5. That Wasn’t Awkward, at All
5
Roxy
The crowd is electric, and even though I’m really not all that into the sport, I’m happy to be here with Tessa and the girls, watching her man lead his team to victory. If the Bandits win today––and it looks like they will––they’ll be heading to the big championship game in two weeks.
Apparently, it’s unheard of for a brand new, first-season team to make it this far, and the local news stations have been having a field day reporting on their newest hometown heroes. Which means constant news segments, replays, and player interviews…including several with one Miles Blake, the team’s star defensive back.
Seeing his face plastered all over my T.V. hasn’t helped me forget about our night together. He’s a natural on the small screen, engaging with the sports newscasters with kindness, humor, and a sense of humility that seems perfectly genuine. Again, not helping.
Even today, I can’t seem to keep my eyes off him whenever he’s on the field. His strength and speed are unparalleled out there, and even I––someone who’s definitely not into football––can appreciate his talent.
And the sight of his ass in those tight pants doesn’t hurt, either.
“Fuck,” I breathe, shaking my head.
“You okay?” Hadley asks, leaning in close so I can hear her over the melee.
“I’m fine,” I reply, offering her a smile.
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
I nod my head and turn my attention back to the game. Hadley’s always been the most observant one of our friend group, and I don’t want to give her any reason to turn Skye and Tessa’s attention toward me. They’ll have me spilling my guts within seconds.
And I don’t want to tell them I’m having second thoughts about banishing Miles Blake to the friend zone.
I know it’s the right thing to do. My reasoning is sound. It would be irresponsible and foolish to let my body do the decision making in this scenario. As much as I want a repeat of our night together––because fuck, I do––it’s still a bad idea, and I refuse to give into the temptation.
Hell, I haven’t even seen him in person in weeks, but memories of his hands and mouth on me still keep me awake at night until I finally give in and take matters into my own hands. And every time I do, I imagine it’s Miles. Touching me. Tasting me. Driving his gorgeous cock into me as he whispers dirty words in my ear.
He’s like a drug, and it only took one taste to make me addicted.
But I need to get over it. I can’t start something with him when I know how it will end. And Tessa is so fucking happy right now. She deserves every bit of that happiness, and I refuse to be the reason it becomes tainted. It’s not worth the risk…even for a shot with Miles Blake.
The crowd goes wild around me, and I refocus my eyes, taking in the scene on the field. The Bandits are rushing out from the sidelines, giving each other leaping chest bumps, hugs, and vigorous ass-slaps. The opposing team trudges out slowly, shaking hands with the Bandits before turning and jogging toward the tunnel that leads to their locker room.
Obviously, we won.
I turn to Tessa, who grabs my hand as she squeezes past me. I notice a security guard waiting in the aisle, and I grab onto Hadley, who takes Skye’s hand, and we all follow the uniformed man down the steps to the gate that leads down to the field. Another guard unlocks it with a kind smile, and we jog down the remaining steps.
Tessa releases me and takes off. I try to keep up, but she’s sprinting faster than I’ve ever seen her move. I slow my steps as she leaps into the air, landing solidly against her sweaty fiancé’s chest. He roars as he wraps his arms around her and spins. When he finally stops, he kisses her, and the crowd in the stands roars loudly.
I look up to see a close-up shot of them on the jumbotron. I grin as I look back at the couple, but my view gets cut off by huge players roaming back and forth. The buzzing energy on the field is palpable, and I’m stoked to be a part of it.
“Hello, ladies.”
Hadley, Skye, and I come to a halt as the man I’ve been unable to get out of my head jogs up and stops before us.
“Great game,” Hadley says when I can’t get my mouth to move.
“Yeah, you guys were awesome out there,” Skye adds.
“Thanks,” Miles says with a grin, and I drop my gaze to the helmet that dangles from his fingers.
I can’t take that smile right now. Not when it reminds me so much of the night we met.
“So, Porter suggested a little post-game celebration, but none of us want to drink until after the big game. We settled on bowling, and Riggs reserved the whole alley so we can just have fun and not get bombarded with fans. It’s just going to be me, Riggs, Porter, Foster, and Tessa. You guys in?”
“I’m game,” Skye says without pause. “Prepare to be crushed.”
“Sounds like fun,” Hadley adds.
“Roxy?” Miles asks when I continue to keep my eyes downcast.
Taking a deep breath, I lift my gaze to his and give him a slight smile. “I’m in.”
“Awesome,” he says. “We need to do this whole trophy presentation for the press, then we’ll shower. It’ll probably be an hour or so. That cool?”
My head bobs in agreement, and he grins again, shooting me a wink before jogging back toward the crowd of football players standing in front of a makeshift stage the crew has pushed out onto the field.
