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“You’ll ignore him, and I’ll toy with his patience,” I supplied.
“Something like that.”
“See, we’re already making a good team. There’s hope for us yet.”
Chapter Eighteen
Sitting in the balcony area of the football stadium’s VIP suite a week later, I said, “Personally, I think Drey’s team has this in the bag.”
On my left, Alicia nodded. “They’re on form today.” MissI don’t want any popcornplucked a handful out of my almost-empty box, the scavenger.
“Yup.” Harri, sitting on my other side, bit into her hot dog. “The players on the other team don’t seem to have their head in the game.”
I was relieved it was half-time, since it meant I had a brief break from all the cheers, catcalls, shouts, boos, curses, and whistles. Add in the shots that were fired each time our home team scored and the noise-level could get insane during the game.
It was loud even now. Chatter and laughter came from the crowd. Music, voice-over ads, and game highlights blared over the loudspeaker. Those same highlights were replayed on the jumbotron while ad-banners scrolled at the bottom of the screen. Such noise wouldn’t normally bother me, but my head was throbbing like a mother.
In the suite’s indoor space behind us, Dax, Caelan, their parents, Jag, and Maverick were talking and knocking back beer while waiting for the game to resume. Dax owned the suite, and it was mega cool.
Feeling a smile curve my lips as an idea came to me, I said, “We need to snap lots of pictures of the suite to show Ollie. He’ll sulk.” Our brother had his own VIP suite, but it wasn’t as luxurious as this one.
Alicia chuckled, adjusting the position of the jacket she’d slung over the seat back. “Definitely. He’ll become pals with Dax just so he has access to it in the future.”
“It would come as no shock.” I dipped a finger beneath my sunglasses to ease the slight itch on the side of my nose. We were in the shade here on the balcony area but still hotter than the devil. The humid air carried the scents of popcorn, beer, onions, hot dogs, warm metal, cinnamon, and nachos.
Like many of the fans who sat shoulder-to-shoulder in the tiered seating, we were also wearing Drey’s team jersey. I hadn’t planned to paint my face, but Alicia had talked both Harri and me into it.
Many of the excited fans sported ballcaps and foam fingers. Some held up signs and flags or were recording the goings-on with their cell phones.
I glanced down at the hectic field below. TV crews and cameras could be seen. Mascots waltzed up and down, and cheerleaders were performing clever routines while a marching band went to town.
“Damn, he’s pretty,” Alicia said with a dreamy sigh.
Tracking her gaze, I saw that she was watching the game highlights. “Who?” I asked before tossing popcorn into my mouth.
She shrugged. “All of them, really. I mean,lookat them. So many, many muscles.”
As Drey popped on the screen, I gently elbowed Harri. “How’re things coming along with Drey’s dog?”
“Good, I’d say.” Harri sucked a little mustard from her thumb. “Sabre is very smart. Likesupersmart. But he wants to be top-dog. Leader of the pack. So he sort of fights Drey for the alpha position.”
“He has a lot of energy, too,” I remembered.
“That’s one of the problems. Drey is very stern with him. But when you’re dealing with an animal who has that much energy, it’s hard to be consistent with them at all times because by the end of the day you’re damn tired.”
“I noticed you get along well with Drey.”
“We have a lot in common,” she said. Not with the excitement of a woman who’d clicked with a guy, but with the casual contentment of someone who’d found a new buddy.
I felt my lips part. “Oh my God, you friend-zoned him.” I had not seen that coming. “You did, didn’t you?”
Harri raised her shoulders. “Um …”
Alicia gaped at her. “How could anyone possibly friend-zone someone who looks like him? Not that I’m complaining. He’s—”
“Too old for me,” Harri finished with an eye roll. “Right.”
“Alicia’s question is a good one.” I set my popcorn on the floor and then lifted my soda from the cupholder. “Howdidyou actually manage to stick him into a friend box?”
