6. McKenzie
SIX
MCKENZIE
I made a mistake.
I rubbed my neck a few too many times when I was studying with Kylie before work, and she couldn’t help asking me what the hell was wrong with my neck. I tried to tell her that I just slept on it wrong, but then she started peppering me with question after question.
Do you sleep on your back? Yes.
How stiff is your pillow? Pretty stiff (considering it’s my car headrest)
Maybe you need a new one? No, I don’t think so.
Why not? Because I don’t technically have a pillow.
That’s when everything went to shit.
“What do you mean you don’t have a pillow?”
“Where I’m sleeping right now doesn’t have room for a pillow.” I tried to play it off casually like it was no big deal.
“And where exactly are you sleeping right now?”
Shit. Shit. Shit. I’m a terrible liar.
“My car.”
Her eyes practically popped out of her head. It would’ve been comical if it didn’t involve me getting yelled at by my new friend. “Are you kidding me?”
I had to explain to her exactly how I got there and why. She started insisting that I would be staying at her house tonight. I tried to say no, but she wasn’t having it. Plus, the prospect of an actual bed was too hard to pass up. It’s been almost a week since I’ve been able to crash on someone’s couch.
That’s how I find myself pulling up to a house way larger than I was expecting. I’m not sure why I assumed the two of them lived in a quaint little medium-income home. But this is definitely not that. This is at least three times the size of my house back home.
It was a short drive here from the restaurant, and I asked myself several times if I should make up an excuse to not come over. I don’t want it to be weird if Coach Danvers comes home and sees me in his house. I’m bugging him enough at school.
I grab my bag from the passenger seat, lock the car, and head to the front door. This is my last chance to turn around. Before I ring the doorbell, I contemplate running back to my car and driving off, but I told Kylie I’d be here, and I really don’t want to let her down. I think she’s lonely in this big house on her own all the time, which is one reason she pushed so hard for me to come over.
One thing about me is I’m a people pleaser. I’d hate for my new friend to be disappointed in me because I chickened out.
Kylie answers the door decked out in La Vista U sweatpants and a T-shirt.
“Hey! How was work?” she asks as she escorts me inside. I try my best to be subtle about gawking as I look around, but it’s hard not to notice the marble floors, a beautiful staircase, and the classic black light fixtures. It’s gorgeous and not what I was expecting at all for Coach Danvers.
“It was good. A lot of people are in town for the game tomorrow, so I got some good tips.”
“Good!” She takes me into the living room. It’s large, but there’s not much in here. A big gray sectional takes up most of the living room, and a giant TV is mounted on the wall, but the walls are bare. I spot a few pictures of Kylie on the fireplace mantle, but that’s the only personal touch I can see. This room gives off more of the bachelor vibe I was expecting.
I walk over to one of the pictures and pick it up. It’s Kylie as a kid. Coach Danvers is in a Carolina Panthers jersey and is holding Kylie on a busy football field. He’s actually smiling, and damn, it transforms his entire face. His eyes are sparkling as he looks at Kylie. It’s amazing that he’s gotten more attractive with age.
I put the picture down and clear my throat a little, realizing that I’m drooling over my friend’s dad. Not cool, McKenzie. Not cool.
“So, you’re sure it’s ok for me to be here?” I ask, looking around again. “Coach won’t be mad?”
“Oh, no. I let Dad know you would be sleeping over tonight. He’s cool with it. He’d probably let me do anything I wanted, honestly. I think he’s scared that I don’t like it here.”
I nod my head, thinking back to the question he asked me yesterday. “ Do you like it here?”
She shrugs. “Yeah. So far, anyway. It’s a lot different from where I grew up, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
I nod. La Vista isn’t anything like my hometown, either, even if it’s in the same state. “Will he be home tonight?”
She looks at her phone. “He should be home any minute, actually. There was a team dinner tonight since tomorrow is the first game.” I nod my head. “You hungry? I made Chicken Alfredo.”
“Oh my gosh, that sounds amazing. I ran out of Alessandro’s so quickly, I forgot to see if they had anything extra in the kitchen.”
