Caught Off Guard: A Sports Romance Novella

by Kira Blakely

  “This is the right thing to do, right, Jason?” she asked, staring at the picture like she was willing it to respond. She placed the tip of her fingers to her lips and placed it on Jason’s picture before setting it down, blinking her eyes rapidly to stop herself from crying.

  She missed him every day since he died and had taken to talking to his picture sometimes when she was sad or perturbed over something, especially on matters where Chad was involved. It was weird and probably bordering on crazy, but she liked to believe that her brother was watching over her and could still hear her thoughts. It relaxed her and helped her face whatever she was dealing with, so she was fine if it made her look a little crazy.

  Nicole looked at her alarm clock and cursed when she realized she only had fifteen minutes to get to the beach on time. Although she had toyed with the idea of coming fashionably late, she ultimately decided not to give her date a bad impression of her right off the bat.

  She texted Chad, telling him that she was on her way to the venue so he could relay the message to her date, but he didn’t reply. She shrugged it off and called a cab, thinking that Chad must’ve been in the shower or something.

  She didn’t have time to think about that now. He was busy being with other women. It was about time she did the same thing.

  ***

  Chad couldn’t understand what was wrong with him.

  He had gradually become listless as the day went by. His head was nowhere in the game and in turn, the plays he coordinated were sloppy and ineffective. Their coach looked like he was a hairsbreadth away from having an aneurysm.

  He had started feeling this way after he got home from Bon Chon’s and he had dropped Nicole at her apartment. He had pulled his phone and the piece of napkin with Emily’s phone number on it, ready to dial the digits when he just… Stopped. He sat on his bed holding the two items for a few minutes until he dropped the napkin and laid on his back, wondering why he didn’t want to call her anymore.

  Was it the thrill of the chase? Did he just ask for her number because she was being too hard to get? He had never been that kind of guy, though. Whenever he tried to get a girl’s number, it was because he wanted in her pants. He never asked them just so he could prove that he could, or even treat them as some sort of collection or something, so he was flummoxed about his own behavior.

  The next thing he thought about was Nicole, and how he told her he’d look for someone she could date. So the following day, he interrogated his teammates and found that most of them would be interested in dating Nicole, if given the chance to actually engage her in conversation.

  This resulted in things getting weirder for him, because as soon as he realized that they were interested in his best friend, his chest felt heavy and he wanted to punch these guys in the face. He couldn’t understand why, though.

  Days went by and he ignored the aching feeling in chest, dismissing it as a chronic heartburn or some other illness, and continued to look for the guy that stood out the most from them. He couldn’t find anyone that met his standards, so he settled for Christopher Bartlett, the team’s wide receiver. He wasn’t what he hoped for Nicole, not by a long shot, but he’d have to do.

  Christopher had immediately jumped at the chance to date his best friend, and instead of feeling happy, all he could feel was dread about their dinner. And once again, Chad didn’t know why.

  His dread grew steadily worse until he couldn’t even fall asleep, which resulted in him feeling really heavy and exhausted, and distracted from playing ball.

  He took his phone out of his pocket and checked his messages, sighing as he read the text from Nicole. He felt a little jealous, because whenever they went out together, she’d take her sweet time and make him wait. He didn’t know why she opted to treat Christopher differently, but he didn’t like it.

  He received a text from Christopher next, saying he was already there at the restaurant. Once again, he didn’t feel like relaying the message to Nicole, either, but he sighed and did it anyway, knowing that Nicole would find a way to rupture his eardrums if he didn’t.

  He lied down on his bed and thought about their date, imagining Christopher pulling out Nicole’s chair and talking about things they have in common. He imagined them eating together, and half-way through dinner, Christopher takes Nicole’s hand and brings it to his lips. They’ll probably walk down the beach together, the moon shining brightly overhead and they’ll stop and stare at each other. Christopher would then put his palm on her cheek, caressing it gently as he leaned forward and Nicole tilted her head up, and their lips inching closer…

  Chad abruptly sat up on his bed, his eyes blazing with anger.

  That little Casanova moved fast! Chad thought. He was putting the moves on MY Nicole!

  He caught himself, shocked at what he just thought and then shook his head. Of course he’d be feeling possessive over Nicole. She was his best friend, for crying out loud! That was all it meant, he thought, trying to convince himself.

  The thought of Nicole kissing Christopher made Chad grit his teeth. He stood up from the bed, grabbed his coat and sunglasses, and walked out of the door.

  He couldn’t take his brain screwing with him. He had to know for himself how the date was going.

  I’m only doing this because I’m worried about Nicole, he repeated to himself, as he got into his car and drove off toward the beach. I’m only concerned because she’s my best friend. That’s all there is to it.

  ***

  Nicole arrived at 7 PM on the dot. She gave the hostess her name and she was immediately led to her table, her date already seated with his back turned towards them. The hostess walked ahead of her and pulled out her chair, prompting her date to stand up and turn around.

  “Hi, I’m sorry. Did you wait long?” she asked, wondering if her watch was wrong and Christopher smiled, shaking his head.

