“Fine.” Amber didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. Hope was right. It wasn’t her business. “Manny’s a really nice guy. He’s funny. He’s a great friend to Robert. They’ve known each other since college, and they’re very close.”
Hope waited, expectantly, and stared more intently at Amber. “And?”
“And he’s single. No significant other that I know of.”
Hope’s smile widened and then disappeared. “Why not? Why is he still single? What’s wrong with him?”
“I don’t know. You’re gonna have to find that out for yourself.”
“Fair enough.”
When they got to their row, Hope brushed past Amber to take the center seat so she could sit next to Manny.
“Real subtle,” Amber whispered to her friend.
“I got you ladies a pretzel.” Manny handed each of them a big, salty pretzel wrapped in parchment paper.
“Thanks,” Hope replied, way too sweetly and smiling flirtatiously.
Amber coughed a laugh into her hand, and she received a nudge in the ribs from her friend’s elbow.
Enough about Hope and Manny. Let them work out whatever was going on between them by themselves. Amber turned her attention back to the field and searched for Robert. Before she found him, her eyes landed on her father. As she watched him in his element, doing what he was born to do, a sudden wave of melancholy and sadness washed over her. She saw him through twelve-year-old eyes and longed to be that little girl who idolized her father once more. So much had changed, and she wished she could erase the past.
A pileup on the turf made her forget about the rivalry with her father, and the heaviness in her chest turned to concern. She sprung up from her seat and looked for Robert, worried that he was in the mix, but her man was fine. A smile bloomed on her face, and her hands went to her chest. She didn’t expect it to be so hard to watch the game from the stands. Viewing it on the TV screen distanced herself from the physicality, but watching Robert take a hit or bulldoze into a player and take a tumble, was a rough thing to witness in person.
There was a short pause while the teams took their places, and the crowd began a chant of “Let’s go, Jer-sey! Let’s go, Jer-sey.” Amber sat down, again worried about calling attention to herself, as if her father cared about anything except the game right now. Or any other time, for that matter.
“I think we’re ready,” Manny announced.
“Right now?” Amber should have known that Manny would want to pull some silly stunt the moment Robert told her that his best friend also wanted to attend the game, which is how Manny ended up joining her and Hope. She eyed the two of them curiously. Or, maybe, Hope was the reason Manny joined them and Robert was doing a little secret matchmaking.
“It’ll be fun.” Hope pulled Amber to her feet by her upper arm.
“So much for me trying to blend into the crowd.” Amber shrugged off her peacoat, glad that Manny didn’t suggest face painting.
“We look awesome!” Manny exclaimed, loudly, looking from Amber to Hope and then to himself, now that all their coats were off.
The three of them stood there, each wearing one of Robert’s jerseys in a show of support, and joined in the chant of “Let’s go, Jer-sey!” while they clapped rhythmically.
The Bucks and the Hawks had been neck in neck for most of the game, but by the end of the fourth quarter, a touchdown by Martinez scored the winning three points securing their spot in the Super Bowl!
Super Bowl Sunday
The Bucks already had two Super Bowl wins under their belt, and they were the favorite to win today. So, the idea of becoming three-time champions had the team’s energy level at an unprecedented high. Chest bumps, grunts, and general shouting filled the locker room. Coach stood at the center, head and shoulders above everyone else, standing on a bench and giving the pep talk of his life, although the team didn’t seem to need it today. They were pumped.
Robert, on the other hand, couldn’t think about anything except his impending confession, and that, after tonight’s game, he was going to get his head handed to him. The last several weeks were a nightmare. Every time he and Coach were in the same room, guilt made Robert want to blurt out the truth. He wanted to come clean, but he also feared Coach’s initial reaction to the news. He wanted the mess to be over with, and that would happen soon enough.
A heavy arm landed on Robert’s shoulder, and Lewinski gave him a rough shake. “What’s wrong, Blade? You look like you’re going to the electric chair. Don’t tell me you’re worried we’re not gonna win.”
Robert’s usual happy-go-lucky smile automatically appeared on his face. Of course, he wasn’t worried about the win, but it gave him an excuse to explain his lackluster enthusiasm. “I don’t want to take it for granted. I can’t celebrate the W before we take it. That’s bad luck.”
“Bad luck?” Coach’s voice shouted over everyone. He pushed through the team and joined Robert and Lewinski. “I don’t ever want to hear anyone use the phrase ‘bad luck’ in my locker room again! What’s got you down, Blade? You’re never apprehensive before a game.”
Robert froze. His eyes were locked on Coach’s, and he held his breath. He knew his face was a dead giveaway. He’d successfully avoided direct conversation with the man about anything except football until this moment, and guilt overwhelmed him. He almost shouted, I’m in love with your daughter, and we’ve been secretly dating behind your back for months! But he caught himself.
“You all right?” Coach asked. “You look like you’re about to hurl. If you are, get it out now.” He pointed his thumb toward the bathrooms. “We don’t need you to projectile on Kansas City’s D line.”
Lewinski perked up. “That’d be a great offense. Martinez, write it down!”
