Jameson (Face-Off 4)

“You have to stop being such a sore loser, Jamie. I won Maverick fair and square.”

“Because you can do a better crossover than me? We were only kids back then.”

“I can dribble circles around you now.” She winks at me, and I shake my head, laughing. “I could dribble circles around you with one eye open, hopping on one leg, and with my other hand tied behind my back.”

“It’s still not fair that you’re Maverick when Goose dies!”

She holds her hand up to her mouth and chuckles.

Given Charlie’s basketball skills, I bet she could do everything she said and still kick my ass. I was the one who encouraged her to play basketball. The day we met, Charlie had walked into the foster home where I was living for a few months with a basketball tucked under her arm and a backpack full of clothes slung over her shoulder. Even back then, she was strong and never let anyone see her cry. Charlie held onto the ball for dear life because it was the only thing she had left to remind her of her father.

Before she moved into the house, I thought I would lose my mind. Our foster parents were some of the worst people I had ever met. They made every day a living hell and treated us as though we were slaves. But Charlie made it bearable. I made it through some of the worst years of my life because of her. And that basketball she’d brought with her was only the beginning of our friendship. Basketball was a significant part of most of our past. And our future.

She removes her hands from her pockets and hugs me. “How about Jobs and Wozniak, my little computer nerd.”

I always make the comparison to the Apple co-founders when she brings up Goose and Maverick or even Pippen and Jordan. While my best friend is the cool, confident, badass sports agent, I am a computer programmer. But I’m badass in other ways. I earned a degree from Drexel University in Computer Engineering, and now I run my own think tank of super nerds for a global tech company with headquarters in downtown Philly.

“Now, you’re name calling? You’re on thin ice, Charlie.”

“You’re such a nerd, Jamie.” Charlie rubs her knuckles into my hair, the same way she did when we were kids. Some things never change. “But a lovable nerd.”

“I thought that’s what you like about me.”

“I do. You’re the kind of man that women admire because of your brain. You’re a goddamn genius. Unlike Alex…”

“Unlike Alex what,” Alex chimes in, coming closer with his arms folded over his chest.

She tugs at the end of his T-shirt, holding him in a vise. “You’re the kind of man women admire for your rock hard abs and sexy smirks.”

“Oh, that’s just great,” Alex deadpans. “Jamie get

s to be the smart one, and I’m just some stupid jock?” He laughs as he finishes his sentence.

Charlotte messes with him all the time because he’s always giving me shit about something. I think a small part of Alex is jealous of what I have with Charlie, and it gets under his skin on occasion. He doesn’t understand that our friendship has spanned so much of our life and that no one can break the bond we share. Not even Alex.

“You know I love you for other reasons.” She scrunches her nose, making a goofy face at him. “You’re smart in different ways. Being able to read the situation on the ice before it happens takes serious smarts. That’s what makes you so good, Alex. You can read the game, just like how Jamie can probably hack the NSA.”

“I’m not that good,” I chime in, and the corners of her mouth turn up slightly.

Focused on Alex, still holding him in her clutches, she whispers, “I wouldn’t be marrying you if I thought you were a dummy.”

They share a moment so intense as they stare at each other that it almost makes me uncomfortable. Not so much in a bad way, more like I need to leave before they start fucking in front of me. Alex leans down to mouth something I can’t make out against her lips. This is too intimate for me to be standing here, watching them.

“I’ll see you guys later.” I lift my keys and water bottle I left on the island in the kitchen and head toward the door.

“Wait,” Charlie says, with urgency in her tone. “I forgot to mention that we start tomorrow.”

I turn around to face her. “Start what tomorrow?”

She gives me a sheepish look. “Sydney was able to pull a few strings to get us an appointment tomorrow after work at the boutique. I doubt I will find anything I like in this place, but will you come along for the ride with me?”

I nod. “Of course. I’ll pick you up from work, and we can drive over together.”

She smiles so wide I can see her gums. “Thanks, Jamie. I promise I’ll try to make this as painless as possible.”

“Don’t worry about me, Charlie. I’ll get through it just fine. I’ve been through a lot worse than helping you try on dresses. This will be a piece of cake.”

She thanks me one last time before I say goodnight, leaving the happy couple so they can properly celebrate.