The Playmaker (A Big Play Novel Book 1) (4 page)

#6:

The Girl’s Got Curves

Colt

The look on Tori’s face before she spun and walked away from me is torture. She looked crestfallen, on the verge of tears. I caused that, and I want to take my butter knife and shove it into my belly.

But, come on, I’m doing her a favor, right?

There’s no way Mack would ever fall for her, and I don’t want to see her get hurt. Wouldn’t it be worse to string her along and get her hopes up only to crush her later? I’m doing her a favor.

So why do I feel so bad?

I look over my shoulder to see if I can spot her. She dashed out of sight and I haven’t seen her since. I’m hoping when she comes back to take our order I can give her a friendly smile and try to make her feel better. How can I make her understand that she won’t fit into Mack’s world? She’s not a football girl; she’s the daughter of Nelson’s candle-making, soap-creating hippie. She’ll never be one of us, and I would never put her in a position where she’d feel like a total loser. I know that feeling too well to inflict it on anybody else.

No, brushing her off now is simply keeping her safe.

I nod, happy with my argument, then notice Mack and Tyler walk through the door. Finn lumbers in behind them two seconds later. A wide grin spreads over my face as my security net approaches the table and chases away my earlier doubts.

“Sup, Trigger.” Finn flops down beside me while Mack and Tyler slide around the other side of the booth.

I pound his fist and lift my chin—enough to tell him I’m all good.

Mack picks up a menu and flips it open, scanning the pictures and looking thoughtful. He’s got this thing about always trying to order something different off the menu. Unlike me, he’s adventurous with food.

“Is there anything on this menu you haven’t had, bro?” Tyler nudges him. “You’re going to have to start doing a repeat at some point.”

Mack ignores his friend, his dark eyebrows dipping as he scours the thing for something he hasn’t tasted before. His frown deepens the longer he looks, and we soon start laughing at him.

He slaps the menu closed and slides it away as Amy Briggs approaches. She has a notepad in her hand and gives us a polite, professional smile when she stops at the table.

“Where’s Tori?” I blurt the question before I can even think and score three confused looks from the guys around me. “She was serving before,” I mumble, like a lame explanation can somehow cover my obvious surprise and disappointment.

Amy’s pale brown eyes flick to mine. Her gaze is sharp and all-knowing. Why do girls have to tell each other everything? Now I feel even worse. Tori is too upset to serve our table anymore. I’m such an asshole.

“Bathroom.” Amy gives me a tight smile to hide her obvious lie, then pulls a pen from her apron and clicks it on. “You guys ready to order?”

“Four Summer Sizzlers, please.” Mack sighs and the guys snicker. Tyler lightly punches his arm while Amy gives us a
you guys are idiots
look.

“Anything to drink?”

Tyler raises his fingers. “Yeah, a Coke for me.”

“Dude, seriously? That stuff can be used as toilet cleaner.” Finn frowns at him, then turns back to Amy with a charming smile. “We’ll stick with ice water, thanks.”

“You know I actually have two parents.” Tyler lifts two fingers at Finn, then lowers his pointer so only the middle one is left standing.

Mack laughs at the insult.

Amy rolls her eyes and walks away.

“Thank you, Amy,” Finn calls after her, a wide smile dominating his long, narrow face. Everything about the guy is elongated, from the top of his short, black Afro to the bottom of his big, clown feet. It makes him a powerful force to be reckoned with on the field, though, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“So, Tori’s here tonight?” Finn’s dark brown eyes flick to my face before he looks over his shoulder and starts scouring the restaurant for her.

My gut twists, and it’s an effort to get out my short explanation. “Yeah, she came over before to take my order, but I said I wanted to wait for you guys.”

I press my lips together. That’s all they’re going to get.

“Was she still wearing those
spank me
jeans, or had hippie girl reappeared?” Mack sniggers.

My head snaps in his direction. He noticed?

“Damn, she looked hot today. I didn’t think Pixie Girl could pull it off.” Tyler grins, dimples appearing symmetrically on his face.

“Right?” Finn points a long finger at Tyler.

“It’s better than those rainbow tie-dye flares she always wears.” Mack shakes his head. “Or those dresses that swamp her little body. She looks like a walking parachute in those things.”

The guys all laugh and I have to force a smile. I don’t like them hassling her. She changed her whole appearance to draw Mack’s attention today. She did it all for him, and now he’s sitting there laughing at her.

I shift in my seat, biting my tongue against playing the killjoy.

This is exactly why Tori shouldn’t be chasing these guys.

“I kind of like the color though, you know?” Finn tips his head. “She just needs someone to go in and redesign her wardrobe. You know, like in those makeover shows.”

We all pause and look at Finn, our eyes wide. He smirks and shakes his head. “Shut up, my mom watches that shit all the time.”

“Sure she does.” Tyler laughs and we all join in.

Finn gives us the finger, which just makes us laugh even harder.

Amy arrives with our drinks, killing the moment. We silently watch her hand them out and I glance over her shoulder, looking out for Pixie Girl. She’s nowhere near our table. I spot her on the other side of the restaurant, placing dishes in front of smiling customers. One of them says something to her and she gives them a tight grin. Loose tendrils have fallen from her messy bun, and she tucks one of them behind her ear as she walks away from the table. Her eyes look a little red and puffy, and the round curve of her cheek is blotchy…and I’m back to feeling bad again.

I snap my eyes to the table before she catches me looking at her.

Mack gulps his water, downing half the glass before slapping it onto the table. “Color or not, it was nice to see her body for a change. Who knew the girl had curves, and pretty lush ones too, if you ask me.”

I swallow. The hungry smirk on his face is kind of disconcerting.