  “No, I came here about ten minutes ago. You’re right on time,” he assured her, and Nicole smiled at the smooth baritone of his voice, liking the way it sounded.

  She furtively looked at him from top to bottom, approving the way he looked. He was dressed in a blue undershirt with a black suit jacket over it and stonewashed jeans – a combination of formal and casual that looked just right on him. His hair was styled like a fauxhawk, the front ends waxed up, and he was very handsome. He didn’t have the same striking and roguish good looks Chad possessed, but rather had a boy-next-door attractiveness that was a nice change from what she was used to.

  “I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced,” she said, extending her hand towards him. “I’m Nicole Thompson,” she said. Christopher smiled and shook her hand firmly.

  “I’m Christopher Bartlett. You know, I have to admit that I’ve seen you a couple of times before,” he said. She tilted her head, silently asking him where he had seen her before. “You always come to our games. I’ve seen you come down and cheer on Stephens and Thompson back when he was alive,” he admitted.

  “J-Jason was my brother,” she croaked, and Christopher’s smile slipped off.

  “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely, and Nicole shook her head.

  “You don’t have to. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was an accident,” she said, almost robotically. She remembered she kept saying those exact same words to Chad when Jason died. He had blamed himself for it, and she ended up comforting him instead of the other way around.

  “I got bumped into first string because the team lost one of the best wide receivers it ever had. I try to live by his legacy as much as possible. Your brother was a great player, and I’m sure he was an even better man,” Christopher said softly. Nicole smiled gratefully at his attempt at consoling her.

  “He was. But I’m sure you’re doing alright. I haven’t been able to watch a game lately, so I–” she trailed off, not knowing how to excuse herself without hurting his feelings. Although it was true that she had stopped watching football for a time because it hurt too much to play the sport that his brother lov
ed and ultimately killed him, she started watching again to support Chad, and her focus was solely on him every time. “But I suppose I’ll have to watch now, huh?” she asked him pointedly, and he ducked his head to hide his smile.

  The waitress came, and while they silently contemplated what to order, Nicole snuck a glance at Christopher, a small grin on her face.

  She was liking how this date was going, so far. She was liking him, too.

  She was liking him a lot.

  ***

  Chad pulled the collar of his coat up and looked around, scoping the perimeter of the restaurant. He crouched low and moved towards the place, leaning back as he hit the wall. He slowly peeked into the glass, searching for Nicole or Christopher inside. He felt like he was some sort of spy on a top secret mission or an assassin about to kill someone by stealth.

  He was James Bond.

  “Sir? Will you be joining us for dinner today?” a voice asked from behind him and Chad yelped, almost jumping out of his skin. He turned around and looked at the hostess who was biting her lip to keep from laughing at him.

  Well, that was stupid, he thought to himself, as he straightened up to his full height. He scratched the back of his head and stuck his tongue out, playfully apologetic. He spotted Nicole and Christopher from the corner of his eye and he turned his attention to the hostess. “Do you have a spot where I can spy on those two without being seen?” he asked bluntly.

  The hostess blinked at him and he blinked back.

  “It’s really important,” Chad added. The hostess pursed her lips and directed him to a spot exactly as he requested, and then she left him alone. Chad slouched and leaned on the table as he tried to hear what Nicole was saying.

  It looked like Nicole and Chad were hitting it off. He couldn’t hear them so well because they were whispering to each other, but he could clearly see the flushed look on Nicole’s face as she giggled over something Christopher said. Chad’s brows furrowed and his fists clenched in annoyance every time Christopher told a corny joke, and he grew angrier when Nicole laughed at it, even when the joke was pathetic.

  She never laughed at my dumbass jokes like that! She rolled her eyes and told me I was stupid! he thought.

  Chad frowned as he watched their date, the heavy feeling on his chest coming back and increasing tenfold. He winced every time Nicole smiled at Christopher, his heart stinging each time. The waitress came to take his order but he shook his head. He was already feeling sick to his stomach at what he was watching so he didn’t think he had the energy to eat. He didn’t think he could keep watching them, either, so he placed a fifty on the table before standing up and walking out of the restaurant.

  What was I thinking? Chad thought to himself, as he walked back to his car. He climbed in and placed his head on the steering wheel before heaving a sigh.

  “What is wrong with me? Why am I getting jealous?” he adjusted his rear view mirror and looked at his eyes. “You set them up, Chad, remember? You should be happy they’re getting along, not getting jealous!” he cried, pointing at his reflection with his forefinger. “Get your head together, man! You don’t even like Nicole that way!” He paused and placed his hand on his chest to calm himself down. “You…don’t like her that way…right?” he whispered to himself, unsure of what he was feeling.

  He thought about this question all the way home. He was taking off his shoes when his phone rang, disrupting him from his thoughts. He looked at the screen and smiled to see it was Nicole calling. She was probably going to tell him how horrible the date went and that she still owed her. His grin widened and he took the call.

  “Chad!” she cried.

  “‘Sup?” he asked, trying his best to sound casual.

  “Hey, I just wanted to thank you for setting me up,” she said, and Chad’s smile slowly fell.

  “What?” he asked, hoping he heard wrong.

