Pregame

by Taylor Wade

  Either this guy was a real smooth talking playboy or he really did have an interest in me. His note affected me more than I’d have liked it to but the elated feeling in my chest that this extremely handsome man seemed to want me overpowered my annoyance with myself. It wasn’t as if I had low self esteem and found myself to be unattractive. I knew that I was pretty; I just didn’t understand why a guy like Gabe would find me interesting when I was the complete opposite to the glamorous luxury life that he likely lived. I decided to stop questioning myself and folded the note back up and tucked it into the back pocket of my jeans before heading to my last class of the day.

  ~~~~

  “Let me get this straight…Gabriel Harris asked to take you on a date tonight and you said NO?!” Elle cried out, throwing herself onto my bed dramatically. We had both finished all of our classes for the day and came back to the apartment to change into our swimsuits and lie out at the apartment complex’s community pool to get some sun before the weather started to get too cold. I grabbed my turquoise bikini and slipped it on rolling my eyes at Elle’s antics.

  Once we got outside, I walked over to the lounge chairs and sighed knowing that there was no way Elle would drop the subject.

  Adjusting her red bikini top Elle looked down at me in my lounge chair. “You realize that you can’t swear off all men forever, right? You’re my best friend, Brookelyn, and I understand that you’re scared after what happened with Jesse but you can’t live your life in fear. If you do then you’ll end up the fat lady with twenty dogs sitting around knitting all day.”

  “I’m pretty sure the saying is twenty cats, not dogs, Elle.”

  “You hate cats. I improvised.” She piled her hair into a messy bun and lied back in her chair with a sympathetic smile. “I worry about you. I worry that you’re going to miss out on what it feels like to be truly in love with someone who loves you back. There’s no greater feeling than realizing the person who captured your heart feels the same way.”

  “Not all relationships are as good as yours, Elle. Colin’s a great guy and you’re lucky, but not everyone has that same luck. Drop it.” I knew Elle was only being a good friend and looking out for me but as much as I was attracted to Gabe, I knew that I couldn’t go down that road.

  Elle huffed, “No, I will not drop it. You know you like him so why not give it a shot? It’s Gabriel Harris for Christ’s sake! He told you that you looked beautiful today. That is so sweet, Brooke.”

  “I don’t like him, I barely even know him. Am I attracted to him? Who wouldn’t be! He’s hot, Elle. But that doesn’t mean I can date him.” I slid my sunglasses off and turned to Elle and looked her right in the eye. “You know I can’t.”

  Elle was quiet for a moment and I figured she was finally accepting that I wasn’t ready to throw myself back into a relationship and risk all of my hard work from the last eight months.

  Just when I figured Elle had come around to the idea that I would not be going out with Gabe, she grinned wickedly, winking at me before saying, “We’ll see.”

  ~~~~

  We lied out at the pool for a couple of hours before it started to get a little chilly out. Thankfully Elle hadn’t brought up Gabe again but I was still trying to figure out what she meant with her cryptic, “we’ll see.”

  Elle was slick; she had always been able to convince or trick me into doing things I wasn’t up for doing. Last summer she even convinced me to go zip lining despite my fear of heights. She was good.

  We decided to try out the newly opened Mexican restaurant downtown for dinner, already sick of the school’s cafeteria food. After showering off the excess tanning oil, I blow dried my dirty blonde hair and put it in a long side braid so that by the time we left it would create soft waves down my back. I slipped on a pair of black skinny jeans and a white, fitted long sleeve shirt. I applied my everyday make up, light eyeliner, mascara, and light pink gloss to my lips, and then decided to wear my worn black leather boots that went up to my kneecap. I tied a pink scarf around my neck in case it had gotten colder outside and walked out to the living room to find Savanna and Elle already dressed and typing away at their phones. Elle was similarly dressed, donning her favorite blue skinny jeans with black ankle booties and a flowing long sleeved violet blouse. Savanna, as usual, had on a pair of heels, although they were about three inches shorter than she usually wore and she paired them with white boot cut denim jeans and a black tank top under a cropped black leather jacket. Her pale blonde hair was tied up in a high pony and her eyes were rimmed heavily with black eyeliner.

  “Nice heels, Savanna.” She looked up from her phone and then down to her shoes to remind herself what she was wearing.

  “Hey!” she cried. “Ollie’s tall, I can’t kiss him if I don’t have these babies on.”

  Savanna was only about 5’1, and while Elle and I were only a couple inches taller than her, she always used her height as an excuse to wear heels so that guys wouldn’t think she was high maintenance, even though she was.

  I laughed and sat down at one of the kitchen stools, pulling out my iPhone to send a quick text to my mother saying hi when there was a knock on the door. It must have been Colin and Ollie to pick us up.

