Fair Catch (Love and Sports Series) (16 page)

             
Jake just realized she was pulling his leg when she flashed her gorgeous smile at him. Jake rubbed his hand over his face.              

             
“Good Lord woman. If you traded tonight’s game in for Tom Hanks we were going to have to have a serious chat.”

             
She laughed and grabbed his hand. She mingled her fingers with his and said, “Of course I’ll be there. Parker got us some seats on the fifty yard line. I don’t know how he managed such great seats since students usually sit in the end zone but I’ll take them.”

             
He played with her hand and felt their palms come together, it was comforting, supportive. The little gesture of her taking his hand sent his heart rate to a sprinting pace. She was leaning against the wall now so he positioned himself in front of her so her back was up against the wall and his hand that was not mingling with hers was supporting him on the wall right next to her head. He watched her breath quicken and her pulse in her neck take off.

             
“When we kick the Tiger’s asses tonight, will you go to the football house’s party afterwards with me?”

             
Her free hand played with the collar of his shirt as she stared at him with her crystal blue eyes. It took all the energy in his body not to lean down and kiss her, even though they were already inches apart.

             
“You want to go to the football house together? Won’t that be sending everyone a message if we show up together, possibly hand in hand?” She took that moment to stroke the back of his hand with her thumb. Her little touches all over his body sky rocketed his senses. He didn’t know how much more he could take.

             
“That is a message I don’t mind sending. What about you?”

             
Lexi ran her hand up his arm, as if she was secretly exploring his body. “I think it would be ok.”

             
Jake wanted to skip down the hallway like a leprechaun because she agreed to accompany him to the party tonight. By her saying yes, she was giving him permission to claim her as his. He had never felt so amazing.

             
“So you don’t mind people knowing we’re an item?”

             
“Is that what we are? We only went out to dinner once you know.” She said with a smile.

             
“Believe me. I want people to know we’re an item. I don’t need guys thinking you’re available. Sorry to say babe but you’re kind of attached to me now.”

             
“Oh is that right? Is that so you can stare at me from the doorway of the weight room and not get caught?”

             
Jake felt another rush of heat flow through his body. “I thought you didn’t know I was there.”

             
“I’m a good actress.”

             
Jake laughed and then changed the subject quickly. “I’m not sure if we settled this or not. Are you going to the party with me tonight?”

             
Lexi acted like she was weighing her options. “I don’t know, Tom Hanks or football?” She held her hands out as if she was Lady Justice, balancing her scales. Jake went in for the kill and tickled her. Her hands flew to his chest to stop him. They were inches apart and the feel of her hands on his chest was like an addiction he didn’t think he could ever bounce. She slid her hands up his body and wrapped them around his neck. He placed both of his hands on either side of her head as he stared down at her gorgeous face.

             
She spoke first. “Of course, I’ll go with you.” Her thumbs rubbed the back of his neck where her hands were. He leaned forward, even closer. He wanted to kiss her so badly but he wasn’t going to be the one who made the first move, he wanted her to take charge.

             
The side door to the outside opened and Margo came into view. “Ugh, get a room.” Jake rested his forehead on Lexi’s in disappointment from Margo’s impeccable timing. He was so close, yet so far. “We have to get going Lex, see you in the locker room.” Lexi nodded toward Margo and then looked at Jake.

             
“Well, I have to get going. Good luck tonight.”

             
He smiled down at her. “Thanks.”

             
She removed her hands and maneuvered out of his stance that pinned her against the wall. Jake let out an exasperated sigh as he turned around to face her. He leaned against the wall and let her take his hand in hers again.

             
“Meet you outside by the half wall after the game? Or do you want to go separately?”

             
“Oh we will be going together. By the fence sounds good. Have a good practice.”

             
“I will, kick some ass Taylor.”

             
She gave his hand one last rub with her thumb and took off down the hallway. He watched her walk away and admired her sweet little ass as it swayed back and forth.

Jake ran both of his hands through his hair and leaned his head against the wall. He wasn’t sure how much more he could take. He felt so close to Lexi, yet there was
still a huge distance between them. He took a quick sip from the water fountain and then walked back to his locker room. When he got there he checked his phone to see what time it was and noticed he received a text message from Lexi. He smiled and read it as he thought about the little tradition they were starting with text messaging.

Lexi: Good luck tonight big guy. I will be cheering for you from the fifty yard line. And don’t worry, you will get that kiss soon, maybe it will be your prize if you win.

              Jake smiled when he read her text message. If getting a kiss from Sexy Lexi wasn’t incentive enough to win a game, then he didn’t know what was.

                                                        ***

              “Why are you so jittery?” Margo asked Lexi.

             
Lexi didn’t know why she was so jittery tonight. She was nervous about the game because she wanted Jake to so desperately win. It was a huge rivalry game and she knew if the team lost tonight, the Tigers would never let them live it down. Now she knew how her parents felt when, that is when they cared, when they were watching her play. It was so nerve racking to be in the stands. If she had to admit it, she was also nervous about the party tonight. She was going to be seen publicly with Jake and that was a big deal. She was going to be measured up by every girl at the party and most likely deemed unworthy of Jake’s arm, something she wasn’t looking forward to.