  “Ugh. You are such a narcissist!” Nicole said, thinking Chad just wanted to hear her praise him again. “But I supposed since you did do a good job with Christopher, it wouldn’t hurt to repeat myself. You better listen well, because I won’t be repeating it again, okay?” she took a deep breath before trying again. “Thank you for setting me up with Christopher. You were right. He was nice. I like him a lot. I really…thank you, Chad,” she said softly.

  Chad wanted to tell her that he was wrong. That he didn’t think she should go out with Christopher again, but he swallowed his protests and answered.

  “You’re welcome,” he whispered, a single tear falling from the corner of his eye.

  Chapter Four

  Chad gritted his teeth as he watched those two love birds flirt over a bowl of salad they were supposed to toss. Nicole and Christopher had been dating for a couple of months now, and Chad was getting sick and tired of seeing them in their own little world.

  How long does it take to toss a fucking salad? Chad thought miserably. He arranged the nachos with such force that they started breaking off in his fingers as soon as he touched them.

  He groaned. Today was supposed to be fun, what with a few members of the team and their girls coming together for a movie night at his place. It was also supposed to be the first time he and Nicole got together ever since he set her up with Christopher.

  To be honest, he had set all this up for her, because he missed spending time with her. He missed the days when it was just the two of them, Chad and Nikki against the world. Now, all he got were hurried calls – if she was available to answer – and half-hearted apologies for not making it when they make plans to meet.

  Chad had a feeling that Christopher had an inner douche lurking behind that fake smile of his that told Nikki to stop meeting him, but he wasn’t quite sure yet.

  He did notice that Christopher became a whole lot more competitive against him, despite their difference in positions. He was the quarterback; Christopher was a wide receiver. Chad threw the ball Christopher was supposed to catch. So why the hell was Christopher trying to one-up him every chance he got?

  “Careful. You’re serving nachos, not powder,” Nicole said, coming up beside him. Chad was startled out of his thoughts and his face erupted into a big smile as he looked at his best friend. He looked down at his work and realized that he really was pulverizing the nachos into powder and he laughed at himself.

  “Yeah, I am seriously screwing this up,” he grumbled. Nicole rolled her eyes.

  “Here, let me help you.” She reached out for the plate and Chad grabbed her hand to stop her. A jolt of electricity passed between them and they looked at each other, Nicole’s honey-colored eyes falling deeply into Chad’s gunmetal-grey ones.

  They stared at each other for a long moment, their hands still holding onto each other as their breaths quickened.

  Nicole’s heart started beating wildly in her chest, the sound drumming so loudly in her ears that her eyes widened as she wondered if Chad could hear it, too. Chad’s eyes widened as he looked at Nicole in a new light, taking in her auburn hair glinting from the light and falling on one shoulder, the soft features of her face, her thin lips covered only in a light sheen of lip gloss. He noticed how beautiful she looked in just her jeans and a tank top, her clothes hugging her curves in all the right places, and he tightened his hold on her hand and inched closer.

  “What are you two doing?” someone asked. Chad and Nicole were startled, immediately letting go of each other and turning away. Chad looked up and saw that it was Christopher who asked the question, looking at both of them suspiciously. “Nicole, can I borrow you for a sec?”

  He didn’t wait for her response, and he walked over to them and pulled Nicole away by her wrist. Chad glared at him and pushed the plate away. He was seriously regretting setting them up together. He needed to clear his head, or he and Christopher were seriously going to have some problems.

  He took his keys from the counter and walked out of his house, ignoring his teammates when they asked where he was going.

  “Ouch! Christopher, you’r
e hurting me!” Nicole cried as Christopher’s grip on her wrist tightened and they went inside one of the guest rooms. He let go of her wrist and paced the room, grabbing the end of his hair and pulling it in frustration. He turned back to look at her, his eyes blazing with jealousy that made Nicole a little afraid of him in that moment.

  “What was that?” he asked.

  “Wha–”

  “That thing I saw with Stephens! What was it?” he asked, his eyes flashing in anger.

  “I don't know what you're talking about,” Nicole lied, turning her head away from him. Christopher went closer, forcing her to take a step back and he caged her with his arms, his hands on the wall as he looked at Nicole.

  “I’m talking about that little staring contest you two had. Are you cheating on me, Nicole?” he sneered.

  “No! I would never do that!”

  "Are you sure about that?” he asked, not believing her.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Nicole grunted as she pushed him off, not wanting to answer the question. Christopher waited for a few moments before speaking again.

  “I don’t want you hanging around Stephens anymore,” Christopher declared. Nicole sputtered in disbelief.

  “What? Why not?” she asked incredulously.

  “Because I said so.”

  “I can’t do that. He’s my best friend!”

  “And I’m your boyfriend. Last time I checked, boyfriend trumps best friend every time.” He gave her one last warning glare before stomping out of the room and slamming the door. Nicole gawked at the door and wiped the tears that fell from her eyes.

  ***

  Chad bought two cold ones form the convenience store nearby before walking inside the cemetery, his feet taking the path that he’s walked plenty of times in the last two years. His body already had it memorized.

  He reached his destination and read the words on the headstone: