by Eva Luxe
“All in moderation,” I said. “But being obsessed is what’s going to get me noticed.”
Ryan shrugged, which looked comical with the oversized shoulder pads we wore.
When we walked off the field after training, I noticed Brad standing to the side of the field, arms folded over his chest. He grinned when I saw him, and I walked over.
“Eventful, as always,” he said. “Sometimes, coming here offers more entertainment than going out.”
I shook my head. “Cam’s always getting into it with someone. It was Henry this time.”
“It might be you tomorrow.”
“Not a chance,” I said. “I know what’s important here.”
Brad laughed and shook his head. “You remind me of me, Nick. You’re as dedicated and as full of shit.”
I took that as a compliment.
“I’m here to extend an invite,” Brad said. “I’m hosting a dinner on Saturday night, and I’d like you to join us. All the boys are going to be there, and they’ll bring the ladies. I also have an out of town guest coming. You down?”
I nodded. I hadn’t made plans for the weekend yet, and I couldn’t imagine anything better than spending my Saturday night with the players on the Florida Sharks team.
“I’ll be there, thank you.”
I met Ryan at the Radio Bar in South Beach. He had sent me the location, saying it was a place he wanted to try. When I walked in, I wonder why on earth we were here. The place was nice enough, cozy and casual, but it wasn’t quite my speed. The floor was raw concrete, the walls painted to match, and it looked like the place someone had started in their garage.
I walked to Ryan who was already seated at the bar with a glass of something golden in front of him.
“This is the place you wanted to try out?” I asked.
Ryan shrugged. “Come on, we have to slum it once in a while before we’re too famous to go anywhere normal.”
“Speak for yourself.” I sat down next to Ryan and ordered whiskey. Drinking it straight was a lot healthier than having a drink with sugary mixers, even though I didn’t necessarily like it. I sipped my drink when it arrived and nodded, satisfied. The wall behind the bar was decorated with shelves filled with alcohol bottles, and I read some of the labels.
“So, I was thinking we should go to Liv this weekend,” Ryan said.
“I can’t,” I said. “I’m going to a dinner party at Brad’s place.”
“Oh, look at you, running with the big boys. Is that why he was there today?”
I nodded. “He’s a good guy, reaching out and making an effort to make me feel at home. I appreciate it.”
“Of course. I guess if they were after me the way they’re after you, I would be thrilled too.”
I sipped more of my whiskey.
“I’m sorry you weren’t invited,” I said. Ryan seemed irritated by it.
“No, don’t be sorry. It’ll probably be the whole gang. Brad’s friend group in the team almost has a reputation for how close they are. I don’t really get along with any of them. It’s not like they didn’t reach out to me at first.”
I shrugged. I understood what Ryan was saying. He was different than the other guys. He was rough and unrefined, a guy who’d grown up on the wrong side of the tracks. His ash blond hair was always messy, and there was something unsettling about his brown eyes—not to mention he was huge as a football player. But over time, I had come to know him and realized there was more to Ryan than met the eye. Ryan got along with few people. He had even fewer friends because of his brash attitude, but loyalty was important to him, and to me, it was the foundation of our friendship.
“You never miss home?” I asked.
Ryan shook his head. “Was just a space to exist until I found where I really belong. I prefer Miami, love being on the coast, and I have goals here, a real future.” He finished his drink and ordered another. “Back home, there was nothing for me.”
I nodded, understanding what Ryan was saying. I had a better concept of family and where I originated from, but I felt the same about being in Miami, about finally being where I knew I belonged.
Two women walked to the bar, and Ryan looked at them up and down. They glanced sideways at us and giggled. Ryan might have been intimidating to other guys, someone they preferred to stay away from, but he had the dangerous flair that women liked. He always pulled one or two over.
“Well, hello, ladies,” Ryan said.
They giggled again and turned toward us.
“What are two beautiful girls like you doing in a dump like this?”
