Game Changer (The Field Party)

A squeal snapped me out of my thoughts, and I turned to see a blond girl run and throw her arms around Asa. It wasn’t easy to hear what she was saying with her mask on, but the girl’s shorts reminded me of panties and her top wasn’t more than a bra. I watched as Asa put his free arm around the girl, but if he was smiling or not, no one knew with the damn mask covering up his face. He had a great mouth.

No. Stop it. I looked away from them. “Skittles or Twizzlers?” I asked Brett.

“Why not both?” he replied, and picked up a pack of each and put them in the cart I was pushing. I stared at the candy and tried to focus on what else we needed and not the feminine, high-pitched gushing to the left of me.

“You do like both? Right?” Brett asked.

“Oh yes, I do. Sorry. I was thinking about what else we needed.”

“Chips and dip.”

I nodded in agreement and followed him to the next aisle, chancing one more peek in Asa’s direction. His eyes met mine, and I would have stumbled had I not been holding on to the cart. The girl was still pressing up against him talking, but he was looking at me.

Then Asa Griffith winked. At me.

JUNE 16, 2020 Don’t Eat All the Damn Cookies

CHAPTER 9

ASA

Nash had woken me up when he’d left for the field house to work out with the players. I doubted they were going to be playing football in the fall. Things weren’t looking hopeful at this point. Hell, it had been three months of lockdown, and we were now having to wear masks everywhere and most places were still closed. If it wasn’t an “essential business,” it was closed. For the most part. A few restaurants had opened up but only those with outdoor seating, and who the hell wanted to eat outdoors in Alabama during the month of June? No one.

I drank a cup of black coffee and sat at the small table in the apartment’s kitchen. I was debating on eating the cereal or peanut butter toast for breakfast when there was a knock on the door. It was just after eight. Who did Nash know that was up this early and wasn’t at the field house with him? I grabbed a shirt and pulled it over my head. Then went to open the door.

Nash’s girlfriend, Tallulah, was standing there with a large white box in her hands. “Good morning. Nash said you were awake; I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

As if Tallulah could disturb anyone. She was as damn sweet as she was sexy. I’d been interested in her at the beginning of the year. We’d even gone out, but she had wanted Nash. Nash had needed her. Now I enjoyed the view, but that was it. She held out the white box to me. “My mom sent these. She heard you were back and here with Nash. She remembered how much you liked her chocolate mint cookies, and she also sent some muffins she had been wanting to try that she found on—”

“Pinterest,” I finished for her, remembering that from my one visit to her house before I took her on our disastrous date to the field.

She laughed and nodded.

I took the box. “Tell your mom I said thank you and if she’s still single…” I trailed off and smirked.

Tallulah rolled her eyes at me, but it got a small laugh from her. “I’ll tell her,” she replied. Then she added, “I’m glad you’re back. We all are.”

“Yeah, me too,” I told her.

Tallulah turned to leave and I closed the door behind her, suddenly feeling much more excitement over my breakfast options. Tallulah’s momma could bake like a champ. I set the box on the table, and my phone alerted me of a text message. Picking it up, I saw Nash’s name and: T is coming by with some stuff her mom made you. Don’t eat all the damn cookies. Save me some.

I responded, She sent them to me. Imma eat them all.

I opened the box, and the aroma made my mouth water.

Another text. She’s my girlfriend.

Smirking, I replied, T is your girlfriend but her momma ain’t.

Picking up a cookie still warm from the oven, I shoved it in my mouth. The chocolate and mint melted on my tongue, and I groaned with pleasure.

Leave me a motherfucking cookie! he sent back.

Fine. You get one, I told him, then went to pour myself a tall glass of cold milk. My morning just got a hell of a lot better.

When you’re locked down for several months and the world is essentially closed, you find yourself getting new hobbies. Mine was running. It got me outdoors, and it was good exercise since my abuela’s cooking and my sitting in front of the television weren’t the best combination for staying fit. After eating five cookies and two muffins, I looked down at my stomach and decided I had some calories to burn, not to mention I had nothing else to do.