Matthew’s an all-star quarterback on his team and has been doing this ever since he was able to walk—once Jake taught him, of course. Jake was also a quarterback in high school, so I guess it runs in the family. I don’t really follow American football much, but I know the gist of what’s happening during a game.
I glance across at the board which displays the scores in this game of the Waverley Giants against the Roosevelt Revels.
Blimey, what a tongue twister that would be once you had a few drinks.
After kick-off—that’s what Jake calls it—they all take their positions on the field, and as the whistle blows, the crowd goes wild. The ball is hiked back by the center and caught with ease by Matthew. Everything seems to be going super-fast. Matthew rolls right and sprints to the other side of the field. Within moments, he has the other team on his tail and is tackled to the floor, just as he gains enough yards for a first down.
I shoot up—without thinking—and shout out Matthew’s name. Lots of people around me stare as Jake starts tugging at my dress. My face turns bright red as I sit back down as quickly as I can.
“Shit, now I’ll have other dads to worry about.”
I turn to Jake. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you’ve just drawn more attention to yourself, made yourself more noticeable. So now, I’ll have even more wolves to fend off.”
I wave him off. “Don’t be silly. I did kind of cause a scene, though, didn’t I?”
He becomes silent for a moment. “You’d make a great mother, do you know that?” The shock on my face is evident, and he notices. His eyes go a little wide. “I’m just saying.” He gives me a gentle smile. I can tell he’s probably wondering whether he had made a mistake coming out with something like that.
I don’t dwell on it too much. Instead, I smile back at him. “Thank you.”
The awkwardness pulls us back in to the game as the crowd starts screaming again. Matthew is yet again running the field. He’s getting closer and closer to the end zone, and my heart starts picking up a notch. Another play, Matthew is rushed. He avoids a sack, and the pressure is still in his face. He manages to evade a defender of the other team as he races on. The crowd starts going wild, and Jake and I stand up, cheering him on. The defender chases Matthew, jumping on his back, dragging Matthew down, but not before he crosses the goal line.
TOUCHDOWN!!!
Everyone screams, and Jake and I hug each other. I see the cheerleaders in the distance dancing away, waving their pom-poms. The thought immediately gives me an idea for later. I smile and quickly start planning it out in my head.
The game plays on, and the Waverley Giants are kicking arse. The final score is 28-14, thanks to two touchdowns by Matthew.
The crowd dissipates as we make our way towards Matthew. His face is beaming as we give him a big hug. “See, I told you I’d kick ass,” he says, laughing.
Jake pulls a face, but I pat his shoulder. “So you did, Matthew. So you did.”
Clive comes sprinting over towards us. “Hey, Mr. Bennett. Hey Ana.”
He looks at me with a shy expression as a girl suddenly appears beside him. She reaches up to kiss him on the cheek and glares at me. This little blonde moppet does not like me at all. If looks could kill. I’m assuming this means she knows about me.
Oh, dear.
“Guys, this is Stephanie. Stephanie this is Matthew’s dad, Jake and Matthew’s—” He scratches his head not knowing what to call me. “This is Ana,” he finally manages. We say hi, and she immediately starts drooling over Jake.
A feeling I’ve never had before quickly surfaces, causing me to have this overwhelming desire to claim Jake. Without thinking, I grab his hand and pull him rather forcefully towards me. His head snaps down at me with confusion but takes my hand anyway. Of course, everyone notices this.
Clive scowls, and his friend, Stephanie, looks at me with a smirk on her face. I immediately blush as I realize just how “high-school” I’m behaving. I have never had to deal with this sort of thing before. I’m supposed to be more mature than this, but I find I can’t help myself.
While I’m mentally chastising myself, another girl appears, running towards Matthew, squealing. This girl seems to be a lot nicer than Stephanie. She’s slim with hazelnut-brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. She really is very pretty. I watch as she jumps up and down before giving Matthew a great big hug. Jake and I glance a questioning look at each other, and Matthew catches us.
He clears his throat, looking embarrassed all of a sudden. “Dad, Ana, this is Cindy.”
She gives us both a beaming smile, which I immediately warm to. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Mr. Bennett, Ana. I’ve heard so much about you both.”
And yet, we’ve heard nothing at all about you.
I glance over to Matthew and raise an eyebrow in question. He just smiles and shrugs his shoulders.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Cindy. Did you enjoy the game?” Jake smiles, and Cindy swoons in his direction.
For some reason, I don’t feel intimidated by this girl’s reaction. I think it’s because she’s been looking at Matthew with the same adoration as I believe I express when I look at Jake.
Cindy gives Matthew a look of pride. “It was great. Matthew was fantastic.” Matthew smiles back at her and clasps his hand in hers. Although Matthew seems oblivious to it, Jake’s raised eyebrow doesn’t go unnoticed by me.
An air of awkwardness ensues until Jake decides to speak. “Well, Ana and I must be going home now. Enjoy your night, kids. You deserve it after that game.”
Matthew smiles. “Thanks, Dad.”
Jake gives him a proud pat on the shoulder, and I watch as Stephanie continues to leer at Jake. An overwhelming urge to stand in front of Jake and shout, “Back off, bitch!” comes over me. What the hell is wrong with me? She looks like she’s only about seventeen or eighteen, but I am the one who’s acting like a jealous teenager.
I shake myself out of it by giving Matthew a hug. “I’m so proud of you! You did really good out there,” I whisper.
“Thanks,” he whispers back.
As I pull away, Clive is suddenly holding me in an embrace. “Thanks for coming, Ana.” My eyes widen, and when I pull back, I’m surprised to see that Jake is just smirking at me. Stephanie, on the other hand, looks like she’s ready to murder me. I, on the other hand, feel rather smug.
As Stephanie continues giving me dirty looks, we say our goodbyes, and Jake grabs my hand again when we start walking towards the car.
As we near the passenger-side door, Jake pulls our joined hands up to my face. “So what was that about? I thought we were supposed to be keeping a low profile? Not that I mind. I just worry about you.”
I feel myself blush, and it’s so intense, I know my cheeks must be bright scarlet by now—a sure sign of how guilty I feel. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
He gives me a knowing smirk. “Does it have anything to do with Clive’s girlfriend, perhaps?”
Oh, he did notice that then. How silly am I? “If I’m completely honest with you, yes. I saw her staring at you, trying for some sort of come-hither look, and I saw red. I couldn’t help myself. Sorry.”