Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Ashley
Okay, I admit when Chase said he'd pick me up and take me to a ball game, this wasn't what I imagined.
He knocked on my door right on time. Not too early, not too late. I'd be impressed if this was a real date and not pretend. Who was I kidding? Even on a fake date, it was nice of him to be on time.
He was dressed in sweats, not light grey, unfortunately, and a dark blue t-shirt.
Until now, I hadn't appreciated how muscular he was. His biceps and chest strained the fabric of his shirt. He wasn't huge, but he was obviously fit, and made the effort to stay that way.
He smiled at me, crinkling the lines around his brown eyes.
"Ready to go?" he asked.
Did I imagine his eyes traveling up and down my body? Fair's fair, I suppose. I did the same to him.
"I'll just grab my bag." I had worried I was underdressed, but seeing him now, I knew jeans were the perfect choice. Not mint green, of course, but dark blue. They hugged my legs and hips and made my ass look amazing, if I said so myself.
My white t-shirt had a v neck, but not so low my breasts might fall out the front. Low enough for a peek of cleavage. Over that, I wore a black leather jacket. I'd pulled my hair into a simple ponytail and threw on a touch of makeup.
I swung my small, black leather bag onto my shoulder and shoved my phone inside. I stepped out into the corridor, locked the door behind me and slipped my keys into my bag.
"Nice place," Chase remarked.
"Thanks. My inheritance from my grandmother helped a lot.
" Of course, I'd rather have her in my life.
She'd have a few wise words to say about Kris.
A few expletives as well. That used to drive my mother up the wall, but Grandma always said she was too fucking old to give a shit what people thought about her.
She just got on with life. Until one day she didn't. She passed away in her sleep.
The only sedate thing, according to my father, she ever did.
I wasn't sure if she'd be proud of me for buying a place with the money she left, or disappointed I hadn't used it to go on a year or two of adventures. I was cautious, like my mother, but had no regrets.
"I'm sorry," Chase said. "I didn't realise. Was it a long time ago?"
"Two, nearly three years ago now," I said. Wow, how had that much time passed? I still missed her so much. Losing her left a hole in my heart.
"She wouldn't have approved of Kris. This though—" I flicked a finger between him and me. "She'd think this is hilarious. 'Living well is the best revenge,' she used to say. Let them think they haven't got to you, even though they have. If they think they're in your head, rent free, then they win."
"She sounds smart." Chase led me out to a dark SUV, which looked almost as old as my car.
"She was," I said. I climbed into the passenger seat when he unlocked the door with the button on his keys. Not quite as old as my car then. I should probably have used some inheritance money on a new car, but the apartment was a bigger priority at the time.
"Nice ride." I clicked my seatbelt and sat back. It was clean in here, with a lingering scent of him and pizza. A perfect combination.
This is fake, I reminded myself. Don't get caught up in this.
"It's my second car," he replied. "The first one caught on fire while I was driving to practice. I keep this old girl because she goes on working." He patted the steering wheel. "I hate to replace things that work, even when I probably should."
"At long as it starts and goes," I said. "That's all anyone really needs in a car."
"Right," he agreed. "I ride my bike more anyway. I just figured the SUV would be better for this."
"You don't think I'd like sitting on the back of a motorbike?" I asked. Assuming he didn't mean bicycle.
"Uh." He stopped at a traffic light and looked over to me. "Brandi hated it. She said it messed up her hair."
I patted mine without thinking. "I keep a hairbrush in my bag. I've always wanted to ride on one." I imagined sitting behind Chase, my arms around his firm body. My hands on his flat stomach, feeling how many abs…
Fake, fake, fake. I pushed the thought away, while insisting my suddenly taut nipples stand down.
He seemed pleasantly surprised. "I'd be happy to let you ride me. I mean mine. I mean, my bike, sometime." He flushed pink.
My face heated too. My mind and clit went there for a moment before I shoved it away again. I should absolutely not get wet for him. That wouldn't be good for anyone.
He was in love with Brandi, and if I really wanted to work things out with Kris, I needed to focus on that. Not thinking about getting naked and sweaty with Chase. Definitely not imagining his face between my thighs, tongue tasting me… No, I shouldn't think any of that.
Although, I bet he had abs I could run my tongue down—
Ashley, stop it, I told myself. Focus.
"Um, that would be great." I hoped he didn't hear the squeak in my voice. Grandma would be proud of me for wanting to ride on his bike. She probably would have propositioned him by now. She was never one to let an opportunity pass her by.
"We're almost there." The traffic was thick near Humpbacks’ stadium, but he wove us through and around to a rear gate that led into a carpark. A bunch of cars were already parked there, but to my surprise, a few handfuls of people stood around the gate.
They shouted as we drove though, waved past by a security guard.
"Are they angry about something?" I swivelled around in my seat to look back.
No one seemed upset.
We pulled into a parking space and got out to shouts of, "Chase! Chase!"
He turned around to give them a wave before he reached into the back of the SUV for a large bag.
