Roughing the Passer (Quarterback Sneak Book 2)

by Natalie Brock

  Chapter Six

  Allison was taking summer school classes, anything to avoid going home. When her mother asked if she’d be coming home for the summer, Allison told her mom she didn’t want to take the chance of losing her job at Old Smoky’s. When that wasn’t convincing enough, she lied that she was still in the running for a spot on the cheer squad. Her mother didn’t ask any further questions.

  Heading along the outdoor path toward the liberal arts building, she was juggling her belongings—a plastic water bottle in one hand, her smartphone and a tube of lip balm in the other, a backpack over her shoulder and a notebook under her arm. One of her psych professors once told the class to always carry a notebook and use it to jot your thoughts and feelings. He claimed the act of physically writing it down instead of jotting it on a notes app helps you connect with your feelings, and that, in turn, would help you connect with others when you go on to your respective professions in the field. That made sense to Allison.

  She uncapped the balm to apply some to her lips when she heard someone call “Allison!”

  As she started to turn around, she lost her grip on the lip balm, water bottle and phone. “Oh no!” She reached out to catch them before they fell, and dropped the notebook and backpack as well. Closing her eyes, she exhaled a sigh of surrender.

  She sank to her knees to pick her things off the pavement. “Here.” A man squatted to help her gather her belongings. Allison’s eyes went wide when she recognized him as the guy who laughed at her at tryout practice and helped her clean up the mess at the restaurant a few weeks ago. After he handed her the lip balm and phone, she pressed the power key to make sure the phone screen didn’t crack.

  “You a psych major?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “No reason.” Pointing to the notebook, he said, “I saw the words ‘Psych notes’ on your notebook and, I don’t know. Just making conversation.”

  She rose to her feet and looked at him. “You called my name. How did you know my name is Allison?”

  Tony stood up and stuffed a hand in his pocket. “Oh. Uh. I heard your boss say it. Did you … did you get fired?”

  “Yeah, but I got hired back the same day. My manager said he was in a bad mood and got over it or somethin’. It was pretty weird.” Allison lifted her chin to look at his face. Standing so close, he was taller than she’d realized. Handsomer too. When he laughed at her last week, she thought he was unattractive, but up close she could see he was far from ugly. She looked down at her backpack on the floor, then back up at Tony. “Wait a minute. What are you doin’ here? Are you stalkin’ me to see how often you can embarrass me?”

  “No, no, I wouldn’t do that,” he replied sincerely. “But I have been looking for you.”

  Allison put her fist on her hip and squinted at him. “Why? Did you need a good laugh?”

  “No, come on, stop saying that. It’s just, I know I kind of messed you up during tryouts. Then I messed you up at work and almost got you fired.”

  Allison sighed and shook her head. She nervously rubbed the back of her neck. “You didn’t do anything. I’m responsible for my own actions and—” Looking into his eyes, she remembered the way he looked at her that first day. In the middle of her tryout, he caused her heart to skip a beat and time seemed to stand still. Actually, it wasn’t time that stood still that day. Time kept going and she was the one who stood still, losing her focus, then losing her balance. And the rest is history. “I let myself get distracted, both times,” she admitted. “It’s on me.”

  “Maybe,” he shrugged, “but I was still wrong to laugh, and I shouldn’t have done it.”

  “Then why did you,” she challenged.

  “Don’t know. Pent-up energy. Frustration. Blowing off steam, maybe. Look, I still feel bad about it and I wanna make it up to you. I want to help you with your tryouts.”

  She lifted her brow in surprise. “Uh. Um. Thanks anyway, but I’m done with that. I’m really bad at it, as you saw.”

  “But there’s still time. To practice, I mean.”

  “Not for me,” she said with a twinge of sadness. “It’s too late. I’ve been eliminated.”

  “Officially, maybe. But unofficially…”

  Her brow wrinkled. “There are unofficial tryouts?”

