Chapter 15
Fifteen
Bentley
Hopefully Serena is all set. I’ve got my bag from Whataburger and my TV queued up.
This is definitely the most unique date I have ever had.
The upside is there isn’t any weird sending her home afterward, not that I would do that to her.
I don’t think, anyway. It’s been years since a woman has gotten past date one.
That’s usually my limit. No further dates mean they don’t walk out on me later.
It’s also the reason I usually dismiss the women I’m with.
No attachments. Serena is different, though. Something about her calls to me.
I grab my phone off the end table and hover above her name, but my screen flashes with an incoming call.
Derrick’s name pops up, and he has the worst timing ever.
I haven’t heard from him in weeks, and this is the time he calls.
I could always reject it and act like I didn’t hear the phone.
He’s persistent, though. He has been since the day I met him and he wanted me to help him get ready for basketball tryouts at Hilltown University.
He badgered every senior on the team until I finally agreed.
Other than that short amount of time he let an old flame get in his head, he was dedicated.
The urge to press the red button is strong, but he’ll just keep calling until I answer. He knows I’m usually free, and wouldn’t think I might have plans. Sighing, I press the button to accept the call. “Hey, Derrick.”
“Hey, man. How are things?” There’s no pause for me to answer before he’s charging into the next question. “Dude, we’re struggling as a team. I have no idea what to do. It’s like when you left, the rest of the team just kind of gave up. It’s hurting our chances for playoffs.”
I pull the phone away from my ear and check the time. Shit, it’s a few minutes past the time I was supposed to call Serena. “Look D, now isn’t really—”
He cuts me off. “Please, Bentley. We have a game tomorrow and the guys are acting like we’ve already lost. We need your help.”
“I’m not sure what you expect me to do. It’s not like I can come play for y’all.”
“I know that.” He sounds frustrated. I know playing for Hilltown is one of his greatest accomplishments, and he wants the team to get another winning title. “Is there any way you can come talk to the team? Anything for these guys to get their heads out of their asses.”
“You sound desperate,” I hear in the background. It must be his roommate. “Maybe you should lead with a question instead of demanding time from him. He’s busy, too.”
I can’t remember the guy’s name, but I like the way he thinks. The few times I was around him, he seemed to have his head on straight. Even when he got with that party girl. Well, former party girl. She’s mellowed out a lot since they got together. Now if only Derrick would take some of those cues.
“Shut up, Travis. You stick to your books and let us talk ball.” As dedicated as Derrick is to the game, he lets it consume him. If I don’t put an end to this, he’ll keep me on the phone all night.
“Derrick, this really isn’t a good time. I’m late for a date. Text me with the info about your game. If I’m out of practice in time, I’ll swing by the university and talk to the guys.” Hopefully that’s enough to placate him.
“Oh shit, I’m sorry.” He pauses for a second. “I’ll text that to you in just a few. Have fun on your date. I hope she’s hot.” I hear something smack him, and he says, “Ow.”
“That’s not funny, Derrick.” His girlfriend’s voice is really loud, and I know she must be right there. “You better not be thinking about hot girls.”
They will be at this for a while. “Bye, Derrick,” I yell louder than necessary and hang up the phone. Talking to him can be draining at times. He’s almost never alone, and the conversations are always competing.
I look at the time and groan. I’m almost twenty minutes late for my date. I press Serena’s number and listen to the ring. Please pick up. Pick up. Pick up. Pick up. The phone rings so long, I think it’s going to rollover to voicemail. Luckily, Serena has mercy on me. “Hello?”
Damn, not good. Her voice is clipped. “Sorry, I’m late. One of my old teammates called and wouldn’t shut up.”
“It’s fine.” Those two words are not in fact fine. I’ve heard my mom and sister mutter them on more than one occasion. They weren’t happy any of those times.
“Really, Serena.” I hope she can hear the sincerity in my voice. “I’m sorry. Please tell me you at least already ate your food. There’s no use letting it get cold.”
“I’m not a dumbass,” she scoffs. “But yes, I already ate. Do you still want to try this whole date thing?”
