Player

by Natalie Rios

  “All of us? I guess Sunshine didn’t get the memo.” Levi points behind me and I turn around on a hiss.

  Sunshine is with Allie. She’s sitting down on a lawn chair, while he rubs her foot with a goofy grin on his face. He's making her laugh. Worse, she's looking at him like he's fascinating.

  I don't even remember moving. A red haze clouds my vision and the next thing I know, I’m reaching down and yanking Sunshine up by his arm.

  “Whoa! Hey, T-Rex. Allie and I were just-”

  “Saying goodbye. I’m taking Allie home now.” The menacing edge in my voice leaves no room for argument.

  “Ah, sure. Okay. Bye, Allie.” Sunshine hustles away, not that I bother watching. Retrieving my sweatshirt from the table, I shove it over Allie’s head.

  Surprisingly, she doesn’t fight me this time.

  “Well, that was rude.” Her voice is a bit muffled underneath the cotton material.

  “This, coming from a New Yorker?”

  Her head pops out and she helps me stuff her arms into the sleeves. “True. But New Yorkers aren’t really rude. Aloof and arrogant, maybe.”

  “I thought I was the arrogant one.”

  “You are. Arrogant, cocky, conceited-”

  “Arrogant is as good as it’s going to get for me, huh?” Her lips curve, eyes lighting up like a starry night. It’s like a punch to the fucking gut, that’s how beautiful she is. My heart rate speeds up and my fingers itch to touch the corners of those puffy lips. And because I’m weak as fuck when it comes to this girl, I give in and trail my thumb along her lower lip.

  Allie freezes, but she doesn’t pull back. Her soft, plump lips gap into a tiny ‘O’ and I can hear her sharp intake of breath.

  The words spill out before I can stop them. “You’re beautiful. The kind of beautiful that can turn a man religious. As in, thank you God for taking the time to make such a stunning creature and putting her directly in my path.”

  I watch her eyelids flutter close, her chest rising as she takes in a deep breath. She’s feeling it, too. The pull, the attraction. It’s not one-sided. But when her eyes open again, I know the moment is over.

  Pushing my hand away, she leans back in her chair. “Nice line.”

  “It’s not a line.” But she doesn’t believe me.

  And I know I’m in deep shit. My desire for her isn’t going away, but I’ve somehow managed to cockblock myself.

  13

  Theo

  “I’M JUST SAYING, we haven’t seen you at all this semester, Theodore.”

  I adjust the volume on my speakerphone. “I know, Mom. I’m sorry. But you know the fall semester is always crazy for me.”

  “All that football,” she clucks.

  “Don’t start. I don’t want to argue with you.”

  “You can still satisfy your love for football by being a sportscaster. That way you’re a part of it without being in it, you know?”

  “It’s not the same,” I mutter, even though I know she’s not listening. We’ve had this exact conversation a million times already.

  “Are you free tonight? Your father and I are thinking of having a family dinner at home. Waffles would love to see you.”

  “I don’t know. I have to check my schedule. You know, study hours and all that.” I’m a terrible son. A shit son. Because what I really mean is I have to check if Allie’s going to be at the library later.

  “That reminds me. Whatever you’re doing differently with the studying, keep it up! Your father told me you’ve gotten all A’s so far this semester.”

  What I’m doing differently is spending more time at the library actually studying thanks to a certain sassy mouthed female.

  “Yeah, I don’t know what it is. It’s like my classes just click this semester.” I pull up to a red light and drum my fingers against the steering wheel.

  “Maybe there’s a nice girl you can bring home to dinner tonight?” Mom asks, tone hopeful.

  I groan. “We’ve been over this. I don’t have time to date. Between practice, meetings, and class, I keep myself busy.” Turning my head to the side, I squint against the sunlight. And that’s when I see her. Wearing a prim white button-down shirt and a black pencil skirt, sitting at a bus stop while she fiddles with her phone. My stomach tightens and I immediately remember the way her lips felt underneath the pad of my thumb when I touched them at the pool party last week.