I shook my head. His lines were cheesy, but they ate it up. Usually, I might get in on the action, but tonight, I wasn’t feeling it. I’d had a hard day of training, the alcohol was knocking me harder than usual, and I wasn’t in the mood to fuck.
“Let me buy you a drink. How does that sound?” Ryan asked.
When they nodded, he held up his hand.
“You see,” he said. “The drinks I offer aren’t for free.” The girls looked confused. “I have a plan. How about I buy the drinks, and you give me your numbers?”
They laughed, and I couldn’t believe it. I had game. I could pull girls when I wanted, but Ryan’s MO was completely different. Somehow, it worked for him.
He bought the drinks and got the numbers, and the girls joined us. We made ridiculous small talk that went in circles and offered nothing intellectually stimulating. I guess it wasn’t what anyone needed for a one-night stand, which was where it was headed with Ryan and one of the two girls. On any other night, I would have been down to bed the other one—whichever one because they were both hot and desperate—but lately, I’d been feeling like a good fuck wasn’t what it used to be.
“You’re pretty quiet,” Ryan said when the girls went to the ladies’ room to powder their noses and gossip about us.
I pulled up my shoulders, pushing the glass I had emptied around without ordering another drink. “I’m not in the mood,” I said.
“What does that even mean?” Ryan asked. “When a girl lands on your dick, you hardly need to be in the mood.”
“Don’t you ever feel empty afterward like it’s not enough?” I asked.
Ryan pulled a face at me. “What’s up with you, man? This talk about feelings and shit isn’t like you.”
I shrugged. It was unlike me, he was right. But lately, I had been feeling like there should be more to it, like I wanted something to be real instead of continuing with one-night stands and ending up with nothing to show for the efforts in my life.
“I’m having an off night, I guess,” I said, knowing Ryan wouldn’t understand what I was saying.
“Well, pick up your socks. They’re coming back.”
The girls walked to us, rolling hips, hair fluffed, and smiles bright. I put on a smile for show, but I knew I wasn’t going to sleep with one of them tonight. Ryan could have both as far as I was concerned.
Chapter 3
Hailey
On Saturday, Carly and I were in our bathing suits, lounging around the pool. I had never understood why anyone who lived so close to the ocean would have a pool, but I had to admit Carly and Brad had an oasis. The pool was a dark blue with rocks around it so it looked more like a rock pool than a swimming pool. It had fountains and waterfalls and lights that switched on at night to make the place look like a fairy tale.
“This is the life,” I said to Carly. “How do you stay motivated to study when you’re always in vacation mode? I don’t know how I would stay disciplined.”
Carly shrugged. “It’s easy. I tell myself Brad has a lot of money and a large future, and because of it, I want to work hard and do something similar so I don’t become the mooching housewife.”
“Most women would love that,” I said.
“I’m not most women,” Carly said, and we clinked our orange juice glasses together in a toast to that statement.
I had seen parts of Miami with Carly who had been driving me around and showing
me the spots that were a must-see on her list. I had enjoyed every moment of it. All I had known about Miami before was what I had seen in movies, but everything was so different now that I was here in person. I enjoyed it so much. Even the weather, which was a lot more humid than anything I had ever felt in Colorado, was amazing.
When I had asked Carly if the weather was always like this, she had said it wouldn’t be Miami if it wasn’t.
I saw why Carly was so happy here, and not only because of the life she had with Brad. Miami was a great place to live, a place I could fall in love with too. I could move out here, I thought.
But that would defeat the purpose of me coming out here. I had come here to tell Carly I needed her back home. I couldn’t buckle and move away from home too. I would be close to Carly if I did, but all my family was in Colorado, and I didn’t know how I would be able to leave them behind. I had always been a family person, and it meant a lot to me to be able to lean on my support network. I couldn’t come out here, away from everyone who had always been there for me.