  “I’ll get it!” Elle shot up from the sofa and ran to the door. I heard the familiar sound of Colin’s voice as he greeted Elle, nuzzling his face into her neck as she giggled. I waved at Ollie who was making his way over to Savannawhen I noticed a figure still standing in the doorway. My stomach dropped and I snapped my eyes over to Elle who was looking at me with a guilty smile. She shrugged her shoulders, like it was no big deal.

  “Hey, beautiful. Ready for our date?” Gabe walked over to me, smirking, of course, and stood in front of me. I looked up at him and narrowed my eyes, which made him laugh. He clearly knew I was being forced into this date. What guy wants to date a girl who is unwilling? Red flags went up all over the place before I told myself to calm down and stop overanalyzing everything. It was comforting to know that it wouldn’t just be the two of us alone, though.

  Gabe was dressed casually in a black button up shirt and faded jeans, his disheveled hair slightly managed but still flopping against his forehead. He slid his hand to his face and pushed his bangs from his eyes and reached out for my hand to help me off of my stool. I ignored the gesture which just made him chuckle, and walked ahead of him out of the apartment, shooting daggers at Elle who was now too busy whispering with Colin to pay me any mind.

  We got over to Colin’s car and I realized that all six of us wouldn’t fit. Savanna, noticing my expression, started to giggle, when Gabe placed his hand on the small of my back leading me over to a two door dark black Mercedes.

  “You’re riding with me, beautiful.” Gabe winked, before pulling open the passenger side door and gesturing for me to get in. It didn’t go unnoticed as I peered over my shoulder to see Elle give me an impressed smile at the gesture. I had never before had a guy be gentlemanly enough to open a car door for me. He must really want to get into my panties, I figured.

  Gabe settled into the drivers seat and pulled out of the parking lot, following behind Colin’s car to the restaurant. I clasped my hands together to stop from fidgeting, uncomfortable with the awkward silence that had settled between us.

  Gabe cleared his throat and turned his eyes from the road to look over at me. “Are you okay with this? I know you weren’t aware of Elle’s plan, and I don’t want to force you to hang out with me if you don’t want to.” He paused, searching my face when I didn’t answer. “Although, I gotta be honest, I’m really hoping you’ll give me a chance, beautiful. I want to get to know you.”

  I still didn’t know what to say to him. I stared at him, trying to form my words carefully. While I wanted to give him a shot and be a normal college sophomore going out on a group date, I couldn’t help but hear the little voice in the back of my head reminding me what can happen when you let your guard down.

  “Why do you do that?” I spit out, not able
to control my mouth from forming words on it’s on accord. I cringed, aware of the harsh tone of my voice, immediately feeling bad.

  Instead of looking insulted or angry, Gabe just smirked, “Why do I do what?”

  He glanced back and forth from me to the road, clearly unsure of what I was referring to.

  “Why do you call me beautiful? I have a name. It’s Brookelyn. And it’s a lot less cliché.” I didn’t know why I continued to be bitchy towards him, but a large part of me realized that I was hoping it would push him away.