I frowned at him. Who was he? People didn't usually have other people shout out their names in public. Not unless they were famous in some way.
I blinked.
"You play for the Lowball Bay Humpbacks," I said, the information gradually seeping into my brain. "The Australian Gridiron League team." Not as big as the NFL in the USA, but the AGL was growing quickly.
"Yeah." He shrugged his bag up his shoulder and led me toward an entrance into the stadium.
The stadium. The Lowball Bay Freaking Humpbacks Stadium.
One of the biggest landmarks in Lowball Bay, besides the Demons’ hockey stadium and the Bell family mansion on the side of a cliff, overlooking the water.
This place was practically a church for those who worshipped football.
Chase was one of their gods, for want of a better way to put it.
OMFG.
I really was asleep at the proverbial wheel until now. Suddenly his caution about Brandi made more sense. Someone like him would attract all kinds of people. What did that make me then? I was pretending to date him. Did that make me 'all kinds of people' too?
I decided it didn't. We were friends who both happened to get caught up in something our partners did with each other.
This whole AGL player thing could complicate things. Unless he brought female friends to the games all the time. That was possible, right?
"Hey Mary," Chase greeted as we stepped inside the building.
An older woman glanced up from behind a reception desk and smiled. "Morning Chase. Feels like a good day for a win."
"It always is." He stopped beside the desk. "Any chance Bam is in yet?" He looked like he was trying to hold back a smile.
"Judging by the shout I heard not long ago, he is," Mary replied. A smile crept onto her lips.
Chase chuckled. "Excellent."
Mary gave him the side eye, even though she was still smiling. "You didn't go pulling any pranks, did you?"
"Who, me?" Chase grinned. "I'd never do that."
"Sure," she said slowly, as though she didn't believe a word. "Get on with you then. You'll be late for warm up."
He patted the top of the desk and gestured for me to follow him.
"I didn't pick you for a practical joker," I said.
"What makes you think I am?" he asked with an innocent flutter of his eyelids. "No one can prove anything."
I snorted. "Just because you didn't get caught doesn't mean you didn't do it."
"That's true," he replied. "I owed Bam one after he gave us all donuts with mayonnaise in them." He grimaced. "Bloody thing looked so good too. The coach said it served us right, we shouldn't be eating donuts anyway."
I held back a laugh until I couldn't hold it any longer. "That is kinda funny."
He grinned. "It is now, yeah. We weren't happy then. Although, we did squeeze most of the mayo out onto Bam. It looked like he was covered in—" He stopped for a moment. "Uh."
I smiled and shook my head. "I can imagine what it looked like. You don't think that was enough retaliation?"
"Nope, not for Bam. Believe me, he gives as good as he gets. Hey, here's Bec and Hawk."
I recognised the man Chase waved toward. I'd seen him on the news. The pretty blonde who walked beside him looked familiar too, but I couldn't quite place her.
"Hawk, my bro," Chase greeted. They did a sideways handslap, followed by a shake and a classic bro-hug.
Chase stepped back. "Hi Bec. You still putting up with Hawk?"
She smiled warmly. I liked her immediately.
"Yes," she said with a dramatic sigh. "I can't seem to keep away." She laced her fingers in Hawk's and smiled up at him.
He responded with an equally adoring look.
"I'm pretty sure there's therapy for that," Chase said.
"The waiting list is too long," Bec replied.
"It looks like you're stuck with me then," Hawk told her. He turned to me and quirked an eyebrow, obviously curious as to who the hell I was.
"This is Ashley, my new girlfriend," Chase said.
I glanced at him in surprise. His new… Okay, I hadn't seen that coming.
I smiled awkwardly. "Um, it's nice to meet you both."
"I was thinking you could hang with Bec while we play," Chase said. "She can show you around and all that."
"Okay," I replied. "If that's all right with Bec?"
"Of course it is," she said. "I'll be happy to. I'll introduce you to everyone. Don't worry, they don't bite."
She seemed so confident and content, I was slightly in awe of her. She also looked absolutely immaculate, with a style of her own, but on trend at the same time.
"Great," I managed to say.
"Good, this way then," Bec gestured toward a door which seemed to lead in the direction of the field.
"I'll catch you after the game," Chase said.
I smiled, nodded at him over my shoulder and tried not to look too overwhelmed.
This was a world I knew little about. What I did know was these people led lifestyles which chewed up people and spat them out.
Just because they seemed like regular people, didn't mean I shouldn't be careful around them.
A person could very easily get caught up.
"I hope Bam isn't too mad," I added before we stepped through the door.
All I heard before it closed was Chase and Hawk's laughter.
"Men," Bec said with an epic eye-roll. "I suppose it's harmless fun, as long as no one gets hurt, and they keep it between themselves."
"Right. No pranking us," I agreed.
"Absolutely none," she said with a laugh. "Hawk wouldn't dare. I'd get him back twice as bad."
I couldn't help but grin.
"I believe you," I said. "I'm sure you'd get lots of help too."
"Without doubt," she said. "I'll show you to the box. Do you know much about football?"