Don't Hate the Player...Hate the Game

by Katie Ashley

  “Good lord, you’re really going to eat that?” I asked.

  “Mmmmm, hmmm,” she answered.

  “I’ll be surprised if you don’t go into a sugar-induced coma first.”

  “I just might.” She then nudged me. “Wanna try it with me?”

  I shot her a skeptical look. “Are you kidding?”

  “Nope.”

  “All right.”

  “Great!” she exclaimed. “Will you give us two spoons please?”

  The cashier nodded. Before Maddie could reach into her purse, I thrust a five into the cashier’s hand.

  Maddie shook her head maniacally back and forth. “No, Noah, I meant to treat you,” she protested.

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  “But-”

  Maddie continued to argue, but I interrupted her. “It’s a treat just being with you,” I quipped.

  “Whatever,” she laughed.

  Her laugh, coupled with her expression, sent warmth tingling over me. I don’t know what it was about laugh that got to me. I’d never given former girlfriends laughter much thought. Of course, no girl seemed as amused or entertained by me as Maddie did.

  I took our massive sundae over to a table while Maddie got us napkins. I’d barely gotten my spoon raised when she was already devouring her side.

  “Hey now, you gotta pace yourself!” I cried.

  She grinned sheepishly. “I know. I’m just hungry that’s all.”

  “Oh, I interrupted your dinner, right?”

  “No, you didn’t,” she said. I could tell she was lying by the way she ducked her head and refused to meet my gaze.

  I smiled. “You should have said something. I would’ve taken you to get something to eat.”

  “I’m fine.” When I started to protest again, she shook her head. “Wednesday’s dinner is always potluck at the church. It’s nothing exciting, I promise.”

  “If you’re sure…I mean, we can still get dinner.”

  Maddie gave me a dimpled smile. “We’ll see.”

  We enjoyed the sugary goodness in silence for a few seconds. Then Maddie cleared her throat. “So…I was just thinking about what happened earlier and was wondering if wanted to talk about your grandfather?” she tentatively asked.

  Once again, she was Miss Pushy with the feelings stuff. I guess I couldn’t blame her. Her dad was a minister, so she was used to problem solving. Even though she had made me feel better earlier, I wasn’t really up for anymore soul searching.

  I shook my head. “No, not really.”

  She gave a quick bob of her head. “Okay, we don’t have to.”

  But I as looked up at her, there was something so accepting in her eyes that I suddenly found myself talking. Seriously, it was like I was purging myself of word vomit. It came spewing out of my mouth, and I couldn’t stop. I told her about him taking me fishing, learning how to play guitar, and even about our last conversation. That’s when I saw the tears glistening in her dark eyes.

  “Those are really beautiful memories, Noah,” she said softly.

  I shrugged. “Whatever,” I mumbled as we finished off the sundae. “So what about you?”

  Maddie raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

  “What’s your story?”

  “I don’t really have a story.”

  I snorted exasperatedly. “Sure you do. Everyone has a story.”

  “I’m kinda boring, I guess,” Maddie said.

  “I doubt that.”

  “No, really I am.”

  “Then tell me what’s boring about you,” I urged.

  Maddie cleared her throat. “Um, well, I’m not like other girls my age, but I’m okay with that.”

  “So why aren’t you like other girls?”

  She twisted her napkin nervously in her hands. “Well, I don’t party, I don’t drink, and I don’t believe in having sex until you’re in a longstanding, committed relationship or at least engaged.”

  Ouch, that last answer literally hit me hard below the belt. “You really don’t?”

  She shook her head. “No, but you do, don’t you?”

  Her question caught me off guard. “Well, yeah, I mean I have done it if that’s what you’re asking.”

  I expected her to blush, but instead, she laughed. “No, that’s not what I was asking, but I thanks for letting me know.”

  With a grin, I replied, “Sure.”

  Maddie cocked her head at me. “Did you at least love them?”

