“Austin United has seen a lot of changes in the past year. How do you feel about the team that Coach O’Brien has put together?”
“It’s a close knit group with a great bunch of guys. I couldn’t have found a better club.”
“You recently celebrated your thirtieth birthday, congratulations. How long do you plan on staying in the game for?”
“For as long as the game will have me. I love playing,” his eyes flash as he says the last part and I don’t miss the passion that’s reflected in his eyes.
“If you weren’t a footballer what would you be?”
“That’s a tough question. I’ve always played soccer. It’s what I think about when I wake up in the morning and it’s what I think about when I lie down to sleep at night.”
“Speaking of lying down to sleep; is there a special someone in your life right now?”
“No,” his mouth twitches. “I don’t really do girlfriends.”
“That’s an impressive tattoo. Can you tell me what it means?” Leigh switches the topic to the ink on his chest and I notice immediately how his body tenses. His eyes shift to the wall behind her head as he speaks.
“I think that’s enough questions for now.” The way he cuts her off so abruptly it’s obvious that her question has touched a nerve.
“Oh, okay,” Leigh stammers, sounding a little flustered. She switches off the recorder and tosses it back into her bag before taking a step back. He seems to catch his blunder and recovers by flashing another panty-dropping grin.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, doll,” he says in a low voice and I notice that Leigh’s hand trembles a little as she grips his.
“You too,” she answers breathlessly. His eyes cut to me and my cheeks heat in response because I’m still trying my hardest to wipe the image of him naked from my mind.
“You,” he says and the words come out almost like a growl.
“Me?” I squeak.
“You were booing me.”
I study his face which is carefully blank. If I’d known he was going to call me out on it I never would’ve come into the dressing room with Leigh. “It wasn’t you specifically…it was more soccer in general,” I explain and a beat passes before he throws his head back and laughs.
“You have a problem with soccer?” he asks, wiping his eyes.
“It’s just not my thing,” I say on a shrug.
“Then what is your thing, beautiful? Other than lacy white bras,” he asks as his eyes travel down the front of my button shirt. I’m momentarily stunned that he’s referred to me as beautiful and I kick myself for being so weak. I know exactly how guys like him operate yet I can’t help the small tremor of pleasure that passes through my body at his words.
“Investigative Journalism. That’s my thing,” I answer.
“So you’re a reporter?”
“Hardly. I’m an Assistant at the Observer which means that most of my time is spent making coffee and occasionally proof-reading articles.”
“Sounds like you love it,” he deadpans.
“It’s a glamourous job,” I give it right back to him while tugging on Leigh’s arm to go. “Can we leave now?” I whisper as I turn around but his deep, rough voice stops me in my tracks.
“Wait,” he says and I’m forced to look back over my shoulder at him. “What are you ladies doing tomorrow night?”
Before I can speak Leigh answers for us both. “Nothing, we’re free.” She stresses the word free and the way she says it sounds so dirty that I think I might need to push him out of the way and jump into the shower myself.
“I’m having a party at my place downtown. I’m in the lofts on third down by the lake. You two should come.”
“No, thank you,” I say at the same time she Leigh says, “definitely”.
“Give me your phone and I’ll program in my number so you can text me for the address.” He looks at me as he speaks but I’m saved by Leigh who thrusts her phone in his face. He grits his teeth in obvious displeasure but he takes her phone and plugs in his number. He hands it back and his eyes come up to meet mine.
“I expect to see you both there.”
The way he says it, so dominantly, I find myself nodding my head even though I know in the back of my mind there is no way in hell I’m darkening the door of a party thrown by all-star playboy soccer player Shane Mitchell.
***
It turns out that hell has other plans for me, I think to myself as I survey the entire contents of my closet spread out on my twin bed. After much begging, pleading and cajoling on Leigh’s part I finally agreed to attend Shane’s party on one condition - that we bring Matty with us.
Matty is my very best friend in the world. He’s also quick-witted, funny, fabulous and always obliging when I need him to play the part of my date for the night. I glance at my phone and see that it’s already 8:35 which means that Matty will be here in less than half an hour and I’m still not dressed. But it’s been awhile since I’ve been to a party and choosing an outfit has proven to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. Between my part-time job at the club and my full time job at the paper I haven’t been living it up much lately and my usual Saturday nights consist of takeout pizza, craft beer and HBO. What an exciting life I lead.
I look out my second story window at the sky that is quickly turning a shade of dark blue and I know that I have to get move on but I’m stuck on what I am supposed to wear to a star-athlete’s downtown loft. A dress might be too over-the-top and I don’t want to send the wrong message so I settle on my white skinny jeans and a sleeveless black blouse that dips low at the back. It’s one of my favorite tops because it keeps the girls mostly covered, which for me is always a hard thing to do, and instead highlights my back which is an area I’ve been working hard at the gym on toning. I pair the outfit with some strappy black high heels and simple silver jewelry and pile my long hair on the top of my head in a high ponytail. I hear Matty let himself in as I’m applying a layer of gloss and when he sees me he whistles.
