CHAPTER 7 BENNETT
BENNETT
“What are you reading?”
“What?” I snap my book shut and slide it by my side. “Nothing. What are you reading?”
Nolan stares from the seat in front of me on the plane, not buying my lie one bit. With his arms on the top of his chair, he leans his weight on it. “There’s a fabric cover on your book, one of those old lady ones that my grandma used to use to be discreet when reading her Fabio books.”
“What are Fabio books?” I ask.
“Romance books with bare-chested men on the front. And given that you’re covering up your book and hiding it from me, you must be reading such a book. So, let me ask you again…what are you reading?”
Sighing, because I know he won’t let this go, I pull my book out. “It’s a baseball romance book that Bower gave me to read, and she gave me this fabric cover so that no one on the team made fun of me for reading it.”
“Why would we make fun of you?” he asks, hurtling himself over the seat and landing, not so gracefully, in the seat next to me, knocking his foot against the plane window at the same time. Once settled, he says, “This shit is gold. I’ve learned some good moves from reading romance.”
Uhh…what?
“You read romance?”
“Listen, my man.” He points to his ear. “I listen to the books. Nothing gets me pumped up more than a male narrator telling the girl he’s spanking to come on demand.”
My brow creases. “That’s what you listen to before a game?”
“No.” He laughs. “But, fuck, the look on your face was great. I listen to them at night, before bed to calm myself down. I also enjoy mysteries, and I’ll be honest, I almost never guess right who the killer is.
It’s a shock for me every goddamn time, and that keeps me coming back for more.
But romance, dude, excellent choice. And are you reading it to impress the girl who you couldn’t land the other night despite my best efforts? ”
“Your best efforts almost had you telling her about my crush and getting us drunk. If that was your best efforts, then remind me never to come to you for help again.”
“First of all, if you’re going to learn anything from the books you read, it’s that communication is vital.
So by telling her you like her, you can just get it out there in the open.
Second of all, getting drunk is a surefire way for people to get handsy, and that’s what I saw when you two were cuddling on the couch. ”
“Yeah, that’s all it was, cuddling, nothing else. And I can’t just tell her how I feel. It’s not as easy as you say. She doesn’t see me like that.”
“How does she see you?”
Probably in the most embarrassing way.
“As her best friend’s little brother. If I told her I liked her, it would just come off as, I don’t know, needy little brother with a childhood crush, and I don’t want that.”
“Ah, I see. She needs to see you as a man. Easy. Just whip your dick out, put it on a plate, and say dinner is served. That will change her mind.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” he says, as if what he just said isn’t the stupidest fucking thing he’s ever said. “I did that once to a girl, and she sucked my dick to the back of her throat in one breath. Respect the plate, my man.”
I drag my hand over my face in frustration, because Nolan is no help at all. “I have a headache. Mind giving me some quiet time?”
“Nah, you don’t have a headache, you just want to get rid of me. I get it. I can be a lot, but I’m also telling the truth. You have to tell her how you feel for this to work out.”
“And I said, I can’t just tell her that. She just moved here, I’m her only friend, and I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.”
“Then build that trust.” He shrugs just as my phone buzzes in my pocket with a text, thanks to the plane’s Wi-Fi.
I pull out my phone and see that it’s a text from Bower.
“Is it from her?” Nolan asks, leaning in to get a look at my phone.
“It is.”
“What does it say?”
“None of your business,” I say as I read the message to myself.
Bower: Hope the traveling’s going well. Staying in my apartment for the first time tonight.
If your bed isn’t in your room when you get home, it’s because I took it.
Anyway, I was talking to Gabby and telling her about how it would be great to meet someone…
you know, romantically, and she suggested I ask you about the football guy you know and if he knows anyone that might be interested in a five-foot-five girl with green eyes, bendy limbs, and a very adventurous side?
“Ooof, fuck, dude. She’s asking you to set her up?”
“Hey,” I say, putting my phone away, fucking annoyed. Now I’m really starting to get a headache. “I told you not to read it.”
Nolan presses the button on the side of his armrest, reclining his chair. “My dude, that’s painful. She has completely friend-zoned you.”
“I’m fucking aware.”
“Now, the question is…” He takes off his shoes and stretches his legs through the holes of the armrests in front of him. “What are you going to do about it? Are you going to set her up?”
“Why the fuck would I set her up?”
He takes the sweatband he’s been wearing this entire time and moves it over his eyes like an eye mask before joining his hands together and resting them on his stomach. That position does not look comfortable in the slightest.
“I love you, dude, but your foresight is lacking.” He shifts in his chair, slipping into a state of Zen. “If you set her up with someone, then that gives you the opportunity to show her just how much better you are.”
“How the fuck does that work?”
Lifting up one side of his sweatband, he says, “Hey, dumbass, this could not be clearer. You set her up with a real loser, and when she figures out that the man she’s seeing is a total dud and the entire time you’re catering to her every need, then you have secured yourself as the guy of her dreams. Basic math, brainiac.
” He taps my head and then covers his eyes again. “You’re welcome.”
I hate to admit it, but it’s not a terrible idea.
If I set her up with someone who’s incompatible and am there for her when she figures it out, she might actually see that I’m the one she should give a chance to.
Don’t see how I can lose in this situation.
Pulling out my phone while Nolan gets even more comfortable, letting his knees fall to the sides, manspreading into my half of the seat, I text Bower back.
Bennett: Let me see what I can do. I’ll ask but not making any promises. Graydon is not the kind of guy who enjoys matchmaking.
She texts back right away.
