16. Benji
Benji
I’m content. No, more than that – I’m happy. I’m fucking ecstatic.
At least, I keep telling myself that.
I tell myself that through every grinding practice over the next week, all the way through to Friday’s game. We traveled down south to play the worst team in the league and fucking crushed them, so even though it was far from one of my best games, it wasn’t like it took away the W.
That didn’t matter to Coach Henderson, though.
He came into the locker room after the game, yelling about how we should have had at least four more goals, and that he’d better see us show up for Sunday’s game back in Minnesota or else we’d have a week of bag skates.
The mood definitely went down after that, but not enough to stop a quiet celebration.
We’re on the bus home, drinks being poured like we’re headed to spring break in Cabo instead of the icy cold of a Minnesota winter.
Everyone is already discussing hitting up a favorite local late-night bar, since we have all of Saturday to sleep off the hangover.
Half the guys are texting their current girls to see who will show up and celebrate with them, Grant included.
He’s bribing her with the promise of vodka Red Bulls to keep everyone awake, and from the grin on his face, it’s working.
I wonder absently if that means Lisa will show up, then steer away from that line of thinking.
I haven’t heard from Lisa, other than being on the receiving end of her professional attitude as she pours our morning coffees. Our only connection is through Grant and Andi, who have spent every minute together when he’s home, despite their mutual claims that it’s nothing serious.
Because Andi’s always with Grant, I know exactly when I’ll be needed at the gym for their Halloween fundraiser this week, what is on our do and don’t do list, and what coordinating outfit I’m meant to wear with Grant.
It came with the story of what had happened after Andi raided Grant’s closet, which I wished I could scrub from my brain.
Grant’s a fucking freak, but good on him for finding someone to match his speed, I guess.
The only silver lining is that Lisa’s distance has extended to Jordie as well, who hasn’t heard from her since their date. He’s happy as ever, currently making plans to use this weekend to move on, so the dismissal clearly hasn’t affected him too much.
“Come on,” he whines as he bribes Goody to give him some dip. “I can get you more tomorrow. I ran out, and you’re being a wuss about going out tonight anyways.”
“I told you,” Goody says, rubbing his hand over his face. “I’ll come for one beer. Two beers, max. I already agreed to go with my pops to pick up some lumber tomorrow morning. He needs help framing his basement.”
“I can help,” Nils cuts in, grinning. “I’m great with wood. Just ask your mom.”
A chorus of hollers goes up, and Goody leans behind him to Nils’s seat, smacking the back of his head. Then he settles back in and gestures to Ryan. “Hey, rook, give Jordie some of your dip.”
Ryan sighs, but pulls a tin from his back pocket and tosses it to Jordie. Jordie catches it and salutes with the tin. “Thank you, good sir!”
I roll my eyes and sit back, but I’m only allowed a moment of peace before Grant pokes at me.
“What?” I groan, shifting to glare at him. He simply grins at me.
“Andi’s coming out tonight. Want me to tell her to bring Lisa?”
I tug my cap down further on my head, covering my eyes. “I really don’t care, Grant,” I sigh.
“Hmmm. I’ll take that as a yes.”
I simply grunt in response, but my stomach is already churning with anticipation. Fuck me. This is gonna be a long night.
I take the shot handed to me without complaint, embracing the burn as I throw it back. I’m not usually a shot taker, but if it will take my mind off that fucking top, it’ll be worth it.
Lisa’s here with Andi, and she’s come to kill. Kill me, specifically, if I had to guess.
She’s all sleek lines and sinful looks, from her straightened hair and dark makeup down to her – yep, those are new boots, tucked into tight skinny jeans, which show off her muscular thighs and tight, round ass.
They’re even the same color and brand as the ones I bought her, which feels like a very intentional ‘fuck you’.
She doesn’t usually wear much makeup when she works, so her blue eyes pop even more than normal.
But… that top. It’s some sort of bodysuit, pitch black with sheer sleeves, and a lacy front that teases over the swell of her breasts, dipping dangerously close to her navel.
I want to drag my tongue down every curve.
But I can’t. So I’ll use my tongue to get wasted, instead.
“What’s up, Benji-boo?” Jordie whispers in my ear.
It’s a strange enough comment to make me finally rip my gaze from Lisa and eye him with alarm. “What?”
