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They wolfed down tacos, groaning in between bites.
“Dude, check your messages. Your phone is blowing up,” he said, sliding the phone on the counter toward Jake.
“Shit, shit, shit, what a fucking idiot!” Jake yelled, his hand hitting his forehead.
“What? What the hell…”
“I texted her repeatedly last night. Like a fucking moronic high school boy. God, I can’t even read it,” he said, staring at the screen of texts, turning it over on the counter, pushing it away.
Dwayne picked it up, scrolling through the messages. “Oh hell, you did not say all this…and you can’t read it because some of it isn’t readable.”
“Dude, put it down. Fuck me!” Jake said, swigging the soda.
Dwayne looked at the screen, reading slowly, excruciatingly slowly, Jake thought.Is he trying to torture me?
Dwayne’s eyes went round, staring at the phone, concentrating. “Rakell,which you totally spelled wrongor should I say Kells or Maryanne…everyone knows you better than me. I should know you best…Another one,” Dwayne continued, reading as if he was sounding out the words. “What did those men get that I want? They got you…Jake. Another one,I guess that’s why you're so good at it…” Dwayne shook his head, looking at the other texts. “Who the hell is Maryanne?”
“STOP…” Jake said, reaching toward his phone.
“No, you need to hear this one. You’re going to want to know you said this.” Dwayne studied the screen for what seemed like five minutes to Jake before reading in a jutted manner, “But I don’t care. I fucked so many girls, but no one is you. So, I don’t wanna think about who was before me, just want to be the last one, the last one who touches you, the last one who holds you, the last one between your legs, the last one…the last one….” Dwayne set the phone face down on the counter. “That was my interpretation of the jumbled mess of words you sent that girl.”
“And nothing back from her?” Jake asked under his breath.
“No,” Dwayne murmured, biting into his fourth taco.
“Great…just fucking great. No text all week…then I send that…damn it.” His phone buzzed again, and he reached for it.
Melissa:Are we still on for dinner? BTW…turn on your TV…Rakell’s on KVUE, interviewing with Levi Storm…Send
“Dwayne, turn on the TV, ABC,” he blurted out. “Now…dude…I can’t believe it.”
“What the hell is going on?” Dwayne asked, reaching for the remote as Jake sat in the chair.
Jake:Thanks Issa. Chinese tonight at my house. I’m dead dog hungover, but I want to see you…Send
Melissa:Okay…turn it on, they just started. Did you know about this?Cameron is giddy and keeps repeating something that sounds like Kee-Kee, like she’s a Disney princess…Send
Jake:She is…Send
Melissa:Oh, somebody’s spun up on a girl!…Send
Jake:You haveno idea!!...Send
There she was on Dwayne’s large screen TV, wearing the white jacket, sitting across from Levi. Jake couldn’t help but notice that she wore a purple sweater dress, gold belt and brown boots…the Condor colors.
“This girl is full of surprises…” Dwayne uttered, shaking his head. “I mean, she’s doing an interview on Austin TV wearing the Condor colors and that damn jacket.”
Jake snorted. “Like you said before, she’s got balls, but what the hell is Levi going to ask her…”
Rakell rolled her shoulders as she sat in the chair across from Levi, plastering on a small smile and trying to soften her expression to mask her raging nerves that were crackling just beneath the surface. Lana was off camera, giving her the thumbs-up. No word from Jake, stuck in her house and all the hyperbole circling social media, she’d taken Levi up on his insistent offer to interview her to be the one that directs the narrative. Her agent thought it was a great idea, and so didSports Illuminated. But as the camera flashed red and the bright lights illuminated her face while Levi introduced her, she had to fight the urge not to rip the microphone from the collar of her jacket and run off the stage screaming.
“Good morning, Austin. We have a special guest here today, someone a lot of you have been wondering about…” Levi said, his hand gesturing in her direction. “Introducing Rakell McCarthy, the nextSports Illuminatedcover model, Austin resident all the way from Australia.” His eyes faced the camerabefore shifting to her, smiling. Levi said, “Thanks for joining me today, Rakell.”
“Yes, um, thank you,” she sputtered out. “I appreciate the opportunity.”
Levi tilted his head, his eyes shifting momentarily to Lana off-camera, acknowledging her concerned face. Levi lowered his voice, taking on a soothing tone. “I know it wasn’t an easy decision for you to agree to be interviewed. It’s brave of you to come on to tell your story.” He could see the shift in her posture, noting that she was relaxing. “So, Rakell, I guess we should start with the obvious questions about the playoff game in San Antonio…why were you there?”
She tilted her head toward the camera. “I, I went as a friend of Roman. I would like to start by apologizing to the Jensen family. They are a kind, generous family, and I didn’t intend any disrespect.”
