He’s just like the rest. One turn of your head will tell you all you need to know.
I focus on Brett. “I remember going out and watching you play, wearing that same letter jacket you have on.” I snake my hand up towards his chest.
“Remember when he dumped you,” Irene cuts in.
“Yeah, I remember that,” I say to Brett. “You kept wanting to kiss me, and that just seemed like a giant leap to me. So you dumped me, and I ran into Charles Lovejoy that night at Bons and gave him the honors.”
“Lucky bastard,” Brett says.
I take a step forward, so we’re almost pressed together, and look him straight in the eyes. “I never did get that kiss.”
“Ali, what the hell has gotten into you?” Irene gives my shoulder a tug.
Eva squeals again, which makes me push forward into Brett.
“Hey…” he says in a low voice, “if you want to relive old times, why don’t you give me your number, and I’ll give you a call.”
I realize how stupid I’m being, and for the longest time, I stand there paralyzed, Brett shifting underneath my touch. He says something, but I don’t hear him, not as I should. All I hear is Eva’s excited chatter, and it’s bringing me to madness.
Brett’s looking at me nervously, his lips moving. I hear Irene off to the side.
But all I care about it Eva’s fucking laughter.
“How about we meet up right now?” I bring a hand up, hook it around his neck, and pull him to my lips.
But before we connect, I feel a sharp tug to the back of my head, and I’m jerked backward.
“Hey!” I shout and turn to see a redheaded woman standing with a baby in her arms. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“What the fuck are you doing with my husband?” the woman snaps.
“Hus-husband?” I look from the woman to Brett, then back to the woman. “I had no idea!”
“Sure, ya didn’t. Brett told me about you and how ya ran off to Hollywood. Now yer back, wanting another taste of what ya couldn’t have back then.”
“Couldn’t have back then?”
“Cause he dumped you—he loves telling everyone that story.”
I look around to see the mortified faces of Jake, Irene, and Garrett.
Eva’s wearing a smirk.
“I’m so sorry. I just let the nostalgia get to me. I made a mistake.”
“Darn right, you did!” The woman hands the baby off to Brett, who’s wide-eyed with fear, then she launches a palm into my shoulder, pushing me back.
“Hey, I said I was sorry.”
“You think yer the only woman ta want my husband? There’s been others like you—ain’t none pulled him away.” She launches another palm at me. “Ya remember him, big, strong, scoring all those touchdowns, but I promise you, if ya wasn’t in none of those movies, he wouldn’t remember the color of yer hair.”
She balls her hands into fists and starts to circle me.
“I don’t care about your husband!” I finally snap. “I was just trying to make him jealous!” I point to Garrett.
Garrett’s brow springs upward, and he points to himself as if to say, “Me?”
“Wait?” Irene says. “What’s that all about?”
