Chapter 10
I know how to fix plays. Too bad redheaded songbirds don’t come with a playbook.
Gage
Please respond, Addy. I’m sorry.
I wait but she doesn’t respond. The same way she hasn’t responded to the past ten (maybe more) messages I’ve sent.
I’m not trying to run your life.
I’m trying to help.
She still doesn’t respond. Maybe she’s working. Maybe she’s dealing with her siblings. And maybe I’m a delusional football player who screwed up.
Nolan elbows me. “Coach is staring at you and your phone.”
I shove my phone in my pocket. I’ve heard this speech already – Coach Knox gives the same speech at the first weigh-in at the beginning of training camp every year – but I nod and pay attention anyway. As opposed to what Addy’s sister thinks, football is life.
And there I go thinking about Addy again. I can’t get her out of my mind. I need her to forgive me. Friends screw up all the time. Tanner certainly does. And we forgive him. Why can’t she forgive me?
Coach begins his speech. “This scale doesn’t care who you are, what you did last season, or how much you’re getting paid.
It tells me one thing. Did you do what you were supposed to do?
We’re not here to get in shape. We’re here to compete.
Miss weight and you start behind. Make weight and you earn the right to keep going. Simple as that.”
The seasoned players clap while the rookies appear nervous. As they should be. They’re in for a world of hurt if they don’t make weight.
“Nolan,” Coach hollers. “You’re up.”
The quarterback always goes first. He sets the tone.
Nolan springs to his feet and executes a crisp salute. “Yes, Coach Cha-Cha.”
Coach Knox rolls his eyes. “The rest of you line up.”
I whip off my shirt and remove my watch before placing it in my chair. I check my messages one more time – still nothing from Addy – before setting my phone next to my watch.
Once I’m dressed in a pair of loose shorts, I get in line behind Tanner, Brock, and Corbin.
“How was your date last night?” Tanner asks Brock.
Brock’s brow furrows. “I didn’t have a date.”
Tanner raises an eyebrow. “You didn’t go to Wok the Plank with May and Jace?”
“How the hell do you know where I was last night? Are you stalking me? ”
“It’s not stalking if I happen to pass by the restaurant and catch you flirting with May.”
Brock’s nostrils flare. “You happened to pass by Wok the Plank? ”
“ Wok the Plank ?” Corbin asks.
“It’s a Chinese restaurant. May’s parents own it,” Brock explains.
“You met the parents already? Brock is a fast mover.”
Brock growls at Tanner. “Knock it off, or I’ll tell the whole room who you’ve been dating.”
“Go ahead. I’m not dating anyone.”
“Not even a cute bartender?”
“Alaia and I are friends. Nothing more.”
Tanner elbows me. “How’s your friend doing?”
I wish I knew. My hand itches for my phone. Although the chance Addy responded in the three minutes since the last time I checked is slim. Slimmer than slim, guessing by the way smoke came out of her ears when I offered her Jerry’s number.
I was just trying to help. I didn’t expect her to lose her mind. Addy never responds the way I expect her to. Which I usually find refreshing. But not this time.
“Tanner!” Coach points to the scale. “Shoes off. Step on the scale.”
Tanner dashes to the scale and jumps on. “Tada!” Coach writes down his weight. “Nailed it!”
“Ten bucks says he eats himself sick at lunch,” Nolan says.
“Pass.” I’ve watched Tanner eat himself sick too many times after weigh-ins. I’m not taking that bet .
“Brock!” Coach yells.
Brock kicks off his shoes before pushing his shorts and underwear to the floor.
Tanner barks out a laugh. “You’re going to have to take off more than your clothes to make weight.”
Brock gives him the finger. “It’s not my fault the egg rolls at Wok the Plank are delicious.”
Coach writes down his weight. “We’ll chat later.”
Damn. Brock didn’t make weight. Coach Cha-cha is going to make his life hell until he loses some pounds.