Bower: Ahh, you’re the best! And I’ll owe you for sure, even if it’s more Moon Pies, I’ll repay you.
Bennett: Don’t worry about it. Just want you to be happy.
Bower: Ahh, I love you! Thank you.
Those three words nearly burn my retinas as I read them, and sure, I know she doesn’t mean it the way I wish she did, but still, seeing her name next to those three words, it drives me to make her mine even more.
This idea might be unconventional, possibly risky, but I can see how it might work in my favor.
And that’s what I need. I need to create a situation with Bower where she’s so disheartened by the real loser she’s going out with that when she sees me, she recognizes just how good I would be for her.
Simple math.
Now to get Graydon roped in. I have to feel him out first, see if he’s having a good day, because if it’s a bad day, there is no use.
Freshly unpacked in my hotel room, I take a seat on the bed, kick my feet up, and lean back on my pillow as I pull my phone from my pocket.
Here goes nothing.
Bennett: What are you guys up to?
The moment I send my text to the group chat, I instantly regret it, because if I want to keep Graydon in a good mood, getting OC involved is not the way to do it.
OC is like the thorn in Graydon’s side that he can’t seem to get rid of, and sure, there are moments when I think Graydon doesn’t completely want to plow his fist through OC’s face, but those are few and far between.
And why is there so much animosity? Well, it’s because Graydon is the grump and OC is the sunshine.
Graydon doesn’t want to talk to any humans, and OC called our group chat the Gladdy Daddies, because as he puts it, we’re “daddies” and we’re “glad to be here.” We questioned the name because all three of us are childless, and he pointed out that we’re not daddies in a literal sense, but daddies in a Pedro Pascal sense.
Can you see why Graydon might not want to communicate with OC?
It’s constant with OC, as he’s extremely outgoing, dramatic, fun. He has good intentions, but Graydon wants nothing to do with those intentions. And yet, he still hasn’t blocked OC, so there’s a small piece of me that believes Graydon doesn’t hate OC as much as he makes us believe.
My phone buzzes and, of course, OC is the first to respond.
OC: Grabbing dinner. Graydon didn’t want to grab dinner with me, the dick. How is a guy supposed to make friends in this city if the ones closest to him aren’t willing to share a meal?
See, slightly dramatic. It’s why I could see OC and Nolan getting along. Although, whereas OC is more needy, Nolan has the “who gives two shits” attitude.
Graydon: I was busy.
OC: Yeah, busy with Maple.
Bennett: Really? Did you finally make a move?
Graydon: No, and I don’t want to talk about it.
OC: Edging us, I see. It’s okay, I have a high threshold for being edged. I was once getting blown by a girl when her father called in the middle. She talked to him for ten minutes, naked, breathing over my cock. Kept me hard the entire time.
Graydon: What the fuck is wrong with you?
Bennett: I usually defend you, bud, but…she was on the phone with her dad?
OC: It’s called taboo…ever try anything like it?
Graydon: Girls’ dads don’t turn me on.
Bennett: Same.
OC: It wasn’t the dad that was turning me on, even though his voice was exceptionally smooth, it was the thought of—you know what, never mind, you won’t get it.
Graydon: You’re right, because it’s not normal.
Bennett: Not even close to normal.
OC: You both can fuck off.
Bennett: Sorry, dude, wish I could relate.
Graydon: Glad I can’t.
OC: Changing subjects. Bennett, are you in Minneapolis?
Bennett: Yeah, just got settled. Three games here and then back home.
OC: Thank God, I could use you at the zoo. The big guy won’t work with me on press.
Graydon: You do it to yourself.
OC: I can’t work like this. *throws arms in air* I’m going to take a bath.
Thinking this might be a good out, I switch my text messages so it’s just between me and Graydon, so OC can cool off and do his own thing, which is not get involved in this ask I have for Graydon.
Bennett: Hey, I have a favor to ask and didn’t want to get OC involved. Feel free to tell me no, but thought I’d try.
Graydon: What’s up?
Here goes nothing.
Bennett: So I have a friend who’s looking to meet someone and I already hate myself for asking, because I know this is not something you would normally do, but is there anyone on your team that might be single and that might border the line of being a complete and utter douche? She likes them like that.
Sure, a lie, but it’s all part of the plan.
Graydon: Are you serious right now?
Wincing, I text him back.
Bennett: I know, trust me, you were the last person I wanted to ask, but she’s not into baseball players, so my teammates are out, and I just thought you might know of somebody.
Graydon: This is something OC would ask of me. He’s rubbing off on you.
Bennett: I feel it every time he texts me. The fear I have of turning into him…
Graydon: You’re getting pretty damn close.
Bennett: I know. I swear I’ll try to scrub his impression off me, for your sake, but just because I’m slightly desperate here, do you know of someone?
Graydon: Why are you desperate?
Why did I know he was going to ask that? Because Graydon sees things in black and white with nothing in between. He likes to know the facts, and he bases his decisions on said facts. He won’t simply help me out. Nope, he’s going to question everything.
Bennett: Can I take a rain check on the explanation? I promise I’ll tell you, but for now, do you think you could help a guy out? There has to be a douchebag on your team.
Graydon: There are plenty. More than I care for.
Bennett: Are any of them single?
Graydon: What do you think?
Bennett: I’m going to take that as a yes.
Graydon: This really isn’t my thing, but I can ask Hutton to help. How much of a douche do you want him to be?
Bennett: If you looked up douchebag in the dictionary, it would be his face.
Graydon: I know exactly who that is.
Bennett: Who?
Graydon: Cougar Vajeen.