  Tony smiled and stood up a little straighter. “If you know the right people.”

  “Oh, and I suppose you know the right people,” she said with a little more sarcasm than she intended.

  “I am the right people.” He puffed out his chest a little. “I’m Tony Ramos, a quarterback for the Barracudas.”

  “I know.”

  “You… you know?”

  She looked him in the eye. “I know who you are. You have a reputation.”

  Tony’s face fell. Before she let herself feel guilty about her comment, she tossed the water and lip balm in her backpack, lifted it off the floor, and started walking away. When he reached for her hand, she instinctively pulled away and snapped at him. “What do you want from me?”

  “I wanna help. That’s all. I just wanna help.”

  He sounded sincere, but she wasn’t sure she believed him. “How?”

  “You know Janna, the woman who runs the tryouts? If I ask, I bet she’d give you another look.”

  Allison briefly imagined Tony and Janna making out in the gymnasium bleachers. She shook that image out of her mind. “Thanks, but that’s okay.”

  “Why?” he persisted. “It’s what you want, isn’t it?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” She spoke slowly, drawing out the words to try and make him understand. “I’m not good enough, period.”

  “Maybe I can help with that too.”

  Allison glared at Tony. “Seriously? What do you know about cheerleadin’?”

  “It’s basically dancing and my grandmother made me take lessons. More to the point, I play football, so I’ve seen my share of cheerleaders.”

  “I’ll just bet you have,” she spat.

  Tony rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean it that way. I mean I can probably give you some tips on your form.”

  “Uh-huh.” She folded her arms across her chest and the notebook nearly slipped out from under her arm again.

  Sighing, he mumbled, “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded either. Look, do you want my help, or don’t you?”

  Allison relaxed a little. “I don’t know. To be honest, I’m skeptical about what you think you can do to help me become a cheerleader, but—” She thought for a moment more. “I guess I have nothing to lose.”

  “Your enthusiasm is underwhelming,” he said flatly. “Look, gimme your number and I’ll text you when I get something set up.”

  She set everything except her notebook on the floor again and scribbled her phone number on a piece of paper. She tore it out and handed it to him. “What are you settin’ up?”

  “Practice. I’m gonna get a cheerleader friend of mine to help.”

  Chapter Seven

  Waiting in the gym, Tony checked the time on his phone display. There was a text from his friend saying she was running late. “Need 5 mins.” So he took a seat on a bench where the basketball coaches sit to view the action on the court and call the shots.

  Despite Allison’s skepticism, Tony was determined to help her. He needed this off his conscience. He screwed up so many things in his own life, it was time to do some good for a change. Like Mason told him again and again, “Be a giver, not a taker. You can never go wrong if you do the right thing.”

  There was something sad about Allison. From her cynicism and defensiveness, he could tell she’d been beaten down by life, not unlike himself, and he felt bad for her. She also seemed to have no self-confidence, which was shocking considering how naturally pretty she was.

  Her face had that sweet, virginal look of one of those cartoon fairy tale ingénues he remembered from when he was little—a cross between Alice in Wonderland and a blonde version of Snow White. But that body of hers was something else.
Curvaceous and stacked. The juxtaposition of innocent and sexy was a definite turn-on. If they had met under different circumstances, he’d have nailed her by now.

  He blew some air between his lips and reminded himself that he’d sworn off girls more than six months ago because of that witch who got him suspended. He smiled slyly imagining Allison causing him to set his self-imposed babe-break on pause. It was probably a good thing she distrusted him so much.

  The sound of heels on the wood floor broke his thoughts. He turned toward the sound and saw Brittany walking toward him focused on her phone.