  I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. “Not the first girl. But the others, yeah, I guess so. I mean, I was in a relationship with them at the time. I’ve never been a player like Jake.

  Maddie’s expression momentarily darkened at the mention of Jake, but she quickly recovered. “I can understand it when you love someone. It’s having sex with a stranger or someone you hardly care about that I can’t imagine. For me,” she emphasized. “I just look at sex like a gift.”

  Instantly an R-rated fantasy flickered through my mind that featured her wrapped in nothing but a giant, red bow. After shimmying it off her creamy, white shoulders, her perfect Double D’s would be exposed. I shifted on my feet at the thought of taking them into my hands and my mouth. Then I would bring my fingers to her—

  “Noah?”

  “Huh?”

  Her dark brows furrowed. “I asked if you were okay. You were moaning.”

  Oh fuck. My eyes widened in horror. “Sorry. I was just…um…” Shit, how the hell was I going to get out of this one? “I guess I was just groaning more than anything when I thought about how your beliefs on sex must have seemed to Jake.”

  “Well, I can’t say he agreed with me, but he did respect my beliefs,” Maddie replied.

  “He did?”

  “Yes. He knew we were never going to be friends with benefits or anything like that.”

  “I’m sure that bummed him out greatly,” I said, with a grin.

  Color flooded her cheeks a little. “I guess so.”

  My last statement unsettled both us. Maddie made a desperate to change the subject because she suddenly started gathering up our trash while I couldn’t help but wonder if her reaction had anything to do with Jake’s true feelings and the ring. Once again, I couldn’t help wondering if Maddie was her. That caused a slow burn to radiate through my chest.

  Maddie snapped me back to attention when she rose out of her seat. “Come on, let’s go get your mom some flowers.”

  “Okay.”

  All the florists were closed, so we headed to the Publix across the street. I eyed the colorful bouquets before glancing over at Maddie who was inhaling of the roses. Suddenly, I found myself blurting, “Why do chicks dig flowers so much?”

  Maddie grinned. “It’s not just “chicks” who dig them. I mean, you send flowers for all kind of reasons.”

  “Fruity reasons,” I said.

  “Now that’s not true. The winners at the Kentucky Derby get flowers and the Gold Medal winners get roses at the Olympics,” she protested.

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “Flowers just say things that words sometimes can’t say.”

  A funny feeling rippled through my chest. “Kinda like song lyrics, huh?”

  Maddie gave me an odd look. “Yeah, I guess so.” She glanced back at the bouquets. “So which one of these says, ‘Mom, I’m sorry for being a mega-sized, selfish jerk’?”

  “Hey, watch it now,” I argued.

  She laughed. “Do you want my opinion or not?”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Do I have a choice?”

  “Probably not.”

  “Then let me have it.”

  “I’d go with a dozen red roses with baby’s breath—classic, elegant, and very apologetic.”

  I eyed the price tag. “Uh, huh, looks like you also go for what straps my wallet the most too!”

  Maddie held up her hands. “All right, it’s your decision.” She gave me one last look over her shoulder before she strolled away.
/>   I sighed and rolled my eyes before I snatched up the bouquet of roses and went to pay.

  It was after ten when I dropped Maddie off at her house. “Are you sure your parents won’t be mad at you…and me?” I asked.

  Maddie shook her head. “I texted them to let them know what was going on. They were worried about you, so they told me to take my time.”

  “So, you can’t be alone in the house with a boy, but you can run away from church and stay out half the night?” I asked.

  Maddie cocked her head at me. “My parents knew what I was doing out with you.”

  Figures, I thought. “They trust you that much?”

  She nodded. “And why shouldn’t they?”

  “I dunno.”

  “I’ve never given them any reason to distrust me. Like I told you earlier, Noah, I’m not like other girls. I don’t sneak out of the house to hook up with random guys, and I don’t go to parties where there are drugs or drinking. I respect my parents and their wishes.”

