Page 12 of Zone
“No, but trust me. I can sell what you’ve got all week and twice on Sunday.”
He doesn’t agree, and I know he’s doing the math, sizing up my experience versus my charming personality, while Austin pays for the alcohol. “Edward’s coming back to Newhope with me. I want him on my coaching staff at the high school.”
He blinks at my brother. “You never asked me to be on your coaching staff.”
“I’m asking you now.” Austin straightens, crossing his arms. “What do you say?”
His brow is furrowed, and he blinks slowly. “I’ll think about it.”
As much as he’ll lay it all out for you and not leave you hanging, he never makes personal decisions without a great deal of thought.
Everybody should be like Edward. Life would be so straightforward, no games, no politics, just simple math. Either it adds up or it doesn’t.
Austin leads us out to the truck. “You’ll get your ring in the next year or two, mark my words.”
“I’m not getting that ring until somebody listens to FastEddie over here.” I hook a thumb at Edward as I help unload the bevs into the bed of our rental truck. “He’s absolutely right.”
“We’ll throw some passes after dinner tonight.” Austin lets me drive back to Mav’s Los Feliz bungalow. “Even if Edward’s right, you need to stay tight.”
“Nice rhyme. Who are you? Don King?”
“As far as you’re concerned, I’m Don Shula.”
Staying with Mav turns out to be just the distraction I need. Hockey is a crazy-ass, rough as hell game, and I’ve always loved watching my cousin play. It’s insane to me how fast he moves on that ice, and when those guys start wailing on each other…
It still blows my mind how they fight.
The only thing that blows my mind more is how he can be such a boss on the rink, and such a pushover when we’re at the house with Dove.
She’s a mystery as well. She seems to be completely oblivious, entirely focused on her studies. She sits on that couch with her silky blonde hair up in a ponytail, sliding her finger down a column of text in a massive book then typing frantically on her laptop like some adorable lady scientist.
If she’d only glance up once, she’d see Mav leaning against the door frame gazing at her like she’s Mount Everest, needing to climb her because, well, there she is.
Preparing to head home, I can confidently say I did my best to shake up the awkwardness and make Mav get the girl.
I challenged him at every turn. I flirted with Dove a ridiculous amount. He nearly punched me in the face after one exceptionally well-planned moment. I gotta give myself props for that one. I shared some of my poetry with Dove, and I asked her to tell me her favorite poem and why.
She was totally into it, blinking those long lashes over herpretty blue eyes. Ladies love a guy who rhymes, and Mav was like a cartoon character turning red and shooting fire from the top of his head.
We’re basically the same size, but he was lifting me off the floor and growling in my face. I did my best not to laugh, and thankfully my big brother was there to break it up in time.
It only took a low, “Maverick, don’t kill your cousin,” from Austin for him to let me down.
Mav did make me promise to stop flirting with Dove, which I agreed to do…
Give me a break. I should get a job doing this shit. I’m like that movie where Will Smith is a date doctor,Hitch.
My work here is done. Maverick is so fired up, he’s going to pull the trigger or bust. My big sister will be happy, and I can get back to New Orleans and get back to training for next season.
I’m sitting on the couch waiting for our rideshare, when my phone lights up with a text from my boy Alphonso.
Fonz
Don’t look now, but she’s at it again.
My brow tightens, and I don’t even know if I want to see. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I tap the link he sent.
It opens another page with one of those stupid, all-caps, black headlines with too many exclamation points. “INSTEAD OF TRAINING, K-BRAD IS M.I.A. IN LA!!!!”
