Jockblocked: A Novel (Gridiron Book 2)(85)

“I don’t know what’s going to happen this fall,” I tell him frankly. “I want to win again. I want to enjoy our senior year. I want to know that we did everything we could to repeat. But I don’t know what’s going to happen. Maybe it goes just like you say. Or maybe Mr. Texas comes in and plays just well enough to keep his starting job and you don’t see squat and become a footnote in Warrior football. And I don’t want that for you, man. You’re too good of an athlete. Too good of a football player.”

Ace considers my words for a minute and then leans forward, folding his hands on the top of the table. “I tell you what, you stop seeing Lucy. You tell her that you’re done with her and I’ll move to safety.”

I choke on the vodka shot. Ace rises up and slaps me on the back, too hard to be termed friendly, but at this point I need it.

“What’d you just say?” I demand.

“You heard me.”

“I heard some words, but I don’t think I understood them.”

“No, you heard me clearly. I’ll make it easy for you, for the team. For Coach. For everyone. But, in exchange, you give Lucy back to me.

I narrow my eyes. Something isn’t right here. “You and Lucy are friends.”

“No, not really. She thinks we’re friends but we’ve always been meant to be together.”

I’ve only had three shots, but I feel dazed. He’s been denying they’ve been anything but friends and now he’s willing to trade his precious QB position for her? As if she’s a piece of property I’ve got control over?

“Ace, brother. For the four years we’ve been teammates, you’ve screwed your share of blondes, but not one of them has been Lucy. And you’ve insisted that you and Luce are just friends. I’m getting whiplash here.”

“Know how many guys Lucy has slept with?”

I can’t really say I don’t know because I have the list from Ahmed, but I don’t think I should admit that. Ace doesn’t care.

“I do. It’s six. You and her loser high school boyfriend and a few randoms in between. Know how old she was when she lost her last baby tooth?”

So Ahmed was wrong. Good thing I didn’t hunt them all down and gouge out their eyes for having seen Luce naked. “No.”

“Thirteen. She had to have braces after that. Know what she wore to her senior prom?”

“A dress?” I’m tiring of this game real fast.

“No again. She wore pants. One of our friends came out as a lesbian and didn’t want to wear a dress and so Lucy wore a tux in solidarity.”

That sounds very Luce-like. “Okay.”

“My point is that you don’t know shit about Lucy, and you haven’t spent the time to find this stuff out.”

“When she lost her baby tooth is pertinent how?” I drum my fingers on the table impatiently. Ace is getting to me a tiny bit. I don’t know all this stuff, but I can learn. Doesn’t mean we aren’t right for each other. Doesn’t mean Ace gets to claim her. That sentiment is ridiculous, and if Luce were here, she’d shove that right in his face.

“I know her. She knows me. We’re meant to be together. So step back and let her find her way back to me.”

“No.”

Ace’s fingers curl into fists, and he looks like he’s ready to launch himself over the table. But something changes his mind. Maybe the fact that we’re in the f*cking Gas Station, a public place, penetrates his tiny brain. Whatever the reason, he sits back, rolls his shoulders and pretends to relax. “Fine.”

“That it?” I ask flatly.

“Not really. Since you’re determined to f*ck up my life, the least you can do is drink a few shots with me.”

Is this an olive branch? I grab at it. “Sounds good.”



* * *



“No shmore.”

“You can do one more,” Ace cajoles.

“No. I can’t.” I can barely sit up. “Where’s our recruit?”

“Sarah and Lara volunteered to take him home.”

I blink at the two blondes. One’s wearing a red dress and the other is in blue, and the garments are so short you’d think we were in the tropics and not knee deep in snow. They’re from a sorority, but I can’t remember the name of it. “That’s solid of you two. Real solid.” I shake my head and it keeps shaking, like a bobblehead. I place a hand on the top of my head to stop it.

“Let’s take some pictures so the boy has some memories he can go home and brag about it to his friends.”

That’s fair. We both know he won’t be back here. Lucious jumps up enthusiastically and grabs both blondes by the waist. Ace snaps a few pictures while I pull out my own phone and text Hammer and Masters.

Me: Dudes. I’m waisted. waisted. fck. waisted. fck. u kno wht I mean. Got a recruit. Make sure he gets home. Gas station.

I tuck the phone away.

“Come on and get your picture taken.”

“Nah.”

“Lucious wants it,” Ace says.

Turing my head toward Lucious is about as easy as steering a crane but I manage it.

“Okay. Okay.” Anything to get the girls to stop squealing. I heave my drunk ass up to their side and lean in.