  Brittany was one of the more popular cheerleaders, both with the girls and the guys. She was tall and thin and overly made-up, as if she were trying to hide her true self. Her long, stick-straight blonde hair was her trademark. She was known as a flirt and had a reputation as a pass-around girl, even though he didn’t know if that was true. He learned the hard way not to believe everything you hear. He knew for a fact that most of the guys on the team lusted after her, but as far as Tony knew, she wasn’t dating any of them. She was tough, sharp and quick-witted, and if you needed a favor, she’d do it in a heartbeat. He was hoping today was no different. He rose to his feet as she approached. “Hey Brit. Thanks for meeting me.”

  She switched off her phone to look at him. “Hey handsome. What’s up?”

  He smiled his most disarming smile. “I need a favor.”

  “Anything for you, hon.” She took a seat and he sat down next to her.

  “There’s this girl.”

  She cocked her head and smirked. “Shock!”

  Tony looked down at his hands. “I kind of effed up her cheer tryouts and I wanna help her make the squad. I mean I can get by with some basic steps but—” He looked up at her. “Hey quit laughing. I’m being serious.”

  She placed her hand on his thigh and giggled. “Sorry hon, I just can’t picture a big strong guy like you doing cheers.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s where you come in. I want you to teach her the actual routines.”

  “Hmm. And what’s in it for me?”

  “Anything. Just name it.” Tony had hoped it wouldn’t come to bribery, but he was getting used to making deals. So whatever she wanted, it probably wouldn’t cost as much as four tickets to Opening Day.

  “Okay. Rephrase. What’s in it for you?” she asked.

  “Nothing. I swear. Like I said, I just want to make things right.”

  A mischievous smile crossed Brittany’s face. “Sounds like you’ve got it bad for this girl.”

  “What?” His eyes widened and he quickly tried to deflect. “No, it's nothing like that. I hardly know her!”

  “So who is she?”

  “Her name is Allison. I think she’s a sophomore and she works as a waitress at Old Smoky’s.”

  “Oh right. I heard what happened at tryouts. I don’t see how any of that is your fault, but whatever. So—” Brittany inched closer, draping her arm over his shoulder and fingering his scruff. “Anything huh? Would you maybe put in a good word for me with your backup?”

  Surprised, Tony leaned away. “Matt Warner? You’re joking, right?”

  She scowled. “No! Why would you think I’m joking?”

  “First of all, you’re not someone who usually needs help getting guys. I can think of half a dozen guys on the team who would be all over you without a good word from me. Second, you do know his story, right?”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “Yes and I don’t care. He’s hot.”

  “No one can call you shallow.” Tony laughed. “Okay, I’ll talk to him.”

  Chapter Eight

  Tony took a seat in the bleachers about ten rows back. There were kids scattered throughout the gym, but everyone was concentrating on their own activities and not invading anyone else’s space.

  As for Tony, he was focused on the scene at center court. It had taken a week for Brittany and Allison to sync up their up their schedules, and they were finally having their first lesson. Tony didn’t want to intrude, but he felt like it was his responsibility to oversee the process and make sure it went smoothly.

  Brittany flipped the speaker on her music player, placed it on the floor, and went to stand next to Allison. The girls faced away from Tony and he smiled at his view of their shapely butts.

  “Feel the beat. Then watch and repeat,” Brittany ordered. “Hands at your side. Step back on your right foot. Other right foot, Allison.”

  Tony cringed as he watched Allison clumsily trying to follow Brittany’s steps.

  “Bring your hands behind your head. Point left hand. Feet together, Allison. Feet together. Slight jump with your legs apart. Swing your arms up toward the left. Then to the right. Again. Left. Then right.”

  There were moments when Tony thought Allison might be dyslexic. She went right when Brittany said left, and went left when Brittany said right. Or maybe she was just plain nervous.

  “Give a little wiggle with your hips,” Brittany said, demonstrating the move. Tony’s mind wandered as he watched two very hot women doing some very sexy moves. He briefly imagined a three-way encounter before shaking himself out of it and refocusing on the mission—helping Allison.

  “Clasp your hands over your head. Bend at your waist and roll your neck from left to right. Straighten up and jump at a forty-five-degree angle. Clap once.”