“I should take you out more often,” he says as I do a little twirl, then he comes over to wrap his arms around my waist. “You’re beautiful, Carm,” he adds sweetly.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I say and it’s true. He’s wearing his usual hipster uniform of fitted jeans, a gray V-neck and high top converse but it’s a look that he’s always been able to pull-off, even before it hit the mainstream. His straight black hair is gelled up into a pompadour and his thick-framed black glasses set off his delicate, angular features. I take a step forward to cradle his face in my hands so that I can look into his deep set blue eyes. “Thank you for doing this for me,” I say sincerely and he chuckles.
“Hey, all I’m doing is taking a gorgeous woman to a celebrity party. It’s not really a chore.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call him a celebrity,” I shoot back and he laughs.
“Touchy, touchy. We don’t see a shit ton of action here in Austin so to me he’s a celebrity. Comprende?”
“I hate it when you speak Spanish to me,” I whine and he laughs again. He thinks it’s hilarious that I don’t speak a word of it and tries to rile me every chance he gets.
“I can’t help it, especially not when you’re looking like a hot little tamale,” he teases and I roll my eyes and change the subject.
“Was Kyle okay with us going out tonight?”
“Who cares what he thinks?” Matt answers shortly.
“Matthew Jeffery Dawson, what happened this time?” I groan. Matty is a hopeless romantic who seems to love falling in love but has a hard time staying in it. He is constantly in and out of relationships for one reason or another and I’m a little disappointed since Kyle and he seemed so good together.
“Nothing happened. There just wasn’t any spark.”
“But I really liked him,” I whine.
“You like every guy I bring by. I’m starting to think that you’re a beard in training,” he laughs and I shove him so he falls
back on the bed. At the last second his arms grab around my waist and he pulls me down with him.
“You know I love you, right?” I say into his shoulder and he grunts. “I only want you to be happy.”
“I could say the same thing to you miss hasn’t-been-out-on-a-Saturday-night-in-months. You are going to work yourself into an early grave. I’m glad we are going to this thing tonight. You need to live a little,” he chastises and I pull away from him and climb off of the bed.
“God, we are a pair aren’t we?” I say, picking up my clutch and slipping into my fitted beige leather coat.
“The best pair.” He follows me off the bed and kisses my head, then grabs my hand and leads us out of the bedroom to the front door.
***
The evening air is chilly and I’m instantly glad I brought my jacket as we make our way down the two flights of stairs. I live in a three story low rise on the east side of Austin in an area called Pleasant Valley. The neighborhood is mostly working class with some low income housing and it is pretty safe during the day, but at night there’s lots of property crime which is why I still have a club on my crappy Honda hatchback. I climb into the driver’s seat before Matty can even offer to drive because this way I’ll have to stay sober and can make a quick escape if I need to. It takes a few turns of the key before my twenty year old crap bucket shudders to life and when it does I hit the gas and we both fly forward in our seats before the car jerks and stalls.
“Fucking hell, Carm!” Matty shouts as his body slams into the seatbelt. “This thing is a complete piece of shit! When are you going to get a new car?” He sounds pissed and I know he’s just speaking from frustration but I flinch anyway. He knows as well as I do that I can’t afford a new car right now and even if I could there’s about a hundred other things that need my attention before I can upgrade my wheels. My mind wanders to my mother and my chest constricts. Matty must see my response because his hand is on top of mind before I can blink.
“Don’t go there right now, honey. Don’t let that bitch ruin our night. I’m sorry for what I said about the car.”
I blink away the tears that were threatening to fall and nod my head. I try the ignition again and the car comes to life. I ease on to the gas this time and Matty switches on the radio, presumably to fill the air with something other than our uncomfortable silence.
It only takes me about ten minutes to drive downtown and we park at the Convention Center and walk up to the condo. It turns out Shane lives in one of the new city loft buildings and as we ride the elevator to the tenth floor an anxious feeling like butterflies starts to form in my stomach.
“Are you okay?” Matty sounds concerned as he looks me over. I check myself in the glass wall of the elevator and run a hand over my ponytail.
“Fine,” I lie through my teeth but he just shrugs and follows me out into the hall.
The building’s design is what I would call industrial chic with exposed duct work that runs the length of the eight foot ceilings and stark white walls. As we approach the door I can hear a familiar giggle coming from the other side. Leigh. She must have beaten us here. I lift my hand to knock but the door flies open before I can.
“Come on in.” A guy I’ve never seen before winks at me devilishly and I wonder if he’s from the soccer team. I look past him into the condo at the wall of bodies that are filling up the space and I figure that most of them must be. “Get out the piggy bank guys because we’ve got another dime on our hands!” he shouts as I pass in front of him and the group of guys all cheer.
“Told you that outfit is hot,” Matty laughs at my back but I ignore him as I slip out of my coat and head for the kitchen that’s visible just beyond the foyer.
“Caramel!”
Leigh is seated at the long marble island and she screams my name when she sees me. She’s wearing a slinky little red dress and from the look of her she isn’t on her first drink. “Get over here and meet Seven!” she shouts, hopping off the bar stool and landing on her feet in front of me. A tall guy with a shaved head standing behind her extends his hand. He has a lip piercing, cheek piercings and two stretched lobes and he doesn’t look a day over twenty one.
