Page 16 of Scoring the Player
“No, you shouldn’t.” I finally peel my hand off of him. “He’s not worth getting kicked out.”
“It would absolutely be worth it.” He finally faces me and slowly takes me in. A slow perusal that starts at my lips and scans my basic white tank and Levi cut-off jean shorts then finally settles on the Jordans on my feet.
“Nice shoes.” His lips quirk up into a smile. All traces of the anger radiating off him a second ago are gone.
“Thank you.” I click my heels together. Because of-freaking-course I do. I lift the glass. “And thanks for saving me back there. You didn’t need to do that, but I appreciate it.”
“Anyone gives you any trouble, just tell them you’re my girlfriend.”
A slightly psychotic sounding laugh slips from my lips. Yeah, sure, that’s what I’ll do. I lift the glass of water in my hand. “I need to get this to Jane.”
“I’m gonna grab a beer,” he says. “Maybe I’ll see you later.”
With a stiff smile, I turn and head back to the table.
“Was that Felix I saw you talking to?” Jane asks as soon as I hand her the glass.
“Yes.” My face still feels warm. “He walked up right as some guy propositioned me.”
“Oh, honey, no. Where is he?” Jane stands to her full height and cranes her neck like she’s going to be able to pick him out without any identifying details. She’s already tall, but her shoes add a few inches, making her close to six feet. She’s not as muscular as Felix, but she’s scary when she wants to be. And right now, she wants to be.
“He probably left,” I say, so she’ll relax. “Felix was five seconds from kicking his ass, and I doubt anyone here’s dumb enough to fight him with the rest of the football team here to have Felix’s back.”
I spot his teammates easy enough, in direct eyeline from my seat, sitting at a table behind us. They’re big, loud, and the majority of them wear some sort of clothing that identifies them as members of the team—shirts, hats, sweats. College guys have it so easy. Wake up, toss on a hat, some clean-ish jeans, and a T-shirt, and they’re good to go. I’m not gonna lie though, I’m not any more immune to the messy, sporty look than the rest of my peers.
Jane heads back to the microphone and the band starts back up. The Hideout gets more and more packed. It’s standing-room only, which makes me super thankful we snagged a table.
The later it gets, the handsier the couples get. Jordan is telling a story about how his mom almost walked in on him and Daisy having sex in the kitchen of his parents’ house over the summer. Daisy covers her face, but Jordan leans in and pries her hands away so he can kiss her. “Nothing to be embarrassed about, sweet Daisy. Everyone knows I’m irresistible.”
A familiar pang of longing for that kind of intimacy and understanding hits me. Jordan brings Daisy out of her shell in a way no one ever has, without even trying. She trusts him enough to be herself. And to have sex in his parents’ kitchen, apparently. I’m not adding that to my bucket list, but finding someone that I’d be willing to risk it with definitely is.
I’m laughing along with the others when a shadow falls over the table. I look up in time to see Felix pull a chair up to the end of the table and take a seat between me and Violet.
“What’s up, Walters?” Gavin asks as he extends a hand for Felix to slap.
Felix gives his head a small shake and a few dark strands of hair fall onto his forehead. “Not much. We’re heading out soon. Early morning conditioning tomorrow. Thought I’d come say hey first.”
He isn’t even talking to me, and my throat goes dry.
The band finishes a song and I focus way too hard on clapping for Jane. She smiles back at me with a devilish glint when she spots Felix.
“This one is for the coolest, hottest chick I know. She’d kill me if I said her name up here in front of a busy bar, but if you know her, then you know it’s true. Love you, babe.” Jane leans into the mic stand and winks at me before the guitar and drums start in on “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift. I know the song immediately, even before she starts singing. It’s our go-to song to blast in the car.
I’m sure I’m blushing at her singling me out, but the bar is too packed for anyone, but the five other people at our table, to realize she’s talking about me.
Felix swivels around to listen to Jane as she croons out the first verse, then he turns to me with a playful grin. “She’s good.”
“She’s amazing.”
“Why this song? Are you a Swiftie?”
“Who isn’t?”
He nods. “True, I guess. Speaking of, how’d things work out with the musician?”
“Eddie?” I ask, as if there are a slew of musicians I’m friendly with.
“Yeah. Did you two talk?”
