by Hawke, Jessa
Inside of myself, in my dream world, I would love to stay. However, it is just that, a dream. I love my home, my job, my parents and family and most of all I love my friends.
I sip at my drink and I’m about to take a bite from my comforting chocolate doughnut, when I notice both my friends faces take on a serious look.
“Hey, I meant it,” I say, putting down the doughnut, “I’m not staying.”
“You break our hearts, Nessy,” a voice behind me says.
My two lovers have arrived, they pull up chairs to our table and sit with us, Antonio looks sad, but resigned.
“We were hoping you would stay with use, Nessy,” Dante says. “We could truly make you happy here, with us, and we would be happy with you,” he takes one of my hands in his.
“But, it is clear to us that you have others who love you also, and would miss you if your stayed,” he nods his head in the direction of my friends. “We would not want to take you from that, it would make you miserable and we would never want you to be unhappy.”
“The invitation is now closed,” Dante finishes.
“We would like to treat you girls to a last day together, if we may?” Antonio asks us.
We look at each other, puzzled.
“It’s entirely up to you?” Hannah says to me.
“Then I say, yes,” I decide.
We have a wonderful time, the boys know their town inside out, and backward ways around, and they show us everything. The girls love it too, and when some of Antonio’s friends join us, we finish off at the beach house, continuing the party well into the night.
That was the last I ever saw of my lovers. The remaining holiday was spent without them and just with my friends, and whilst I had a great time, my mind was always wandering to them. Everyday I looked out for Antonio in the dining room, but I never saw him again. That was probably for the best, because although I had decided not to stay, I wasn’t certain that my resolve was that firm, being around those two hunky guys might well have changed my mind
THE END
Players Gonna Play
Karen looked at the tickets in her hand. She couldn’t believe it; she got the best tickets in the house for a local hockey game that was happening. Karen never thought that she would get to go to something as amazing as this, but lo and behold, she was the correct caller on some radio show a few weeks ago. She won the tickets, and she even had an extra to spare. Karen knew she would take her friend Stephanie for a night together. It was something that they needed to do anyways.
Karen dialed her number, and after a couple of rings, the familiar sound of Stephanie was on the other line.
“Hello? “She asked.
“Hey there girl, it’s Karen. Listen, I have some pretty amazing news,” Karen said. She knew this would pique Stephanie’s interest.
Sure enough, Stephanie paused, taking in a deep breath before speaking to her friend.
“What is it?” she replied.
‘Well, remember when I called that radio show that one time in hopes of maybe getting some tickets to the championship game for the local hockey team? And you thought that I was crazy for doing so? Well, it turns out that I won them! I have two free tickets to a hockey game this Friday, and I would love to take you,” Karen replied. Karen didn’t have anyone else to go with, and she knew that Stephanie liked hockey enough to join her.
There was a slight pause on the other side of the line before Stephanie started to speak.
“That sounds amazing! I would love to go. Do you know when the game is?” she asked.
“Seven that night. I’ll pick you up if you want me to,” Karen said. She loved to help out her friend, especially since Stephanie had been there for her through thick and thin.
There was a pause once again, but then Stephanie spoke.
“That’s good with me. Let’s make it a date!” she said in an enthusiastic manner. Karen chuckled at the excitement seemed to be pouring from her lips as she talked to her friend.
“Awesome! I’ll see you than,” Karen replied. Karen hung up the phone, smiling to herself. She was excited for the game, and she knew that her friend was as well. There was also a feeling of nervousness and excitement too, and Karen knew that whatever this feeling was would reveal itself soon enough.
The game came around like a flash, and for the first time ever Karen felt like she didn’t have to watch the seconds roll by for something big to happen. Karen was ready for that night, and she knew it would be a great one. Karen grabbed her belongings, ready for whatever the night had to offer.
The drive to Stephanie’s house was fast, and soon she was there. When she got there, she knocked on the door, her friend rushing to the door at a face pace. When Stephanie opened up, the two of them looked at one another with a smile.
“You ready to go to the game?” Karen asked.
“Definitely. I can’t wait to see what happens,” Stephanie replied.
They both got into Karen’s car, heading downtown. The drive was fast, and soon they were there. When they got there, they were able to find a killer parking spot by chance, and Karen already knew it was going to be a great night.
They didn’t have to wait in line either. Karen was able to cash in the tickets, and they were led to seats that were right next to the ice. Below them was the bench where the players were, and Karen already felt a surge of excitement.
“Wow, these seats are amazing,” Karen said.
“They are. Wow, I’ve never been this close up. The closest I’ve ever been has been a few rows back,” Stephanie remarked.
Karen agreed; normally she was at the back row or in the nosebleed seats at best. Already, she felt like a celebrity when she was in this VIP area, mainly because she knew that she would get the service she wanted as well.
Sure enough, there were vendors coming to them almost immediately. They served them both each a cup of beer, and Karen sipped it, loving the frothy drink in her mouth. Stephanie was happy as well, and they both sat as they watched the ice get cleaned up. It was only a half hour until game time, and Karen was excited.
