Page 86 of Unrivaled Love
"Yeah, not ideal, so I told Dick I wanted it all or nothing."
"Ultimatums never work." Al says wisely.
"No shit. EPIC gave the full thing to Pee Pee."
"That's garbage." Bryson says. "Why would they want some rookie when the best fucking forward in the league is an option?"
"Because she's younger and hotter." I inform him.
"Fuck that. You're way hotter." Bryson says.
Al gasps.
"Holy guacamole, is it happening?"
"Is what happening?" I ask.
"You two!"
"Maybe," I say and then quickly add. “But there's more. I was putting in some extra hours on the pitch doing drills when Peyton showed up. She told me she'd play me for the sponsorship. So we did a round of PIG and I lost. It was only then she told me EPIC had already offered her the full sponsorship."
"Oh no." Al says.
"Yeah," I say and let it hang there. I notice Bryson's hands are clenching and unclenching.
"I'm going to assume you didn't react positively to the news." My sister replies.
"Nope. In fact, I retaliated right then and there."
"The way you're building this up is amazing, by the way." She continues.
"Thanks. Well, here’s what happened.” I pause for effect, and courage. “I… tickled her."
"Say that again," Al says as Bryson's eyes double in size. "It sounded like you said, you ‘tickled her’."
"That is what I said."
"Are you joking?" Bryson asks.
"Not at all. I don't respond well to betrayal." I lift an eyebrow at him.
"So, you just reached out and started tickling an adult?" Al asks.
"Basically," I shift so I’m sitting as tall and proud as possible, trying to muster any shred of dignity available to me. "I may have added in a few moves Chris taught me over the years to really get her but Coach McEmbry found us wrestling on the ground and he kicked me off the pitch. Told me I was suspended until the end of the break."
"Ohmigod." Al whispers. “Suspended?”
"Unofficially at least. So I drove straight to Telluride. And Bryson was at the house when I got there."
The silence emanating from both of them is more than I am comfortable with. I’m mentally begging both of them to say something.
Is Bryson appalled?
Is Al disappointed?
Am I about to be scolded?
Or dismissed?
