Matchmaker (Empire High Book 4)

by Ivy Smoak

  “Nigel, whatever are you doing?” Tanner pulled away. “High-fives are the protocol right now. We’ve discussed this.”

  Nigel nodded. “Yes, Master.”

  So weird.

  “Ignore Nigel. He’s forgetful,” Tanner said. “When can I expect you home this evening? Don’t answer that. I have the perfect restaurant. And before you roll your eyes, you owe me.”

  “I never roll my eyes,” I said.

  “Internally. And before you even ask, yes, I’ll be scoping out the place for events. And yes, you do have to pretend to be my date. So come to terms with your masculinity and get over it. If you’ll excuse me, Veronica needs my assistance.”

  “Your assistance?”

  Tanner laughed. “I may have tied her up. It’s truly refreshing. Women get kinkier and kinkier as time marches on.”

  “What, since you were in high school?”

  “Hmm? Yes. Exactly.” He picked up the paper off the floor. I didn’t see any sign of Poppy’s forced pictures on the page he’d been on.

  “Nigel will send you the location of the restaurant,” Tanner said. “7 o’clock sharp. I don’t want to be late for our reservation.” He walked away, knowing that I wouldn’t say no. I was kind of at his mercy here.

  “Here you go, Mr. Caldwell,” Nigel said and produced one of those green hangover smoothies. “Just in case.”

  “Thanks, Nigel. What’s the secret ingredient in this anyway?” I took a sip and the little bit of pressure in my head faded instantly.

  “It’s a secret,” Nigel said with a wink.

  I forced myself to swallow down the sip I’d taken. The way Nigel said it made it really seem like he’d skeeted in it or something. “Um…I should get to work.” I tried to hand it back to him.

  “Once you finish that. And your lunch is packed. I’ll draw you another bath tonight, but no rose petals this time. They’re a pain to fish out of cold, unused bath water.”

  “I’m sorry about the last two nights. But I don’t need you to draw me a bath, Nigel. We’ve been over this.”

  “It’s no problem. I like preparing it for you. Have a good day at work, Mr. Caldwell.” He turned on his heel and walked away too.

  Tanner was really generous for letting me stay with him. But tonight I would fill him in on the deal I’d made with Poppy. As long as I kept pretending to be Poppy’s boyfriend, I could be safe back at my place. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take of Nigel. I picked up one of their discarded papers and flipped through it.

  There was a picture of Poppy holding my hand on top of the table. It looked intimate and quite real. I cringed and threw out both papers. I needed to explain this to Kennedy. And to my friends before they all jumped to a wild conclusion. Well, not that wild, considering the picture. I shot off a text to James asking him to meet up, already knowing what his reaction would be. He’d tell me not to get mixed up with someone from Mr. Pruitt’s family. Because there was no way out.

  Chapter 33

  Thursday

  I kept looking over my shoulder. But it wasn’t because I was scared someone was out there watching me. I was just excited for Kennedy to arrive. Inviting her here may not have been my best idea. But I thought if she could stand on this field and feel okay with it…then we could figure everything else out.

  Mrs. Alcaraz had implied that Kennedy was a flight risk. I’d never seen her that way, though. She was loyal. Moving out of the city hadn’t made her forget about Brooklyn. It had just given her the space she needed to live. I hadn’t allowed myself that space. But maybe I was ready. Honestly, if I wasn’t coaching this team, I’d probably convince Kennedy to jump on a flight with me today. I’d go anywhere as long as it was far away from here. I think I needed some distance. I think I was allowed that.

  I exhaled slowly. Brooklyn would have wanted me to be happy. Just like she would have wanted me to make sure things were right with James. I was going to stop by his place after dinner with Tanner. I’d fix it. I’d fix everything I’d made a mess of.

  I watched Jefferson’s extra point attempt. This time the ball didn’t even leave the ground. It just rolled along the grass, looking as sad and defeated as Jefferson.

  I blew my whistle to call him over.

  “You’re hitting your laces again.”

  “Am I?” He looked like he had no idea he’d made any kind of mistake.