I was here to convince Carly to come home, although it seemed harder and harder the more I got a glimpse into her life. She had left a lot behind. It was hard without my best friend, but she had gained a lot here too.
“We should start getting ready for the party,” Carly said, glancing at her wristwatch through drooped eyes. “I have to make sure the entertainment areas have been cleaned properly and let the caterer in. And we still need to get dressed.”
Carly and I had gone shopping for clothes. We had both bought maxi dresses. Mine was black with a cinched waist and a mesh back that showed off my curves. It was casual but still looked amazing, and I felt I would fit in perfectly in this environment.
I was nervous about the party. Everyone coming tonight would be famous or married to someone famous, and even though Carly had said I would fit in, I wasn’t so sure. But I had been worried about Brad, and that had gone fine. He was a great guy, easy to talk to, and as much as I had hated the guy for breaking my best friend’s heart once upon a time, I had to admit I could see what she saw in him.
I braided my hair at the front to keep it out of my face, letting it hang loosely at the back, and I put on light makeup. The vacation-y feeling in the air encouraged me to keep things casual but classy. I added sandals to my outfit with gems on the bridge of my foot and when I looked in the mirror, I was happy with what I saw.
When I emerged from the room, Carly came out of the main bedroom. She wore the dress she had bought, and she looked as put together as I did.
“We clean up well,” she said, and I agreed laughingly.
Brad emerged a short while later, dressed in jeans and a collared shirt, and I assumed the others would dress similarly. It was so good to see that people made an effort, that it wasn’t only about spending time but about dressing up for each other.
The caterer arrived, and I helped oversee him unpacking the food while Carly ran around, arranging flowers she’d had delivered.
When everything was finally ready, the first guests arrived as if they had known exactly when to make an appearance. Carly introduced me, and bit by bit, the house filled up with the couples arriving. We were twelve people in total, with five couples and me as the guest. Carly had mentioned that Brad had invited another friend, but I hadn’t seen him, yet.
I walked to the kitchen for a glass of water and stayed there for a while. I was overwhelmed by it all. So many people had arrived, and I didn’t do very well in large crowds. I had always kept to myself at school. I had been the ugly nerd no one had wanted to talk to.
“What are you doing?” Carly asked, finding me in the kitchen.
“Getting water,” I said.
Carly raised her eyebrows. “There are pitchers of water on the table. What’s bothering you?”
I shrugged. “It’s just a bit much. I know these are your people, and I see how happy you are, but I don’t know them. I don’t feel like I fit in very well.”
“We’ll just have to fix that,” Carly said and looped her arm through mine. “Come on.”
She walked with me to the group of girls. I had met them briefly, but now Carly insisted I join the conversation. I listened, trying to offer input. I knew Kina by sight, but I got confused between Lacey and Stacey. They both had dark hair, albeit different styles, and their names threw me off. I felt better when I stood with the girls, talking to them. They weren’t famous like the men, who I had seen on TV. It was unnerving to see all those achingly familiar faces in person.
The girls asked me about my studies and about life in Colorado, and I had something to talk about. It was more comfortable than I had expected, and I found I enjoyed myself.
“Is that Brad’s friend?” Kina asked, pointing to someone who made his way to the group.
“It is,” Carly confirmed, and I looked to see where they were looking. When I saw him, I froze.
Could it be? I was looking at Nick Watts, wasn’t I?
Nick and I had gone to school together. In Fort Collins. What was he doing here? He had been a popular guy at school, and I’d had a crush on him for years. The coincidence seemed like it had to be a joke.
As I watched, he looked at me. I waited for a flicker of recognition, the familiar look of irritation that I had been in his line of sight and had gotten in the way, but instead, his eyes slid down my body and back up, and he grinned at me.
This was new. When I had been at school, he had thought I was a waste of his time, even when I had tutored him to keep his marks up and he’d been the one who had needed me, not the other way around.
