Calling the Play

by Samantha Kane

  “Now, hold up,” Tom said. “Ty’s right. And I’m as guilty of it as you are. So we are going to sit our asses down and play some poker.” He glanced over Danny’s shoulder at Ty. “I don’t actually know how to play poker, but I’m willing to give it a shot.”

  Danny stopped. He looked over his shoulder at Ty, too. “We playing for money?”

  “Yep,” Ty said, admiring how easily Tom played him.

  “I’m in.” Danny spun around and marched over to the table. He pulled out a chair and dropped into it. “Bring me a beer and don’t talk to me.”

  Marian grinned as Beau pulled out her chair and she sat down. “Fish, meet hook,” she said. “That kid just conned you, totally.”

  “Boy Scout can’t lie,” Danny said, grabbing the deck of cards sitting in the middle of the table. “Even if he knows how to play, he’s got to suck at it.”

  Cass sat down next to Marian. “Deal me in,” he said. “Ante up.”

  “I’m just watching,” Beau said, sitting next to Marian. “I have an addictive personality. Best not to go there.”

  Ty stopped short a few feet from the table, hands full of beers and a bag of chips. “Oh, shit, Beau. I didn’t think of that. We could do something else.”

  “No, we ain’t fuckin’ doing something else,” Danny said, shuffling the cards. “If the man wants to watch, let him watch.” He fumbled the shuffle as soon as the words were out and Ty knew his mind, just like everyone else’s at the table, had gone back to the night a few months ago when the five of them had fucked on Cass and Beau’s dining room table. Beau had started out watching then, too.

  “Deal me in,” Tom said, sitting down next to Danny. “I’ve got five hundred dollars in my pocket.”

  “Deal the man in,” Marian said with a sweet smile.

  “Little-known Marian fact,” Danny said, dealing the cards. “She’s a card shark. And she cheats.”

  “That’s two facts,” Marian said. “Shut up and deal.”

  Ty just let them all play cards for the first hour. He was a decent player, about as good as Cass. Danny was a little better, but he was right, Marian was a shark. On the other hand, Danny had been wrong about Tom. The kid was born to play poker. He and Marian were fighting it out for most of the pots, and she had only a slight edge.

  After several hands of poker and about as many beers, Ty eased into the tough conversation they all needed to have. “So, is everyone ready for practice next week?”

  “I can’t wait,” Tom said excitedly. “I thought summer would never end.”

  “Rookie,” Cass said with a laugh. “But I’ve got to admit that I feel the same way. This year—”

  “—is going to be our year,” Beau finished for him. “He says that every year.”

  “You better hope he’s right, Mr. We’re Bringing Trouble to Your Fucking Door,” Marian said, quoting Beau in an interview he’d given last spring. She was concentrating on the cards in her hand. Suddenly she looked up with a big grin. “Hey, that reminds me. Melody Ann called to say that by tomorrow we should be trending again.”

  “What for?” Ty asked, taking a sip of beer. “Who got arrested?”

  “Ha ha,” Marian said. “It’s the video from this morning, when you guys ran the stairs. She edited it down. It’s pretty funny.”

  Ty choked on his beer. “Tell me she took out the part about my ass.”

  “Nope. It’s the best part.” Marian grinned at Danny. “She left in your foulmouthed response, too.”

  “Good,” Danny said. “I want everyone to know I don’t want his ass.”

  “I did,” Tom said casually. “Brian sure ran a good race for it, too.”

  Everyone at the table stopped and stared at Tom. “What?” he asked, and took a drink of his beer.

  “Since when did you turn gay?” Danny asked.

  “I don’t know if I’m gay,” Tom said. “I mean, I still want to fuck girls. But Ty was pretty damn hot with you and I liked what we did.”

  Ty could have kissed him for finally getting around to talking about it, but he played it cool. “Thanks,” he said. “I liked it, too. But I wasn’t really going to give my ass to the winner.”

  “Tease,” Tom said. “Well, a farm boy can dream.” He looked back down at his cards, not in the least bit upset.

