Sure, not everyone was unfaithful, but the football players I’d known had acted like it was their God given holy right to stick it where they wanted. In fact, one of the guys from Dad’s team had said just that during his divorce. So, I enjoyed the games, but avoided football players at all costs.
If I was brutally honest, I avoided most sports players. The only exception had been my soccer playing ex who’d ended up cheating on me with my boss in Ohio, and had then moved here after I did to try and join the soccer team my brother played on. Such a dick!
The door opening and loud voices entering the room pulled me out of my thoughts.
“Where do you want us, ladies?” one of them asked as they all lined up against the wall.
Glancing at Demi, I gave her a nod to proceed with organizing how this was going to happen.
The clothing and sewing company I’d just started working for, Because I Said Sew, had been tasked with outfitting the team with suits for business functions, and tuxedos for official parties. There was a charity gala happening in two weeks, so today was the day we were making the final alterations to the tuxedo part of the project.
“Okay, your tuxes are in garment bags with your names on them. If you could go and put them on, we’ll do the adjustments in here.”
The men followed their orders and left the room, all laughing about something that had happened the day before. If I’d been listening instead of now reading a book on my phone, I might have realized that it involved the incident between myself and Kip Sutherland, but the book had just hit a really interesting bit while we’d been waiting, so I was invested. I’d give myself until they came back and then part with it.
Within minutes, the first players were back.
“I’ll take you over here, and you can go over to Ashley,” Demi ordered, and I shut my phone off and put it to the side.
Picking up the pin cushion that fastened around my wrist and the little piece of tailors’ chalk that I’d need, I readied myself for the player to get up onto the step.
Immediately I saw an issue. One of the legs wasn’t falling properly, like the inseam was twisted at the top. Squatting down, I tried to think of something to say to break the awkwardness of the position, but the guy got their first.
“What is it with you and my legs? The guys have been teasing me about the bruises you left on them all day.”
Some people might apologize or defend themselves. Me? I got such a shock that it was him that my hand jerked as I pushed the pin through the material and buried it in his thigh.
Before I could move to pull it out or apologize, he let out a yell and slapped the area, pushing it even deeper.
“What the hell?” he yelled, growling when he hit it again.
Wincing, I reached forward and did my best to grab the bright pink pearl on the end of the pin. With him moving around, though, I had to keep jerking my hand away to avoid being the one to hit it.
Finally, out of patience I snapped, “If you’d stand still for a second, I’d be able to get it out. You hitting it is just pushing it farther into your thigh, you…” I paused, trying to think of a word that wasn’t overly offensive, unprofessional or a curse word. Oh, I had many that immediately came to mind, but all of them would end with me being fired. “Silly Sally,” I finished weakly.
“Did she just call him a silly Sally?” the player that was with Demi snickered.
“Harsh, girl, harsh.” One of the other players—who, when I glanced over my shoulder, I saw was Will Montgomery—chuckled.
Looking back up at Kip, I took in his clenched jaw and the way his bright blue eyes were watching me like I was an alien or a species as yet undiscovered. “Will you please get that giant ass needle out of my leg. Like, now.”
Giant ass needle? What a pussy!
Shrugging, I did a quick grab and pull, and had the puny little pin in my hand in seconds.
Holding it up for him to see, I spoke without thinking. “Wanna keep it as a souvenir?”
During the incident, the rest of the players had come back from getting changed, and as soon as I finished talking, they all burst out laughing.
Not taking his eyes off me, Kip waited for it to die down before he introduced me, making the shitty situation even worse.
“Guys, allow me to introduce you to Ashley Wilkes. Ashley is Hayden Wilkes’s sister. Ashley apparently likes to go wall climbing in her spare time. Ashley is also the one responsible for the bruises you’ve been laughing at all day. Ashley is also the one responsible for my new piercing.”