Page 76 of A Game as Old as Time

Tonight, Hailey was wearing a tee shirt and jeans with the Converse sneakers he had become accustomed to seeing on her. She seemed comfortable, relaxed, and in control.

“When you said we were going to take notes,” she coyly pointed to the back seat, “I didn’t think you were serious.”

Shit!

“Oh, sorry!” He threw his body over the center console, tossing the notepads to the back floorboard. “That’s actually from the film session this morning. Your dad,” he tilted his head toward her, “likes to walk through the tape with me before we go over it with the team.”

She cocked her head at the mention of her dad, and he could tell that she had been waiting to tease him.

“Oh yeah?” Her tone was now extra playful, and she glanced away afterputting a piece of popcorn in her mouth. “How was that today?”

Awkward!

Coach Bianchi had not mentioned the time Gunner had been spending with Hailey; however, his comments about trusting Gunner with his most precious plays, as well as his warnings about living up to expectations, had been crystal clear.

“Well, you know---”

She broke into a laugh before he could say any more.

Man, that laugh.

“My dad really is a nice guy, he just…” He watched her eyes flash in the dim lighting of the parking lot. “He is just not a fan of me going anywhere with a boy.”

I knew this was a bad idea!

Gunner choked and took a quick sip of his drink to clear his throat.

“Well, I’m sure he’s been fighting them off for years, so he’s probably a pro by now.”

He coughed softly and turned his attention to the screen.

“Actually,” she said quietly, “this is probably the first time I have been out alone with a guy, ever.”

What!?

He froze, his drink still cradled in his hand. That had to be a lie. No way had a girl like Hailey never been on a date.

“You don’t believe me?” she asked, her voice going a little higher as she again read him like a book.

“I just…” His heart sped up as she bit her lower lip.

Oh, please don’t do that.

“Gunner!” He jumped at a knock on the front window, sloshing soda on his leg.

“Mr. Chen,” he exclaimed, hastily setting down his drink. “How, um, how are you?”

“Please, Gunner, call me ‘Todd.’” The man smiled wide and leaned against the car. “But I am good. Well, we are all good, but I wanted to see how your mom and sister are doing?”

“They’re doing well, Mr. Chen---Todd. Better by the day.”

And I really mean that.

The man nodded but remained standing by the car, seeming to prepare himself for a conversation.

What is going on?

Gunner leaned a little closer to the window. While Mr. Chen always offered a warm smile, he was typically soft-spoken and rarely said much, even though he was one of the main faces of the Football Boosters Club. Lately, though, he had looked tired. The night they discussed the fundraiser and scoreboard had led to a few disagreements that Gunner was hoping had blown over.

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