Page 77 of Candygrams

Damn!

I can’t be a complete ass it turns out. What he says is fair and only right. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it.

“Okay, fine. Let’s hear them.”

“We eat during every session because you can’t learn on an empty stomach and I burn through a shit ton of energy.”

That seems…fair, I guess.

“I’ll feed you, no need for you to help me and pay for food.”

“No. That’s…” Not something I want to be beholden to him for.

“Only fair, sweetheart.”

I stiffen at the nickname.

“None of that…Rip.”

“Fine. See how easy that was, talking through it and compromising. You don’t like me always getting the food and I don’t like not being able to call you sweetheart. Next,”

I wait and don’t let my mind linger on why he would want to call me sweetheart so badly. Probably because he calls all his females by that particular nickname, so he doesn’t have to learn their names and now he’s pissed he’s going to have to actually learn my name.

“You come to all the football games for the rest of the season.”

“No.”

“Then you’re going to have to give on one of your rules…Tandy.”

“I don’t…have time…”

“And just like I’m making time for you, you can figure out a way to make time for me.”

“That’s not how this works. I already told you I’m more than ready to walk away and not help you.”

“Come on, you won’t even have to put up with me because I’ll be on the field. You can bring a friend, a relative, a lover, anyone you want to bring with you. I want you to see what I do since I get to see what you do. A show and tell kind of thing. And it is only one night a week…most weeks.”

“Fine.” Damn him. And me for bending to his whims. “Is that all?”

I can tell right away that the big one he’s been leading up to is about to be lobbed out and I still myself, more than ready to tell this overgrown giant no. A word he isn’t used to hearing, I’m sure.

Chapter Four

Rip

She really isn’t going to like this one. I don’t know why I’m even bringing it up. I don’t know why I’m pushing so hard when she’s already said she would give me the trial run.

“There are certain things I have to do for the season to…boost morale or put my image out there.”

“Things like what?”

Why is she so fucking cute when she frowns?

“Parties, especially when the team wins, team things like group study sessions, and pregame rituals like rallies and photos and stuff.”

“Okay. That’s great, what does that have to do with me? It’s not like I’m going to stop you from doing all that. We just need to make a schedule for when you can come…”

“Go with me.”

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