Page 56 of Home Town Advantage
I shake my head. “Grace Dunger was the one you made out with in the stadium tunnel after your seven-touchdown performance on homecoming of your senior year.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Why do you know this?”
I scrunch my face. “Because I saw it and cried my eyes out. My mother had to take me home. I was inconsolable.”
His face softens. “I didn’t know you were there.” He tilts his head to the side. “Wait. Back up. What do you mean you followed us to the drive-in? Stalker,” he jokes.
“I told you I had a little girl crush on you. You guys went to the drive-in nearly every Saturday night. Finn and Maddie were always in his car doing…things.” I make a look of disgust. “You usually had a new girl each time, but you always backed into your spot, laid out blankets in the bed of your truck, and would make out the whole time with the lucky lady. I was so jealous. I always wanted to be the one with you in the back of your truck at the drive-in getting McCaffed.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “What’s McCaffed?”
I giggle. “My younger, innocent way of thinking about whatever you were doing to those girls under the blankets. I don’t think I appreciated what must have really been going on, so I termed it, McCaffed. I was there in the darkness, all the time, thinking how lucky they were.”
He pinches his lips together. “I didn’t notice.”
I give him a small smile. “I know. I was a little girl. Why would you notice? You had your pick of any girl in the high school.”
He licks his lower lip. “If you were older, a woman, I would have picked you. Every single time.”
I raise a bemused eyebrow. “Suuuuure. I heard the rumors about what Leslie Smooter let you do to her.”
He chuckles. “I’m serious. Finn noticed.”
“Finn noticedwhat?” I ask.
“The moment I stopped seeing you as a little girl. As Finn’s tagalong sister. It was your senior night. My jaw was practically on the floor when you turned around. I guess I hadn’t seen you in around fifteen months or so. In that time, you blossomed into a stunning woman. I was blown away. He saw it in my face and told me to stay away.”
I can’t help the smile that finds my face. “Really? That’s kind of…sweet.”
He smirks. “I had a hard-on throughout the entire game watching you play while sitting next to your parents and your brother. It was so uncomfortable.”
I burst into laughter. “Not so sweet. Sweaty girls playing basketball do it for you.”
He shakes his head. “No, seeing your body move so gracefully did it for me. I love watching you play. You’re like a gazelle out there. You exude confidence and joy. You’re always calm and collected. I haven’t missed a single game since.”
I pinch my eyebrows together. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve watched every single college and professional game. Obviously not in person, though I did quietly sneak into a few of your college games under cloak and dagger. I’d watch them on TV. Even if I couldn’t catch a game live, I’d record it. I honestly haven’t missed one single game.”
I quickly do the math in my head. That’s around two hundred and fifty games.
I shake my head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“You’re a generational talent, Gully Sulley. Finn would be so proud of you.”
I whisper, “I hope so.”
He nods. “I know so. He was always bragging about you. Every single conversation I had with him.”
Not wanting to let things get too heavy again, I stand. “I saw some toothpaste in a bathroom drawer. I’m going to finger brush my teeth before bed. I’ll leave it out for you to do the same.”
He smirks. “Are you saying my breathstinks?”
His breath was like the sweet nectar of heaven when it was on me. Around me. In me. But I play it cool. “Yep. That’s why I call you Vile Vance. It’s your stinky breath.”
His face falls as he cups his hand out in front of his face and attempts to smell his own breath. I inwardly giggle that I made him feel so insecure about it as I make my way to the bathroom.
We fall asleep by the fire, under the same blanket, with our backs facing each other. In my fantasies, this night would go a little differently, but that’s where they need to remain. In fantasyland.
