Page 3 of The Playboy's Playbook

“I owe you. Now go on, head to lunch.” He nods his head in the direction of my truck.

I pat him on the shoulder and turn on my heels to the parking lot. I climb into my blue truck and think about where I want to grab lunch. It doesn’t take me long to decide on the sandwich shop down the road.

Emeline’s Sandwiches is the best shop in all of Meadowbrook. They’re owned by the sweetest Italian couple, Eme and Carlo. They grow their own produce and make their bread from scratch.

They were one of Luke’s first clients when he opened the construction business. As a thank-you, they always offer us free sandwiches, but we pay them anyway. We always get yelled at in Italian, but it’s worth it.

After I order my sandwich and an extra one for Luke, I decide to take the rest of my lunch break to eat in my car. The old Matt would be eating at the tent with the rest of the crew, chatting with the guys and throwing swear words around like confetti, but this version of me finds comfort in sitting alone and enjoying my meal in peace.

It’s like the new me is an old soul who has spent years locked inside of the outgoing, partying playboy.

Playboy.

That label follows me to this day, which only contributes to the long list of reasons why I prefer to not be seen in public too much. Oakridge is full of memories – the good, the bad, and the fucking ugly. I don’t feel like being reminded every time I leave my apartment of the fuck-ups and bad mistakes.

I didn’t care too much about being called a playboy when I was younger. I thought it was cool and took it as me being a ladies’ man, but in reality, that one word ruined a lot of relationships and friendships in my life.

My mom got tired of my shit, and there wasn’t a single day where she didn’t grill my ass on the highway to hell. After my last incident five years ago earned me time in the county jail, my mom put me out of her house and Luke gave me an ultimatum to get my shit together.

I either had to straighten up and fly right or spend more days and nights behind bars without anyone coming to bail me out. I chose the former because there was no way in hell that I was going back to jail – six months was enough. When I got out, Luke kept me on the straight and narrow, but fuck was it hard.

One night after my release, I was having a particularly rough evening. Luke grabbed one of his old notebooks and drew a makeshift football field, detailed withX’s andO’s. He wanted me to write down things that I wanted –positive things that I could aim for.

Luke took our love for football and turned it into something useful for my everyday life. That first play hasn’t been changed in five years, but I’m constantly adding more.

Luke built his house not too long after Jen was born. I helped him and it was probably the worst thing he’s ever talked me into doing. But he saved my life and I owed him a million. Seeing Luke build his house from the ground up made me want to do that one day and share it with the people I love most.

After the night I got arrested and was sitting in the cell waiting to be picked up, I promised I wouldn’t take another sip of alcohol because a few too many drinks ended up being the reason why I spent six months of my life in jail. Trying to be sober is hard and some days are better than most. Luke helps, but he can’t be with me all day every day. He has his sons to worry about – I try my best to take it one day at a time so he doesn’t have to worry about me either.

My phone rings, dragging me from my thoughts. I pull it from the cupholder and see that it’s my sister…again. I haven’t seen or spoken to my mom or sister since my hearing. There’s so much hurt and pain there and I don’t know how to deal with it.

I do what I’ve done to my sister’s calls for the last few years – press the red ignore button and go about my day.

Chapter Two

LAILA

Ifucking hate mornings.

I literally chose the worst possible profession to go into because it requires me to have my ass up bright and early at five in the morning. I’m not a morning person and I’m most certainly not the overly cheery type when I haven’t had my Frappuccino. I’m the complete opposite to the go-getter of my college days.

I didn’t party long and hard like my classmates because the classes at Georgetown are no joke. I preferred to spend my nights in the library or walking the treadmill at the gym listening to lecture notes and studying my flashcards. Back then, I saw mornings as the start of a new adventure – a fresh experience.

Grown woman and college-degree wielding Laila says fuck that. I’m happiest rotting in bed with my puppy, Nola, by my side.

I lay around in bed, my alarm a nuisance as I try to fall back asleep, but in the end, the alarm wins. I grumble and drag my feet to my bathroom, turning on my shower and letting the hot steam flow throughout the room.

I step in and immediately relax, the water running down my spine, soothing all of the ills I feel with waking up so early. Normally, I’m rushing out the door but today requires me to take extra time and care with my morning routine.

I decide that it’s best to wear a navy power suit that hugs my curves in all the right places and put on my most comfortable heels but pack an extra pair of flats. This version of Laila is strong, confident, and isn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with anyone who stands in her way. I’m proud of this version of me because I never thought I would be here.

I got lucky being hired straight out of college to work for one of the most respected Alabama senators of my generation. It has been the pleasure of my young adult life to be the executive assistant to Senator Eleanor Mitchell. She’s what many describe as Alabama’s great hope on Capitol Hill. I’ve been living in Washington, D.C. for seven years now and I’ve experienced several politicians and none of them hold a candle to Senator Mitchell.

She’s strong-willed, forthright, and compassionate – all of the qualities that I want to emulate if I plan to be in her shoes one day. As her executive assistant, I’m in charge of keeping her updated about what’s going on with my generation and how we feel about the current state of politics. She actually gives a damn about what the younger voices have to say and it’s my job to make sure those voices are heard.

Today, she’s introducing her latest bill on the Senate floor to close out this year’s legislative session. What makes this day extra special is that I helped her create the bill.

When Senator Mitchell first approached me asking what I would want to see proposed on the Senate floor this session, I told her that there needs to be more done for the kids in the public school system. Being a product of Alabama’s public school system, I know there’s so much more that can be done.

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