“Let me introduce you,” Carly said, taking me to Nick. I was unsure. I was worried he would recognize me and run for the hills. But when Carly introduced us, he took my hand and smiled at me, maintaining eye contact. This was definitely new.
And his eyes were mesmerizing, a cornflower blue so deep I could get lost in them.
“I have to check on something,” Carly said, leaving me alone with Nick.
“I have to say, when I came here, I had no idea I would like it this much,” he said.
I blushed despite trying to act cool.
“Did you think the famous football players would bore you?” I asked with a smile.
“Oh, not at all,” Nick said. “But I don’t exactly find any of them attractive.”
I blushed again. Nick had never used his charm on me in high school. Being on the receiving end of it made me understand why so many girls had fawned over him. Of course, I had fawned over him too. His charm hadn’t even been necessary.
“Can I get you a drink?” Nick asked, a gentleman.
I nodded, and he disappeared to refill my glass. When he returned, he had gotten himself a glass too.
“So, what do you do?” he asked. “Besides looking incredible.”
I chuckled. “That’s quite a line,” I said.
Nick shrugged. “I don’t know how else to draw the attention of a goddess like you. If I don’t use lines, I’ll fumble my words and sound like a fool.”
He was being a player. I had seen this MO a million times. But it was working on me. The other times, I had watched men do it to other women, and it had irritated me that they would fall for it. Now I was the recipient, and I had to admit, it was making me want to know more, to hear more.
“So?” Nick asked.
“I’m currently studying to earn my MBA,” I said.
Nick whistled through his teeth. “Beautiful and smart,” he said.
I smiled. I couldn’t believe how smooth this guy was, and it was all aimed at me.
The rest of the night was a lot more bearable than it had been before I had talked to Nick. When it was all over, and Carly and stood in the kitchen, I told her what was on my mind.
“I know Nick,” I said. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it all now that he had gone. He hadn’t recognized me, and even though the light flirtation had been great, I felt unhinged now.
“How?” Carly asked.
/>
“It’s the guy from school. The one I had a crush on.”
Carly frowned. “Nick? This Nick?” Carly knew all about him. I had told her how I had felt about him, how he had never even seen me. He had been the love that was always just out of reach, the love I had complained about when Carly had complained about Brad.
I nodded. “It’s crazy. I can’t believe I saw him tonight and so far from home. And that he’s friends with Brad? It’s so weird.”
Carly shook her head. “It’s such a small world,” she said. “Did you enjoy talking to him?”
I nodded. I didn’t tell her he hadn’t recognized me at all and that it was probably the only reason we had talked so much. I didn’t tell her I felt upset about it and elated about it all at the same time. I doubted I would see him again, so it didn’t matter.
Chapter 4
Nick
On Monday, excitement was in the air. Our first games were coming up soon, and I was ready to prove myself. A lot of the men felt that way, and maybe they had what it took. But I knew I had what it took.
Coach Daniel had picked us for his team, so we were backups for the first-stringers, and even though it was a huge privilege to be a backup, to be the guy they relied on when their first-stringer went down for some reason, I wanted to be the guy who had a backup.
“Right,” Coach Daniel said, clapping his hand together and summoning the team. We had been running to warm up, passing the ball casually between us. “Get all the wiggles out of your system.” The men laughed when he said that, talking to us like we were kids. “I don’t want fights on my field today. If I can’t rely on you during training, the Sharks sure as shit can’t rely on you to back them up. Think about it.”
Some of the guys rolled their eyes at the coach, but I agreed with him. Our focus had to be working as a team, not fighting each other. I could imagine how strong the Sharks were, with so many of them being close friends, and I knew it had to make a difference. I considered making friends with my teammates, but I told myself I was already friends with the men who would eventually be my teammates. It was only a matter of time. The dinner on Saturday had proven to me how much I was already part of the team. The boys had welcomed me with open arms, drawing me in and making me feel like one of them. It had been a pleasure to spend time with them.
