Matchmaker - Chapter 29
Wednesday
Jefferson fell over as he kicked the ball, somehow sending the ball behind him.
He was closer to getting it through the other goal post than his own.
How the hell was he getting worse? I’d tried everything.
I’d studied videos and read tips and tried to figure out if it was some kind of mental block. But I was seriously out of ideas.
Jefferson was a terrible kicker.
I ran my hand down my face with a sigh. Jefferson might go down as the worst kicker in the history of Empire High. And no one wanted that title. But how could I fix it if nothing worked?
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out. There was a text from Tanner: “Ready and in place.”
I texted him back. “Where are you exactly?”
“At 7 o’clock.”
I looked down at my watch and another text came through.
“Not the time. The direction. At 7 o’clock means behind you.”
I laughed and turned around but didn’t see him.
Another text: “Sorry, more like 4 o’clock.”
I turned my head but only saw a homeless man sitting on the bleachers. The homeless man proceeded to stand up and wave frantically at me.
I squinted at him. Yeah, the guy in the frumpy clothes was Tanner alright.
With a big fake mustache. I couldn’t help but laugh.
It reminded me of all the times Rob had tried to convince me that Tanner was great at disguises.
That he walked around the city in fancy suits and a man bun.
If Tanner’s current ensemble and the fuzzy caterpillar sitting on his upper lip was any indicator, he was freaking awful at disguises.
Tanner texted me again: “So we’re both set. Only one loose thread. Where is stupid Robert?”
Super clever burn. “I told him to be here a little before practice ended. He’ll be here soon.”
“Practice ends in 20 min. Cutting it close if you ask me. He has no respect for top secret missions.”
I shook my head and turned back to practice.
Maybe Jefferson was still struggling because I couldn’t ever focus anymore.
At the beginning of the season, I had been daydreaming about Penny all the time.
Then I started worrying about Poppy and Mr. Pruitt.
And now I was thinking about Kennedy all day.
Which made no sense, because I was probably 20 minutes away from being killed by a hitwoman.
Kennedy should have been the last person on my mind.
She should have always been the last person on my mind in that way.
But seeing her again had been a breath of fresh air.
“Just kick the ball!” Smith yelled at Jefferson. “It’s not that hard.” Smith grabbed the football off the ground, placed it in the dirt, and then proceeded to kick a perfect field goal.
Fuck. I blew my whistle. “Sprints. Now.”
Smith turned to me. “But Coach…”
I blew my whistle again. I didn’t want to hear what smart remark he had. The last thing Jefferson needed right now was to feel even worse. Couldn’t Smith see that? “Everyone. Now.”
The whole team groaned. But they started to run back and forth on the field, because they knew if they didn’t, I’d just demand they do something even worse.
“What did the team do to deserve that?” Rob asked as he joined me on the sidelines.
“Roughing the kicker.” More or less.
Rob laughed. “That scrawny little guy? What the heck is he even doing on the team?”
I looked at Rob. Honestly, I had no idea what Jefferson was doing on the team. I had been trying to make his time at Empire High easier, but all I was doing was making it worse. All of that was suddenly in the back of my mind though because Rob was also dressed like a homeless guy.
“What the hell are you wearing?” I asked.
“A disguise.”
“I didn’t tell you to dress up.”
“Right. But it’s a top secret mission. Which always require disguises.” He scrutinized my sweatpants and Empire High t-shirt. “I guess we chose the same disguise.”
Why did everyone keep making fun of my coaching outfit? “I’m not dressed like a homeless guy.”
“Whatever you say.” He patted my back. “So what’s the plan? Is the hitwoman even here?”
“I haven’t seen her yet.”
“I guess I should go hide somewhere? Oh yeah, here’s the camera.” He pulled the camera out of a small case in his pocket. “Don’t break it.”
“I won’t. But um…how does it work?”
Rob laughed and peeled it out of the case. Yes, peeled it out, like a sticker. It was clear and he stuck it next to the Eagle emblem on my t-shirt. It was completely undetectable. I even knew where it was and I could hardly see it.
“I need your phone,” he said.
I handed it to him.
He pressed a few buttons and then handed it to me. “It’s all linked up now. The video feed is already rolling and it’s getting uploaded directly to your phone.”
“That’s amazing.” I looked at my phone and could see what the camera was recording.
