Game On the Verge

by Jamie Summer

  “It wasn’t like that at all.”

  “I know that, but according to the article, this guy was hitting on your girlfriend, so you threw a fist in his face.”

  I shook my head. This can’t be happening.

  “It’s not true,” I said, but he waved me off.

  “I know that. But it’s not good for your reputation. Get yourself together. I don’t want to have to expel you for a time for some punk ass publicity.”

  “I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again,” I assured him. He nodded, then gestured for me to get out of his office.

  In some kind of trance, I walked back to the changing room, trying to figure out what exactly had happened the past few minutes.

  Where did those pictures come from?

  I couldn’t remember seeing any kind of paparazzi at the christening, and I doubted Trish or her husband would have invited any. So where did the newspaper get the photos?

  Devon approached me carefully, obviously sensing something was very off. “Hey. Are you all right? What did Coach want?”

  “I was in the newspaper. I mean…” I stopped, realizing that since I hadn’t even told the guys what happened this past weekend, they wouldn’t really understand.

  He nodded. “Oh. I see. This is one of those things that will take longer to explain, right? Okay. Bar. Tonight. I don’t care if you have other plans. We’re going out. Then you’re gonna tell me why you look like you’ve just seen a ghost. I sure as hell know Coach didn’t chew you out for how you’ve been playing, because your performance has been on point, as usual.”

  I glanced over at Devon, his faith in me making me feel slightly better. No matter what, I knew he would have my back.

  “Okay,” I agreed, suddenly realizing he had suggested going to the bar. There was only one bar we frequented. Macy’s, the exact bar where Jo worked.

  Great. Should have thought about that.

  “Let’s go, guys. The others are already waiting,” Gavin called from his locker. I quickly got changed and followed them out onto the field.

  During practice, Coach didn’t treat me any differently than he did anybody else. My fear was that no matter how much he said he didn’t care, he actually did and would show his disapproval, but all I got was the same strategical advice he always gave me, nothing else.

  As practice came to a close, we went back to the weight room, did a little time in there, then headed to the showers. Gavin had agreed to join us for our little night out, so the three of us piled into Devon’s car and drove over.

  It was a Monday, and with no football this past weekend, people showed up in spades. It seemed the new week brought a whole new apprehension for the next game, which was this weekend. That was why it was fortunate the wedding was on a Friday. In the evening. No idea why, but it was good for me. It meant I didn’t need to take any time off or beg Coach to let me off the hook. Honestly, I wouldn’t even have asked. I wasn’t as close to this cousin as I was to Trish and her family, so it wouldn’t have been such a shame to miss it.

  Now, though, with Jo by my side, there was no chance I was going to stay away from it. I didn’t want to.

  “I think the only free spots are in the back by the bar. Wanna take those?” Devon asked.

  We nodded and made our way through the throngs of people. I tried to catch a glimpse of Jo behind the bar, but all I saw was one of the other bartenders.

  “So, spill it,” Devon said.

  “What’s going on? I meant to ask you about an article Trevor showed me in the newspaper yesterday,” Gavin remarked. Devon looked at him in surprise.

  “What article?” he asked.

  “That’s what Coach wanted to discuss with me,” I groaned, unable to hide my unhappiness at the turn of events. It was just supposed to be a fun day out. Nothing else.

  “What article?” Devon repeated. Gavin turned to him, a wide smile on his face. I had no idea what he thought was so funny about the situation, but I was sure he was going to indulge me in a second.

  “Well, according to this article in The Post, our playboy Ty over here was at a christening this past weekend with his girlfriend. When a guy approached her, he punched him in the face.” There was humor in Gavin’s voice as he relayed the story.

  Devon turned to me, eyes wide. “Girlfriend? Excuse me, but when exactly did you find a girlfriend and why don’t we know about her?”

  I sighed, thanking my lucky stars when the bartender came over to take our orders. I glanced behind him to see if Jo had shown up, but she was nowhere to be seen.