  How many times had we talked about this? This kid was going to be the death of me. “Take a deep breath for me.” I’d read that meditation could really help with focus.

  Jefferson breathed in for a second and then sneezed. “Sorry, Coach Caldwell. I have really bad fall allergies.”

  Of course you do. “That’s okay. Don’t worry about breathing deeply. What I want you to do is go out there. And instead of focusing on kicking the ball, focus on the sound of your breath. In and out.”

  “So don’t kick the ball?” he asked.

  “No, kick the ball. Just don’t think about it.”

  Jefferson shrugged. “It’ll try.” He jogged back out onto the field. He stared at the ball like he was concentrating on it even more than usual.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Kennedy said. “My client was being excruciatingly…specific.”

  I laughed and pulled her into a hug. My first thought had been to kiss her. But I didn’t want to overwhelm her. Being here was a lot. I knew that. I pulled back, but kept my arm draped over her shoulders. She didn’t move away.

  We both watched as Jefferson studied the football like he had never seen one before. Seriously, what was he doing? That was the exact opposite of what I’d asked him to do.

  “Breathe, Jefferson!” I shouted, my arm slipping from Kennedy’s shoulders.

  He proceeded to sneeze as he kicked the ball. It went way left and into the stands.

  At least he had some power behind it that time.

  Jefferson ran after the ball to retrieve it.

  “Wow, you found someone as bad as Prescott to be your kicker?” Kennedy whispered. “Is it like a nostalgia thing…or…”

  I laughed. “No. It’s a popularity thing.” I watched as Jefferson leaned over, out of breath from running up the bleachers.

  “Really? He’s part of a new group of young Untouchables, huh?” She tilted her head as she looked at him. “Times really do change.”

  I lightly jabbed her with my elbow. “No, I’m trying to make him popular.”

  She raised her eyebrows at me.

  “I figured if I could teach him how to be an amazing kicker he’d win some points with the other guys. Maybe get a girlfriend or something. Or just a few friends in general.”

  “And he usually kicks the way I just witnessed?”

  “It’s a work in progress.”

  Kennedy shook her head. “Wait, so let me get this straight. You think that having him on the team missing extra points and field goals…”

  “I rarely let him attempt a field goal.”

  “Matt. How is that supposed to help him? You’re making it worse. Can’t you see that?”

  I’d had a sinking feeling that was true as the weeks had progressed.

  “You wouldn’t understand because you were born popular,” she said.

  “That’s not true.”

  “Mason was a golden boy before you even stepped foot in the school. You were a god immediately because of association. And then you topped it all off by being a star wide receiver. Abs of steel. A perfect smile. You had it easy. Don’t pretend you didn’t.”

  She thought I had a perfect smile? I couldn’t help but flash her one. “Just for the record, I’ve worked really hard on my abs of steel.”

  She laughed and shook her head. “Tell me about your kicker.”

  “He’s a freshman. He walked onto the field all on his own. I didn’t scout him or anything. But I heard the other kids making fun of him for being a scholarship student. And I didn’t want to turn him away.”

  Kennedy’s eyes softened. “He’s a scholarsh
ip student?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, I know that’s no fun.” She pressed her lips together and fidgeted with a strand of loose hair hanging from her bun. “I’ll fix this. I used to think of how I could help Prescott back in the day in case he’d ever thought I was cool enough to talk to.”

  I laughed. “So what’s your grand plan?”

  “Watch and learn, Coach Caldwell.” She patted my chest as Jefferson walked up to us.

  “Hey,” Kennedy said. “I’m Kennedy, a friend of Coach Caldwell’s. What’s your name?” She put her hand out for him to shake.

  “Henry Jefferson.” He shook her hand.

  “Nice to meet you, Henry. What’s your favorite subject in school?”

  “I like English.”

  Kennedy nodded and seemed to think for a moment. “Anything else? Coach mentioned that you’re a scholarship student here. When I went to Empire High, I was one too.”

  “You were?”

