Page 34 of Metal & Mud

"My lady," Logan greeted her, bowing slightly as he opened the passenger door. "Your chariot, poor as it may be, awaits."

Sabby giggled and climbed in, pushing her skirt down modestly even as Logan averted his eyes. He went around and settled behind the wheel, taking a moment to admire her. "Wow. Really. And I like the glasses. Surprising, but totally you."

"Thanks," Sabby said, blushing lightly. "I normally wear contacts, but I forgot to put in my refill order, so I'm stuck with frames for a few days. So what would you like to do?"

Logan shrugged, shifting in his seat. How was she getting under his skin so easily? Throughout his preparations, he'd been so focused on seeing her that he hadn't planned any activities.

"I was hoping you might have suggestions. I haven't explored much beyond Walmart for necessities and getting my phone set up. What's fun in Blackstone, Virginia?"

"Ugh, not much," Sabby laughed. "There's a hardcore gym, and plenty of barbecue places. Not ideal date spots though."

"Music not to your taste?" Logan asked. "Or are you vegetarian?"

"Hell no! I love a good burger," Sabby assured him, and Logan breathed an internal sigh of relief. Although truthfully, he would have happily tried vegetarian food to spend time with her. "But the atmosphere in those places isn't my style. There's a pizza place... but after a week at the bowling alley, I'm all pizza'd out. I had to take leftovers home twice this week."

"I understand that," Logan replied. Growing up, he'd also hated wasting food. "What else is there?"

"Well, I'm a bit old for 'parking,' which is what local kids call it when they, you know..."

"Grab food and drinks, find somewhere secluded and hook up?" Logan suggested, and Sabby nodded. "Yeah, we called it 'watching the gulf' back home, as if the Gulf of Mexico was going somewhere."

Sabby laughed. "Exactly. So what about, and it's okay if you don't want to, but the local high school has a home game tonight. Want to check it out?"

"Would they mind outside food?" Logan asked.

Sabby shook her head.

"Good, because if you're not in the mood for pizza, I'm definitely not feeling snack-shack hot dogs."

After a quick stop at a barbecue drive-through, they found themselves in the stands watching the Blackstone High Cougars face the Gallion Royals. The home stands were less than half full, with more spectators on the visitors' side. "Guess BHS isn't known for football. Not the Friday night hotspot for teens, I take it?"

"Nope. The Cougs generally suck," Sabby confirmed. "But it gives us something to watch while we talk. We can even learn the fight song if you want."

On the field, a Cougar in blue and red got thrown for a five-yard loss by a Royal in white and purple. Logan shook his head. "Doesn't look like we'll need it much. So tell me, how does a rock and roll suburban girl like you end up somewhere this rural?"

Sabby laughed and leaned back against the bleacher behind her, making her legs look surprisingly long despite her height. "You'll laugh, but I was quite the rebel in high school. This is actually my first football game ever."

"Really?" Logan asked, and Sabby nodded. "I did track in spring and club rugby in summer. I couldn't see myself getting crushed like those football guys."

"What do you mean?" Sabby asked. "Were they bad?"

"They were in a tough spot. We were the smallest school in our district, and down in Florida, football is life for some guys. Scholarships, dreams of going pro... it was intense. Most of us at my school were into other things. I saw what those guys went through, and it wasn't for me. But there was a club rugby team in town, and that was plenty rough enough."

"I've seen rugby. Looks like playground murder ball," Sabby said.

Logan laughed.

"Yes?"

"The way we played it, absolutely," he admitted. "The serious guys, the Europeans and Aussies play with technique and strategy. The Fort Myers Vikings? Not so much. But we had fun."

"That I understand," Sabby said. "Same reason I rebelled. I was all about having fun and refused to listen to parents, teachers, any adult. Only my big sister could sometimes talk sense into me. The final straw came when I got arrested right after turning eighteen."

"Arrested? For what?" Logan asked curiously. "You don't seem that rebellious."

"I've matured a lot. I got caught sneaking into a 21-plus club with a fake ID," Sabby admitted. "They had a band I wanted to see. Even then, metal was everything to me. It was going great until some guy grabbed my ass, so I punched him. Looking back, it wasn't my finest move, especially since I'd swiped my dad's debit card to pay for everything."

"Ouch."

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