“I’m going to the bar!” Roman yelled to be heard above the music and chatter.
I pointed to the back room, and my brother nodded. But without my two guys clearing a path for me, it took me several minutes to make it the last few yards there.
A bouncer sat on a stool next to the door, and as I tried to enter, he put an arm out, blocking me. “Players only.”
Well, shit. Now what? I didn’t bother telling him that I was with the players because he had no reason to believe me. Plus, I was sure he’d heard that line more than once already tonight. I stepped aside to wait for Carson, feeling very much like a loser who wasn’t allowed to sit with the cool kids. Story of my life.
Using the oldest trick in the book, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through it so that I wouldn’t appear quite so lame. Though I tried not to watch the clock, I knew that it took Carson exactly eight minutes to find me. When he walked up, I couldn’t help but notice he smelled like ladies’ perfume. Or maybe my jealous mind was simply imagining it. People were packed so tightly in the small space, it was hard to tell where the scent was coming from.
“What are you doing?” Carson yelled to be heard over the music.
I gestured to the bouncer.
Carson’s brow wrinkled as a look of annoyance crossed his face. “What’s your name, man?”
“Greg.”
“Nice to meet you, Greg. This is Becca. Becca, meet Greg.”
I nodded to the man, who seemed to have no idea why Carson was spending so much time talking to him.
“I want you to memorize my girl, Becca’s, face, okay?” Carson said. “She goes where I go.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes at Carson’s big-man-on-campus routine. Though it annoyed me, it did come in handy sometimes. Back home, no one cared that he played for VVU, but his last name had the same effect. While he didn’t hesitate to use his pull in Bleaksburg, I’d never seen him play the Fleck card. It was a touchy subject.
Nodding, the bouncer stepped aside. “You got it.”
“Thanks.” Carson clapped him on the back and slipped him a bill like he’d done with our server at Outback. I guessed one lesson he’d learned from his father was that when money talked, people listened. “Oh, and you see that guy at the bar there? In the navy shirt? He’s with me too.”
I was on the shorter side to begin with, but walking into a room full of football players made me feel like I was a Chihuahua in a pack of Saint Bernards—I would need to be careful not to get stepped on. It was a relief that the music was much quieter in the private room so that we could actually hear one another without having to yell.
“Do you want a drink?” Carson asked.
I pursed my lips, wondering why he’d even asked. “Underage, remember?”
“Yeah, but I could still get you something.”
“Um, no. Water is fine.” While my age obviously didn’t stop me from indulging in the privacy of my own—or Carson’s—home, I sure as hell wasn’t going to drink in public. That was asking for trouble. As a cop’s daughter, I knew that better than most.
When he went in search of the cocktail waitress who was supposed to be serving the room, I exhaled. While it felt kind of awkward to be standing alone in the middle of the room, I was grateful to have a moment to collect myself. I’d never liked watching Carson flirt with girls, but it didn’t usually stir the thick jealousy that was still coating my insides. It was an uncomfortable feeling and one that I hoped was an anomaly. At least I could be fairly certain Carson wouldn’t be accosted by anyone in the back room since everyone had to be escorted by a player. While that was a good solution for that evening, it was only putting a Band-Aid on what could turn out to be a much bigger problem.
Someone laid a hand on my arm, and I turned to see Jake’s girlfriend, Rachel. Thank God—a distraction.
“Hi!” Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes were glassy. “Becca, right?”
We’d only met briefly over the summer, so I was pleased she remembered my name. “Yes. It’s good to see you again, Rachel.”
She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “I’ve got a table over there if you want to come sit with me.”
I nodded gratefully and followed her to the table. “Where’s Jake?”
Rachel gestured to the crowd of players. “Somewhere in there, I guess.”
“He played a great game.” Both he and Carson had scored. Wyatt had made the third and last touchdown, giving a final score of twenty-one to seventeen. The win wasn’t as impressive as most of last season’s had been, but it was a rebuilding year, and a win was a win.
“I’m sooo glad he scored. I mean, I wasn’t worried he’d fumble or anything, but he was so nervous.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “Oops. I probably shouldn’t tell you that, should I?”
I grinned. “It’s okay.”
She waved her hand in agreement. “That’s right. We’re both WAGs, so we can talk about this stuff.”
“WAGs?” I felt like I should know what that meant, but I couldn’t place the term.
“Wives and girlfriends. You know, like wives and girlfriends of the players. Freddie’s Angie is an official WAG now that he’s pro, but we’re college WAGs, right? It counts.” Rachel sucked up some of a fruity beverage from a straw.
I chuckled. “You’re definitely a WAG, but Carson and I are just friends.” I craned my neck, looking for Roman. “My brother, Roman, is around here somewhere. He and Carson have been best friends since fifth grade. They’re like brothers.”
“That’s awesome! So if you and Carson get married, he and Roman can really be brothers. Well, brothers-in-law, anyway.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think you heard me. Carson and I aren’t together.”
Rachel peered at me for a moment before sighing. “That’s too bad. After I saw the two of you at the river, I could have sworn it would only be a matter of time before you were in each other’s pants.” She laughed, and I tried to think back to when we’d all gone tubing at the New River to figure out what might have led her to think that. I came up blank. “Sorry,” she continued. “I’ve been drinking, which means I pretty much won’t shut up. Tell me to stop talking if I’m annoying you. I can’t promise I will, though.”
I felt rather than heard someone standing behind me. “You’re annoying me.” I turned to see Katie, Rachel’s best friend and Wyatt Archer’s girlfriend. I had met Katie at the river as well.
Rachel made a face at her friend. “I don’t care if I annoy you. You’re stuck with me.”
A moment of longing hit me. I had girlfriends, but I wasn’t nearly as close with any of them as these two were. It had never bothered me before, but now I wondered what it would be like to have someone to confide in. Maybe if I’d had someone to talk sense into me years ago, I would have forgotten all about Carson by now.
Katie crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Rachel. “We just got here. How are you drunk already?”
Rachel stuck her pointer finger in the air. “We’ve been here almost an hour,” she corrected. “And I am indeed drunk. Do you remember Becca? She’s Carson’s ‘friend.’” Her pointer finger made air quotes, which looked strange since she only used the one finger on one hand. I considered correcting her, but maybe if I didn’t feed into it, Rachel would stop talking about it.