Camp Jameson (20 page)

DAY TWELVE:

FRIDAY AFTERNOON

POWDER-PUFF
FOOTBALL

“
W
hat’s the deal?” I asked Colt as Sara and I arrived at the
back lawn of the Jameson Main Lodge. It had been painted with white lines
running down the field. I was wondering why we’d been summoned with only the
instructions to wear athletic gear and running shoes. It had only been two
hours since I left Avery standing in my Sybian class and I wasn’t looking
forward to seeing him again. This was getting painful.

The sky threatened rain, and the
humidity pressed down on me like a suffocating wet blanket. I was lucky to be
feeling as good as I was considering I had a hangover this morning and from the
looks of most, everyone was still hungover.

The Masquerade Ball was only two
days ago and my birthday was yesterday and yet it seemed like a lifetime ago. I
was glad for any distraction at this point.

Colt reached Sara’s side and
threaded his fingers through hers briefly then nudged me playfully with his
shoulders.

“I want to welcome you ladies to
Challenge Friday,”

Colt said, quickly turning and
catching a football then tossing it back to Travis as he wiped his brow. “You
two up for it?”

“Always,” Sara and I said in
unison.

“Great. One more practice play
then we’ll get started.” I looked toward Avery.
Why was it that no matter
where he
was in the room full of people, or football field, I could find
him instantly?

He glanced my way then turned
back to the team of shirtless men. Colt ran back to the field and stood in the
huddle next to Avery. Avery called out the next play and the shirtless men
lined up against the men in shirts. His muscles rippled as his teammate snapped
the ball to him and he hoisted it up in anticipation to throw it to Travis who
ran down the field.

Travis weaved through everyone
as Avery threw the ball down the field. Travis caught it and ran it into the
end zone. Sara and I cheered as Colt’s team scored.

I tried my hardest not to look
at Avery’s perfect body. How it glistened with sweat. How my tongue had run down
his happy trail that night…I stopped myself.
What was I doing? Better yet,
why was he still affecting me like this?
I scolded myself. He had stomped
on my heart. I was pathetic.

The men moved to the sidelines
toward the two groups of women. Most of the women were gawking at Avery.

“Colt. What did you call us here
for?” I asked a little more irritated than I wanted to admit.

“On Challenge Friday we pick one
sporting event for everyone to play as a team building exercise. Today is the
Powder Puff football challenge but too many women opted out because they’re
still hungover from last night so we’re improvising. We’re going to play
no-tackle coed football. You’re both athletic and we need you. Can you throw a
football, Aria?”

I grabbed the football from Colt
and spiraled it to Travis as he stepped towards us. I nodded and watched Avery
out of the corner of my eye as he handed out flags to his team. He began
instructing the women in front of him and motioned them to follow behind him. I
turned my back to him.

“The Powder Puff challenge. It
doesn’t get any better than Kittens duking it out on the gridiron,” Colt sighed
playfully.

We followed him to the sidelines
and I smiled to Sienna and Maya. These were strong women and I was glad that I
was on their team, even if they were still hurting from their hangovers.

“Aria, you’re the quarterback
for our team,” Colt said.

Gray heavy clouds rolled in but
no one seemed phased by the threatening downpour. It looked like we wouldn’t
have much time before it opened up on us.

I beamed at him. “Let’s do
this,” I said, putting my hair up in a ponytail. I had so much pent up anger
that this was just the non-sexual release I needed.

I recalled all the Sundays that
I watched football with my dad before he got deployed to Iraq. He had taught me
everything I knew about football. I was pretty good at the powder-puff game in
my senior year of high school. It had a lot to do with our family reunions
every year. We’d play for hours. My cousins weren’t the kind to take it easy on
their little female cousin either. They bloodied my nose several times over the
years.

I listened as Colt ran through
the first play. He rattled off a play, hoping the women would understand. The
few men that played shook their head in understanding then he walked several
women to their positions behind the forty-yard line. Some giggled endlessly.
They all stood staring at Colt with a deer-in-headlights look. I would say by
now I knew these women fairly well. I knew who was strong and athletic and who
didn’t want to break a nail. It was just common sense. After a few minutes,
Colt seemed to be a bit overwhelmed and before I knew it, I stepped forward and
seized control.