“Come on. I’ll get you a plate, and then we can go to my room and watch a movie.”
After making me a plate, she leads me upstairs to her room. She shows me where the bathroom is and points to the room at the end of the hall, letting me know where her dad’s room is.
Note to self: don’t go down the hall.
Her room is decorated pretty simply. The queen-sized bed is all white, and a white dresser and a desk covered in books are along one wall. Twinkle lights are hanging on the wall above her bed, and a full-sized gold mirror leans against the wall. She has a picture wall showing off what I assume are all of her friends and family back in Georgia.
“This is nice,” I tell her, dropping my bag in a corner.
“Thanks. I’m still decorating it, but I like it. Dad’s been here for a few years but never got around to decorating. I figured I’d start in my bedroom and then work on the rest of the house.”
“It does seem slightly bare.”
She rolls her eyes. “I know. He said he bought this house because it was the first one the realtor showed him that was kind of distant from any neighbors. He likes his privacy. But it’s so big. Most of the rooms are empty.”
“It’s a nice house, though.”
“I know. Just big and empty.”
She sits down on her bed, and I follow suit, digging into my food as she turns on Netflix and picks a movie.
After I’ve thoroughly demolished my plate of food, Kylie hears her dad come home. “I’m going to go say hi really quick.”
I follow her downstairs so I can wash my plate but also to remind him that I’m here so there are no surprises in the morning.
Kylie greets her dad in the foyer, and I beeline for the kitchen.
“Hey, Dad. How was your day?” I hear her ask.
“It was good. Long, but good. What about you?”
“It was good. I’m pretty sure I aced a pop quiz today.”
“That’s my girl.” I glance over my shoulder in time to see him gently kiss the side of her head. It’s sweet seeing this side of him. On the field, he’s all gruff and serious, but with Kylie, he seems lighter.
My gaze suddenly collides with his. “Hey, McKenzie.”
“Hey, Coach. Ready for tomorrow?”
“I was born ready.”
I smile. “Thanks for letting me stay the night.”
“Any friend of Kylie’s is always welcome. It’s her home, too.” Kylie gives him a huge smile. It makes me miss my own dad so much. I haven’t been able to go home since last Christmas. I was so close to my dad growing up being the only girl. He always had a soft spot for me, and damn, do I miss his hugs.
“Well, I’m gonna go get ready for bed,” I tell them to give them some more privacy.
Coach looks me up and down, and I realize I’m still in my server uniform. He doesn’t ask about it, and I don’t volunteer any more information. I can only hope that Kylie didn’t tell him about my living situation. She promised me she wouldn’t, but you never know. The last thing I want is to be seen as a charity case.
I push off the counter and head to Kylie’s room to grab my pajamas. I go into the bathroom across the hall, take a quick shower, and change into my oversized T-shirt and old boxer shorts. I brush my teeth and quickly cross the hall to Kylie’s room.
She isn’t back yet, and I still hear voices from the kitchen. I climb under the covers in her bed. It feels so good to be in an actual bed. I feel like I’m lying on a cloud.
It must feel too good because the next thing I know, my phone is going off with the alarm I set for five a.m. I don’t remember Kylie coming back to her room, but I look over my shoulder and see that she’s sleeping soundly next to me. Damn, I didn’t mean to fall asleep so early. I’m just exhausted. It’s only been a few weeks since school started, and I’m already running on fumes. But I can’t afford to slow down now.
I slowly pull myself out from under the covers, the cold air hitting my bare legs and waking me up even more. I throw my hair up in a messy bun and grab my laptop, leaving Kylie’s room as quietly as I can. I don’t want to wake her up this early, but I have an article I need to work on.
The house is completely silent, so Coach must still be sleeping, too.
I set up my laptop on the kitchen counter and get to work. The words come so much easier for me in the morning when I’m not completely exhausted from a whole day of class and work.
About an hour later, I hear a sound from the hallway, but I’m mid-sentence on my last paragraph and don’t look.
