Chapter 13Nick
Chapter 13
Nick
SEPTEMBER | Tarot: Five of Wands
“You gonna go talk to her?”
The guys and I sat at the bar after a pre-season game. A very pretty redhead looked at me from a barstool, toying with the straw in her drink. She very vaguely reminded me of Annie, twirling her straw in her Diet Coke before we went to crash that wedding.
I needed to stop thinking about Annie. I sent her a picture of Greg, my Chihuahua, when I got back to L.A., but her only response was to put a heart on the picture. She wasn’t interested. I had to accept it.
But God, did it hurt. I flashed back to when Shane shut me out. Annie and I hadn’t been as involved as Shane, but it ripped that wound back open.
And I was older and wiser than I was when I was with Shane. I really thought Annie and I had something. I opened up to her, and she to me. I felt something for her so fast, which never happens for me. There had to be something to it.
Or I was just delusional.
Which led to me watching this woman who just made me want Annie.
“I don’t know. I’m just not feeling it.”
“Obi, do you ever go home with anyone? Date? Coffee? The dog park?” Mikey asked.
Guy had a shifty look on his face, waiting for my answer.
“Sometimes. I don’t know.”
Guy cleared his throat. “Is it a confidence issue? Skills maybe?”
I narrowed my eyes. “What are you talking about?”
His cheeks went red. “Uh, well, a little bird told me that maybe you need a little help in the delivery department.”
Sorrento’s mouth dropped open. “Oh, Stelle, that’s cruel.”
“Damn, that’s rich!” Leroy crowed. “Rookie can’t fuck?”
I sat up straighter. “What do you mean? How? What would you know?”
“Um, you know what, I might be remembering wrong,” Guy said, backing down. “It was just a wild guess.”
A wave of shock fell over me. “Annie? She didn’t like it?”
“Did you dirty talk her enough?” Mikey chimed in. “That can make up for a lot of skills issues.”
Sorrento nodded, pointing to Mikey. “He’s right. Words can be very motivating.”
“I told her she was pretty!” I scrambled through all the memories from messing around with Annie, or the ones from before we got caught. Didn’t our night in bed together make up for whatever I’d done wrong? Did that mean nothing to her? I felt more betrayed than I did with Shane. I got her period products, for fuck’s sake, and she turned around and told my friends that I suck at giving head?
Mikey leaned in. “Did you tell her she was a good little slut? They eat that up.”
“No way, not slut,” Guy said. “Good girl works better.”
“Definitely slut,” Leroy said. “Works like a charm.”
“That sounds . . . demeaning,” I said. “All of it.”
“Everybody wants to feel like they’re doing a good job,” Sorrento said. “But every person is different in what they like. It’s not one size fits all.”
“Slut always worked for me,” Leroy shrugged. “They’re half offended but mostly turned on.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Sorrento said. “He’s an anomaly. Many are fully offended.”
“Okay, but beyond words, you need to ask her what she wants,” Guy offered. “It’s the best way to learn. And again, everyone’s different.”
“I did ask her what she wanted!” I objected. “She asked me to go down and I did.”
Guy tossed his head from side to side. “Maybe more trial and error. Try something and listen. Feel her. And go gentle at first. Don’t be aggressive. That stuff’s sensitive.”
Mikey got a dreamy look. “Damn, Stelle, you got me wanting to go home and eat some puss.”
“No filter, ever,” Sorrento sighed.
“Ha, the real trick is you don’t have to eat pussy at all,” Leroy said. “Reverse psychology it until she’s giving you head instead.”
The other three groaned in unison. “Sounds like someone else is bad at eating, too. No wonder Sydney was mean,” Mikey grumbled.
“Hey!” Leroy objected. “Low blow.”
Mikey ignored him, pressing on. “And y’all complain about my filter, but if we don’t talk about this stuff, how will Obi ever get better? We can’t just lock up the state secrets.”
“I was gentle,” I said, going back to the only sane point made. “Or I thought I was?”
I couldn’t believe the betrayal. How could Annie do this to me?
“Get back on the horse, man,” Leroy said. “Go talk to that chick.”
I looked at Guy and Sorrento. Guy shrugged. “Yeah. You could start now. If you want.”
I gulped, slamming the rest of my drink for strength. And so I could ask her if she wanted a drink. I cracked my neck and shook out my shoulders, just like I would after a goal getting past me. If only I could spray my face with a water bottle without looking demented.
Just get back on the horse.
I leaned my elbow on the bar behind the pretty woman. “What are you drinking?”
She turned to face me with a grin. “Vodka soda.”
I flagged down the bartender. “A vodka soda for the lady and another beer for me.” I shifted back to her. “What’s your name?”
“Grace.”
“I’m Nick,” I said with a little wave.
“Oh, I know who you are.”
Fuck, I hated that. But this could be my ticket to testing out my skills on someone interested.
“So, uh, what’s a good little slut like you doing out tonight?”
Grace’s eyes widened. “What did you call me?”
“I, uh, didn’t mean it like that. I meant it in a good way?”
Guess I got that water to the face I was hoping for. Or rather, vodka and soda to the face, the ice cubes hitting extra hard. And then my entire beer poured over my head.
The bartender chuckled and handed me a towel. “You asked for that one, my guy.”
I looked back at the guys watching me. Leroy was almost on the ground laughing. Mikey shot me a thumbs-up while Guy and Sorrento gathered our jackets for us to leave.
“I’ll take my check please.”