  “Mhm. And as a fellow scholarship student, I know for a fact that you must be good at a lot of subjects. Better than any of these guys.” She gestured behind her at the field. “Right?”

  Jefferson laughed.

  “Tell me, what’s another class you’re really great in? A star student?”

  “Umm…” Jefferson looked at me and then back at Kennedy. “I’m really good at geometry.”

  Kennedy smiled. “Perfect. Matt, do you mind if I help Henry study some geometry?”

  What? That was surprisingly unhelpful of her. But honestly what did it matter if he spent the rest of practice doing geometry instead of practicing? He wasn’t getting any better. And I was running out of ideas. Besides, I hadn’t seen Jefferson smile at practice in a while. And he was smiling now. That was a win in my book. “Sure.”

  I watched Kennedy and Jefferson sit down on one of the benches. They were talking animatedly as Jefferson pulled out a textbook.

  I’d planned to hang out with Kennedy during practice. Show her how normal it was to be here. How the ghosts were at bay. Except when I’d see Brooklyn’s face during a crowded game. Or if I went into the school. I wouldn’t be going back in there any time soon.

  I watched Kennedy laughing with Jefferson. But she seemed okay. Actually, she seemed more than okay. She looked genuinely happy. A feeling I’d been chasing for a while. She looked up at me watching her and smiled.

  My eyes flitted between her and the field throughout the rest of practice. It was hard not to watch her. She was so full of life. And watching how she made Jefferson laugh made my chest feel a little lighter. Maybe she was right. Maybe I didn’t really understand him like she could.

  Right before practice ended, Jefferson ran back out onto the field. Kennedy joined me by my side.

  “Hold your breath,” she said.

  I looked down at her. “What?”

  She grabbed my hand. “It’s good luck, Matt. Just hold your breath and watch.” She squeezed my hand tighter.

  I did as I was told. I held my breath as Jefferson swung and his foot made contact with the football. The ball went up into the air, straighter than I had ever seen him hit it before. Higher, higher. A perfect arc. And straight through the uprights.

  Kennedy started screaming. She pulled her hand out of mine and threw both of hers up into the air. “Go, Henry!!!”

  I started cheering too.

  And the whole team joined in. Jumping and cheering, and chanting Jefferson’s name. A few of his teammates hoisted him up on their shoulders.

  “Jeff-er-son! Jeff-er-son! Jeff-er-son!”

  I felt tears in the corners of my eyes. He did it. He fucking did it!

  Kennedy was jumping up and down clapping.

  I leaned down and lifted her into my arms, twirling her around as she laughed. She wrapped her legs around my waist. “He did it!” she yelled. “Go, Henry!” She clasped her hands behind my neck, laughing.

  “You did it,” I said in awe. “How the hell did you get through to him?” The chants of Jefferson’s name seemed to fade away as I stared at her.

  “It’s all about the angles,” Kennedy said. “We figured out what angle he needed to hit it at. He’s really good at geometry.”

  “You’re incredible.”

  She laughed. “I just used his strengths…”

  I kissed her. Not caring that the whole team could see. Not caring that I was standing in the middle of the Empire High football stadium. Not caring that she was supposed to be my friend and only my friend. Kennedy Alcaraz was a rock star. And she deserved to be told that every day. Brooklyn would always be my first love. But that didn’t mean she had to be my last. It didn’t mean I had to be miserable every day. I laughed as Kennedy pulled away to cheer for Jefferson again.

  I wanted to be happy with her.

  I put her back down on the ground and she grabbed my hand so we could run into the middle of the field to celebrate with the team.

  “You okay, Coach?” Smith asked. “Looks like you’re about to cry.”

  “Shut it, Smith.” I wasn’t about to cry. I was just…happy. Well, not entirely happy. I didn’t love the way some of the players were ogling Kennedy.

  Smith laughed. “There’s no way we won’t go undefeated now. Hell, I’m about to cry too. Go, Jefferson!”

  I pulled Smith into a hug. Because for once in his life, it seemed like he’d stopped being an ass. Today was a good day.

  “Your girlfriend’s hot,” he said.