“Well, that wasn’t awkward, at all,” Skye deadpans as we watch Riggs pull Tessa up onto the stage with him.
“Shut up,” I shoot back.
“You should just fuck him out of your system, then put him back in the friend zone,” she says, ignoring my order.
“Skye,” Hadley says, her tone half-warning, half-shock.
Skye rolls her eyes. “Fine. I’ll drop it. If you want to deny yourself all that man meat, so be it.”
Hadley’s cheeks darken, and I can’t help but laugh. I may be the feisty one of our group, but Skye’s the brazen one. She says whatever’s on her mind at any given moment, consequences be damned.
And Hadley? Well, she’s the quiet one. She’ll let loose if she gets a few drinks in her, but otherwise, she’s demure and often mortified by Skye’s crass remarks.
We stand back to watch the ceremony, and when Riggs takes the microphone, he still has Tessa pulled against his side. She’s practically bouncing with happy energy, and I strengthen my resolve to keep the lines drawn between Miles and me.
I refuse to do anything that might dim that smile on her face, much less blow up our entire friend group. No fucking way.
“Strike!”
Miles spins on a heel as he shouts the word, pumping a fist into the air with a huge grin on his face. He slaps palms with the guys, then shoots double finger guns in my direction.
“You’re up, Chamberlain. Bring it.”
“Oh, I’ll bring it,” I say, walking toward the ball return rack to grab my ball.
“Don’t choke,” he calls out as I step up to the lane, masking the words beneath a cough.
Glancing at him over my shoulder, I say, “Watch and learn, Blake. Watch…and…learn.”
I’m bluffing. I wouldn’t say I totally suck at bowling, but I’m not qualifying for the professional circuit anytime soon, either. Focusing on the small arrows painted on the wooden planks before me, I aim for the center one, walk forward, swing my arm back, and release the ball as I swing it forward.
I flinch as the ball hits the lane with a loud pop, then cross my fingers as it glides down the center of the lane…straight for the head pin.
I watch the pins fall down, and the joy of getting a strike bursts through me only to vanish when I see the two pins in the back still standing. The pins are located on either side of the lane, impossible for me to knock them both down on my second shot.
“Ouch. Seven-ten split. That’s gotta hurt.”
I spin to see Miles standing beside me, staring at my leftover pins with a pained expression. When he turns his head to meet my gaze, I roll my eyes.
“You’re such an ass,” I say, then I turn toward the ball return to wait for my ball to roll through the opening.
“Ah, come on, Roxy. I was just messing with you,” he says, following me with sorrowful puppy dog eyes and a pouty lip.
A laugh bursts out of me at his antics, and I shake my head. “You’re ridiculous.”
His pout morphs into a wide grin, and he holds up his hand, his fingers curled inward for a fist bump. Lifting my own fist, I tap it against his, and he steps back as I pull my ball from the rack. Moving forward, I aim for the pin on the left, but when I throw the ball, it rolls right down the middle of the lane between the two pins.
“Field goal,” Tessa shouts with a chuckle, holding her arms up in the air.
“Ha, ha,” I say, marching back to my seat.
Miles slides into the seat next to me, leaning back and kicking his feet out in front of him. When I just stare at him with an arched brow, he shrugs.
“We’re friends, right? Friends can sit next to each other.”
“That’s true,” I say, settling back in my own chair. “So, I hear you’re buying Riggs’ house.”
“I did,” he says. “We closed on Friday.”
“Seriously? That fast?” I ask, my mouth falling open.
He shrugs. “I paid cash, so I didn’t have to deal with all the shit that goes into taking out a loan. It’s a pretty fast process when you take the bank out of it.”
“That’s great,” I say. “I’m really happy for you.”
“Thanks. The condo is nice, but I’m eager to have a real house I can call my own.”
His mention of the condo brings back a rush of memories I’d rather not remember right now. I swallow thickly and clear my throat, unable to think of a response.
“I’m moving in on Monday. I don’t have any furniture to move, so it should be a one-trip process. I’m going to host a barbecue Monday night to celebrate. You in?”
“Is everyone else coming?” I ask, motioning to the group.
“The guys and Tessa are coming, and Tessa said she’d talk to you, Hadley, and Skye.” He shrugs. “I just got to you first, I guess.”
“Okay,” I say, nodding. “I’ll be there.”
He smiles and hops up to go rib Foster, who’s getting ready to take his turn. That was…easy. Except for that little flub when he mentioned the condo, I was totally fine chatting with him. No awkwardness. No nerves.
No intense need to climb on his lap and lick his neck.
Who knows? Maybe we can make this whole friend thing work, after all.