  “It wasn’t exactly like that,” I started.

  “No shit,” Gavin said, a smug grin on his face. “I’d forgotten how good of a punch you could throw.” I arched a brow at him. He laughed. “I’m sorry, but the picture is classic. It shows at the exact moment your fist collided with his face. That takes some precision. From the photographer, and you.” Clearly, this was amusing to the guys as they both laughed at the situation, but I couldn’t find the same humor in it.

  “Do you remember when he hit this jerk in high school who was bullying one of the nerds? Classic moment,” Devon said, his face turned toward Gavin.

  “He deserved it,” I threw in. Both my friends turned to me with a nod.

  “Which is why I’m sure whatever this jerk did, he deserved it, too,” Gavin concluded.

  “Man, why haven’t I seen this article? Why don’t I read the newspaper?” Devon complained, obviously mad he was missing something.

  “I hadn’t seen it until Coach showed it to me.”

  “That’s what he called you into his office for?” Gavin asked, and I nodded.

  “He said it was bad publicity. Said that he knew the guy probably deserved it, but that the way the article was written threw a bad light on me…and on the team. He wasn’t happy and said neither were the higher-ups.”

  “Understandable.” I glared at Devon, who held his hands up in front of him. “Hey, I’m just saying if the papers truly wrote that crap, I’m not surprised the team officials aren’t happy. But here’s what I’m wondering. What exactly happened, and who is this mysterious girlfriend of yours?”

  I stayed silent for a few seconds, then started telling them about the christening I needed to go to and the girlfriend I always told my family I had. I was about to tell them how I had asked Jo to play the part when the woman in question walked up, our beers in hand.

  “Three, right?” she asked. I saw the smiles on my friends’ faces as she put them down in front of us.

  “Always a pleasure to see you, Jo,” Devon flirted, but unlike the other times we had been in here, Jo didn’t even react to him. Instead, her gaze darted over to me.

  Of course, that got the attention of both, Gavin and Devon, who looked at each other.

  “Hi, Jo,” I greeted her, hoping it wasn’t too obvious how my heart had started to race a tad faster. God, what was happening? Where did these feelings come from?

  Jo just gave me a nod, then walked off to take orders from other people at the bar.

  “What was that?”

  “What was what?” I asked Devon, playing the dumb card.

  He gestured between Jo and me. “Jo… You… What was that?”

  “Nothing.”

  Devon narrowed his eyes, making it clear he didn’t believe a word I said.

  “Oh, you mean that?” I pointed at Jo. “You mean the fact that I asked Jo to be my fake girlfriend and the fight that day was actually over her?”

  The look on my friends’ faces was priceless. I wished I could have taken a picture and showed it to them, just so I could make fun of them for months.

  “You’re kidding, right? You asked Jo?” Gavin asked.

  “Why not?”

  “No reason. It’s just… She seems so self-sufficient, strong and not like the type to agree to play a fake girlfriend.”

  Part of me wanted to argue with him, but I knew what he was saying. Jo was a feisty redhead who worked in a bar. Hardly the ty
pe who would simply say yes to whatever you asked of her.

  “It seems she knows all about family pressure. Plus, in my drunken state, I’m pretty sure she felt sorry for me.” I shrugged.

  “Okay… So the fight you had was over her?”

  I continued the story. The more I said, the more Gavin’s and Devon’s eyes widened in disbelief.

  “This sounds like trouble. You know that, right? There’s obviously something she’s not telling you,” Devon said.

  “When did you turn into a gossip?” Gavin asked, smirking at him. “It could just be that the guy was a family friend, or maybe someone who liked Jo and didn’t want to share. A jerk who thought he had any claim over her. That’s how guys work sometimes. Primal instinct.”

  “Could be,” Devon agreed, sitting back and taking a sip from his beer.

  I found myself searching for Jo in the crowd, wanting to talk to her. We still needed to finalize our plans for Friday. Not that this is the only reason I want to talk to her.