“Maya, you run the wide out down
the right side and I will get the ball to you. Sienna, you try to push in front
of her and block anyone who gets in her path. Maya, stay in the center and
don’t let anyone get past. Colt’s going to block Avery. Sara, you’re on my left
flank so don’t let anyone get a hold of me.”

My eyes landed on Avery as he
approached Colt standing beside me. He stared wide-eyed at me. I glanced to
Colt who wore a shocked expression on his face.

Colt rubbed the back of his head
and chuckled. “Errh, okay. Everybody got it?”

I could see everyone nodding.
Colt passed out the green jerseys, white flags, and belts and I quickly pulled
on my jersey and wrapped the belt around my waist, careful to not meet Avery’s
eyes. I could feel him watching me. His teammates stepped to the cooler and
cracked open a few beers.

“What’s our team name?” I asked,
as Sara, Colt, and I approached the cooler. Colt offered me a beer. I shrugged.
Why not?

Colt smirked. “The Colts of
course,” he replied, tipping back his beer.

“Hair of the dog?” I asked.

“No better way to cure a
hangover,” Colt replied.

“Let’s go guys!” I clapped my
hands together.

Sara took a gulp of her beer
then smirked and took her place on the field next to me. She was feeling better
already
. Maybe hair of the dog really did work.

Colt hurried by helping with
some last minute coaching. I heard him point out a few details and lined up his
team in white jerseys in front of us, then stepped to the defensive line.

“No tackling. Leave that for the
mattresses ladies. Just grab onto the flags and the play is complete,” Avery
instructed, stepping to his position across from Colt.

I was already sizing up the
opposing team.
God, I loved football.
Then there was Caitlyn who was
crouched down opposite of me on the scrimmage line with a look of disgust.
Great.
I studied her determined expression.
Who would have thought Caitlyn was
athletic. I bet she’s so happy to be on her little Avery’s team.

The ball was snapped toward me,
and I let the pigskin fall into my hands. I raised my chin looking for Maya.
Sara blocked a girl coming toward me and Sienna helped out Maya. As smoothly as
if I had done it my entire life, I cradled the ball next to my head and waited
until Maya was open. Colt blocked Avery. Pierce blocked Sean. I threw the ball
and watched it spiral across the fifty, then forty, then thirty-yard line. Maya
gripped the ball and ran down the field leaving everyone else eating her dust.
Yes!



“Touchdown!” Travis yelled out
into the microphone.

Sara picked me up in a bear hug
and spun me around. “That was awesome!”

I laughed as my feet touched the
ground. Sienna and Maya followed suit. The whistle blew and I quickly shouted
out the defensive play.

I lined up in front of Caitlyn
on the forty-yard line. She was all legs, and all boobs. After I had won the
first round of the pole dancing contest, she had her mind made up she was going
to get with Avery. I thought of how Sara and I had switched out her shoes for a
smaller size. I smirked sardonically to her and she narrowed her eyes at me.
Bring
it on, Barbie.

Her team snapped the ball and I
set my eyes on tackling her before the ball ever left her possession. I dove
out of several women’s grasps and lunged for her. I watched her hips turn to
the right and I turned with her. She barely had the ball back to throw it when
I rushed her and snatched her flag. The whistle blew and I held out the flag to
return it.

“Ohh. Caitlyn sacked by Aria.
Five yard loss,” Travis’s voice rang out.

“You’re going down, Aria. You
won’t win this one. Avery’s mine this time,” she said snidely.

“You can have him!” I answered.

“What is she talking about?” I
asked Sara as we lined up against the thirty-five yard line.

“Winners get a cocktail party
with Avery tonight.”

The clouds broke and rain
started coming down lightly at first, but quickly escalated to pouring sheets
of stinging droplets. I blinked away the water from my eyes. I didn’t know if I
really wanted a night with Avery again anyway, but I was pissed at this woman’s
animosity towards me so I wanted to take her down. No matter how hard it
poured.

