Page 81 of As a Last Resort
I looked down at myMARINERSCLASS OF ’12shirt.“Of course I do.What else would I wear to a football game?You, on the other hand, might want to change.Where’s your luggage?”
“Right in here.Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“Yep.”Nope.
Maybe I’d stay at Patrick’s.I couldn’t stop picturing my sheets wrapped around her legs.I had no idea how I was going to keep my mind functioning for two whole days.
“I figured you could just drop me off at your place on your way to the game.I’m going to leave the rental for Robby.”
“We’re meeting Lexi there.”I hoisted her bags down the front step.What in the hell did she have in these things?Kettlebells?
“No, it’s cool.Really.I’m not the sports type.”
“You’re not really the beach type either, or the fishing type, but they’re on your list for work, right?”
She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the doorframe.“I’m pretty sure Robby selfishly snuck the showcase on the due diligence list thinking he’d be the one to go.I’m not sure it’s vital to the success of a new resort property to watch a bunch of teenagers run around tackling each other.”
“Is your boss expecting you to check off everything that’s on PugMasterFlex’s list?”
She glared at me.
“How long do you need?Just curious.I left the car running.”I pointed behind me.I loved getting a rise out of her.
“Can we go next week?”she whined.
“There’s only one showcase.It’s now or never.”A fact that I was more than grateful for.I loved supporting the home team, but more often than not, whenever I was at the field, I’d get cornered into a conversation about when I was going to stop playing around with the ferry business, get my head back into the game, and take over this team like I was always meant to do.
She stood there and sighed.
“You’re pouting.”
“No.I’m slowly accepting my fate for the evening.”She exhaled again even louder and turned around back into her bungalow.“I’ll grab a paper bag,” she shouted over her shoulder.
“For what?”
“To put over my face when I see everyone I went to high school with.”
“Let’s gooooooooo, Mariners!”Sam screamed at the top of her lungs.I looked over at Lexi.“Was she always so enthusiastic at our high school football games?”
“Definitely not,” she whispered behind Sam’s back.
“That call is bull, ump!”Sam shouted.
I leaned over but kept my voice down.“They’re called referees.”She glared at me.“I’m just saying, generally speaking, people refer to them as referees.”
“Well, maybe I’d call them referees if they could DO THEIR JOB RIGHT!”
Lexi busted out laughing.
Sam sat back down all flustered and stuffed a huge piece of cotton candy in her mouth and sighed.Then she glared at me again.“This is awful.”
“Looks to me like you’re enjoying yourself.”
“But it isn’t as awful as I remember it being seven years ago.”
“Maybe you just enjoy watching sweaty eighteen-year-olds tackle each other more when you don’t have to sit next to them in chem class.”
“Definitely not the case.”She stuffed another enormous piece of spun sugar into her mouth.“And this may be the best cotton candy I’ve ever had.”
