Page 23 of The No Try Zone
Yes.Did the world stop spinning? Is this some kind of horror show that was invented only for my torture? Because why else would Matthew from Las Vegas be the head coach of the Granite? This isn’t happening.
Have you met him yet?Absolutely yes I have. But is that what I say? “No,” I croak, then shake my head. “Sorry. I’ve, uh…” I trail off and pivot away from him.
“Wait! What’s your name?” he calls.
I ignore him, desperate to find my friends and figure out what in the fucking hell is happening right now. They’re easy to spot, standing just off to the side of a covered tiki bar and sipping drinks. I walk up behind Elodie as she’s saying, “He was definitely a rugby player.”
“His stats are good,” Allyson says. “Took a number of colleges to the championships and won. Is definitely responsible for the steady increase in rugby programs at the collegiate level. Big on community outreach. Single. Never married. No kids. No criminal record. Dude’s even got a curated social media presence.”
She delivers the information with businesslike precision, her eyes glued to him just like everyone else.
And I’m…I don’t know what I am.
Matthew is Atlanta Granite’s new head coach.
The head coach of the same team I just signed an employment agreement with. An agreement that had a specific “No Fraternization” policy that I had to sign, too.
Then there’s the tidy little point about him being my boss. Not technically, but it’s close enough.
I clear my throat in a desperate bid to tamp down the hysterical laugh that wants to come out, and announce, “Yeah, and he’s got a big dick, too.” Because even though I still can’t recall how, precisely, I got that little piece of information, it won’t dislodge from my consciousness. Might have something to do with the fact that I refuse to delete the photo, but whatever. Details.
My friends whirl around, all their eyes round with disbelief.
“What?” Kari hisses.
“I didn’t know. I swear. He was just a good-looking guy in a bar.” The words tumble out of my mouth, but they don’t tell the whole story. Not by a long shot. In fact, they’re damn near a lie for how far off the mark they are.
“So you –” Elodie starts.
“And he?” Kari finishes.
All I can do is nod slowly, my mind scrambling to find the right words. It feels like my skin is on fire.
“Oh, shit,” Allyson says.
The world keeps tilting beneath me. “Yeah. Oh, shit.”
Kari grabs my arm and leans in. “Wait. You slept with him? When? Where did you meet him?”
Elodie swats her hand. “Hang on, Kari – put your PR hat away for a minute and give the woman space.”
“You don’t understand.” I reach for my necklace even though it’s not there, and its loss makes the sight of him that much more bitter. I point at him. “That’sMatthew.”
Everyone goes silent.
Then, Allyson says, “Oh,shit,” again, only this time she starts laughing. Hard.
“Wait, really?” Elodie asks, her face alight with joy. “It’s fate!”
Kari’s brows knit as she stares at me. “You’re wrong. His name is Colin. Colin Thicke.”
Allyson doubles over, laughing louder and grabbing onto Elodie for balance. “Thick! Like his dick! Oh, Jesus,” she gasps as she straightens, still giggling. “I didn’t think I’d get a comedy show today.”
I glare at her. “It’s not funny.”
She bites her lip and tries hard to look serious, her deep brown eyes bright with tears of laughter. She manages it for all of three seconds before bursting out laughing again.
“And I’m not wrong,” I tell Kari, my words clipped.
