Second Chance: A Military Football Romance

I looked back, but didn't stop walking. "To get prepared for the next boat of hot women — unless you're still here when I get back."

"What? I'm not waiting here for you." Her anger was cute. It was nice to know in advance that she was a drama queen – from calm to raging in three point two seconds.

"Your loss, baby-doll." I glanced down the street before tugging at Daniel's t-shirt. "Let's go, buddy."

"What the fuck just happened?" He glanced over his shoulder and jogged across the street with me. "Were those girls really going to let you drive the boat? There's liability insurance that has to be filled out for that sort of thing. It doesn't just cover everyone.”

I popped him in the chest and lifted my eyebrow as we stopped on the other side of the road by the rental house. "Hey, we're 22, not 82. Slow your roll on being a stiff, okay?"

"Whatever. You guys are going to learn one day that life isn't a game." He glanced back over his shoulder as indecision raged across his face. "Are we going back down there?"

"Nope." I gripped the side of the patio railing and pulled hard, hopping over it and leaving him to walk up the stairs.

"What? Why not?" He jogged up beside me, tugging at my arm by the front door. "The brunette was kind of cute. I wouldn't mind talking to her."

"Talking?" I laughed and pushed the door open. "There's no talking to those kinds of girls, Dan. They want a quick fix and that's it."

"Quick fix? Sex?" He laughed sardonically as he closed the door.

"Sex?" Clay glanced up from reading a magazine. My oldest friend was stretched across the couch, his short, stocky frame only taking up two thirds of it.

"You need some? They're selling it on pier 322." I wagged my eyebrows and walked into the kitchen to search for something to eat. "Where's Derek? Still sleeping?"

"No, he met that girl a few nights ago at the club in town, remember? Sarah, Sandra, Stephanie?" Clay groaned loudly before walking into the kitchen, rubbing his chest. "I'm still sore from playing ball two days ago. What the hell?"

"We've been laying around for almost three weeks, Clay." I turned and back-handed him in the chest. He tried to get out of my reach, but I was captain of the rugby team: “Quick” was my middle name.

"Fuck, dude. I told you I was hurting." He swung at me playfully.

I moved and caught his arm, pulling hard and pressing him to the refrigerator before putting my shoulder into his back.

"What's on the agenda today?" I reached around and poked his chest again before moving back and laughing.

He came out of the hold swinging again. The only thing he connected with was Daniel. The poor guy had chosen the wrong time to come in the kitchen.

"Ouch, that hurt." Daniel swung back, not capable of putting too much of a hurt on anyone. Where Clay was short and stocky, Daniel was tall and thin as a rail.

"Hey; all my fault." I lifted my hands and smiled as they turned and started after me. I busted through the front door and was halfway across the street by the time they came out of the house. I stood on the other side of the road and laughed at the look on their faces. Joke’s on them.

"Are you coming?" a pissy voice called from behind me.

"Oh fuck," I mumbled and turned around as a smirk lifted my lips. "You still here, baby?"

"You told us to wait," one of her friend's piped in.

"Right… About that…" I never got out another word. My two friends grabbed me and together wrestled me to the edge of the dock before launching me off of it.

I hit the water laughing. Payback was hell, and I was grateful for a reason to put the hurt on them soon. I came up in time to get a glass of beer to the face.

"I hope the alligators in this lake eat your dick off." The blonde threw the cup at me.

I lifted my arm and diverted it as a laugh bubbled up in me. "That might be good for everyone around here. He'd be full for a week."

"Ugh. Get us out of here, Tesa." The girl moved back as I submerged myself under the dark blue water and pushed off toward the dock. Girls were readily available and more than willing to strip for any swinging dick. I was just grateful that the offering was plentiful.

I had only one rule: sleep with them once and never again.

In all my years of fooling around with women, I'd never failed to hold tight to it, and as far as I was concerned, that wasn't going to change for a long time.