What? “Why, and how exactly, would I make myself jealous?”
He keeps nodding. “Because that’s what you do. That’s what I do. That’s how this works. It’s all part of the war.”
“Jimbo.” Jake shakes his head and mouths, No.
“You know what?” Jimmy reclaims the bouquet on the table. “I will definitely invite the section out for dessert and give Lilah these flowers. Done.”
“Great.” I’m a little worried I’ve broken him beyond repair.
We’ve battled so hard and for so long that maybe he can’t transition to anything else. A tiny part of my brain that’s still addicted to that old feeling whispers that it serves him right. He should have to suffer after what he did to me on that dance floor.
“We’re out of time.” Nate stands up and stretches. “We’ll have to table this discussion until after practice. Come back to the house with us after, Soph. We’ll order a pizza and brainstorm all night. As of tomorrow, we’ve only got four full days until game day.”
I stand up, too. It’s time to get to work. “I already paid for the hotel, so I don’t want to waste the money. Can we meet for breakfast tomorrow morning instead?”
“I’m not free tonight either.” Jimbo grins.
Jake rolls his eyes. “Just come home with us after practice. You don’t have to sleep there, and one of us can drive you back to the hotel when we’re finished coming up with ideas and planning.”
“I’d like to hit the ground running tomorrow morning instead of being more pressured with less time,” Tim agrees.
“Okay.” I can’t say no to Tim. He still looks like he’s already lost.
I guess I’m going back to the ITK house tonight.
Chapter Eighteen
A bottle of whiskey magically appears on the coffee table. Well, not exactly like magic. Shannon put it there with a smile.
“Is this an ITK thing? Are you all going to do shots instead of saying grace before we eat?”
“No, silly! It’s for you!”
I’m shaking my head before any words even fall from my lips. “No. Nuh-uh. No way. I’m never drinking again.”
She rolls her eyes. “You also said you were never eating again, but you’re eyeing that pizza like you haven’t been laid in a year, and it’s the biggest dick you’ve ever seen.”
Jake spits out his mouthful of soda all over the place.
My cheeks flame. I can’t believe my best friend just said that. In a room full of other guys who probably have not gone a full year without being laid. And I absolutely one hundred percent refuse to count that dance-floor orgasm.
“It’s creative juice,” Shannon explains.
Jake chokes on air.
“Not that way, you perv,” she scolds him.
“I am absolutely taking it that way,” he says excitedly. “You will graduate magna cum laude if I have any say about it.”
Nate rubs his forehead. “I’m moving out. I can’t take a whole year of this.”
“Get over it.” Shannon rolls her eyes again, but her cheeks pink slightly. She’s probably remembering the embarrassment of Jimbo being able to hear her coming loud. “When I get stuck on a creative writing assignment, sometimes, a few drinks loosen up my brain enough to think outside the box and get it done. And you enjoyed the drink you had Saturday night. In fact, before all hell broke loose, you said you were having fun. I just thought, you know, you should still get to have that in a safe environment. It’s a brand-new bottle, the seal is still intact, and I would hope you trust me enough to let loose a little if you want to.”
“I don’t know, Shan …”
“If you want to have a drink, we promise nothing bad will happen to you,” Nate agrees.
“And if you want to stay, you’re always welcome here,” Jake adds. “If you want to go back to the hotel, one of us will take you. No matter what, nothing except all the fun you wanted to have on Saturday will happen tonight.”
It’s a tempting offer. This is much more casual than an actual ITK party. Shannon won’t let anyone spike my drink, and I deserve a little fun after what I’ve been through.
“Okay. Get me drunk. But not too drunk. We still have class and practice tomorrow.”
Tim rubs his hands together. “Excellent! And we have work to do!”
Three red Solo cups of whiskey and cola, two hours of brainstorming, and countless throwaway ideas later, and I am druuuuuuuuuunk.
I’m also in good company.
“So, so, so …” Tim can barely talk from laughing so hard. “That’s it! That’s the winning ticket! I’m gonna create a band dating app, and not only am I going to be elected head drum major, but I’m also gonna make a killing when I expand it to college bands all over the country.”
I can’t tell if he’s serious. I also can’t decide if it’s brilliant or the worst idea I’ve ever heard.
“I still think I’m gonna be the one doing the backbend at halftime.” Nate grins. “None of your ideas even come close to mine.”
Jake shakes his head. “Dude. Bandsgiving is a terrible idea. Half the bandies don’t even have kitchens to cook, and you just picked a random date during the season. It’s never gonna become a tradition.”
“We’ll see.” Nate tips his cup, seeming totally confident. That could be the whiskey talking though.
Shannon rubs Jake’s arm. “Babe, are you sure about this?”
“Yup.” Jake nods his head a little too animatedly. “I’m totally cool with bowing out. Every time I think about doing that backbend in front of a packed stadium, all I can think about is my pants ripping and my dick flopping out in front of thousands of people. I didn’t really want it anyway.”
“Then, why did you audition in the first place?” I ask.
“Why don’t you wear underwear beneath your uniform?” Nate frowns into his empty cup.
“I do wear underwear. It’s just a weird, recurring nightmare I’ve been having since last spring, and,” he tips his cup in Shannon’s direction, “to impress this certain girl I know.”
“Woman,” Shannon mutters before reaching up to kiss his cheek. “Color me impressed.”
He winks at her. They look so comfortable, snuggled up together with Shannon tucked into his side, and Jake’s arm framing her shoulders. There’s nothing fake or awkward about their closeness.
It’s the exact opposite of what Jimmy and I probably looked like when we almost kissed.
I just don’t understand how they went from friends to a solid relationship in such a short amount of time. I swing my finger between the two of them. “How long has this little song and dance been going on behind my back?”
Shannon isn’t drunk enough not to appear a little ashamed. “Almost two years.”
“And you never told me about it because …”
“Because … it was like you said—a song and dance. Harmless flirting here and there when we were between other relationships. I didn’t think anything would ever actually happen.”