  “I don’t think you’re gay just because you like fucking guys,” Cass said.

  “What are you looking at me for?” Danny said defensively. “I didn’t fuck him, or any of you all. Just Marian.”

  “You kissed me,” Ty said. He was pushing it and he knew it, but he wanted to keep the conversation going. Danny hadn’t really said much, and he was the one who’d really jumped feetfirst out of his comfort zone that night. They had to get it all out on the table. Danny surprised him by not losing his temper.

  “No,” Danny said, holding up a finger. “You kissed me. That’s different. And at that point I would have kissed your grandpa to make sure Marian didn’t get off my dick.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Marian said dryly. “I think.”

  “My grandfather is still a very handsome man,” Ty said. “You’re right, though. We didn’t really fuck, but I’m not sure that’s not arguing semantics, considering all that we did do. But what Cass said is true. I don’t think anything we did makes you gay if that’s not what you are, or what you feel. I always think of gay as exclusively preferring men or women, the same-sex stuff. But you know, there’s so much gray area there. I’m not really into labels, but I’ve identified as bisexual since college, because it’s easier for other people when you do have a label. I think if you like it and it feels good and you’re not hurting anybody, then that’s all right and no one else needs to know if that’s the way you want it.”

  “I agree,” Marian said. “God knows what Cass and Beau and I have is considered kinky and all kinds of wrong by lots of people, but it works for us and we’re happy. And we’re not hurting anybody. I wish people would stop trying to label it and analyze it and just leave us alone.” Beau put his arm around her and gave her a hug and a kiss.

  “That’s different,” Danny said. “You guys love each other. Ty and Tom just want to fuck everything.”

  “I resent that,” Ty said. “I don’t fuck everything. As a matter of fact, I’m going to be pretty exclusive myself in the future. Maybe.”

  “Brian?” Marian asked, raising an eyebrow in question. “I’m glad.”

  “Well I do want to fuck everything.” Tom threw his cards facedown on the table. “And what’s wrong with that? I’m twenty-three, for fuck’s sake, and I’ve been with you guys, and one woman. I’ve decided it’s time to spread my wings.”

  “Who the fuck talks like that?” Danny asked. “ ‘Spread my wings’?” He rolled his eyes. “You’re a horndog, farm boy. But I guess it’s what young guys do.”

  “Even doing guys?” Tom challenged.

  Danny shrugged. “These days, I guess so. I keep reading about it. ‘Experimenting’ is now a thing, like gay or straight. Did you know that?”

  “How do you know that?” Tom asked.

  “I see things,” Danny said in a superior voice. He dropped two hundred on the pot in the middle of the table. “I call.”

  “Two hundred? What the fuck? I’m out,” Cass said, tossing his cards down.

  “I’ll see you,” Marian said, carefully counting out the money and adding it to the pot.

  “I’m out,” Ty said with a laugh. “Too rich for me. I’m only a quarterback.”

  “Done,” Tom said, pulling the bills from the pile in front of him. “Call.”

  Danny laid his cards on the table with a grin. “Flush, assholes,” he said, reaching for the pot.

  “Shit,” Marian grumbled. “I’ve just got a pair. A big pair, but only a pair.” Everyone laughed at the double meaning.

  “Not so fast,” Tom said. He carefully laid his cards down one at a time. “Four jacks. Four of a kind beats your flush.” He reached over Danny’s frozen han
ds and scooped the pot toward his pile of money. “Looks like it’s time to go.”

  “Wait. What?” Marian said, scowling at him. “You’re not going to give us the chance to win it back?”

  “You’ve got each other,” Tom said, tapping his pile of bills into a neat stack. “You don’t need money.”

  “What about me?” Ty asked, amused at Tom’s antics.

  “I was hoping you’d hook me up tonight, man,” Tom said. “But no ass, no money.”

  “That option’s not on the table,” Brian said from behind Ty. Ty spun around in his chair to see Brian leaning against the frame of the open French doors that led to his backyard. “The gate was open,” he said in answer to Ty’s unasked question.