“So Karen, have you been looking for anyone special recently? I’m shocked you didn’t ask a guy to go with you,” Stephanie remarked.
Karen shook her head. “Nope. All the guys I keep running into are nothing but losers. I can’t tolerate their bullshit either. I want to find someone real, someone who actually knows what they’re doing and doesn’t have their head up their ass,” Karen remarked.
Karen had terrible luck with men. Since her last relationship, which ended in disaster, Karen attempted to find other men to go out with. She tried online dating, and she even tried a couple of guys based off of recommendations from friends, but none of them seemed to click. It sucked, but that was life.
It wasn’t because of how she looked either. Karen had long, brown hair that cascaded down her body, big blue eyes that radiated when she looked at people, a thin face that looked tempting, and a great body that she worked to keep in shape. Karen was toned, and she had a decent pair of breasts as well. Her butt was plump too, and Stephanie looked at her with envy at times. Karen had the perfect body, but she had a hard time finding guys who could relate to her. Most of them were too busy checking out her ass than to have a meaningful conversation with her.
Stephanie on the other hand, was average at best, but she had a bubbly personality that attracted men like flies. She loved to hang out with guys, but most of them weren’t her type. She wanted a down-to-earth guy who was able to deal with her humor and political incorrectness. Karen liked that about her, especially since most people hated women who spoke their mind instead of shutting up and pretending like they didn’t exist.
“Maybe I’ll find someone soon,” Karen said.
‘Well, who knows you might find someone right around the corner. It happens like that. I dumped Brad because he didn’t seem to understand why I got mad when he tried to cheat on me and I caught him. He was an idiot, but there are other guys out there,”
Stephanie remarked.
Karen understood that. Most of the guys she was with had a problem with being faithful too. She wanted to stay single for a while, just so that she didn’t get hurt again.
The game was about to begin, and Stephanie looked at the seat next to her. It was empty, which seemed weird since these were sold-out seats.
“Guess someone got sick?” Karen remarked. She knew that had to be the only reason there wasn’t a person sitting next to them.
Before the game started though, a hunky man appeared. He had a beer in his hands, but he had a radiant smile. He was staring at Stephanie, who gave him a flirtatious look.
“Excuse me,” he said.
Karen and Stephanie made room for him, and he sat down next to Stephanie. The rouge on Stephanie’s face was obvious, and Karen couldn’t help but smirk at the sight.
“It’s all right. I was wondering when the person next to me would show up,” Stephanie remarked.
“What, did you miss me that badly?” he joked.
Karen liked this guy already. She didn’t find him very attractive, but Stephanie was floored by him.
“Nah, we just wondered when your pretty face would show up,” Stephanie replied. It was obvious that she was flirting with him. Needless to say, the man flirted with her back.
“Well I’m glad I finally get to go to a game where I get to sit next to a pretty girl like you,” the man replied.
Stephanie was on cloud nine, and Karen couldn’t help but smile at her friend. It was kind of cute how Stephanie was flirting with the guy, and she had to admit, she was happy for her friend. What she didn’t really like though, was that she immediately felt like she was a third wheel even though she was the one who invited Stephanie out.
“So what’s your name cutie?” the man asked.
“Stephanie. You?” she replied.
“I’m Patrick. Patrick Henderson. I’m the brother of Cody Henderson,” he said.
Karen looked at him, almost dropping her beer on her lap. This man was the brother of one of the players she had a massive crush on. Normally Karen tried to quell her little fantasies, but this seemed to be something bigger than she ever imagined.
“Wait, really?” Karen said.
“Yep. Cody is my little shithead of a brother. He begged me to come to one of his games. I enjoy them, but normally I stay up in the private box seats. But, Cody insisted that I sit in the front row. He told me it was going to be quite the spectacle tonight,” Patrick replied.
“Wow, that’s amazing,” Stephanie, said.
“Sure is,” Karen remarked. Karen could already feel the knots in her stomach start to twist. She couldn’t believe that she got so lucky. Being next to this guy automatically made her feel like an even more important person than she normally was.
Stephanie and Patrick continued to flirt with one another, and it was obvious that they liked one another. Stephanie found out that Patrick was an accountant, and he was proud of his brother, even though it was a stupid career path. Stephanie turned on her bubbly personality and charm, and it reeled this guy in. Karen tried to hold back the jealousy that started to course through her body. She wished she could at least talk to a hot guy. The only thing next to her was some stairs, which wasn’t something to talk to.
The game started, and Stephanie and Patrick were still talking. Thankfully though, this gave Karen a chance to watch the game to get her mind off of things. Already, their team scored one goal within the first five minutes, all thanks to Cody’s insane offensive strategies. Karen watched the game, almost mesmerized by Cody. But there was another guy that he was working with as well, a guy on the team who immediately got her attention as well.
“Who’s that guy on the team that Cody is talking to?” Karen asked in an innocent voice. S surely Patrick would know who he is.
“That’s Derek. He’s a cool guy. Those two have been best friends for years, and I’m shocked that they’re able to still maintain a great friendship while on the ice,” Patrick replied.
