as he grinned at her.
“You made it!” She shrugged her shoulders as she smiled back at him.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt—”
“Nah, I was ready to go anyway. Dave can handle the rest.”
“Are you sure? There are a few more ladies over there just dying to meet you.” Drew laughed then—a real laugh.
“Is that jealousy I hear?”
“More like pity.”
“For them, or for me?” She tilted her head as she looked up at him, pursing her lips.
“I haven’t quite decided yet.”
“Well, let’s make it easier then.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out more than the few scraps of paper she’d seen him receive. He’d been busy.
And then he opened his hand, letting the wind carry them all away.
“You’re going to regret that later on. Some of those girls—”
“Boring.” He waved his hand in the air. “They’re no more interested in me than I am in them, either.”
Anna was surprised. She’d always been under the impression that Drew had very few standards.
So what did that mean for her, then? She remembered with a burning shame how she’d thrown herself at him—and he’d turned her down, hadn’t he? She imagined herself as one of those pieces of paper he’d let go, fluttering away in the wind.
“Hey, where’d you go?”
“Oh, sorry—I was stunned to silence by the fact that you would throw away the opportunity for so many meaningless encounters with cute girls in football jerseys.” Anna told him, referring to a comment he’d made during the show he’d been doing while she made the trek to Cincinnati. Drew nudged her with his shoulder as they walked on, his hands in his pockets.
“I’m not that bad, Annabelle.”
“I’m starting to see that.” She told him, looking up so that she could meet his eyes briefly. “Now, is it going to be this cold the entire game?” Anna clapped her gloved hands together and rubbed them ferociously.
“That’s what the beer is for.” It was her turn to roll her eyes and Drew laughed again, reaching out and lacing his arm around her back so that he could guide her through the crowd. It took quite awhile to make their way to their seats—which, from what Anna could tell, were pretty good. They were close to the field, and almost directly in the middle.
“We missed the anthem?” Anna asked as they settled in. The players were already scurrying around on the field.
“I knew the show was going to run over anyway.”
Though she had absolutely zero interest in football, Anna couldn’t exactly ignore what was happening in front of her. She watched quietly for a long while, and soon, she found she was trying to understand everything that was happening while the crowd roared around her.
Finally, she couldn’t stand it.
“How do they know when to give the ball to the other team? I get the whole interception thing—that’s obvious. But why don’t they just keep going until someone steals it? Or until they score or whatever?” She dreaded looking up at Drew, knowing before she did that smug expression would be written all over his face.
“I thought you didn’t want to learn.” Anna rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah. You know you’re dying to tell me everything you know. Just answer my question.”
“They have four chances to make it ten yards. If they can’t do it, they turn the ball over. If they do, then they get another four chances.”
“Well, that’s dumb. They should just keep going until someone steals the ball. Isn’t that how it is in every other sport?” Drew laughed beside her, dropping his head as he shook it. She watched his shoulders shake for several moments and when he looked up, his eyes were shining even brighter than they normally did.
“Oh, Annabelle. I’m so glad you came with me.” Though she feigned annoyance—rolling her eyes and shaking her head at him—she was beginning to share the sentiment. When she had agreed to join him tonight, she had done it mostly out of a combination of guilt and spite. Deep down, she couldn’t help but feel that she may have been the reason Jeff had canceled on Drew. And then when he’d basically told her she was boring…she couldn’t let him be right.
But now that she was here, surrounded by the cheering crowd, there was something electric in the air. It was impossible not to get swept up in it—even though, logically, she knew that football was a barbaric sport and something she would never be able to understand.
Drew wasn’t bad company, either. She enjoyed the way he encouraged her to cheer along with him, or how he would tell her quick little stories about the players or previous games, or how, after she had opened the door and asked her first question, he would tell her what was happening so that she didn’t have to ask.
Anna was enjoying herself in a way she hadn’t in quite some time.
“So I have another question.” She admitted sometime near the end of the game. She knew it was a stupid question, and she knew he was going to laugh at her—which was half the reason she had decided to ask it.
“By the time we get home tonight, you’re going to know everything you need to know to be a professional fan.”
She shook her head as she rubbed her hands together, breathing into them. Even through her gloves, she couldn’t seem to get warm. “So why did they just kick the ball? Aren’t they supposed to keep trying to get down to the touchdown zone?”
She was right. Drew laughed—and he laughed, and he laughed a little more.
Then he was looking down at her with the most genuine smile on his face.
And Anna realized that this was the first time she could definitively say she’d seen Drew happy. It was the first time he’d finally let go of the façade he wore so well.
She decided then that she could trust him—that he wasn’t playing games with her, and that they really could be friends.
It took everything she had not to reach up and touch her lips to his cheek, she was so overcome with joy. “Well?” She asked finally, cupping her hands together and breathing into them again just to keep herself busy.
“The touchdown zone?”
“Where they score. And do their little dance.” She did a silly little jig, feeling breathless and airy now. Drew chuckled once more, this time a little breathless himself.
“Oh, Annabelle. You might be the most adorable thing I’ve ever witnessed.”
“Yeah, yeah…you’re just trying to get out of answering my question because you don’t know the answer.” She nudged him with her shoulder, still grinning.
The crowd erupted a moment later, a collective sound of anger and outrage as a call was made on the field that pretty much dashed any hope the Bengals had of coming back. And though the mood of the crowd slowly faded out around them, Anna wasn’t affected.
And neither was Drew.
The mood carried them all the way to the car and most of the ride home. Drew volunteered to drive, and Anna had spent half of the drive singing along with the worst songs she could find on the radio as loudly and terribly as she could while Drew chuckled along beside her.
Eventually, though, she rested her head against the window and the heat of the car enveloped her, lulling her into a sleep she struggled against. By the time he pulled up into her driveway, she had opened her eyes. “All partied out?” he questioned.
“I had fun.”
“And I actually believe you this time.” He told her, resting his head against his seat. Anna unbuckled and settled a little more comfortably into the corner of the vehicle.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The last few times you were supposed to be having fun, it didn’t really seem to work out for you.” She knew he was talking about those nights at the club.
“I was almost having fun.” She admitted.
“Almost doesn’t quite cut it.” Drew didn’t take his eyes off her, and so she didn’t look away either. Strange, she couldn’t help but think, that she didn’t feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable beneath his gaze. “Can I ask you a question?” he asked.
“If you have to ask permission, I probably won’t like it.” She sighed, giving in. “Go on.”
“Why were you so mad at me, after I brought you home?” The moment the words left his mouth, Anna felt her cheeks burning and she found she was very grateful for the darkness surrounding them.
“I’m pretty sure I wasn’t mad.”
“No, I mean—after that.” She sighed loudly. She wasn’t sure what she had expected him to ask—but this definitely wasn’t it.
“Honestly?” Drew nodded, and Anna sighed again, more softly this time. “I was…embarrassed. And, I don’t know—hurt.”
“Why were you hurt?” He raised his head from the headrest and she knew that he was really paying attention. Unable to look him in the eye any longer, she shifted her gaze downward as she plucked at a string in the upholstery.
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