“Yeah. Maybe we can talk instead. It’s getting kind of late for a movie.” I wait for a rebuttal, but it doesn’t come. “Unless, you’re ready to go to bed. In that case, you could take me with you.”
“Men,” she grumbles. “I swear that’s all you think about.”
“Not true,” I grin. “I also think about food, working out, basketball…”
“So, it’s in the top five.” She laughs, and I think I’ve gotten her in a better mood. “I thought you were going to FaceTime me?”
I don’t respond. Instead, I press the icon for FaceTime and she switches over to video. Her hair is up in a messy ponytail thing and she looks like she’s ready for bed. “You just couldn’t go without looking at this handsome face, could you?”
She rolls her eyes, but the corner of her mouth quirks up. “Shut up. I’m just making sure we’re sticking to our date agreement. You’re the one who pushed for us to have the date over the phone.”
“That’s because I know it won’t happen otherwise. At least, not until we’re in the same town again.” I lean into the corner of my couch. “And I’m not sure when that will happen. I need to look on my schedule.”
“Why would you have to look at your schedule?”
Shit, Hazel never told her she gave me her schedule. Do I tell her and risk pissing her off, or do I act like its pure coincidence? “Um, because that has my out-of-town dates on it?”
“You framed that as a question.” She stands up and I see the kitchen cabinets behind her.
They are an off-white color and look old.
Does she live in an older unit? Maybe it’s one of those that has the country feel to it like a lot of the houses here in Texas.
I swear after that couple down in Waco got that decorating show, people have been redecorating their homes to match their style.
Serena raises an eyebrow and I know she’s still waiting on a response. Damn it, I’m going to have to tell her. “So, you know how you refused to go out on a date with me after that first flight?”
“Yes, but I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”
Please don’t be pissed, is all I chant to myself before I tell her the next part. “Well, I ran into Hazel at the hotel, and she kinda, sorta gave me your flight schedule so I could book my flights to correspond with yours.”
“She did WHAT?” Her voice is definitely on the screeching side, and I think I may have just fucked up.
“I can’t believe the nerve of her. No wonder she’s been pushing so hard for us to date.
And you,” she looks me square in the eyes through the screen.
“You went along with it? You didn’t think it was overstepping any boundaries? ”
“I wanted to go on a date with you,” I shrug my shoulders, indifferent. “And she was willing to make that happen. The more chances you had to be around me, the more chances I had of you saying yes.”
Her face is turning red, and I don’t know if it’s from anger or something else. “You realize that’s creepy, right? That would be the equivalent of one of your little fans following you home and waiting outside your house.”
“Believe it or not, that’s happened before.”
“So, you think it’s okay for you to do it?” Yep, anger is the reason she’s turning colors. But she sits back down and takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
“Would you have gone on a date with me otherwise?”
She taps her finger against her chin, thinking, and quiet for way too long. “I don’t know. I kind of wrote you off after that first meeting. You’re way too sure of yourself and not really my type.”
“And what is your type? Someone who has their shit together? Or someone who only uses you for what they want and discards you when they’re done? Because I sometimes fall into both categories, and I’m willing to see where this goes.”
Her head rears back as if I have slapped her. I guess I hit a little too close to home. “If you are the second type, I don’t know that this is worth pursuing.”
I won’t apologize for who I’ve been. Getting romantically involved with someone when they may leave is terrifying and not necessarily something I want to go through.
“I said sometimes. And just so you know, I haven’t been with or even tried to see anyone else since that first flight.
” That’s something I didn’t want to admit, but if it will ease her worries, so be it.
“You want to know why I haven’t seen anyone?
” She shakes her head no even though her eyes are pleading for the answer.
“Because I saw the way you reacted to that guy, and how much he must have hurt you. You intrigue me, and I know that the only way I’d have a shot is if I didn’t keep up my player ways. ”
Her lips are pressed firmly together and I want her to tell me what she’s thinking.
I’m not one to play games, and she’ll accept me or she won’t.
This is not at all how I envisioned our first personal date going.
It was supposed to be happy and watching a movie.
Not getting into the nitty gritty bullshit that is going to run her off.
I probably could have censored my answers better, but I also don’t want to give her a false sense of who I am.