  I held up my hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay, I get you. You’re a good, church going girl who gets her kicks inhaling ice cream sundaes, not Jello shooters!”

  Maddie smiled. “Hmm, once again, I sound totally boring.”

  I shook my head. “Trust me, Maddie. You’re anything but boring.”

  Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “Really?”

  “You’re selling yourself short. Trust me, Jake didn’t spend time with boring girls, and neither do I.”

  Maddie blushed. “Thanks, Noah. That means a lot to me.”

  “Well, you’re welcome. And thanks for tonight—I really appreciate you listening to me and helping me through all of this,” I said.

  She smiled. “You don’t need to thank me. I was happy to do it. And I had a good time, too.”

  I returned her smile. “So did I.”

  She hopped out of the Jeep. I watched her bounce up the walkway to the front door. She waved at me before heading inside. I then eased out of the driveway and made my way home. My palms were sweaty, and my skin felt clammy when I turned onto my street. I felt like an absolute pussy for having such a physical and emotional reaction.

  I clutched the bouquet in my hands as I tentatively stepped through the garage door. The house was quiet except I could hear the television on in the living room. When I got to the doorway, I saw Mom asleep on the couch. A quick glance into the dining room showed the uneaten dishes and empty plates. From the looks of it, she’d canceled on Greg after my bitch fit. That made me feel even worse that she’d deprived herself of having time with the man she loved all because she had an asshole for a son.

  I knelt down beside the couch. “Mom,” I said softly.

  She stirred, but her eyes stayed closed.

  “Mom, it’s me. Please wake up. I need to…I want to apologize.”

  Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, and she gazed over at me. There was a guilty look in her eyes that told me she still hated herself for hitting me. It was then replaced by one of relief. She was glad I was home. “Noah,” she said, as she as she pulled herself up on the couch.

  She started to say something, but then she saw the flowers in my hand. When she caught my gaze, I smiled. “These are for you.”

  “They’re beautiful.”

  I drew in a deep breath. It was now or never time. “Mom, I was a real jerk to you earlier. I wish I could take back what I said and did, but I can’t. I want you to know I didn’t mean it, I promise.”

  Mom refused to look at me. Instead, she kept her eyes on the flowers.

  “And I think it’s great that you’ve met a guy as nice as Greg, and I’m sure you’re going to be very happy.”

  Her head jerked up, and she stared incredulously at me. “You do?” Mom questioned.

  “Yeah.”

  She reached out and touched my cheek. “I’m so sorry I hit you, Noah. I shouldn’t have done that.”

  I shook my head. “Yes, you should have. In fact, you should have decked me one. I mean, I said a real shitty thing to you!”

  “Language,” she half-heartedly admonished as a smile crept on her lips.

  “Okay, it was a really crappy thing to say.”

  “That’s better.” She reached over and hugged me. In her arms, I felt safe again like I had earlier with Maddie.

  “I love you, Noah,” Mom whispered in my ear.

  “I love you, too.”

  That night when I got ready to get into bed, my eyes fell on the bookcase across from me. More specifically, they honed on the Sullivan family Bible. I got out of bed and slowly walked over to the bookcase. I pulled the ancient book off the shelf. As soon as I held it in my hands, the smell of age and dust filled my nostrils. I opened it and started thumbing through the pages. Suddenly, it flipped open to the Book of Genesis with the part about Noah, and an envelope fluttered to the floor.

  “What the hell?” I murmured. I quickly bent down and scooped up the envelope. Scrawled across the front was my name, and it was in Granddaddy’s handwriting. With trembling fingers, I opened it. The only thing inside was a check for five thousand dollars. On the subject line, it read, “Noah’s Treasure”.

  I stood dumbfounded in the middle of my room for a few minutes, just staring at the check dated two years ago. Then I threw open my bedroom door and ran down the hall to Mom’s room. I knocked on the door. “Come in,” she called.

  Propped up in bed reading, she stared at me in surprise. “Honey, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  I strode over to her bedside and thrust the check into her hand. “I-I just found this in the Sullivan Bible.”