  “Listen, the jerk went too far. When he grabbed Jo, I didn’t think. I just—”

  “Snapped.” Gavin nodded. “Yeah, I know all about that.” He’d been in a similar situation with his girlfriend, Betty.

  “We have another date this Friday. A wedding.”

  “You do?” Gavin asked, clearly surprised. “This wasn’t a one-time thing then?”

  “It was supposed to be, but then Jo agreed to go to a wedding with me. Actually, she didn’t even ask me before she told my cousin she would be there.”

  “And, of course, you graciously sat by and didn’t protest in the slightest. Since when have you been interested in Jo?” Devon asked, and I shrugged.

  “I’m not.”

  “Screw that. You’ve been searching for her ever since we came in. I was wondering what you were looking for, but it’s clear now. You like her. Good for you, man. You need someone to keep you on your toes, and something tells me Jo will do exactly that.”

  “There is nothing going on between us,” I told them again, hoping to get my point across. It didn’t work. Both my friends just gave me a smug smile. Instead of indulging them, I took a sip of my beer, then started complaining about the newspaper article that screwed up everything today.

  “I wish I knew who took that picture. There wasn’t any paparazzi there.”

  “Who knows. They are good at hiding. Don’t let it get to you. Just make sure it doesn’t happen again. Coach is right. It’s bad press. When it comes to that, people get kicked off the team faster than you can say ‘goal’,” Devon acknowledged. While part of me was frustrated with everything, I knew he was right.

  I needed to keep a level head. I needed to keep my cool.

  I just hoped that the wedding wouldn’t include a certain guest. If it did, I couldn’t guarantee anything.

  Jo

  The day of the wedding arrived much faster than I would have expected. I didn’t get to speak to Tyler when he and his two friends were at the bar earlier this week. I could tell he wanted to talk to me, I felt his eyes on me more than once, but the crowd was crazy that night. I had to admit, though, I purposely stayed away, sending Ben over to take their orders.

  This whole week, my mom had continued to harass me, trying to get me to rethink what I was doing with my life. The more she called, the more determined I was to go to that wedding with Tyler. Then why had I avoided talking to him?

  We had finally texted back and forth, coordinating outfits and setting up a time to meet. It was all very professional and polite, no feelings involved. I wasn’t sure what I thought about it.

  “Got everything?” Brianna asked. She had come over to help me get ready, though I had told her I didn’t need her help with anything. After all, it wasn’t my wedding.

  “Yes. But I still don’t understand why you felt the need to come over in the first place.”

  When the doorbell rang, I walked over to open it, Brianna hot on my heels.

  “Hi,” I greeted Tyler, who looked as handsome as he did the week before.

  “Wow. You look…incredible,” he breathed out, his eyes raking over my body with a certain appreciation. I warmed under his gaze. For a second, I wondered if this was truly a good idea. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to say yes to this date.

  I felt lips on my cheeks. I hadn’t even noticed Tyler lean in and kiss me. I was too caught up in my own head.

  “You must be Tyler. I’m Jo’s friend, Brianna.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Tyler greeted my best friend, shaking her hand.

  “I’ve heard a lot about you. So, tell me, what exactly is your intention with my bestie? I mean, it’s your second date. Fake or not, that has to count for something.”

  Heat shot up my cheeks, and I was certain the color of my face was the same color as my hair. “Bri, are you serious?” I asked, unable to believe my best friend’s behavior. Well, actually, it fit right with her personality. No filter whatsoever.

  Tyler looked taken aback for a second, then a wide grin spread across his face. “Well, I can assure you, I only have the best of intentions. After all, I did play her knight in shining armor already.”

  “So I heard. However, don’t play it too often. My friend here can take care of herself and doesn’t like others doing the work for her.”

  Please God, let the floor swallow me up.

  “Bri, I’m right here,” I remarked.

  She merely shrugged. “Just doing my best friend duty.”

  “Well, I’d appreciate it if you would stop.”

