“I’ll be right there,” I said.
“Alright, time for me to go win this; then I’ll take you two out for a much-deserved dinner, and we can talk,” I said.
I was feeling clear-headed; the fog was beginning to lift. I still had no idea what I really wanted out of life, but I was beginning to realize that it really didn’t matter. What mattered is who was there to enjoy it with me.
THE END
SPORTS Romance – Playing For Keeps
“We have a winner!”
The crowd cheered, and I shouted with drunken excitement. Craig was drenched from head to toe, and I laughed between cheers. I had decided to go out with my girls tonight, and they didn’t disappoint. This was a great party, especially watching Craig win a wet T-shirt contest. More than half the football team was here, almost all of them taken up by other girls. That was fine for me, I wasn’t really interested in any of them, save for one.
Craig stumbled from the front of the crowd with victory. He wasn’t much to look at, but he was one of my best friends. A tall and lanky bean pole of a friend; but a friend nonetheless. But, he was genuine and didn’t flirt with me like so many of my other guy friends did.
“Craig! Over here,” I shouted.
He looked up and acknowledged with squinted eyes and shuffled my way with the goofiest smile on his face, I thought I might shoot my beer from my nose.
“How did I do?” he asked.
“I don’t know how you managed to win a wet t-shirt contest as a man,” I laughed.
“It’s all in the hips,” he said as he slinked around in an awkward dance.
I downed the last of my drink and grabbed Craig by the hand. He stumbled along behind me as I pushed through the crowd around the keg.
“So, where are the rest of the girls,” Craig asked.
“Most of them met new boy toys,” I said, “why are you wondering?”
“I thought I might have the confidence to ask Jane out tonight,” he said.
He had been pining for her since I met her.
“I’m pretty sure she’s around here, why don’t you ask her?” I said.
“Oh, come on Tess. She’s not that interested.”
“Yeah, but she’ll never know you’re interested if you don’t say anything,” I replied.
“Pfft, look who’s talking!”
Then I saw him out of the corner of my eye; John walked by with a couple of his football buddies. I froze for a second, hoping that I wouldn’t do anything stupid to get noticed in a bad way. It was the most annoying reflex, and he was the only person I ever had this reaction to.
He was tall, with a powerful build. His tank top rippled with raw, sinewy muscle as the group of guys pushed each other around. He had a kind face that always made me swoon. Cute brown eyes, gorgeous, broad smile, and short brown hair that always seemed just a little messy; these were just some of the things I liked about him. I couldn’t tell Craig any of it, but I think he knew everything by the way I acted.
“This is different Craig,” I said.
“How?”
“Well, girls don’t usually ask guys out,” I tried to explain.
“That’s just an excuse,” he replied.
We stood in silence getting our drinks. I took a few peeks at John again, wrestling with his friends behind me. I never saw a problem getting close to men before. A lot of my friends called me a ‘natural flirt’, but I couldn’t really tell. I just like meeting new people and being friendly.
“Let’s see what Jane is up to,” I said as I started walking inside the frat house.
“We really don’t have to,” Craig said in response, following close behind.
I found her next to the bay window in the living room getting awfully close to one of the linebackers. I tried to turn around and walk away before Craig saw, but easily stood a head taller than me and saw everything.
“Well, that solves that,” Craig said.
He made for the front door, but I caught him and pulled him back.
“Wait, please. Can we just stay a little while longer?” I pleaded.
“You can stay as long as you want Tess, I’m going home. I’m soaked anyway, I could use a change of clothes,” he said as he pulled himself away and continued for the door.
I started to follow him but was promptly struck in the back. I turned to see the offending instrument was a football.
“Hey, little help,” I heard John say from the backyard.
I turned back toward the door, wondering if I should make a break for it and run away, but I wasn’t even capable of that. I leaned down without turning around and picked the ball up.
I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. Their conversations were ending for the sole purpose of watching the girl who was hit in the back with a football; I was now a spectacle.