Page 24 of Playing to Win
“Hell yeah.” He smiles. “You?”
“One beer.” Maybe I shouldn’t even have one. Might be smart to just sip on some water and call it good.
“Boring.” Derek shakes his head. “But I get it. You’ll probably make the nutritionist jizz his pants when he finds out what a good little boy you are.”
“Fucking gross.” Grimacing, I shove at Derek’s shoulder but he barely budges. The guy is so damn solid. He needs all the extra calories he can get to mow down anyone on the field. A few beers won’t make a difference with his weight.
“What, it’s true. We’ve got a whole new regimen going on here.” Derek shakes his head, and I wonder what he thinks about all of the changes.
Our support staff has grown thanks to Mattson making his requests and the athletic department finally granting them. We have personal trainers, nutritionists and even therapists now on staff to assist us with any of our needs, both mental and physical. It’s kind of nice, knowing we have access to so much help.
“Hey, Ace.” I glance up to find a group of girls standing in front of our table with hopeful expressions on their faces. It’s weird how they all look the same with their matching dark, wavy hair and extremely short denim skirts. It’s like they planned their look on purpose.
“Hey.” I offer them a quick wave, unsure of which one greeted me first.
One of them steps forward, her dark eyes latched onto my face. “Ready for this weekend’s game?”
I nod, leaning back against the booth seat. “Sure am, sweetheart. What about you? You going?”
She slowly shakes her head, her other look-alike friends stepping forward, giving me eerie vibes. “I’m so sad it’s an away game.”
“There’s a bus that takes students to the games,” I remind her.
Her expression turns sheepish. “I can’t take it.”
I’m frowning. “Why not?”
“She got into a fight on the bus last season,” one of her friends pipes up. “Got kicked off.”
“I was drunk,” the girl adds with a brilliant smile.
Derek and I share a look before I return my attention to her. “You’re feisty.”
She leans over the table, pressing her palm on the scarred wood, giving us a perfect view down her shirt. “You don’t even know the half of it.”
I squirm. Derek covers up a laugh with a fake cough, bringing his fist to his mouth and muttering some sort of insult under his breath.
“Can I buy you a drink?” she asks me.
Her friends start to wander off and I’m grateful there’s less of them but still.
I’d rather just chat with my friends. This chick’s intensity is kind of freaking me out.
“I’ve already got a beer coming,” I tell her.
“I’ll order you another one.”
“I’m on a one-drink limit tonight, sweetheart.”
“I can get a deal since it’s ladies’ night.” Damn, she’s not going to give up.
Derek is laughing and I send him a panicked look, wishing he’d come to my rescue.
“It’s all good,” I tell her with an easy smile.
“Oh, come on. My treat.”
“Hey, Townsend.” Derek nudges me extra hard in the side, making me grunt. “Isn’t that your girlfriend over there?”