             
It would be the first time they went out together since their little date at Panera. They talked on the phone and text throughout the week but both of their busy schedules didn’t allow for them to make plans for any dates. Lexi looked forward to their phone calls at night because the sexy tone of Jake’s voice over the phone sent chills through her body, making for a very peaceful sleep.

             
Instead of confessing her fears to Margo about her date, she just said, “Uh, just a little cold.”

             
Margo looked Lexi up and down, just the way Lexi feared the girls at the party would do. “Maybe if you didn’t dress like a hooker you wouldn’t be so cold.”

             
Lexi took offense to Margo’s comment. After practice, Lexi was able to take her time getting ready for tonight. She painted her nails and toenails, took a nice long shower, scrubbed every inch as well as made sure to shave everywhere on her body. Lotion was strategically slathered everywhere to give her skin a smooth glow just in case her body was touched by Jake. She curled her hair in long flowy waves that cascaded down her slender shoulders. She applied some make-up but kept it natural and dressed in her jean mini skirt, navy blue tank top to show off her school colors and put on a pair of her brown sandals. She was casual but cute she thought.

             
“I don’t look like a hooker.”

             
Margo laughed. “God you need to loosen up a bit Lex, can’t you take a joke?”

             
Lexi rolled her eyes at her friend and then nudged Parker. “You’re not even watching the game. What are you looking around for?”

             
“Sierra said she was coming to the game.”

             
Lexi heard Margo make a disapproving tone but the unladylike noise fortunately didn’t reach Parker.

Margo was more on edge lately and not as fun
as usual, Lexi wondered if it had to do with Sierra. Lexi wasn’t stupid, she knew Margo had a giant crush on Parker and when she had her eyes set on something, Margo just had to have it. Parker was her new target and she wasn’t able to obtain him like she normally would any other man.

             
“I thought you weren’t going to settle down with any girl this year.”

             
“He’s not.” Margo said with an attitude. “They’re just fuck buddies.” Margo grabbed her purse and said, “I’m out of here. Clearly we’re going to win, we’re killing them. I’ll see you later. Have a good night with Jake.”

             
Lexi grabbed her friend’s arm to prevent her from leaving. “Are you not coming to the party tonight?”

             
“No, I have a date with one of the lacrosse guys.”

             
“Shocker!” Parker said a little more snidely than expected.

             
Margo rolled her eyes and left. What was that all about?

“Why were you just rude to Margo?”
Lexi asked concerned that she was so far gone on Jake that she failed to see things fall apart around her.

             
Parker rolled out some kinks in his shoulders. “She’s been a bitch to me for weeks now and I have no clue why.”

             
Men, they could be so clueless sometimes, Lexi thought. It wasn’t her place to blow up Margo’s spot especially since she hadn’t even confided in Lexi about her feelings so Lexi just had to play dumb.

             
“Maybe she is going through a tough time, cut her some slack.”

             
“I hope she uses protection. Who knows what kind of virus she could catch from those idiots. Doesn’t she realize they’re some of the grossest guys in the athletic department? The things they talk about make me feel ashamed to be a guy.”

             
“She uses protection, don’t worry about that. Who would you like to see her with?”

             
“Why do I care?”

             
The Bears scored another touchdown. The score was not even close now. Lexi watched Jake chest bump with Mason in the air and then walk off the field together. He took his helmet off and put it on a helmet rest while he looked toward her direction. He smiled at her when they made eye contact. She smiled back, trying not to melt on the spot. Trying to act like a normal human, she turned her attention back to Parker.

             
“It kind of seems like you do care if you’re making such a big deal out of this.”

             
Parker ignored her. “Oh there’s Sierra, I’ll catch you later.”

             
And just like that Lexi was left alone in the stands. Thankfully there were only a couple of minutes left in the game so she didn’t have to feel like a complete loser all by herself.

Lexi pulled out her
chapstick and applied a decent amount as she thought about the text she sent to Jake earlier in the day. If they won, she did say she would let him kiss her. And if she knew Jake like she thought she did, he would be cashing in on his prize the moment he saw her.

             
She was just putting her chapstick back in her purse when she heard two girls behind her talking.

             
“Are you going to the football house later tonight?” One of them asked.

             
The other girl replied with a higher pitched voice that resembled Adelaide’s from Guys and Dolls the musical. “I wouldn’t miss it. I plan on congratulating Jake on his victory the only way I know how.”

             
Lexi cringed, she had been so caught up in herself and Jake that she forgot there was a world outside of them, a world where women used to throw themselves at Jake and he used to happily accept their advances.

             
“Not if I get to him first. Plus you already had a piece of him.”

             
Lexi felt like throwing up. Jake had changed so much this semester that she almost forgot about his sordid past. It was hard to forget all the women he had relations with, all the drunk nights that he couldn’t even remember who he had been with. Was she really about to get involved with someone who she would randomly hear stories about that would tear her gut apart, like she was right now?