Chapter 43
***Cass***
The third game of the season was just as exciting as the first. Hayes had given me a jersey with his name on it and Coach James had put me in the family section of the stands so I didn’t follow the guys to the locker room and distract them.
That meant I was just another observer watching Texas kick ass.
It was thrilling. I’d always been on the sidelines for USC but it felt different at Texas.
I felt the energy in the stadium down deep in my bones. I felt like I was home.
The only shitty part about sitting in the stands is that Sam Ford had decided to look like just another dad in the stands and he was sitting right behind me.
I didn’t know a lot about the man but I knew his sons called him Sam and didn’t think much of him.
I had to agree with their assessment when I saw him sit down behind me with a woman who had to be my age or maybe even younger.
I ignored them to watch the game and I was able to do it through the first half.
It was exhilarating to watch the guys on the field.
Cash was a strong quarterback with an arm that acted like a heat seeking missile launcher.
Hayes and Weston both dominated on the defense, each of them so impressive that I found myself cheering like a nut for them.
I was orgasm drunk and everything felt good.
It felt like everything fake maybe wasn’t so fake after all.
During halftime, with nothing to distract me, I couldn’t help overhearing Sam Ford and his date. Instantly I wanted to turn around and stab the man with a pen through the eye.
“They look like shit out there. I never played like that. I got fucking injuries and I didn’t take a goddamn season to recover. Who knows if they’ll be drafted in the first round now. A fucking Ford not being drafted in the first round is an embarrassment.”
I saw red and had to dig my fingers into my thighs to keep from jumping up and clocking the old fool.
“What’s draft? What’d you say?” The woman with him somehow sounded more like she was from LA than I did. “Oh, my gosh, Sammy, look at his adorable purse!”
“Jesus fuck. Can you fucking put your phone down for two minutes to let your brain function properly?”
“Sammy, daddy, be nice. I’ll do that thing you like later. And if you buy me the purse, I’ll let you do that other thing you like.”
I sat forward and considered plugging my ears. There were people all around us but I was the only one sitting alone and not preoccupied. I still couldn’t believe the way Sam was talking about his sons and to his girlfriend in public. He was a disgrace.
“Hey, you.” A rough tap on my shoulder came from behind. “What’s your name?”
I slowly turned and forced my face to look less murderous. “Sorry?”
Sam snapped his fingers and laughed. “You’re the broad my boys got caught banging. Carrie, or something. Why are you in the family section wearing my boys’ jersey?”
It was strange to see a man with almost the same face as his sons look so hideous in comparison. I took a deep breath. “Cass. I’m the woman your sons are dating.”
The girl next to him was decked out in Longhorns gear but none of it was quite big enough to cover her impressive curves. She snapped her fingers and leaned forward. “That’s right. I told you about that, daddy. I showed you the pictures and you asked why they were dating a six.”
I couldn’t conceal a shudder of disgust. I wasn’t against fun bedroom play.
Not that I’d ever done it, but I was open.
Calling a man daddy in the bedroom felt so different than calling him daddy in public, in front of people, though.
Also, a six? Jeez. I’d been watching the women around me and they did insults differently in the south.
They were so damn sweet about it that it took a bit to understand you were being insulted at first.
I sweetened my expression and snapped like she had. “Oh, wow! You’re their little sister? That’s so cool. I was hoping to get a chance to meet you! You’re adorable. And so young! I thought the guys said you were in college but you can’t be a day over eighteen!”
Sam’s face went dark red as his eyes bulged. “She’s not my fucking daughter.”
I pretended to suddenly understand what I was seeing. I covered my mouth and widened my eyes. “Oh! Oh… I’m so sorry. That’s so embarrassing. Just ignore me. Wow… That’s… Just wow.”
I turned back around in my seat and crossed my arms. Checkmate, motherfucker. If the pair had anything else to say they had to keep it to themselves because I had to run to the bathroom. By the time I got back the second half was starting and I could easily ignore Sam again. For a while at least.
It was obvious that he was drunk and angry. He kept raising his voice and more than once I felt spittle hit the back of my neck and swore I was going to bathe in alcohol when I got home. His comments just kept getting harder and harder to tune out.
“Look at that fucking throw. Pussy. Maybe they’ll need a third-string quarterback somewhere. Goddamn Cash.”
“You call that a sack? That boy of mine couldn’t sack a two-dollar whore on Black Friday.”
“Their mother was a whore. They probably aren’t mine. Can’t be with the way they play. In my day, the Ford name was fucking respected.”
“Block, you stupid fuck, Weston! Block! Why are you even there? You should be on the bench, still whining about your back if that’s how you’re going to play!”
I could feel the energy of our section of the stadium shift as everyone had to listen to the asshole badger and abuse his kids.
He was Sam Ford, though, football royalty, so no one said a thing to him.
He wasn’t even shouting accurate things, not that it would’ve made his shouting any better.
He even drunkenly shouted at Cash for throwing an interception when Cash had a perfect pass record for the season so far.
“Stupid bitch. Get off me. Go buy your fucking purse and wait for me in the car. You don’t know anything. Just as useless as my boys.”
I was seething but the fourth quarter was halfway over. I didn’t want to make a scene when my existence had done enough of that for the guys. I balled my hands into fists and fought hard to resist saying anything.