  We pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot and found a space beside Colin’s car. The four of them started getting out of the car just as Gabe switched off the engine and looked over at me and smirked, slightly shaking his head. “Because you’re beautiful, beautiful.” With out another word he got out of the car and came around to my side, once again helping me out. Elle and Colin were waiting for us by the door while Savanna and Ollie went to grab us seats. As we walked across the parking lot Gabe placed his hand at the small of my back, almost as if to remind me that he was here. Approaching Elle, I saw the silent question in her eyes asking me if everything was okay. I nodded, deciding to give this night, and Gabe, a chance. Part of me told myself I was an idiot for letting a new guy back into my life so easily, while another part agreed with Elle that I couldn’t keep hiding from the possibility of finding love. I didn’t want to be by myself, and yet at the same time, all I wanted was to be left alone.

  ~~~~

  Dinner wasn’t as uncomfortable as I had thought it would be, and by the time we left, everyone was laughing and having a good time, myself included. I learned a lot about Gabe over dinner, like the fact that he was a senior and hoped to be an architect after graduation. He wanted to move out to California and design houses for the rich and famous. I learned that he was from a small, wealthy town in Massachusetts and gave myself a mental pat on the back for nailing it. He has two older sisters, a cat named Nelson, and he just got over a bad break up with his ex-girlfriend of two years. By the time we had left the restaurant I had decided that dating Gabe wouldn’t be a bad thing, because I knew it wouldn’t be serious. He was still on the rebound, even if he denied it, and he had a cat that he adored.

  “You still owe me a round of mini golf, ya know.”

  Gabe finished pulling the car out onto the main road that headed back to my apartment and turned towards me, his expression a mixture of surprise and hope.

  “So does that mean you’ve decided to give me a chance, beautiful? I knew you’d come around.”

  I rolled my eyes at his arrogance and shrugged a shoulder, “why not? We enjoy each other’s company but neither of us wants a serious relationship right now so we might as well have some fun.”

  “I never said I didn’t want a serious relationship,” he said pointedly, but continued as I opened my mouth to reason with him, “but since I know that it’s the only way to get you to go out with me, I’ll play along. When you fall for me though, I’ll be there, beautiful.”

  “Doesn’t your eye get tired from winking so often?” I blurted out after seeing him wink at me for the millionth time. Gabe burst out laughing, caught off guard by my remark.

  “I could same to you about all that eye-rolling.” I rolled my eyes by habit and then, catching myself, started to laugh along with him.

  We pulled into the parking lot a few minutes after the others to find that they had already headed inside. Unsure as to whether or not I should invite him inside, I shifted awkwardly in my seat. Before I could say anything, Gabe got out and walked over to my side, holding his hand out to me. I took it, and walked with him towards my door. As I was about to open it, Gabe interrupted me by taking my hand from the doorknob and held it in his.

  “I have a paper to work on, so I’m gonna head out, but thanks. I had a good time.” He stepped a little closer to me and I smiled up at him.

  “I had a good time, too.” I meant it.

  Gabe leaned down and wrapped me into a hug and I was grateful that he didn’t try to kiss me. Although I had thought about what it would be like, I hadn’t kissed anybody in eight months and I was nervous. Pulling away from the hug, I opened my mouth to say goodnight but was interrupted by Gabe’s lips suddenly pressing into mine. I tensed as he planted a soft peck to my mouth before pulling away and flashing me that smirk. I remained frozen where I stood as he started to back away from me towards his car.

  “I’ll see you around, beautiful!” he called back to me just as I remembered how to move my feet.

  I got into the apartment to find Colin sitting on the couch watching a sports game with Ollie and Savanna cuddled up to each other. I waved an acknowledgement and went over to Elle’s room to find her stuffing an overnight bag some clothes and toiletries.

  “Hey, girlfriend! How was it?!” Elle exclaimed, bouncing over to me with a wicked grin.

  “You are evil you know that, right?” She threw her head back and laughed before heading over to her dresser to pull out some more clothes. I gave her a couple of details but left out the part about the kiss. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear her gush about it just yet.

  “I’m gonna stay over at Colin’s tonight but when I get back tomorrow I want to hear everything,” she pointed at me accusingly, “and don’t think you can leave anything out because I will know if you do, missy!”

  I smiled my acknowledgement, “Have a good time tonight,” I started to turn away before throwing back, “and don’t forget protection you slut! The last thing anyone needs is another you running around!”

  I laughed, ducking the pillow flying towards my face and headed to my room down the hall.

  THREE

  The next two weeks passed by quickly and I was starting to get more familiar with the school’s campus and more comfortable in my new environment. I was doing well in all of my classes and even met a few new people that I liked. I went out with Gabe a few more times and, as promised, we went out to mini golf. Gabe had failed to mention that he played golf with his father since he was a young boy and so, being a sore loser, I had made him buy me frozen yogurt in order to redeem himself. While Gabe was fun to be around and I enjoyed the time we spent together, I never fully opened up to the possibility of becoming his girlfriend. Gabe was sweet, never pushing me further than I was comfortable with, so we had stuck to mostly kissing. The idea of being intimate with someone still scared me a bit, and I was grateful that Gabe understood without asking questions. Hanging out with Gabe was easier than I had expected; our conversations were always light, and the only time we got personal was when he was talking about himself.

  Tonight was the night of the notorious Zeta Pi beginning of the school year kick off party, and as I left my last class of the day I got a text from Elle asking me to swing by the athletic center and check to see if she had left her University ID card on one of the treadmills.

  The trees had started to change colors with the change of seasons and I admired the pretty scenery as I made my way across campus to the athletic building. I swiped my ID card allowing me access and made my way over to the section of treadmills that lined the far left side of the wall in the downstairs section of the gym. I got to the first treadmill and looked around, not seeing anything other than cords and empty water bottles. As I was about to turn to the next treadmill to resume my search I heard a grunt followed by a smacking noise, and then another. I looked around, noticing a room to my right covered by see-through glass. Inside were two heavyweight-boxing bags and a speed bag, with mats lining the floor and three of the walls. A guy that I faintly recognized from one of my classes held up his fists in a defensive stance, shuffling his feet and blocking jabs from a second guy who had his back to me. The guy, I think his name was Luke, was sweating and breathing hard but was smiling and I could see his mouth forming words that I couldn’t make out from so far away. I moved my eyes away long enough to notice that all of the girls who ran on the treadmills and elliptical machines had their eyes trained on the two men, mo
st of them smiling dreamily. I laughed to myself and went back to searching the empty treadmills, trying to block out the grunting and smacking sounds that filled the air. Unable to resist the sight of two guys punching each other, even without malice, I turned back to the guys, except this time I was greeted by Luke’s back. The guy who had been facing away from me before now had his front to me, and I gasped, suddenly understanding the girls’ fascination. While Luke was cute, there wasn’t anything spectacular about him to steal the unwavering attention of twenty sweaty college girls.