Page 106 of Playing to Win
Our department advisorMarilee is waiting for us in our office when we show up at our normally scheduled meeting time, a sour look on her normally sunny face. The three of us exchange glances before Gwyneth steps forward and bravely asks, “Is everything okay?”
“I need to speak to the three of you. Well, only you two.” Marilee indicates me and Gwen. “It’s about what happened Saturday night.”
My stomach literally bottoms out and I’m afraid I might puke up the salad I ate at lunch. Does she know I had sex with Ace Saturday night? How? Who told her?
“What about Saturday?” Gwen asks, sounding genuinely curious.
“There was a report that the two of you were spending time with the football team at a bar downtown.” Marilee sniffs, pushing her glasses up her nose.
Relief floods me at her not mentioning the sex part, but still.
This isn’t good.
“We were at Logan’s, yes.” Gwen nods, her gaze quickly going to mine before she returns her attention to Marilee. “And we spent some time with the football team.”
“That’s not allowed.”
“They asked us to join them,” Gwen explains. “As friends. We’re kind of a part of the team, you know? And we were there celebrating their big win.”
“I was there too,” Eric adds.
“You were?” Marilee looks over at him, surprised.
“Yeah. I hung out with them as well.”
“That doesn’t seem to be a problem,” she says firmly.
“Why? Because I’m a guy?” Eric’s tone is almost hostile.
“Well…yes,” Marilee says.
“What if I was gay?”
Marilee frowns. “Oh…are you?”
“That’s not the point. You’re making Gwen and Ruby feel bad for hanging with the football team—guys we spend a lot of time with already—like what they’re doing is wrong. Yet when I hang out with them, it’s no big deal.”
“The sexual component always comes into play—” Marilee starts, but Eric cuts her off.
“It shouldn’t. Men and women can be friends. It’s no big deal.”
“It’s true,” Gwen adds. “Nothing happened that night. We were there to celebrate our team. That’s it.”
“Yeah. That’s it,” I echo.
God, I’m a giant liar. Later that night, I had Ace’s dick in my face. In my mouth. In my body. We were wrapped up in each other all night long and it was awesome and I’m dying to do it again.
Marilee studies all of us, her gaze touching on each of our faces, her frown deepening when she lands on Eric.
“I feel like you’re trying to turn this into a bigger problem,” she tells him.
“And I feel like you’re being unfair just because they’re women. They know how to conduct themselves with the football team. We all know what our responsibilities are and we’re not going to jeopardize anything,” Eric says. “Shouldn’t you be sticking up for them, considering you’re a woman too?”
“Eric,” Gwen says, her tone faintly chastising. There’s a pleading look in her eyes, like she’s dying to tell him to shut up.
Marilee visibly bristles. She doesn’t like being challenged, that’s clear. “I merely wanted to let you know about the matter, and if you want my advice, I would suggest not spending any personal time with a football player. Especially at a bar where everyone can see you.”
One more sweeping look and then she marches out of the office, slamming the door behind her.