  “How long has he been standing there?” Ty asked everyone at the table.

  “A while,” Tom said with a lopsided grin. “I figured he was here to collect. He did win this morning, after all.”

  “Fair and square,” Brian said, looking pretty damn smug.

  “Yeah, well, what about me?” Danny asked, pushing back his chair. “I ain’t got nobody, no ass and no money.”

  “You’re my roommate,” Tom said. He waved his wad of bills in the air. “We’ve got cash”—he reached in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys—“and a fast car. The ladies await. Or maybe the guys.” He backed away from the table.

  “Did you steal the keys to my Porsche?” Ty asked, dismayed. “Who’s been teaching you this stuff?”

  “Let’s roll,” Danny said, standing up and heading toward the door in Tom’s wake. “But I ain’t gonna help you pick up no dude, man.”

  “All right,” Tom said, still walking backward, facing Danny. “How about a contest, then? You pick the girl, and we’ll see which one of us she goes home with.”

  “Oh, you are on, farm boy,” Danny said. “I got moves you ain’t even seen yet.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Tom said with a laugh as he spun around and sprinted for the door with Ty’s keys.

  “Don’t wreck the car,” Ty yelled after them. “I’m down to one.”

  —

  After they left, Brian sauntered in and took a seat at the table. “You all have created a two-headed monster.” He was pretty thrilled at this little gathering. Clearly whatever had been bothering them had been worked out. Trust Ty to make it happen. He was good at straightening out everyone else’s lives. Too bad he was blind when it came to his own problems.

  “I’m glad,” Marian said with satisfaction. “Danny deserves it. I haven’t seen him like this since college. He never got to have this, you know, being young and wild and carefree. Tom is just what he needs.”

  “I sense a story here,” Brian said.

  “How much did you hear?” Beau asked, watching him carefully.

  “Enough to know Tom wasn’t kidding this morning when he told me he’d had my boy a few months ago.”

  “What?” Ty exclaimed. “That little shit. He did not ‘have’ me. Not in the biblical sense.”

  “I’m pretty sure that wasn’t in the Bible,” Cass said with a grin.

  “I suppose you want all the gory details,” Marian said a little too casually. “All about my tragic past.”

  “Nope,” Brian said. He could tell he’d surprised her, and Cass and Beau, too. He shrugged. “I don’t need to know unless you need to tell me. It’s not my business, and as you said, it’s in the past.” He looked at Ty. “And so is whatever happened with Tom.”

  “Are you for real?” Cass asked skeptically. “No one could resist asking a few questions after what you must have heard.”

  “Brian can,” Ty said, slowly spinning his beer bottle against the table. “He keeps secrets better than anyone I know. But the great thing is, he lets you keep yours, too.” Brian smiled at him in appreciation at the compliment.

  “Well, then, no offense, but I think I’m going to keep this one for now,” Marian said, pushing her chair back and standing up. “Maybe someday.” She walked over and kissed Brian on the cheek, and then whispered in his ear loudly enough to be overheard. “You take care of our boy here.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Brian said. “I intend to.”

  “Don’t I have anything to say about who gets to take care of me?” Ty asked. He just sounded curious, not angry. He took a drink of beer as he watched Brian.

  “Of course you do,” Brian said. “I always let you make the decisions, don’t I? Weren’t you complaining about that the other night?” He looked at Cass. “Can’t really play poker with only four,” he said. “And I didn’t bring cash.”

  “Is that a subtle way of telling us to get lost?” Cass asked with a smile.

  “Yep,” Brian told him, gathering up the cards from around the table.

  “I’m tapped out anyway,” Cass said, standing up. Beau followed and the three of them headed toward the door. “See you on Monday,” he called out, and Beau laughed.

  Ty didn’t say anything after the door closed behind them. The silence didn’t bother Brian. If Ty wanted him out, he’d have told him so. He finished putting the deck away and then picked up the beer bottles.

  “Are you always going to show up and clean up my messes?” Ty asked, leaning both arms on the table as he watched Brian.