“It is pretty crazy. So where should I hide? I was going to hide in the stands, but I don’t want to be next to that homeless guy.”
“That’s Tanner.”
Rob squinted. “Are you sure?”
I laughed. “If you can’t tell that’s him, how do you expect me to believe you when you tell me about his other disguise?”
“I see his stupid face now. I can tell it’s him. Just like I can tell it’s him when he’s rocking a man bun. What the hell kind of mustache is that, anyway?”
I stared at Tanner. “I have no idea.”
“Well, I’m glad all three of us coordinated to dress like homeless men,” Rob said.
“I’m not dressed like a homeless person.”
“Whatever you say. I’ll wait at the entrance instead of in the stands. I don’t want to be anywhere near Tanner. And speaking of Tanner…how about you wave him down here so you can tell him that I’m your best friend right in front of his mustachioed face?”
“Let’s wait until after. I don’t want the hitwoman to see us all together before we try to corner her.”
“Fine. But you have to tell him. In front of me.”
“I will.” Honestly, if I was still alive in a few minutes I’d do whatever Rob wanted. Because I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without his camera.
I watched as Rob walked over to the entrance. And that’s when I saw the hitwoman coming into the stadium.
I opened up a group chat between Rob and Tanner and sent them a text. “That’s her walking in now. Keep an eye on her.”
“Get me out of this group chat,” Rob texted back.
Tanner’s message popped up next: “I concur.”
“You guys, focus. I need to wrap up practice and then we can surround her.”
“Fine. I’ve got eyes on her,” Tanner said. “She sat down right in front of me on the bleachers. I can’t see a gun, but it’s probably under her coat.”
I swallowed hard as I watched the kids do sprints. This was it. Either the end of Mr. Pruitt or the end of me.
“We need a mission name,” Rob texted.
“I actually agree with Robert on this,” Tanner replied. “How about Operation Robert Shouldn’t Be Here?”
“Or Operation Tanner is a Liar.”
“What have I ever lied about?”
I put my phone in my pocket and ignored them.
Honestly, it was nice that they were here.
But I didn’t want to put either of them at risk.
I wasn’t going to tell them when I was approaching her.
Hopefully she’d start moving away from Tanner soon and then I’d get there and restrain her before Rob and Tanner even reached us.
That way I would be the only one in danger.
And I couldn’t wait till the end of practice. I’d already made the team sprint for far too long anyway. I blew my whistle and waved them in.
I wanted to make Smith apologize, but I knew that would just make him hate Jefferson even more. “Great practice,” I said instead. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
Smith grumbled something under his breath.
I also didn’t have the patience to reprimand him right now. I could feel the hitwoman staring at me.
“Coach Caldwell?” Jefferson said.
I didn’t have any advice for him right now. It was back to the drawing board. “I’m sorry, Jefferson,” I said. “I actually have to get going.”
“Oh, okay.” He looked down at his feet and started walking toward the stands.
What was he doing? “Jefferson, wait. I’ll talk to you. Just let me clean up this stuff. I’ll meet you by my car.”
He smiled and nodded, then hurried off to the parking lot.
The hitwoman was already on the move. Shit. I tried not to look like I was staring at her, as I hurried towards her. But I was pretty sure she saw me because she picked up her speed. Not fast enough this time, though.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it as I caught her arm.
She turned around and looked up at me. “Matt.” She didn’t say it like she was about to kill me. She said it like she had no idea why I was touching her.
“I know you’re working for Richard Pruitt.”
“What?”
Rob and Tanner were coming this way. I gripped her wrist a little harder. “Tell me everything you know and no one needs to get hurt.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I studied her face and only saw…confusion. “How much money did he pay you to kill me?” I demanded.
“Kill you? What?”
“Don’t play dumb with me.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Matt.” She pulled her arm out of my grasp. “You have no right to touch me after you never called me. I waited weeks like a freaking idiot.”
I lowered my eyebrows. So I was right. I had slept with her? But what the hell did that have to do with anything?
“And the whole time you were with someone else? I don’t even want to know if that woman is your wife. I don’t want to be pulled into your mess of a life.”
“My wife?”
“I saw you with that redhead and the cute little girl.”
I remembered the first time this woman had run off. Right after she saw me with Penny and Scarlett. “Wait, you’ve been running away from me because you think I’m married?”
