A Love Like This (Book 1) (8 page)

“
No, I
’
m asking her out, you stay away,
”
 
Tucker says.

“
You
’
re just afraid I
’
ll win,
”
 
Mike says haughtily.

“
No I
’
m not afraid you
’
ll win,
”
 
Tucker says.
 
“
Making stupid bets with you is how I ended up with Amy.
”

Mike looks over and sees the vein on Tucker
’
s neck pulsating.
 
“
Amy was your fault.
 
You were too much of a nice guy to tell her you weren
’
t interested,
”
 
Mike says.

“
Whatever I
’
ll bet you,
”
 
Tucker says sliding off the barstool.
 
 
“
You don
’
t have a chance this time.
”

“
We
’
ll see,
”
 
Mike says holding the door for a girl and watch
ing her butt as she walks past
.

“
Come on we have to go meet my mom for breakfast,
”
 
Tucker says.

Chapter 4

 
 
 
 
 
I
’
m lying flat on my back
 
with a textbook resting on my chest staring at the stucco ceiling in a catatonic state. I just read Donald
 
Appleyard
’
s, "Towards an Urban Design Manifesto,
”
 
then completed a ten page essay on urban design and how a city should be laid out.
 
 
My hectic schedule is taking its toll and I
’
m completely exhausted.
 
I
’
m wondering if anyone would notice if I just called it quits and went home.
 
I hear Sarah
’
s key in the door.
 
 
 

“
Hey roomy,
”
 
She sings out in her latest vernacular.
 
Sarah changes boyfriends nearly as often as she changes underwear.
 
This week
’
s guy is from Texas and has a southern drawl which Sarah quickly adopted.
 
She
’
s wearing leather boots, form fitting Levi
’
s and a plaid button down shirt.

“
My word little
 
darlin
 
are you still studying?
”
 

“
No I
’
m all done at least for the weekend. What are you up to today?
”

“
You remember I told you about our monthly group outings,
”
 
she asks
as she sits
on her bed to take off her boots.

I nod yes even though I have no idea what she
’
s talking about.
 

Well a bunch of us are heading over to
 
Chrisy
 
Field in the city.
 
We
’
re going to play flag football then maybe hike near China Beach.
 
Should I even bother asking you to come?
”

“
I know I
’
m a terrible roommate.
”

She rummages through her messy closet and comes out with a pair of shorts and a baby-t.
 
I never talked to Sarah about cleaning her side of the room but she at least keeps all of her junk in the closet rather than on the floor.
 
 
“
Tucker will be there,
”
 
Sarah says,
 
“
and he asked me to invite you,
”
 
she continues.

This gets my attention.
 
On the rare occasions that Sarah and I are home at the same time we lie awake in bed talking about our future plans and giggling about boys.
 
Sarah talks about becoming a Broadway actor and about whatever boy she happens to be dating at the time.
 
I talk about my family and about applying for internships then inevitably I end up talking about Tucker.

Sarah would say,
 
“
He
’
s friends with my brother Riley so why don
’
t you let me hook you up?
”
 

My reply is always the same,
 
“
Tucker Bradley is a distraction.
”
 
 
What I really should say is Tucker is out of my league.

“
Are you lying to me?
”
 
I ask sitting up on the bed.

Sarah says,
 
“
He really asked me to bring you and I would like to remind you that you promised me on our first day as roommates that you would go out with me.
 
We have not bonded at all and I am starting to think you don
’
t like me.
”
 
 
Sarah places the back of her hand on her forehead and turns away in a dramatic stance.

“
Are you kidding me?
 
I
’
ve been to at least four of your plays.
”

“
That doesn
’
t count because it
’
s on campus.
 
I want us to be off campus friends.
”

Sarah stands and looks at me
 
with
 
her head tilted
to one side
 
and
 
blinking her enormous
green eyes.
 
“
Did I mention that Tucker broke up with Amy?
”
 
 
Amy is the illusive girlfriends I occasionally see him with even though they supposedly broke up months ago.

“
Alright but you
’
ll have to help me pick out something to wear,
”
 
I say bounding to my feet.

Sarah does a
 
happy dance then searches through my closet for the most inappropriate thing she can find.
 
 
“
Here, this is perfect,
”
 
She says handing me pink palates
’
 
pants and a tight white t-shirt with the words
 
‘
baby girl
’
 
written in pink ink.

“
Sarah, I can
’
t wear that in public.
”

“
Aww
 
come on!
 
You
’
ll look hot I might need you to be my wing man later.
”

“
What about Tex?
”
 
I say.

“
What about him?
”
 
She shrugs.
 
“
I
’
m way too young to be tied down.
”

I dress in the outfit along with a pair of pink and white Nike
’
s on loan from Sarah.
 
She insists that I replace the bun with a high pony tail.
 
I cover the outfit with a long sweat shirt despite the 75 degree weather.
 
When we arrive at
 
Chrisy
 
Field several men and women are standing around talking.
 
They are all wearing their belts and flags.
 
I take off the sweat shirt, place it on the ground and walk towards the group.
 
I spot Tucker right away.
 
I
’
ve been avoiding him since our rainy day incident.
 
I stopped sitting on the first row in class and I rush out immediately after the lectures.
 
Real mature, I know.
 
 
Tucker is wearing basketball shorts and a blue graphic t-shirt.
 
His arms are massive and his dark curly hair is falling into his eyes.
 
He
’
s talking to a group of guys.
 
I approach the group and one of them taps his arm and nods in my direction.
 
Tucker smiles at me.
 
I look down and tug at the t-shirt wishing I could add another half inch of material to the bottom.

Sarah pushes my hand away,
 
“
stop that,
”
 
she says.
 
 
“
Stand up straight, stick out your chest and give
 
em
 
something to talk about.
”

Sarah walks to the center of the field and calls the group over.
 
 
“
Everyone knows the rules of flag football right.
”
 
 
They all nod their agreement.
 
 
“
We have a pretty even amount of guys and girls so let
’
s make this a battle of the sexes,
”
 
she yells thrusting her fist in the air.
 
Some of the
girls hoop with excitement. Tha
n the girls and boys run over
to convene in a skirmish circle.
 
Sarah smears black theater makeup under each of our left eye. Another girl hands out pink bandanas which we all tie around our foreheads.
 

There are eight girls and five boys.
 
We all line up in two rows facing each other.
 
The guys stand near the girl their planning to guard.
 
Tucker and the very handsome man he was with the day I met him are both standing in front of me. In the distance I see three girls sitting on canvas chairs cheering.
 
They
’
re too far away for me to see their faces but I figure they have to be girlfriends of the players. There
’
s trash talk on both sides then a stout South African with white blond hair makes the first play.
 
He yells out
Mike then throws the ball past
the line of girls.
 
Mike catches the ball and runs for the boy
’
s goal.
 
I hadn
’
t paid much attention to Mike before because I
’
ve been so enthralled with Tucker.
 
Mike has the most beautiful smooth dark chocolate skin.
 
He winks at me as he
 
runs towards his goal guarded by two other guys.
 
Sar
ah sneaks past
the guards and seizes
 
both of Mike
’
s flags before he can score.
 
He flashes a brilliant smile and raises his shoulders,
“
you distracted me,
”
 
he says before going back to the boy
’
s side to reconvene.