  “Uh, huh,” Mom replied.

  My mouth hung open. She didn’t seem a bit floored. “Um, hello, it’s a check for five thousand dollars!”

  “Yes, I see that, sweetie.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Did you know about this?”

  Mom nodded.

  I snorted. “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because Daddy told me not to. He wanted you find it yourself when you were ready—more precisely when you went searching in the Bible.”

  “And what if I hadn’t?”

  Mom smiled. “He knew you would.” She handed the check back to me. “And so did I.”

  I couldn’t believe it. “But it’s been so long. Won’t the check be void?”

  “No, Grammy has the money waiting on you.”

  “Grammy knew about it too?”

  “Of course, she did,” Mom said. She gave me a pointed look. “Where exactly did you find it?”

  “In Genesis with Noah.”

  The corners of her lips turned up in a pleased smile. “I thought he might put it there—course Romans was his favorite book. Do you know why I named you Noah?”

  “Cause it was Granddaddy’s middle name?”

  “Yes, but I also knew you were going to face a lot of struggles in life—not having a father and being what people would label ‘illegitimate’.”

  “More like bastard, isn’t it?” I questioned, with a grin.

  Mom rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I just wanted to name you after someone who was looked at negatively by the world but who was favored by God.”

  I shook my head. “Aw, Mom, you’re so deep,” I mused, trying to avoid the serious look that was creeping in her eyes.

  She smiled. “That’s right. Be a typical man and change the subject—anything to avoid the touchy feeling stuff, right?”

  “Maybe,” I admitted.

  “Okay, I think I’ll let you this once and not push it.”

  “Good.” I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek before heading into the hallway to my room.

  When I finally collapsed into bed, my mind was whirling. It’d been a hell of a day, and I was pretty sure there was more to come.

  ***

  The rest of the week flew by. Everything was winding down at school—talk of graduation practice and parties were on everyone’s lips. Then on Monday afternoon
when I breezed through the garage door, I found our kitchen had been transformed into Wedding Central. I raised my eyebrows as Mom and a dude I’d never seen before were hunched over the kitchen table buried in a mountain of books. Grammy was sitting across from them furiously taking notes. I cut my eyes over to the stove where Greg stood, arms folded over his chest.

  I grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and went over to him. “Dude, what the hell is going on?”

  “Your Mom’s scaled back her hours for the next few months, and I traded with Dr. Sanchez to have this afternoon off to discuss… the wedding plans.”

  I leaned over and lowered my voice. “Um, who’s that?”

  Greg rolled his dark green eyes. “That would be Gerard, the wedding coordinator,” he grumbled.

  I eyed the guy in the pale pink suit with a fake rose in the lapel. “Wow,” I murmured.

  Greg nodded. “I totally understand that Maggie has waited her entire life to have the wedding of her dreams, but him,” he paused and gave me a look like he wanted to hurl at any minute. “I don’t get him.”

  Stifling a laugh, I nodded. “Dude, I feel your pain.”

  Greg grinned as he held out his fist for me to bump. Normally, I would have thought he was a total douchebag, but I rethought my strategy and decided to give him a chance to try to be my future step-father. I knocked his knuckles with mine and smiled.

  Mom glanced up from the pile of papers and magazines to see me. “Noah, come here and let me introduce you to Gerard.”

  “Okay,” I said, reluctantly before shooting Greg a look.

  As I walked over to the table, Gerard jerked his head up to take me in. A smile widened across his lips shimmering in pink lip gloss. “Now look at this fine piece of male specimen!” he exclaimed. He turned to my mom. “Maggie, when you told me you had a seventeen-year-old son, you didn’t tell me he could’ve hopped right off the runway at Fashion Week!”

  Mom beamed in appreciation of his compliments of me. I, on the other hand, wanted to slap the shit out of him. I didn’t like the way he was ogling me—like I was a pretty piece of flesh or something. Ugh.