Coach raises his glass again, catching the team’s attention with his booming voice. “Alright, listen up! Before this turns into karaoke night again—”
The players whoop. “No promises, Coach!” someone shouts.
He continues smiling. “To DJ and to all of you. You’ve been playing your hearts out this season. I’ve never been prouder to coach a bunch of grown men-children in my life. Now, let’s make it to the post season!”
The Wolves crowd cheers.
I smile at Archer. “Time to say night-night, go do your rounds.”
DJ is hugging everyone in reach, Cameron shouts something about “wedding colors,” Coach finishes his drink and starts to organize cabs and Ubers for his boys. I do my best to steer Archer and Tyson toward the door, when I hear Coach call after them, “Bell, McCreary — hydrate tomorrow! And Elle? You’re doing the Lord’s work.” A loud laugh escapes me.
Outside, the cold air is a relief. Tyson zips his jacket halfway and shivers dramatically. “Why is it colder every time I leave that place?”
“Because you’re sweating beer,” I say while unlocking the car.
Archer chuckles. “She’s not wrong.”
Tyson calls shotgun. “No chance. Archer’s up front. You get the back seat, sir. I feel like you need the child lock on.”
“Fine,” Tyson says, climbing in. “But I get to pick the music.”
“No,” Archer and I say in unison.
The drive is quiet for exactly thirty seconds before Ty starts talking again.
“You know what’s crazy?” he says, leaning forward between the seats. “DJ’s engaged. That’s wild. I mean, he picked his person. Do you think it will turn out better than—” Ty shuts his mouth before he can finish the thought.
Archer snorts. “Yes, as a matter of fact. I do think it will turn out better than my last engagement.”
An uncomfortable giggle escapes me. My eyes dart between Ty, the road before finally settling on Archer. Who, to my surprise, is grinning.
“Arch, I’m sorry man, I —”
“It’s okay.” Archer turns his grin at him, “You’re my best friend, you are in fact allowed to say I told you so. You tried to tell me a couple of times that we weren’t compatible in the long run.”
“And you still didn’t listen.” He grins. The car lulls to a comfortable quiet with only my music playingin the background.
“Does anyone else want Taco Bell?” Ty suddenly blurts, popping the little bubble of peace we had.
“Hey, I’m a professional athlete, I do not put that poison in my body.” Archer says, mock offended. Tyson snorts. “So that’s a yes.”
Archer groans, rubbing his eyes with his palms.
“Yes. I do in fact want Taco Bell.”
I can’t help but smile as I pull into the Taco Bell drive through. Both men place their orders, and I place mine and Sadie’s go to orders as well.
I pull up to Sadie’s apartment; she clearly was watching our location and was waiting to meet us. Ty leans between the seats, his Taco Bell bag swinging dangerously close to Archer’s head. “She’s so pretty.” He sighs happily as he admires Sadie coming toward the car. “I will make sure to thank you both in our wedding speech.”
“Out,” Archer says, laughing.
Tyson salutes sloppily, I undo the child lock, and he about falls out of my car. Luckily Sadie was able to catch him and their Taco Bell bags. Thank goodness she works out, or she would have been flattened by the wide receiver. I drive us the rest of the way home while Archer shares the story of how DJ proposed. I pull into the garage of our building and start the Herculean task of getting Archer up to our place.
Listen, I consider myself to be in halfway decent shape, I work out three to four times a week and I try to eat healthy most days. However, I do not think there is any workout regime I could do that would prepare me forcorralling a drunk pro-football player that is over a foot taller than me.
By the time I manage to get Archer into the apartment I am sweating, my muscles are aching and I feel like I just ran a marathon. Meanwhile, Drunky McDrunkface, is munching on his Taco Bell singing the praises of the bastardization of Mexican food.
Realizing there is no real point in showering before I have to drag Archer to bed. I plop down next to him and enjoy my food and Baja Blast.