  Nope, moment over. I blew my whistle. “Great practice everyone!” And this time, I actually meant it. For the first time, every single player was an all-star. “Now get out of here before I change my mind and make you do sprints!” I watched as the players left, Jefferson actually running in the pack for once.

  Kennedy started helping me pick up the practice balls.

  “You don’t have to help,” I said.

  “It’s fine.” She grabbed another ball balancing a pile of them in her arms. “I’m basically a coach now too, don’t you think?”

  I laughed as I picked up the last one. “Coach Alcaraz has a nice ring to it, huh?”

  “Absolutely.”

  We dumped the balls in my equipment bag and I hoisted it over my shoulder. “You know…I don’t actually have an assistant coach.”

  “Are you asking me to be your number two?”

  I smiled at her as we made our way to the parking lot. “Yes.” I stared at her. Maybe in more ways than one. “I am.”

  “It was really fun seeing Henry smile so hard.”

  “You know everyone calls him Jefferson, right?”

  She shrugged. “I like first names. It’s more personal. Maybe you should give it a try. I might implement first names only as assistant coach.”

  “You can’t do that.”

  “Watch me. We’ll go undefeated under me.”

  “We’re already undefeated.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  “Don’t let this go to your head, Alcaraz. I’m still the head coach. And you have to respect my authority.”

  She laughed as we stopped by my car. “I will never respect your authority. And Alcaraz? Seriously? Don’t call me that.”

  “What do you want me to call you?” I stepped forward and she backed up until her ass hit the passenger’s side door.

  She didn’t say a word, she just stared at me. But I could tell her mind was racing.

  “How about baby?” I suggested. “Or babe? Sugar muffin?”

  She’d started smiling halfway through the options.

  “No? Sex rocket?”

  Now she was full on laughing. “Sex rocket? Who the hell would want to be called that?” She started laughing harder.

  “Okay. How about I call you my girlfriend?” It was a cheesy thing to say. I felt like an idiot as soon as her laughter died in her throat. What the hell was I thinking? It was too fast. She’d barely agreed to kiss me this morning. But when you spent 16 years being miserable, it was easy to latch on to happiness.
And standing here with her? It didn’t feel like I’d wasted half my life away. I felt like I was 16 years old again. I felt young and alive and happy. Didn’t she?

  “Girlfriend? I can’t be your girlfriend,” she whispered.

  I dropped the equipment bag and put my hands on either side of the car, caging her in. “Why not?”

  “You know why not. Matt, what are we doing?”

  “Dating.”

  “We’re not dating. I didn’t say yes.”

  I leaned forward and kissed her. Despite her words, she kissed me back. Her throat making that adorable moaning noise I was starting to crave at all hours of the day. I pulled away just as she started to pull me closer. “Then what do you call this?”

  “Kissing.”

  I raised my eyebrow. “That’s it?”

  “Really good kissing?”

  “Don’t overthink this.” I dropped my forehead to hers.

  “How can I not overthink this? You and I can’t be together. It breaks all the rules of friendship. I…I can’t. I shouldn’t have even kissed you. I’ve been twisted up inside all day.”

  She didn’t think I’d been thinking of that? About how wrong this was? But I was fucking sick of living like this. Kennedy made me happy. And I just wanted to be happy. “Fine, I’ll call you Alcaraz.”

  She groaned. “I don’t want you to call me that.”

  “No? Well, it’s either that or girlfriend. Your choice.”

  “You’re impossible.” She leaned back, folding her arms across her chest. “Fine. Whatever. Call me your girlfriend.”

  I smiled.

  “Stop smiling so hard. You’re not supposed to be happy about this. It’s weird.”

  “It’s not that weird. But is this better?” I gave her an exaggerated frown.

  She reached out, touching the corners of my mouth. “No. I changed my mind. Keep the smile.”

  I smiled and her hands slid to my neck.

  “Okay, we made it exclusive,” I said.

  She rolled her eyes.

  “How is your ankle doing?”

  “What? Oh.” Her cheeks turned rosy. “It’s doing a lot better today.”