Once again, I’m surprised by how weirded out I am. Mack talking about her luscious curves is just… Ugh, it feels wrong. It’s even worse than Finn’s dark eyes roving her body.

But Tori would be stoked. The quarterback noticed her. Her plan worked. And, with a little extra help, she could be pulled into Mack’s world and get everything she wants out of her senior year.

Maybe I should help her out.

I don’t expect the thought to sit so well inside me, but the idea of making her smile stirs my belly. Anything to wipe that dejected disappointment off her face, right?

It took courage for her to come to me, put herself out there, and ask for my help. I’m the only guy on the team she has any history with. I’m probably the only one she felt safe enough to approach. I’d shit all over her proposal in a bid to protect her, and all I’d really done was make her cry.

“So, do you think you could ever be into a girl like that?” I casually ask our team captain.

Mack shrugs. “I don’t know. She never hangs near us, so all I know is that her mother’s a weird-smelling witch and her dad knows how to cook the best burger in town.”

“Her mom’s not a witch,” I murmur.

His eyebrows arch. “She’s something weird, and Tori
is
her daughter. The whole family is a bunch of creative fruitcakes, but…” Mack shrugs again. “Tori was obviously trying today.”

“You can’t hide who you are, though. Not really.” Tyler shakes his head. “She still assed over right by our table.”

I frown. “She was bumped by Big Burt Lazenby. Anyone would ass over with his elbow in your back.”

“Whatever. No matter how she changes her appearance, she’s still going to be the hipster pixie girl. You can’t change who someone is. You’re either cool or you’re not. It’s about attitude.”

I clench my jaw as Tyler swings his arm over the back of the seat and gives the girl two tables across a charming smile. I glance over my shoulder to check her out. She’s just Tyler’s style—tall and sexy, with big boobs and platinum blond hair. Her coy smile makes me roll my eyes. Usually, I’d smirk at her like Tyler is, but not tonight.

Tonight, I can’t get Tori’s dejected frown out of my head.

I want to replace it with a smile. I want to watch her gray eyes light up and sparkle.

“Whatever, Ty. If a chick’s trying and she looks hot doing it then I think her effort should be rewarded.” Mack’s lips rise with a confident smile while Finn laughs. They pound fists, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I don’t get it. Usually, I’d be in there making my own quips about hot chicks, but this is Tori we’re talking about. I pretend-married her when I was ten. I’d just rescued her from a fire-breathing dragon and she’d jumped on my back and we’d galloped away to safety. It was hard to convert that giggling princess into a hottie worth making out with.

She did look good today, though…and it’d been nice catching her. I had to admire the way she approached me before the guys arrived. Even though she totally humiliated herself in front of our table at lunch, she was still determined to make the most of her senior year.

Maybe I should help her out. It’s not like I’d be feeding her to the sharks. I’d be right there to make sure Mack treats her right. All she’s asking for is a little help in fitting in. I would have killed for that when I was younger. I’d had no one to show me how to negotiate the terrain of a different crowd. I could be her safety net…plus give her what she wants.

Mack can be arrogant. He goes through girls nearly as fast as Tyler does, but he’s also a solid guy. All Tori is asking for is a chance to move into our circle. She can figure out for herself that Mack isn’t long-term-boyfriend material, and then maybe she can fall for someone who won’t break her heart…like Finn.

I glance around the table at my friends, a slow smile tugging at my lips. Yeah, I can do this for her.

Amy arrives, her pigeon arms holding a heavy tray like a pro. She opens the serving stand and lays the tray down, handing out the monster burgers.

My mouth waters as the beefy smell swirls up my nostrils.

“Day-um.” Finn grins. “Thanks, Amy.”

She gives him a brief smile, then collects her stuff and leaves. Conversation ceases as we all dive into our food. Our plates are soon empty and, as usual, football talk ensues. We analyze our practice, and Mack starts talking about our first game of the season. We’re playing Harley High. It’s a sure win and a nice way to ease into the season.

“We don’t just want to beat these guys. We need to stake our claim for the year and send out a message to the rest of the schools. We want to be the team to beat.”

“The Bears will—”

“Shut up about the Bears,” Mack cuts off Tyler, giving him a dark scowl. “They’re not touching us this year.”

I glance at Finn. We both know not to say anything.

Our captain pushes his plate aside. “I gotta split. Mr. Gibbons is going to dish out a pop quiz tomorrow, I just know it.”

“Yeah, I’ll come with you, man.” Tyler wipes his mouth.

The guys drop some money on the table and head for the door. Finn and I pull out our wallets and do the same, leaving a fair tip. I follow Finn to the door, scanning the restaurant for Tori. She’s standing behind the counter, ringing up a check. She doesn’t notice me staring at her…or maybe she does and is trying to hide it.

“You coming, man?” Finn asks over his shoulder.

“I’m just going to use the bathroom.” I point to the back of the burger house.

“Okay. I’ll catch you tomorrow.” He swings out the door, and I pull in a breath.

Loping over to the counter, I wait for the family of five to leave before stepping up to the cash register. Tori looks up and flinches when she sees me.

“Can I help you with something?” Her voice is soft and tiny.

“Yeah.” My lips rise into a half-smile. “You know that conversation we had before?”

Her nostrils flare and a muscle in her neck pings tight.

I lean my arms against the counter, letting my lips rise into a full smile. “I think I spoke too soon. I can help you out.”

Those gray eyes of hers pop wide and her mouth parts, a little gasp escaping.

I chuckle. “You free after school tomorrow?”

Her head bobs.

“Do you remember that field our parents used to make us picnic in every summer?”

Her head bobs again.

“Meet me there after practice.”

“Okay.” She grins, her large eyes twinkling. “Thanks, Colt.”

“No problem.” I tap the counter with my knuckles. “Happy to help out an old friend.”