“You’re up early,” a gravely voice says. Coach comes into view just before he flips the kitchen light on, making me shut my eyes quickly at the brightness. He’s in sweatpants and a La Vista University football shirt. It’s strange seeing him so casual. Not that he’s usually dressed up at school or anything, but he definitely doesn’t wear sweatpants. I can’t help but think that this look is really doing something for me. Sweatpants shouldn’t be so hot. Especially not on my friend’s dad. God, what is wrong with me?
“Yeah, I guess I fell asleep early last night. I didn’t want to wake up Kylie, so I just came out here to get some work done. I hope that’s ok.”
“Yeah, that’s fine.” He turns on the coffee maker and grabs a mug from the cabinet. “You want some coffee?”
“Oh, sure. Thanks.” He grabs another mug, and when he turns to look at me, I notice his eyes linger a little longer on my bare legs. Suddenly, I feel very exposed.
“Cream and sugar?” he asks, turning away from me.
“Yes, please.”
“Kylie bought this vanilla stuff. You good with that?” He’s looking at the bottle of creamer like it’s the craziest thing he’s ever seen.
“That works.” He hands me the steaming mug of coffee. “I take it you’re one of those black coffee psychopaths?”
He chuckles. “I guess so.”
I figure it’s best to have a neutral conversation, and I know football is something we can both agree on. “Iowa is looking good this season. You really think we can beat them?”
“Is this off the record?” he asks.
I smile. “Yeah. Just a friendly conversation.”
“Then, hell yes, I think we can beat them. We are going to beat them. And if we don’t, those boys are gonna work ten times harder next week to make sure they’re ready for the next game.”
“Well, ok then.”
He shrugs. “You asked.”
“That I did.”
He takes a sip of his coffee and turns toward the window overlooking a nice-sized piece of land. I thought I saw a little pond back there, too. I sit quietly and work on my assignment, and he finishes his coffee before putting his empty mug in the sink.
He leaves the kitchen without another word.
By the time he comes back, I’ve finished my article, edited it once, and am closing my laptop. He’s showered and ready for the day in black dress pants and a La Vista University polo with the school emblem in gold on the left side. Game day attire. He sets his hat on the table and starts making something to eat.
“Can I make you some breakfast?” he asks me, probably just to be polite.
“Oh, no, I’m fine. Thanks.” I’d actually love some breakfast, but I don’t want him to cook for me. I already feel like I’m taking advantage by staying over last night. I don’t want to eat all his food too. I’m sure I have some Pop-Tarts in my car that I can eat in a little while.
He plates some scrambled eggs and toast and puts a plate down in front of me. I look up at him in question.
“I could hear your stomach growling from my room,” he explains.
“Oh.” My cheeks heat, but thankfully, he doesn’t notice because he’s already digging into his own food. “Thank you.”
“Yep.”
We eat in comfortable silence until Kylie sluggishly walks into the kitchen.
“Morning, sunshine,” I say with a smile. She grunts at me in response. “Ok, not a morning person. Noted.”
“I need coffee,” she mumbles.
“You know it’s not good to be so dependent on coffee at your age,” Coach tells her. She gives him a death stare, and he just smiles sweetly back at her. Something my own dad would do to me when he’s giving me a hard time.
“She has coffee.” Kylie points to the coffee mug by my plate. My second cup, actually.
“She’s not my daughter,” Coach says.
Kylie rolls her eyes and grabs a mug from the cabinet. “What are you doing down here already?” she asks me.
“I didn’t want to wake you, so I came down to get some schoolwork done.”
“You could’ve woken me up. I probably would’ve been in a shitty mood, but still.”
I laugh. “Yeah, now I’m glad I didn’t take that chance.”
Coach loads his dishes into the dishwasher before turning to Kylie. “Are you coming to the game today?”
“Of course.”
“Ok, good. I’ll see you there then.”
“You’re leaving already?” she asks him.
“Yeah. First game of the season. I’ve got a lot to do. A lot of hands to shake.”
“Oh, ok.” She sounds disappointed, but Tyler must miss it. He’s about to start his game day high.
He gives her a kiss on the side of the head before turning to me. “See you on the field, McKenzie.”
“Looking forward to it, Coach.”
He grabs his hat and heads out.