“Do you want one of these?” Jordie motions to his drink, which is some bright pink concoction.
I spy chunks of fruit and – is that an umbrella?
“The girls over there are buying rounds and convinced me to chug three of these. I’m sure they’d be happy to cover your drinks.
And something else, too.” He waggles his eyebrows suggestively.
“Ah.” I blink. “So you’re like this on purpose.”
He nods and grins, opening his mouth to snag the straw again. He misses and tries again, this time sucking down half the sugary monstrosity that will surely give him a massive headache tomorrow morning. “Care to make poor decisions with me? Ha, get it – pour decisions?”
I can’t help the snort that escapes me. “Nah. I’m good. But you’re gonna have a great night, brother.”
“Oh, I will,” he replies, and sidles away with a wink.
I smirk and turn back around, skimming the crowd to find Lisa.
I find Andi first, her blonde hair standing out brightly against a red crop top and a pair of black jeans.
She’s talking with Lisa, who has just appeared with two drinks for them.
To my surprise, Grant is nowhere to be found, and there’s a small group of men closing in on the two of them.
They surround the two women, one of them stepping forward to ask Andi something. I find myself standing a bit straighter, my gaze narrowing in on the interaction.
Andi tosses her hair and gives the man a quick half-smile, then turns to face Lisa, who pulls out her phone to show Andi something.
The guys remain, clearly content to post up around them.
It looks like one is still asking Andi questions, but she looks incredibly interested at whatever Lisa is showing her, oblivious to the guy next to her.
I’m not sure if it’s genuine, or a way to get the group of men to leave her alone.
All I know is any guy half decent at picking up cues from women would know he’d been shut down, and move on to another group to try his luck.
Clearly, these guys don’t fit the bill. The one who approached Andi taps her on the shoulder, and she glances back at him.
He grabs her arm and tugs, and her polite smile dissolves, replaced with a frown and an angry shake of her head.
Lisa steps closer to her, but another guy in the group intercepts Lisa, wrapping his arm around her waist.
She flinches, and before I know it I’m slamming my empty glass down on the nearby railing.
I stalk forward, thinking of nothing other than getting this guy’s greasy fucking hands off her.
I’m not sure what I’m going to do when I get there, but before I can think of a plan, I see another figure steamrolling his way through the crowd.
It’s Grant, and I follow where his eyes are trained: directly on a guy who is now soaking wet, drenched in Andi’s drink. I have to give it to her – it was a direct hit, and Andi’s drink was far from empty.
The guy looks livid, but it has nothing on the raging fire in Andi’s expression. Her knuckles are white as they clench her empty glass. I’m not sure what he said to her, but it had to have been bad.
Not as bad as it gets, though, when Grant barrels into the guy whose grip is still laced around Andi’s arm. Andi jumps back toward Lisa, now freed from the guy’s grip.
I’m moving forward again, seconds away when the guy spins around and swings at Grant. Grant catches it and volleys a punch back, and with that, it’s dissolved into a group brawl. Fuck.
My body reacts before my brain, catching a swing destined for Grant’s face from the guy that touched Lisa.
He turns to square up with me, and I ignore the feel of someone tugging on my jacket as I push forward, my fist connecting with his face in a satisfying crunch.
I don’t have time to celebrate it before someone clips the side of my face, and I spin to deflect the full blow.
From there, it’s a flurry of swinging limbs and hollering.
I’m dimly aware of the fact that Andi joins in, leaping on some guy’s back and clawing to pull him away.
The brawl only lasts a minute or two until someone else on the team – Levi, maybe?
– pulls me away. I pant as I shoo him off, glaring daggers at the soggy excuse for a man who started the whole ordeal.
“Out!” someone bellows. “All of you, out!”
We stumble outside, grumbling as we’re ushered out before even shrugging our coats on. I wince against the flurries of snow that have started, even though the alcohol dulls the cold assault a bit.
There are muttered curses, and I turn at the sound of raised voices, ready in case we need to continue giving the lesson we started inside.
To no surprise, it’s Grant who’s started it up again, but Highcloud tugs him away as he continues to spew insults at the man who grabbed Andi.
Thankfully, the cold seems to have leveled that guy out, because he simply flicks Grant off and stalks away.
Grant and Highcloud stalk off in the opposite direction. Andi turns to follow them, then hesitates. Her gaze falls on me.