  “We’re not getting any younger, Theodore. Your father and I would love to have grandchildren before the arthritis kicks in.”

  “You don’t have arthritis,” I absently point out. What’s Allie doing at a bus stop in the middle of the day? Does she need a ride back to her apartment?

  “Not yet. That’s why I said before it kicks in. One of my biggest regrets was having you at such a late age-”

  “I know, I know. You waited too long and then you couldn’t have anymore. But I’m only twenty-two, Mom. I’ve got plenty of time.” The light changes and I turn to drive around the block.

  “But once you go pro, you’ll have all sorts of women throwing themselves at you. Gold diggers, most of them. You’re more likely to find a good girl to settle down with at Carlton.”

  “You were just telling me I should be a sportscaster. You don’t want me to go pro. It’s too dangerous, remember?”

  “Like that’s going to stop you. Avoid the jersey chasers, son. They probably have herpes.”

  “Jesus, Mom.”

  “As a former nurse, trust me when I say those blisters are nasty. Find yourself a studious Carlton girl.”

  I want to point out there are groupies at Carlton, too. Hell, up until a month ago, those were the only types of girls I knew. But my mother and I have this argument at least once a month. If I get her riled up now, she’ll be off on a rant for the next hour.

  “Listen, Mom, I’m driving right now. Can I call you back after I’ve checked my schedule?”

  “Okay. Drive safe.”

  “I will. Bye.” I hang up and park just beside the bus stop. Rolling down my window, I call out, “Need a ride?”

  Allie glances up and puffs out a breath, looking a bit defeated. “Not unless you’re going to New Haven.”

  “New Haven...Connecticut? What’s in New Heaven?”

  “Yale Medical School. I have an interview this afternoon.”

  “And you’re waiting at a public bus stop because…”

  “Because my friend Veronica has the flu. She was supposed to drive me, but she couldn’t make it out of bed this morning.”

  “So you decided to take the bus?” Her nod has my brows furrowing. “Does this bus even go all the way to New Haven?”

  “It goes to Boston where I can catch a Greyhound.”

  That doesn’t sound much better. “Why didn’t you just call me?”

  Shrugging, she shifts in her seat. “I wasn’t sure if you were busy. I didn’t want to bother you.”

  I find myself annoyed. Not because I don't think it's safe for her to take the bus (though there is that), but because I want to be the one she turns to when she needs something. I want to be the person she knows she can count on.

  The fact she didn't even consider me...well, it bristles. Fucking burns, actually.

  “That’s why you ask.” Leaning across the center console, I open the passenger door for her. “Get in.”

  She blinks at me. “You’re serious?”

  “Get in.”

  “New Haven is two hours away-”

  “I’ll go out there and carry you if I have to,” I warn when she still doesn’t budge. Part of me is hoping it comes to that. Any excuse to get my hands on that ass.

  Alas, my threat works and she’s finally moving.

  Don’t stare at her legs. Don’t stare at her legs.

  Of course, I stare at her legs. Imagine trailing my tongue along her soft, smooth golden skin. Imagine those long, toned legs wrapped around my face –

  “The caveman theatrics aren’t necessary,” she interrupts
my fantasy. Just as well. My pants are crowded enough as it is. Sliding into the passenger seat, she closes the door and snaps her seatbelt on. “Are you sure you’re not busy?”

  “Uh huh,” I say, retrieving my phone to text Levi and my mom, letting them know there’s been a change of plans. I pull back onto the road. “So, Yale. That’s a really good school.”

  “I know. I’m nervous.” She doesn’t look it though. Calm, cool, and collected, that’s Allie.

  “Is Yale your number one choice?”

  She shrugs. “Getting into medical school is hard. Nationally, only about a third of all applicants end up matriculating into their first year.”

  “Don’t give me the political answer, Perez. If you had a choice, where would you want to go?”

  “Stanford.”

  “Really?”