“Yes, Coach.”
Corbin is next in line. He ditches his shoes and steps on the scale. Coach nods to him before motioning me forward.
I step on the scale and watch the numbers spin. Despite knowing I should make weight – I weighed myself half an hour before this meeting and was fine – my heart batters against my chest. If I don’t make weight, my life will become hell.
I don’t want to let my team down – which is bad enough in itself – and I definitely don’t want to be scheduled for extra workouts. I won’t have time to visit Addy and convince her to date me.
“Good job, Gage.”
I blow out a breath. “Thanks, Coach.”
He frowns. “Too bad you aren’t as good at paying attention to my speeches as you are at making weight. This is our year. Don’t screw up or you’ll miss it.”
I gulp. “Yes, Coach. ”
It was just a speech. I didn’t screw up a play and make us lose a game. I’ll pay more attention in the future. I won’t let Addy distract me. I won’t ruin my career. I have everything under control.
I make my way to my chair and grab my things. I don my shirt before checking my phone. No messages. I want to write another message, but Nolan motions for me to join him and Brock, Corbin, and Tanner.
“What’s up?”
“We’re going to Wok the Plank for dinner.” Tanner waggles his eyebrows. “And then Bootlegger for Mermaid Karaoke. ”
“I’m not going,” Brock grumbles.
Tanner rolls his eyes. “You can eat steamed vegetables.”
“I have plans with Jace.”
“And May?” Tanner waggles his eyebrows.
“No, she’s working at the restaurant. She helps her parents out a few nights a week.”
Tanner rubs his hands together. “Excellent. We’ll sit in her section and get to know her.”
Brock growls and steps toward Tanner until he’s backed up against a wall. “Leave May alone.”
“But we need to make sure she’s good enough for you. Unlike Jace’s mom.”
At the mention of Jace’s mom, Brock flinches. What kind of woman abandons her son?
“No need. May and I aren’t a couple. We aren’t anything. She’s my son’s surfing teacher. End of story.”
“Okay, big guy. Thanks for the clarification. ”
Brock leans over and gets in Tanner’s face. “Are you going to stop making jokes?”
Nolan pulls Brock off Tanner. “It’s Tanner. He doesn’t know how to be serious.”
Brock grunts but he stops fighting Nolan to get at Tanner.
“I could go for some Chinese food.” And maybe I’ll get lucky and Addy is singing at Mermaid Karaoke. She can’t avoid me when she’s on stage.
Brock’s stomach growls. “What?” He snaps when everyone stares at him. “I’m hungry.”
“Good. You can come with us to Wok the Plank. Rumor has it you know the owners.”
I sigh. It’s as if Tanner wants to get his ass kicked by Brock. He’s the leanest of our group and yet he can’t stop himself from antagonizing the biggest guy.
“I’ll grab Jace and meet you there.” Brock grins. “I can keep an eye on you.”
Tanner gulps. He’s not scared. He’s pretending because he hasn’t learned not to mess with Brock. And he probably never will.
They start to bicker and I sneak away to message Addy.
We’re going to Mermaid Karaoke tonight. Will I see you there?
I stare at the phone but no dots appear to indicate she’s responding. I really screwed up.
I don’t know how to apologize. I tried buying her concert tickets. She lost her mind. I gave her the number of a producer. She lost her mind .
Is there anything I can buy that she won’t lose her mind?
“Gage!” Nolan waves at me from the end of the hallway. “Time to go.”
“Coming.” I stuff my phone in my pocket and jog down the hallway.
If Addy isn’t singing at Mermaid Karaoke, I’ll figure out another way to see her. Maybe at one of Otis’s football games. Parker won’t hesitate to tell me when and where they are.
Good plan. If I don’t bump into Addy tonight, I’ll visit Parker at Pirate’s Pastries.
One way or another, I’m going to fix this fight with my songbird. Because I can’t let her go. She fascinates me.