  Brianna huffed and walked off, and I heard Tyler’s soft laugh next to me.

  “I like her,” he told me.

  “She is something else,” I agreed, then turned to look at him. “Are you ready?”

  “Behave, kids? And no worries, Jo. I won’t break anything.” Brianna had asked if she could stay at my place while I was gone, and I was happy to let her.

  “Thanks,” I called out to her, then felt Tyler take my hand in his.

  “I brought you something,” he explained, then pulled a small package out of his tux. He opened it, revealing a beautiful red rose. The color fit perfectly with my wine-red dress. I had decided for this one because it was both elegant and simple, not to mention my parents had always told me the color looked good on me.

  “Thank you,” I whispered as he put the rose in my hair. It was unexpected, bringing us closer than I would have thought. I felt his breath wash over me, and when I glanced up, his lips were inches from mine.

  Kiss him. My eyes widened as the thought passed me.

  I had no idea if it was the setting or the prospect of us going to the wedding that made me feel nervous and anxious. Whatever it was, it was messing with my emotions.

  The warmth I felt when he looked me over hadn’t left. Paired with the closeness of our bodies, it was hard to keep a level head.

  “Jo?” Tyler whispered.

  “Huh?” It was all the answer I could muster. He had managed to completely wipe my mind of any rational thought.

  His hand trailed my cheek, my neck, my shoulder. He left a trail of goosebumps, and I closed my eyes at the sensation.

  “Oh Jesus. You’re still here.”

  Brianna’s voice made Tyler step back, but not as quickly as I would have expected him to. Instead, he moved away slowly, a small grin on his face.

  “It was so quiet, I thought you guys had already left,” Brianna explained. I glanced down at the floor, not wanting to look at her. “Anyway, ignore me. I’m only going into the kitchen and will be out of your hair in two seconds.”

  “Let’s go, okay?” Tyler suggested, and I nodded my head so hard, I was pretty sure it would fall off any second. “Hey,” he whispered, placing his finger under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “You look great. I can’t wait to spend today with you.”

  “As your fake girlfriend,” I added.

  Instead of saying anything, Tyler leaned closer and placed a light kiss on my lips. If I
wouldn’t have had my eyes open, I wouldn’t have even known he did it. Now, my whole body tingled, the sensation rushing through my body.

  He took my hand and purse, then led me toward my car.

  Right. I need to drive.

  “Are you okay to drive?” There was a hint of worry, along with something that sounded remarkably like amusement, in his voice. I took a deep breath, hoping I could tamp down whatever emotions currently warred within me until I got us safely to our destination.

  “I’m okay,” I assured him, then pulled my keys from my purse and unlocked it.

  The drive to the small coastal town didn’t take as long as expected, and we made it there with plenty of time to spare. Again.

  “Do you want to walk around a little bit before the ceremony? By that I mean before my family comes and bombards us with whatever questions they have?”

  “Too late,” we heard. I smiled when I saw Tyler’s mom approach. “Sorry, son, but you should know we’re usually the first to arrive.”

  Tyler tried to hide a smile, but the happiness at seeing his parents was evident. I wished that I would feel the same way about my own, despite the pressure of disappointment breathing down my neck.

  “Mom, so good to see you again.”

  “Same, my boy. And, Jo, thank you for bringing him here. I know he wouldn’t have come otherwise.”

  I glanced at Tyler. Judging by the way he averted his gaze, I was sure his mom was right.

  “Always a pleasure,” I said, leaning into him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Tyler smiled and pulled me close, kissing my head much the same way he had the week before. Not that I had replayed the gesture time and time again in my head.

  Not at all.

  “You have to see the scenery. It’s absolutely breathtaking. I can see why they chose it for their wedding,” Tyler’s mom said, then took my arm and led me toward a small boulder that separated two fields from one another. The church was bigger than the one the christening was in, but the atmosphere was the same. Beautiful, warm and overall something to look forward to.