  Allison tried to keep up, but Tony could see she was struggling. This appeared to be torture for her.

  Allison stumbled and nearly fell. “Fudge! No wonder I can’t do this.”

  Brittany touched Allison’s back. “It’s okay girl, you’re doing fine. Shake it out and take a deep breath. Ready?” Brittany continued demonstrating the routine.

  “Hold your right arm straight out in front of you with your hand flat like you’re serving up a tray of food at that restaurant you work at. Circle your arm across your body from center to left.” Allison’s movements were choppy and hesitant. Her posture was stiff and even from behind, she appeared uncomfortable. Tony couldn’t help but wonder why she was putting herself through this when it seemed like she hated doing it. “Now rock your hips. Left, right, left, right.”

  As Allison followed Brittany’s directions, she looked over her shoulder at Tony.

  “Now, what’s wrong,” Brittany asked with irritation.

  Looking at Tony, Allison said, “You’re not gonna laugh at me, are you?”

  Tony’s lips parted and he looked up at the ceiling. She was breaking his heart. Leveling his gaze, he shook his head from side to side. “You should know me better than that by now.”

  »»•««

  “I hardly know you at all,” Allison said too quietly for Tony to hear.

  Tony jumped up from his seat in the bleachers and ran down the steps to join the women. He took a spot beside Allison.

  Brittany looked at him like he was crazy. “What the hell, Ramos?”

  He smiled broadly and told her, “I’m gonna learn the routine right along with Allison.”

  Allison’s eyes widened in horror. “You are? Why?”

  “So you won’t think I’m back there laughing at you. And this way I can help you practice when Brittany’s not available.” Looking her in the eye, he asked, “What? Don’t you think I can do it?”

  Allison chuckled. “I think you can do anythin’ you set your mind to. Better than me, in fact.”

  “She smiles,” Tony said softly, looking into her eyes and smiling back. “You have a beautiful smile. You should show it off more often.” Her smile immediately vanished. She could feel her cheeks redden and an awkward silence fell between them.

  “Okay people,” Brittany complained, “If you guys are finished making eyes at each other, let’s start from the top. Five. Six. Seven. Eight.”

  Allison turned to watch Brittany and tried to focus on her moves. In the short time the three of them were together, Brittany picked up on Allison’s attraction to Tony. Was Allison that transparent? Apparently so. Her face was ho
t and she hoped Tony didn’t notice her blushing. She detested her fair complexion because it made it hard to hide the physical signs of embarrassment.

  Brittany continued to call out the moves. “Rock your hips. Face front. Toe touch.”

  When Allison kicked, her leg hit Tony’s hip and she stumbled. He caught her before she fell, steadying her by holding her waist. Once again she found herself staring into those cinnamon-colored eyes of his. She couldn’t look away. And he made no attempt to.

  “Boy, you really are uncoordinated,” Brittany said behind her, breaking the spell Allison was under.

  She inched out of Tony’s grasp and turned toward Brittany. She felt so self-conscious, she wanted to run out of the gym like she did during tryouts, but she was trapped. Clearing her throat, she said, “Sorry. Can we try again?”

  Brittany rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” She gripped Allison’s wrist and pulled her into the imaginary cheer line. “Face front,” Brittany ordered. Brittany glanced at Tony. “You ready, Romeo?” When he nodded, she yelled, “From the top! Five, six, seven, eight.”

  »»•««

  While Brittany packed up her backpack, Tony approached her and spoke quietly, all the while keeping one eye on Allison. “Hey, listen, thanks for doing this.”

  Brittany shrugged. “It’s good practice for me to get back to basics once in a while too, especially if I want to become head cheerleader.”

  “So, what did you think?”

  Brittany looked over her shoulder at Allison. “I think there’s a girl out there who’ll never be a cheerleader.” She unwrapped a stick of gum and popped it into her mouth.