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I don’t bother responding, knowing it will only add fuel to the fire. Instead, I wait for my other two receivers to line up on the opposite side before I call hike, sending all three of them sprinting down the field.
Tyler and Ryder crisscross in the middle, while Higgins goes deep, cuts back in and then out again. I hesitate, making sure the timing is correct before launching the ball a good forty yards down the field. Uncontested, Higgins catches it with ease. But truthfully, even if he were contested, he would have made that catch, the throw was that accurate.
And just like that, we’re all focused on football again.
Thank fuck...
“Hey.” I look up frommy phone just in time to see Rory slide into the seat across from me.
Like always, she’s pure fucking perfection, and my early concerns about whether or not this was a good idea go straight out the fucking window. Especially when she smiles and nervously tucks her hair behind one ear, her fingers skirting across her small dangling earring before her hand joins the other in her lap.
She has her hair down tonight. She doesn’t wear it down often, but when she does, it falls in thick, soft waves around her shoulders, reaching at least the middle of her back.
“You came.” I can’t decide if I’m more surprised or relieved.
“I said I would.” She adjusts in her chair. “How was practice?”
“It was... productive.” I hand her a menu. “Are you hungry?”
“I am, actually.” She takes the menu, looking around the dimly lit bar/restaurant. “This place is nicer than I expected.” She glances down at her long-sleeved, navy shirt.
“It’s notthatfancy,” I reassure her, gesturing to my white Trojans tee that I paired with a dark pair of jeans.
“Still, this hotel is nice. It’s good that the school puts you up in places like this.”
“It is,” I agree. “Though, this one is nicer than some.”
“I was surprised we were able to get a room here.”
“Well, to be fair, this place is pretty big.”
“True.” She opens the menu, resting it on the table in front of her.
“Hey, Arch.” A couple females pass our table, giggling to each other.
I picked the spot in the farthest corner of the room because it seemed the least on display, but even then, I shouldn’t be surprised that some people would go out of their way to speak to me.
I simply nod and return my focus to Rory, having grown accustomed to this type of interaction over the last year.
“Hey, Arch,” she mocks, her cheeks flushing red when she realizes she said it out loud and not in her head. “Shit, sorry.”
“Please. There’s no need to apologize. I feel the same way.”
“Yeah, right, you have to love the attention.”
“Not as much as you might think. Maybe in the beginning when we first started winning, but I promise it gets old pretty fast.” I take a sip of my water, wishing I could order a drink but knowing better than to drink alcohol the night before a game. “Any idea on what you’d like?” I ask when I see the waitress approach.
“No, but I can figure it out pretty quickly if you’d like to order.”
“I’m in no rush,” I assure her.
“No really, please, order.” She looks from me to the middle-aged waitress, then back to me.
“I’ll just have the fire grilled chicken with loaded potatoes and asparagus. And I’ll have a Caesar salad to start, hold the dressing.” The waitress writes down my order before turning to Rory.
“I’ll actually have the same. Only regular potatoes not loaded. And I want dressing on my salad. In fact, I’ll take his dressing too.” She smiles sheepishly at me as she hands the waitress her menu. “And just a water to drink, please.”
I know I said I couldn’t afford the distraction but sitting here with her now, I think she just might be fucking worth it. Every second I spend with her only reaffirms this fact. And while I know she may not reciprocate my feelings, or rather my infatuation, I have a hard time believing she feels nothing, especially with how nervous I seem to make her. Something I get quite a thrill out of, if you haven’t noticed.
