Page 7 of Home Town Advantage
Before she leaves, Reagan tells us to have a good time and that the drinks are all on her for the night. She strongly encouragesus to get to know each other as we will be teammates for the foreseeable future.
Once she’s gone, Kennedy glares at me. “Well, Queen Sullivan O’Shea. We were all dragged here kicking and screaming to roll out the red carpet for you. I imagine we’ll be doing that all season. How lucky for us,” she says sarcastically. “What is it that the queen would like to talk about?”
My shoulders fall at her tone toward me. I was hoping for a fresh start. Not drama.
I wish I was the kind of woman who stood up for myself more often. I suppose I’ve become accustomed to taking it on the chin. Looking around the table with four faces staring at me, I only manage, “Umm…well…are you guys excited about moving to Philly?”
Kennedy scoffs. “Absolutely not. I fucking hate Philadelphia.”
Layla raises an eyebrow. “Didn’t you grow up in Philly? Isn’t it your hometown?”
Kennedy’s father is the famous Jett Jeffries. He was the quarterback for the Philly Camels for the back half of his career and then retired and became their coach shortly after the team drafted Vance.
Kennedy narrows her eyes. “No, Ms. Know-it-all. We moved there when I was a kid. New York is where I was born and where I consider my home. Where I intended to play for my entire career until a new team was formed so Sullivan could carry the new franchise on her shoulders with her shining star power.”
Oh man, she hates me. I swallow, feeling so nervous and uncomfortable. “You can call me Sulley. All my friends and family do.”
She glares at me. “Got it,Sullivan.”
Layla shrugs. “I’d think you’d be happy to live closer to your family, Kennedy. I know I am. I was considering retirement until this opportunity presented itself. I asked my team to let me go.Presley and I splitting time between Philly and Miami has been hard, and now we have a baby to consider.”
Presley Ladrón is the placekicker for the Philly Camels. Layla has been playing for the team out of Miami. This move must be perfect for her.
Shay nods in agreement. “I respect that. I’m lucky that my girlfriend, Alyssa, works from home and can live wherever I do. It would be devastating to be apart from her for weeks or months at a time.”
Kennedy rolls her eyes. “I wouldneverlive my life around someone else. Anyone who does so is nothing but a walking red flag.” Her green eyes light up for the first time. “In fact, that might be a nice icebreaker for us. I did that once with a team.”
I ask, “What would be a nice icebreaker?”
“Red flags,” she answers. “Everyone shares their most random red flags when it comes to potential partners.”
Layla smiles. “Ooh. I like this game. I’ll go first. Men who wear chain necklaces are my biggest ick.” She has a look of disgust on her face. “You just know that shit has been dangling on another woman. On her chest, on her face, maybe even inotherplaces.” She shivers. “Ugh. So gross.”
We all laugh. I shake my head. “I suppose I never thought about where a man’s necklace has been, but now I’ll never unsee that.”
Layla nods. “Right? What about you, Sulley? What’s one of your red flags?”
“Hmm.” I twist my lips. “Given that I grew up in a bit of a cowboy town, the most unattractive thing on a man for me is wearing sandals.”
They all spit in laughter, and I smile as I continue, “I never saw one until I spent a little time on the West Coast. It was so…off-putting.” I scrunch my face. “It’s just so unmanly.”
Shay nods in agreement. “A lot of men in LA wear sandals. I think lesbian red flags are different from hetero red flags. The most obvious one for me would be U-Haul lesbians.”
Palmer asks, “What’s that?”
“A lesbian who moves in with their partner quickly, like after just a few dates. It’s a whole running joke in the lesbian community. We even have greeting cards with the term.”
Kennedy’s mouth drops in clear shock. “Really? I’ve never heard it.”
Shay quips, “Because you move from man to man like I go through dildos. There’s no way you’ve ever lived with a man.”
Kennedy shakes her head. “Fuck no. I’m too young for that. The only thing I want is a good time. Nothing else, for now. My parents had a shitty marriage. It took way too long for them to get divorced. I’m out the second I see something I don’t like. Plus, I went to Catholic school.”
I raise an eyebrow at her. “What does Catholic school have to do with relationships?”
She bites back a smile before she answers, “Catholic school girls are like caged wild animals. We all leave for college and become hos.”
Shay giggles. “Ah, Catholic school girls. Any hole but the holy hole.”