  “Actually,” she lowers her voice as if we aren’t the only two people in the car. “Stanford was my first choice for undergrad too, but my family couldn’t afford it. Between student loans and flights to California, I would never get to see my family and I’d be in debt up to my eyeballs. Carlton offered me a full scholarship and it’s closer to home.”

  “Yeah, most of the guys on the team depend on their football scholarship. I have to admit, it’s nice knowing I don’t owe my parents anything for choosing Carlton.”

  She shoots me a funny look. “Your parents don’t pay your tuition?”

  “No, I was recruited. I have football scholarship so long as I remain eligible. Which means maintaining a C average, going to practice, playing well, and not violating any of the bazillion rules governing student-athletes all while remaining healthy and uninjured.”

  “Wow.” She sounds impressed. Finally. Something football related is finally impressing this girl and I sit up a little straighter in my seat, suddenly feeling a little prouder than I had a few seconds ago. People blow smoke up my ass about my football skills on a daily basis, but it’s different coming from Allie. When she’s impressed with me, I actually feel as amazing as everyone else claims I am. “You must be really good then, right?”

  I laugh. She doesn’t even know the half of it. “I would tell you how good, but I don’t want you calling me arrogant again.”

  “As long as you’re not bragging about your dick, we’re good.” To say this girl’s mouth is unpredictable would be an understatement. Still, I like it.

  “What’s wrong with talking about my dick?”

  “Besides the fact that it’s inappropriate?”

  “Since when do we do anything even remotely appropriate?”

  “True.” She pauses, looking a bit sheepish. “Thanks, by the way. For driving me. I should have said that as soon as I got in the car.”

  I wave away her concern. “No problem.”

  “I seem to be owing you a lot of favors lately.”

  I waggle my brows. “Any time you want to pay up…”

  “Oh, great. Two hours of this.” But she’s smiling as she says it.

  And wouldn’t you know, those two hours fly by. Between bouts of Pink Floyd and Queen sing-alongs, we make easy conversation. I tell her stupid stories about the team and their antics on the road, she tells me about the summers she spent on her grandfather’s farm in the Dominican Republic.

  “What’s Dominican food like?” I ask.

  “A little bit of Spanish, mixed with a little bit of African and Taino. For breakfast, my grandpa would make us mangú, green plantains that have been boiled then mashed and topped with sautéed onions. They’re usually served with fried cheese, eggs and salami. Oh, and then there’s sancocho. It’s a stew made up of a bunch of meats and root vegetables.”

  “Woman, you’re making me hungry. All of that sounds delicious. And very not-vegan.”

  “I know. Sides are my best friend. Fried plantains, white rice, stewed beans…There are only two things I miss from my non-vegan days: Nutella and my grandmother’s habichuela con dulce. It’s a dessert made from blended red beans-”

  “Pause. A dessert made with beans?”

  “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it. Beans, sweet potatoes, sugar, and all sorts of spices. Sweet, creamy and delicious. My grandmother made it every year for Easter.”

  It does sound good and hours later, while I’m waiting for Allie to finish up her interview, I find myself Googling Dominican restaurants in the New Haven area. Surprisingly, there are a couple on the way back to campus and if we make good time on the drive back –

  Wait. What am I doing? If I take Allie out for dinner, would that be considered a date?

  Am I considering asking her out on a date?

  “You waited for me.”

  I whip my head up to find Allie staring at me with a confused expression on her face.

  And I’m irritated to shit. “Of course I waited for you. Did you think I was going to drive you all the way out here and then leave? How were you going to get home?”

  “I don’t know,” she shrugs. “I don’t really know what to expect from you anymore. You’re not anything like I remember you being in prep school.”

  “Could be you didn’t really know me back then.”

  “Could be.”

  “I just sent you a text with my schedule. So you’ll know if I’m free next time you need a ride. You know, in case you have an interview at Harvard or whatever.” I’m nervous. Why am I so nervous? The one girl I actually enjoy talking to and she makes me nervous.

  Allie, bless her heart, doesn’t say anything. Just gets in the car and pulls out her phone. Which reminds me, I need to put mine on silent before it starts blowing up.

