Page 13 of Totally Fanatic

“I’ll be at the game in Charleston.”

“Oh right. So, who’s the lucky guy Mouse has set you up with?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Sure it isn’t, and her messaging me asking about what the last guys you dated were like and why you broke up had nothing to do with her trying to pick guys you might want to be your dates at these games?”

“She didn’t?”

“She did.”

My bike is jostled, and I quickly grab it before it can fall and look up to find Tim Sage’s bright blue eyes wide and staring right at me as his hands clutch the handlebars.

“Oh my God, sorry,” he says.

“It’s fine. I had it in the way,” I tell him as my face starts to warm.

“No, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” His eyes are sparkling in the morning sun and highlighting little golden flecks that I didn’t know were there. He’s wearing a tank top that perfectly shows off his toned arms, and I’m finding it really hard not to stare.

Levi puts his hand on my arm and looks up at Tim. “Hey, aren’t you on that Banana Ball team?” he asks.

“Yeah, I am,” Tim replies. “I’m on the Funky Monkeys. My name’s Tim.”

He holds out his hand to Levi.

“I’m Levi, and this is Lion,” he replies, shaking Tim’s hand.

“Lion, we’ve met right?” Tim says, and I nod.

“A couple of times. Hey, do you want to join us?” I ask and go to move the bike back, but Tim’s other hand is still holding the handlebar, and it just brings him closer to me. He smells amazing. Like the pastries at the cafe, sugar and vanilla mixed with something sort of smoky and earthy.

“Thanks, but I…”

“Come on, you have a few minutes, right?” Levi says and pulls out a chair.

“I guess I could sit for a minute,” Tim says, smiling my way, and a flurry of butterflies swirl through my stomach. I hope Beau comes back with my smoothie soon.

“Umm, so do you all, like, work at the gym?” Tim asks, and I shake my head.

“Levi works at Club Yellow, the dance club downtown. I have a few jobs, but mostly I work with Mary Beth. You met her at Riverside Barbeque.”

“The girl with the pink hair?”

“Yeah, except she’s dyed it blue now. I swear, one day she’ll go to wash it and it will all fall out. Are you excited for next week’s game?”

“I guess.”

Levi leans back in his chair. “That doesn’t sound excited.”

Tim shrugs. “I’ve been trying to land this new trick play, and it just hasn’t been working.”

“You’ll get it, eventually. It’s like that flip catch you do. It took weeks of practice, right?” I ask, and the tiniest of grins creeps onto his lips.

“Yeah. It did, then one day it just… worked.”

“Exactly, and you landed like ten of those last season, so whatever this new trick is, I’m sure you just need to keep at it. You’ve got this. I know you do.”

“Thanks. You’re right. It took ages to get the flip. This is normal. It will work, I just have to keep practicing.”

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