Karen nodded, checking out the two of them. They seemed close, and Karen wondered if there was potentially something more than just a friendship there. She highly doubted it, after all guys weren’t into that sort of thing with other guys. They probably just had a great relationship like how she and Stephanie were. It’s platonic at best.
The game continued, and Karen could still hear Stephanie and Patrick flirting. It was becoming much more awkward, and Karen hoped that the game would be over soon. However, it was only halftime, and Karen could already feel the disdain present on her face when she had to turn to her left. She saw Stephanie and Patrick almost necking at one point, causing Karen to roll her eyes.
However, as soon as the halftime buzzer rang, Patrick got up. He moved out of their row and turned to Stephanie with a wink.
“I’m going to go check on my brother. You two hang tight, okay?” he asked.
“We will,” Stephanie cooed.
He walked away, and Karen turned to her with a grimace.
“You two need to get a room,” Karen said.
“I know. I’m sorry, but he’s so perfect. A guy that I can connect with so well. I’m shocked that he’s borderline famous. He doesn’t act that way,” Stephanie replied.
Karen rolled her eyes. She wished in a way that it was her that Patrick couldn’t shut up about. He felt kind of alone at this point, and it didn’t help that a feeling of jealousy seemed to seep through her. Karen wanted more than anything to just tell them to leave her alone and let her wallow in her misery of not being able to score a guy.
Patrick came back a few minutes later, and shortly after that the game started up again. It was a heated match, and Karen felt like she was sucked into this. She loved how intense it got, and she was watching Cody and Derek work together like they were one in the same. Karen enjoyed this, and seeing the two of them together made her feel a bit wet down there. She was trying to get her mind out of the gutter, but it was proving way too hard for her.
“They’re amazing,” Karen said.
“Sure are. I told Cody that he has another fan here. He’s playing for you,” Patrick replied.
Karen blushed, wondering if Cody would even know who she was. He probably thought about all the cute girls in the stadium, never about her. However Karen continued to watch, enraptured by the game that was going on.
It became a whole lot more heated, and at the end the home team crushed the visitors. Cody and Derek were monsters, and Karen loved watching them work together to beat other teams. Karen and Stephanie got up, getting ready to leave, however, Patrick stopped them.
“By the way, I was wondering if you two wanted to come to an after party. Cody told me that it’s happening nearby, at a friend’s house or something, and he said for me to invite the two cute girls next to me in the bleachers,” Patrick said.
Karen couldn’t believe this; she thought she was being played. Cody wanted to see her? He thought she was cute? This was too much.
Karen was at a loss for words, but luckily Stephanie was able to pick up the slack.
“We would love to go. I haven’t ever been to an after party before,” she said. Karen knew that was a lie, but she wasn’t going to say anything.
“Good. Why don’t you come in my limo then? All the players will be there, along with a few of our friends,” Patrick replied.
Stephanie nodded in excitement, and the three of them headed out to Patrick’s limo. Little did Karen know though, that this would soon prove to be one of the best decisions she had ever made.
Chapter Two
Patrick, Karen, and Stephanie all got in Patrick’s limo, which was parked out front. Karen was happy that she paid for overnight parking, because she knew that she would probably need it. The drive was only a couple blocks too, which meant that in the morning she could go with Stephanie to pick up her car.
It was at a small house in the middle of the city. It was strange, because usually these houses were seen out in the subur
ban area, but apparently they also liked to flock over to the city on occasion. When they pulled up, Patrick got out, saying something to the driver. Stephanie and Karen followed suit, and then they faced the home.
It was a simple brownstone, but it looked amazing. There were flashing lights everywhere, and there were people already heading inside. Karen and Stephanie waited for Patrick before venturing inside.
The place was more like a dance hall than anything. It was much bigger on the inside, and already there were women and men gyrating to the music. Patrick and Stephanie went over to the bar, and Karen walked over to the side to get some breathing room. The place was already packed, and soon Karen lost Stephanie and Patrick. They were probably hanging out with each other and getting to know one another.
Karen hated that she felt a pang of jealousy, but she did. She wanted to be with someone, but the question was who in the world would give enough of a rat’s ass to want to be with her. It was becoming harder to feel happy about this sort of thing, and as Karen thought about it, tears started to come out of her eyes. She tried to suppress them, but it grew harder as time went on.
Karen wanted someone. She didn’t care who, but she wanted somebody to at least talk to. Someone who would give her the time of day, even though she knew that she probably wasn’t their type. Sure she was beautiful, but most guys wanted someone with less personality. They only cared about her body.
After a moment, Karen felt a presence behind her. When she turned around, it was two people she thought she would never run into in person. Two men that made her open her mouth in shock and awe.
It was Cody and Derek, and they were staring at her with a smile.
Karen couldn’t believe this. Where the hell did they come from? And why were they behind her?
“You’re the girl that was hanging with Patrick, right?” Cody asked.
Karen nodded, her face blushing uncontrollably.
“Yeah. That’s me,” she replied.
