Page 18 of Faking Ties

I fireup the grill and wait for them to arrive. I met Jake, our quarterback, when I started on the team eight years ago. Quincy, our center, joined a few years later and we all instantly became friends. Friendship isn’t necessary to win, but somehow Quincy and Jake looked past my competitive spirit and became more than just teammates.

Jake’s the all-American, boy-next-door type. Side-swept, black hair with looks that rival models, and more comfortable in a suit than anyone I know. Today, he’s dressed down in some sweat shorts and a matching zippered jacket.

Quincy is the family guy. He and his wife, Nora, have three kids together. He always has a smile on his face, only styles his hair in twists, and lives in ripped jeans and graphic tees.

“I’m going to need your autograph for the kids,”Quincy says, clapping me on the shoulder in greeting when I open the door. “They think you’re superhero cool now that you know Stella Wilde.”

“They’re fans of Stella’s?” I ask.

“Who isn’t?” Quincy laughs. “Nora wants to make you her famous lasagna so you can get an autograph for her since she’s Stella’s biggest fan, and she only makes that for holidays.”

“So basically, what you’re saying is that I’m a superhero who invented a new holiday.”

Jake laughs. “Looks like your trip didn’t diminish your ego.”

“Did you think it would?” I ask and lead them to my backyard. It’s a balmy evening in Skyrise, so I turn on the outdoor fans for us.

“Think? No. But hoped,” Jake says.

Quincy grins. “What’s up with you and Stella, anyway?”

“We’re dating.”

Both of my friends look at me, then each other, and burst out into laughter.

“Yeah, right,” Quincy says. “The man who doesn’t believe in relationships is dating Stella Wilde? I don’t believe it.”

Jake pulls a bottle of beer out of Quincy’s six-pack and passes it to me. “You feeling okay? You catch a fever or something in New York?”

“Thanks a lot, assholes,” I say. “But I’m serious.”

“Right.” Quincy nods. “I get it now. Youbelieveyou’re dating. But she doesn’t know, does she?”

“Fucking hell,” I mutter. “Is it so unbelievable to consider that I might be telling the truth?”

“Yes,” they reply at once.

“I’m serious,” I say and look both of them dead in the eye. “I’m going to some movie promotional thing with her soon and she’s coming to the team BBQ.”

“For real?” Quincy asks.

“Yes,” I say. “And I need you two to not embarrass me.”

“We’ll try,” Jake says. “But I still can’t get over the fact that you went away for two days and came back with a girlfriend.”

“I know,” I say. “I’m just as shocked as you are, but you haven’t met Stella yet. When you do, you’ll understand. She’s hilarious and sassy and gorgeous as fuck.”

“Ohhhh, you’ve got it bad,” Quincy teases.

“Maybe, but I have a question for you,” I say. “I wanted to work on integrating with the team better, but I don’t know where to start.”

Jake chokes on his beer. “You want to what now?”

“Integra—”

“I heard you,” Jake says. “I just… Are you sure you didn’t hit your head or something?”

“Fuck off. I’m serious.”

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