  “If you want me to,” Brian said. “But I’d rather just help you clean up your messes, instead of doing it all myself.”

  “What does that mean?” Ty asked, leaning back in his chair. Brian set the bottles on the kitchen counter and walked back into the living room to face Ty.

  “It means I was glad to see you taking the lead in clearing up whatever has been bothering all of you.” He crossed his arms. “You’re a good leader, Ty. You see things in people that others miss. You’re good at figuring out what drives people, what they need and how to give it to them.”

  Ty looked taken aback. “Thanks.”

  “You need to be able to do that on the football field.” His words fell between them like a grenade.

  “So I’m good at being a leader off the field, but not on?” Ty challenged him.

  “Yes.” Brian sighed and walked over and sat down next to Ty. “I see what you’re trying to do on the field, Ty. The same thing you did here. You brought them together, you got the conversation started, and then you let them work it out themselves. That’s great. But on the field, you can’t do that. You can’t let them do whatever it is they need to do. You have to make them do what you need them to do.”

  “That’s what this was about,” Ty said. “I knew Tom and Danny were having issues with what happened between us. Hell, the last couple of months, they barely talked to me, and could hardly look me in the eye. That sure as fuck isn’t going to win football games.” He ran his hands through his hair. “You need to hear the whole story.”

  Brian held up a hand. “No. I don’t want you telling me their secrets, Ty. I don’t need that. I’m okay with whatever it was.”

  “Yeah, well, this isn’t about your feelings,” Ty said. “Sorry to disappoint. But you’re right. I’ll just give you the information you need. We all had sex. Danny learned some things about himself that he didn’t know and it freaked him out. Tom learned some things about himself that made him want things he wasn’t sure how to ask for. And I was the source of knowledge for both of them. So I became the target of their fear and uncertainty. Tom is over that, and I think him telling you what happened, and that stupid race, was a big part of getting him past the hump. Danny is a head case. I love him, but he’s screwed up, man.”

  “Danny Smith is one of the most hated men in football. But that wasn’t the Danny Smith I saw here tonight, was it?” Brian asked. He’d been worried about Smith, about his reputation for being difficult to coach and to play with.

  “No, and I hope we don’t see that guy again,” Ty said. “What happened between all of us was to clean the slate. To start over. And I see that in Danny now. I see him trying. Trust me, you’re going to love him, too. I’m not at liberty to tell you what went
down in his and Marian’s past, but suffice it to say that he was her hero, and what he did made him a hero in my eyes, too, and Cass and Beau and Tom’s. And we are the only ones who know, and that’s how they want it. So it’s going to be a hard sell for the rest of the team. And I needed him to stop acting like I was the enemy and realize I’m one of the only friends he’s got right now.”

  “Then I was out of line, and I’m sorry,” Brian said. “But you haven’t been talking to me, Ty. You’ve shut me out this week. Let me in. Let me help. That’s why I’m here.”

  “Is it?” Ty asked. He scooted his chair closer and invaded Brian’s personal space. Brian didn’t move. Ty rested his head on his crossed arms on the table, watching him. “Is that why you’re here? To help me with my game?”

  Chapter 20

  Ty stared at Brian, letting every bit of his desire show on his face. He was tired of fighting it. He figured he’d always want Brian. Nearly ten years of it and it hadn’t changed at all. He was trying to get his life together, get his game on, get the team on track. Maybe it was time to put his head on straight and just admit what he’d known from the minute Brian had come back into his life. They were going to do this. He didn’t know for how long, didn’t really care. As long as it lasted, he was on board for the ride. Brian grounded him. When he was around, Ty’s life made sense. End of story.

  “You know it is,” Brian said, answering his question. “At least, that’s the reason I’m here with the Rebels.”

  “And why are you here, tonight, at my house?” Ty asked quietly, looking at Brian’s mouth. It wasn’t anything spectacular; he didn’t have big, pouty lips that begged to be kissed or fucked. He had a no-nonsense mouth, not too big or too small, usually set in a serious line. But right now the corners were tipped up just a bit, just enough to kick Ty’s heart into a higher gear.