Chapter 4 #2
“Starky’s rules. He wants to see you all clean up and revamp your reputations. You can settle down and make honest men of yourselves, but no fooling around, if you catch my meaning.” He clears his throat.
Most of the guys on the team have a reputation for being players—off the field as well as on. I’m an exception and sometimes they tease me, saying I missed my calling as a monk. Maybe, but I have my reasons and they’re between God and me.
Turning to the coach, I ask, “You mean we can settle down, as in get married?”
“If you’re not planning to meet her at the end of the aisle, don’t bother.” Putting on his eyeglasses, once again signaling he’s done with us, Coach reviews a document on the desk.
“The grocery aisle?” Wolf chuckles.
Coach looks up over the wire rims like a defeated parent who doesn’t know what to do with the likes of us.
Wolf shrugs. “What? You didn’t specify which aisle.”
“Boys, the Boston Bruisers used to be more family-oriented.”
Grey stiffens.
“I’m not telling you that you have to get married, but Marsha was the best thing that ever happened to me.
She taught me what matters in life. And look at one of our own—Rylen learned that lesson, too.
There’s something powerful about finding that special someone instead of playing the field.
There’s security, comfort, fun, love...”
“Ah, look. Hammer is getting all mushy on us.” Bitterness laces Wolf’s voice. I don’t know the details of his story, but he’s not the type to ask a woman out on a second date.
The coach nails him with a hard look. “A real man isn’t afraid to love, Connor.
” Taking off his eyeglasses, he pinches the bridge of his nose before turning to the rest of us.
“During this monthlong period, there aren’t going to be any pranks, bad press, and not one of you, as you call it, will be players—with women.
Do you understand? Bonus points if you can settle down.
Now, get out of here. I have work to do.
” He turns back to the doc, at last, dismissing us.
Various sounds of disgruntled affirmation come from the four of us as we exit. Getting etiquette lessons sounds like a waste of time, but we’re a bunch of bruisers. Likely, we could all use a little refinement.
“Oh, and one more thing,” Coach calls. “At the end of the month, there will be a ball.”
“A what?” Grey asks.
“A football—?”
Hammer chuckles. “Something like that.” Then he closes the door.
We convene in the hallway for a team huddle amidst a lot of complaining.
Grey levels us with his gaze. “Listen, you know what this team means to me. We’re going to follow orders.”
“Good luck keeping Wolf away from women,” Declan says.
“You heard him. If one of us screws up, we’re all off the team. We’re going to approach this like we would a game. We need a playbook...of rules.”
Wolf shifts away, never a fan of rules.
I tug him back to our huddle. “This is serious. I’ll repeat what Hammer said. If one of us screws up, we’re all out.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re waiting to get married.”
I shrug because there’s nothing that’ll dissuade me from honoring my faith. Though I won’t lie, I’ve been tempted.
Declan’s hand wanders to the chain around his neck, hidden under his shirt. He and I have had a couple of bro-chats about God and it was good. “It’s just a month,” Declan croaks as if trying to convince himself that’s not a long time.
“The playbook rules: no kissing, no touching. Eyes up, hands off. No flirting, no dating...” Grey starts.
Sounds like a non-playbook to me.
“You’re no fun,” Wolf mutters.
With a glance at the desperation hidden in Grey’s eyes, Declan says, “I’m with Chase. The rules apply unless you fall in love.”
“And ask her to marry you,” I add.
Declan doesn’t disagree.
Wolf raps him on the back of the head. “Thought you’d be on my team.”
“We’re all on the same team,” he says.
Between Coach’s orders, the desperation in Grey’s eyes, and Declan’s comment, the message is loud and clear. We do this, or there’s no more game, no more team. No more us.
I extend my hand for the Bruiser Stack. Grey sets his on top. Declan tosses his into the center. With a groan, Wolf reluctantly follows suit. Then we chorus, “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin.’”
Almost instantly, Grey’s phone pings with a message.
As we walk down the hall, Wolf says, “All things considered, you have to admit I have a good butt.”
“I’m not saying anything about your butt other than that I’m going to kick it if you so much as breathe in the same room as a woman during this month,” Declan warns.
“You can thank yourself for getting us into this situation,” Wolf retorts.
“The mooning prank was all your idea.”
“No, if I remember—”
They start bickering.
“Forget about it. What matters is that we’re going to a public relations etiquette program and we have to—” I start.
Grey interrupts. “More like reform school.”
“Charm school.”
“Probation.”
“No women. This is the worst,” Wolf says as we turn the corner.
“It’s not prison. I’m sure we’ll have some free time.
” Declan’s phone pings in his pocket. He wears a private smile.
No doubt the call is from his so-called best friend, Maggie.
We’ve never met her and tease that she’s his imaginary friend, but by the way he smiles when they chat, there has to be a spark of attraction.
My dating coach sister claims that it’s near impossible for a guy and a girl to just be friends without the potential for something more to develop.
She says it’s human nature and backs it up with statistics.
My stomach growls. I could go for a slice of pizza after this ordeal.
“Did Hammer say camp or glamp? Maybe it’ll be at a luxury spa,” I say offhandedly.
“You’d like that.” Wolf elbows me in the ribs.
“We work hard. Nothing wrong with a little pampering. A massage...” My phone pings and I swipe to my email. “I just got the travel info from Coach’s assistant. Sounds like a fancy school of some sort. Finishing school.”
“Like old-school etiquette?”
“Like sipping tea with our pinkies turned out.” I demonstrate.
Grey swats me.
“What? I had three sisters. You’d better believe they made me sit in on their tea parties. Maybe this isn’t going to be half bad...” I imagine a countryside spa getaway...away from my father’s admonishments and ultimatums.
Sorry, Dad, can’t talk now. Have to go get a hot stone, mud scrub, body polish, something-or-other. I mean, learn to mind my P’s and Q’s. But don’t worry, I’ll do as you say when I’m done.
Oh no. There she is again. Pizza comes to mind along with the guilt about the times I did not mind my manners...and have regretted it ever since.
“But it’s not the same as the field time and practice that’s going to get us ready for the season,” Grey says.
“It says here that we’ll still be training. They’re sending a specialist or something,” I say, skimming the email.
“Yeah, I feel special,” Wolf says darkly.
I clap him on the shoulder.
“Oh, you are special,” Grey teases.
“Guys, we have just enough time to go home, pack, and meet up to take the flight to the finishing school in a remote country called Concordia. Ever hear of the place?” I ask.
I’ve never visited, but have heard it’s a classy place with trains that run on time, mountain vistas, seaside resorts, and great food. Perhaps it’s not going to be that bad.
Wolf turns on his heel and starts back the way we came.
“Where are you going?” Declan asks.
“Going to talk to Hammer,” Wolf hollers over his shoulder.
We grab hold of him. I eye the guys, asking if this is going to result in a team tackle. Grey shakes his head subtly. So we march our lone wolf in the other direction as he hems and haws.
“No, we’re a team. We stick together,” Grey says with the final word.
Then my cell phone rings. It’s my father. Nope, he’s always the one with the last word. Nerves zing through me as I brace myself for a verbal tackling.