“Shouldn’t you be at home resting, or off on the bench watching the game?”
“I can’t leave you all alone. You’ll fuck it all up.”
“You’re really hating not being captain right now, aren’t you?”
“I can afford the break,” he bounces back with a smile. “You – not so much. Anyway, no use trying to change the subject.”
“We weren’t talking about anything else.”
“There’s always something more important.”
“Please don’t start with one of your lectures now, alright? All I did was invite her to the stadium, seeing as you weren’t about to do it.”
“You’ve never invited any women to your games.”
“What’s the point?”
“I know how you think, O’Connor.”
“You think you know everything, don’t you?”
“Obviously. You can bet your arse I know more about sports than you do, more about women and men too.”
I laugh, shaking my head. Incredible.
“Are we going to make a move this time?”
“It’s not what you think.”
“Mmm hmm.”
“I told you, we’re just friends.”
“I have friends too, Ian, but they don’t have this effect on me.”
I scoff. “She’s just—”
“Riley,” he concludes, resting a hand on my shoulder. “Try not to fuck it up this time, okay?”
“Fuck off, Jamie.”
“I will, don’t worry. For now, let’s just give them a show out there,” he says, one last quip before heading out the door.
“Two minutes, boys!” The assistant coach calls us out. I stand up and take a big breath before going out there and doing the only thing I know how to.
Win.