“Seven?” I repeat back, taking his calloused hand in mine. “Like the number?”
He gives me a warm smile and nods his head. “Like the number.”
“Seven is a drummer,” Leigh adds, looping her arms around his neck and leaning in for a sloppy kiss. “In a band.”
“As opposed to?” Matty starts but I shush him.
“Do you play around here?” I ask, though it’s difficult to have a conversation with him while Leigh’s tongue is down his throat.
“Once in a while. We’re called ‘Rabid Instincts’,” he explains, pulling away briefly from her assault on his mouth.
“What do you play?” Matty asks innocently. “Country? Pop?”
Seven looks at him like he’s crazy. “Nah, man. Metal. Only metal.” He gives us one final smile before wrapping his arms around Leigh and burying his face in hers. Yuck.
“Get a room,” I mumble under my breath as Matty leads me away. We walk over to the other side of the enormous island where bottles of every kind of liquor possible are set up. Matty picks up a red solo cup and starts to pour some vodka into it.
“Look at this spread, Carm. I’m going to get white boy wasted!” he says, smiling into his cup and I groan inwardly when I realize that this puts me on babysitting duty tonight. When I don’t say anything he pulls me flush against his body and slides a hand down my bare back.
“Now don’t pout. We’re here on a mission, remember? You just need to tell me exactly how ‘boyfriend-y’ I need to be.” He’s whispering in my ear when Shane comes around the corner. I know the moment he sees me because his eyes flare with something - lust maybe - and his expression heats right before he takes in mine and Matty’s stance. I glance down and realize that I’m pressed against my best friend’s body as his hand traces circles on my back. In an instant Shane’s expression switches from playful to downright pissed. That’s what I wanted though, I silently remind myself. For him to think that I’m taken. Matty pulls away and follows my gaze to where Shane is standing with his hands clenched by his sides.
“Jesus, that’s what I’m here for?” Matty’s eyes widen as he gives Shane a once over. “That is like pure sex in cleats.” He pulls away and hands me his red solo cup. “You are going to need this more than me, honey.”
I nod and gulp down some of the vodka, washing away my plan to play designated driver and hopefully my nervousness along with it. Shane looks between me and Matty and for a second it looks like he might retreat but then he seems to change his mind. He walks over and stops right in front of me and he has to bend his head to meet my eyes because he’s like a foot taller than me.
“You look beautiful,” Shane speaks and he sounds so sincere that I’m a bit taken aback. I’m expecting some kind of douchebag-y comment but in this case he sounds like he really means it.
“Thank you?” I respond and he quirks an eyebrow at me.
“Is that a question?”
I ignore his jest as I look around at the open-concept kitchen and living room. There are wall to wall windows on two sides of the loft and a huge balcony runs the length of the place. The floors are polished concrete and the décor is done in a tastefully minimalist style with lots of cream and gray tones. A huge metal and glass chandelier hangs high above a rectangular table that is presently crammed shoulder-to-shoulder with people playing some sort of drinking game.
“Your home is amazing,” I say honestly.
“Mmm,” he responds, not taking his eyes off of me. The way he looks at me, like he wants to devour me whole is both unnerving and exhilarating.
“I don’t think I’ve properly introduced myself,” I say as I fidget nervously with the hem of my shirt.
“Walking in on me naked is not an introduction?” he teases and his voice sends a shiver down my spine.
; “I’m Carmelina,” I say weakly and his face splits into a wide grin.
“Carmelina.” His deep voice rumbles in his chest and I feel my knees go a little weak. I’ve never have this kind of a reaction to a man before and it’s kind of messing with my head. Matty is at the island pouring himself another drink and his head is flying back and forth as he follows the conversation. When his cup is filled he walks back over to my side.
“And I’m Matt.” Matt holds out his hand and Shane looks at it like he wants to rip it off.
“I don’t remember inviting your boyfriend,” Shane says it so roughly that I think it surprises us both.
“I’m sorry?” I say and he clenches his jaw.
“Me too.” Shane gives me another once over then turns to leave. He’s about to walk away when Matty’s ex-boyfriend Kyle appears.
“What are you doing here, Matthew? I thought you said you were out of town?” Kyle says accusingly and Matty rubs a hand down his face in response.
“Not right now, Kyle. Can’t you see that I’m with someone?”
“Yeah, I see you with, Carm. What else is new? I’ll give you that she’s hot but unless she’s grown a dick in the last twenty four hours I think you and I have a few things to talk about.”
At the word ‘dick’ Shane turns back around. He looks between Matty and Kyle and before I can come up with a quick lie he has my wrist in his hand and he’s half-dragging me across the room. When I try and pull away he tugs harder and he doesn’t let me go until we’re in a bedroom with the door closed behind us. I notice that he’s breathing a bit heavier and his expression hasn’t warmed at all.
“You brought a gay guy as your boyfriend to my party.” It’s not a question but he follows it with one. “Why?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” I say, glibly. “Matty is my best friend.”
“Do all of your best friends touch you like that?” he accuses and I notice that his voice sounds strangely jealous.
On His Turf Page 2