“Let’s take this bitch down,” I
said to Sara. She chuckled, tucking her wet short hair behind her ear.

“You’re on,” she answered.

The rain was soaking all of us
from head to toe but no one seemed to care. Maybe it was the alcohol from last
night burning all our brain cells but we were already dripping from the
humidity, so why not. It just showed me how much these women really wanted
Avery. Deep down, even me.

I glanced over at Avery to see
him eyeing me while he called another play to his team. He winked at me
arrogantly and I suddenly wanted to tackle him to the ground and show him how
angry I was with him. He’d hurt me. And because of him and Nate, I didn’t trust
any guy with my heart anymore.

I drew my lips into a straight
line in determination and turned back toward my team. We lined up at the
forty-yard line and I waited for them to snap the ball to Caitlyn, who really
seemed put out by this downpour. She kept trying to fix her hair before giving
up entirely. I ground my teeth together in anticipation as they snapped the
ball. I watched the movement of her hips and I was just about to rip her flag
from her belt when Avery tackled me. I threw him a cold glare as Caitlyn passed
the ball clumsily off to Kennedy. Kennedy ran it into the end zone.

“Homerun!” Caitlyn cheered.
Everyone erupted in laughter. She scowled. “What?” she asked.

Avery chuckled and got to his
feet. I held my stomach and laughed harder. Avery held his hand out to help me
up and I begrudgingly took it. As I stood, Caitlyn threw me her ‘fuck you’ look
over her shoulder, then I quickly forced my team into a huddle, not waiting for
Colt. I wanted to crush this team.

“We have to switch it up. Maya,
you start a crossing pattern behind me then buttonhook down the left side.
Sara, watch out for Caitlyn. She has it out for me now. Sienna, help block
anyone who goes after Maya.”

I called hike and threw the ball
as Avery, playing safety, stepped up to cut off Maya’s route and intercepted
the ball. Caitlyn couldn’t wait to jump into Avery’s arms. She was so happy
when he spun her around.
That’s it. This means war.

“Colt!” I shouted. “You take
Caitlyn, I’m going after Avery,” I said it with severity in my voice. His mouth
dropped open. He quickly recovered and nodded. I wasn’t taking no for an
answer.

I gave a few more instructions
to Kennedy and Nora and walked to the forty-yard line. We lined up and I let my
guard down for an instant. I ignored the growl I heard from Caitlyn and looked
to Avery. His eyes were glued on me as his hands rested on his knees, waiting
to run their last play. The side of his mouth drew up in a smile and his eyes
sparkled with that cocky look that up until two days ago would have melted the
panties right off me. That arrogant look of his sparked something in me.

When Caitlyn’s hand gripped the
ball, I didn’t even look at Caitlyn. I knew Colt had her. I lunged for Avery.
He had the same idea. My world tilted and before I knew it, Avery blocked me
and had me pressed into the mud. His wide smile gleamed at me. That only fueled
my anger more. I pushed at his chest for him to get off me.

“I love it when you’re feisty,”
Avery said. I scowled at him. He chuckled. “And you’re cute as hell when you’re
mad,” he said touching the tip of his finger to my nose like I was a toddler
and rose to his feet. He held out his hand and I reluctantly took it. I grinned
sarcastically at him. It was my turn.

We gathered onto the soggy
forty-yard line and I waited for Caitlyn to get the ball then I lunged toward
her.
Screw the play.
She faked the ball and for a moment, I was
distracted by it. She launched the ball in the air, lost her step, and
face-planted into the mud. I leaped into the air and my hand closed around the
ball. My feet hit the ground and I slipped and slid in the mud. I quickly found
my balance then took off into a full-on sprint.

“Interception by Aria,” Travis
shouted into the microphone. I pushed through the cluster of girls and ran for
the end zone. I ran the length of the field and into the end zone. Just as I
made it into the end zone warm, arms tackled me to the ground. We stumbled
together, rolling in the mud.

When my world stopped spinning,
I blinked Avery into focus. He pressed his wet, heavy body against mine and
pinned my arms to the side. The heated look in his eyes was the most
scrumptious thing I’d ever seen. Then reality seeped into my senses and I
stiffened.