  “How did your interview go?” I ask, fiddling with the radio.

  “Good. Really good, actually. I think Yale might be my first choice now – Oh my God!”

  “What?” I glance over and find her gaping at her phone.

  “What’s your middle name?”

  “This conversation has taken a strange turn, but it’s James.”

  “Theodore James Montgomery! You told me you weren’t busy! It says right here-” she shoves her phone in my face “- you had class until 1pm and then a team meeting at 2!”

  Oh, fuck. Maybe I should have waited until after I dropped her off to send my schedule.

  “Wait.” She wrinkles her nose at me. “This schedule can’t be right. According to this, you’re busy every week day from 5am to 7pm. That’s a full work week. More than a work week, even.”

  I shrug. “Most of my teammates are busy from sun up to sun down. I’m lucky I have a 3.3, otherwise I would have to attend mandatory tutoring from 7-9pm.”

  “And here I thought you were lazy,” she mutters.

  I laugh. “You thought I was lazy?” I should be offended, but it’s too absurd to get upset about. Me, an athlete, lazy?

  Tilting her head back, she seems to reconsider her words. “Not lazy, per se. But spoiled maybe? I don’t know, I guess I just didn’t realize you work so hard at this football stuff. You make it look easy on the field. Effortless, even. Like you just roll out of bed ready to throw a 40-yard touchdown.”

  I keep my eyes straight ahead on the road in front of me, trying my best to look unaffected. Her words imply she’s seen me play and since I know she doesn’t watch football, she must have looked me up. Searched on YouTube or ESPN for some clips of me. Knowing that does something funny to my insides, makes my stomach feel warm and fluttery.

  “Ah, Houston. We have a problem.” Allie taps her phone against my shoulder. “It says here you have practice soon. What happens to your scholarship if you miss practice?”

  I grimace because missing practice isn’t an option in D-1 football. Even when we’re injured, Coach makes us suit up and watch from the sidelines. We’re expected to play, no matter how tired or sick we are. It might sound a bit extreme, but that’s what you’re signing up for when you accept a D-1 scholarship.

  “I don’t know what happens,” I admit, “and we’re not going to find out because I’m not missing practice.�
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  “You think you’re going to make it back to campus in-” She squints at the screen on her phone. “An hour and a half? It took us two hours to get here.”

  “I feel the need, the need for speed.”

  “You didn’t have to do this. Miss class and a meeting to drive me. I could have just taken the bus.”

  “I know. But I wanted to.” The truth of that statement gives me pause.

  For the first time in my life, I placed something before football.

  14

  Allie

  “JULIE TAYLOR IS THE WORST.”

  “The absolute worst!” Crawling across my bed, I pause the episode. It’s a weeknight and we’re staying in to binge watch Friday Night Lights. Over the phone. Theo’s not even out of town, but this has kind of become our thing. We’ve done it every night for over a week now.

  Is it weird that we binge watch over the phone even when we’re in the same town? Probably. But watching TV in the same room just seems…I don’t know, intimate somehow? Like crossing a line?

  It sounds weird, I know, but I still don’t fully understand my relationship with Theo.

  “Why is she so angsty and pouty all the time?” Theo demands.

  “I know, right? Especially considering she has the most awesome TV parents ever.”

  “And I can’t believe she cheated on Matt with the lifeguard. Who cheats with someone they just met?”

  “You hook up with girls you just met all the time.”

  Theo gasps. “That’s not at all the same thing, Allie Cat. Not at all.”

  “Similar concept,” I shrug, even though I know he can’t see me. We turned off FaceTime hours ago.

  “I’ve never cheated on anyone.” He sounds defensive.

  “Of course not. That would require you to be in a relationship.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You’ve never been in a relationship. I’m just stating facts.”

  “Maybe I haven’t found the right person yet.” His snappy tone signals we need to get off this touchy subject.

  “Never mind, forget I said anything.”

  “I’m capable of making a commitment,” he continues, tone still on the angry side. “I’ve committed to a month without sex and look at us now. Less than a week left.”