“I’ve been avoiding you because you’re a dick.”
“Then what the hell are you doing here stalking me?”
“Stalking you? God, I’d rather be anywhere than talking to you. But I came to see Henry’s practice.”
“What?”
“My son, Henry Jefferson. The kicker.”
This woman was Jefferson’s mom? What the fuck was going on? “So you don’t work for Mr. Pruitt?”
“I have no idea who you’re even talking about.”
Her being Jefferson’s mom explained why she’d been to some games and practices. But it didn’t explain everything. “Why did you follow me at the cemetery?”
“I didn’t follow you. I was there to put flowers on my late husband’s grave.”
Oh fuck. It all finally hit me. I’d slept with Jefferson’s mom? That was so wrong on so many levels. And not only that, but she was a widow. She was absolutely right. I was a dick.
“And you were the one literally chasing me ,” she added. “I thought you were trying to tell me to keep quiet because of the whole cheating thing.”
“What the hell,” Rob said, panting. “Freeze.” He put out his hand like that would have stopped her from running off.
“We have you surrounded,” Tanner said.
“Who are you people?” She put her hands in the air like she was worried she was part of an actual sting operation. She looked more scared of the homeless men threatening her than she had of me. She backed up until she was practically in my arms.
“It’s fine,” I said. “They’re my friends.”
She looked even more confused than before. And I didn’t blame her. She was probably wondering why I was friends with two homeless guys.
“I’m just here to pick up my son,” she said. “Can I please just go?”
“You’re not going anywhere with Matt,” Tanner said.
She shook her head. “I’m not this grown man’s mother. Look, I don’t know what the hell kind of weird stuff you’re into, but I want no part in it. If you weren’t my son’s favorite teacher, I’d freaking report you. Now, stop following me.”
I felt like telling her I wasn’t technically a teacher wasn’t the right move here. “So you’re not a hitwoman?”
She laughed. “No. But you and your friends are completely insane.” She started walking away.
Tanner looked like he was about to reach out and grab her, but I told him to stop. “She doesn’t work for Mr. Pruitt,” I said. I let her walk away. I didn’t bother telling her that I wasn’t married. Or that I wasn’t crazy. Fuck, am I crazy?
“Why the hell didn’t you tell us Operation Water Buffalo was a go?” Rob asked. “She could have killed you.”
That was the name they’d come up with? Why? I shook my head. “She’s not a hitwoman. What the hell am I supposed to do now?”
Rob cleared his throat. “I can think of one thing you can do.” He nodded toward Tanner.
Did he really think this was the time or place to announce our best friend status? “You guys, if she’s not the one Mr. Pruitt hired, then who the hell is?” The little hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I turned around, but no one was there.
“It’s going to be fine,” Tanner said. “We’ll figure it out. I’m here for you.”
“Not as much as I’m here for you,” Rob said. “Tell him, Matt.”
“Tell me what?” Tanner asked.
I sighed and turned around. It was better just to get this over with. “Tanner, Rob’s my best friend.”
Tanner laughed. “Sorry, I think you just suffered an aneurysm. What did you say?”
“Rob’s my best friend.”
“Knew it,” Rob said and shoved Tanner’s shoulder.
“Did Robert force you to say that?” Tanner asked.
“No?”
“Ha!” said Tanner. “I knew it. What is wrong with you, Robert? Matt’s in distress. This isn’t the time for your shenanigans.”
“Matt, you have to say it like you mean it,” Rob said.
“But he doesn’t mean it,” Tanner said.
Rob reached out and ripped Tanner’s fake mustache off.
Tanner screamed at the top of his lungs.
I started laughing. Because there was nothing else I could do. And laughing. And laughing. My legs gave out and I sat down and just stared up at the stands.
“Um…are you okay?” Rob asked.
I didn’t reply.
He sat down next to me, and then Tanner did the same.
I’d put everything into this plan. And now I had…no idea what to do next. There was probably a hitwoman still out there somewhere. Mr. Pruitt was still on my back. And worst of all, Scarlett was still in danger.
“It’s going to be fine, man,” Rob said.
“No. It’s not.” I had to go to dinner with Poppy now. I had to do whatever she wanted in order to keep Scarlett safe. It was worse than owing a debt to the Pruitts. Poppy Cannavaro owned me. And she knew it.