Page 20 of Courtside

Clinging to her sister’s hand as they walked down the busy sidewalk on King Street, Sage thought about how much she hated heels. It was Saturday night, which meant that the streets were packed with bar and club patrons, bachelorette parties, and, on that particular weekend, crowds of Southeastern alumni.

Sage had spent as much time as possible with Brinley since she’d finished class on Friday, tagging along with whatever she and her friends were doing. They mostly sat around restaurant patios or went for long walks, both activities that she independently enjoyed. The laughter and stories were an added bonus.

Tonight, Brinley was vibrant as always, wearing an outfit that somehow walked the fine line between looking hot as fuck and sophisticated. Her group of five friends were all dressed similarly: floral sheath dresses or tight jeans with bright blouses. And of course, they were all wearing heels.

At Brinley’s insistence, Sage was wearing a thin strapped, vibrant blue dress that brushed her mid-thigh, and she’d lost the argument about the brown leather pumps. Brinley had relented on leaving her hair unstyled, as long as Sage agreed to wear it down. She already regretted making that choice, as she felt her hair sticking to her neck.

The things she did for her sister.

Brinley and company stopped in front of a dark stoop with swooping letters in white neon above it that saidVerve. Low, rhythmic music pulsed from inside, but it was decidedly more subdued than some of the other clubs they’d passed on King Street.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness inside. It was certainly an establishment that catered to an older clientele, what with the lack of flashing strobe lights and the music that was just quiet enough that you could hold a conversation without shouting. A long bar ran the entire length of one wall, and high cocktail tables filled the space between the far wall, which held secluded booths. There was minimal lighting, which only reinforced the feeling that you’d entered into another world and could forget about your troubles, at least for a little while.

Sage followed Brinley to the bar, where her sister immediately commanded the attention of one of the smartly dressed bartenders, ordering the group a round of tequila shots.

Brinley, while a consummate mature adult for the majority of the year, let loose every year with her old college friends. They always started with tequila shots, moved to frozen margaritas, and almost always concluded the night with fried chicken sandwiches from Ricky’s, a 24 hour diner that looked like it was plucked straight from the fifties.

Nicole, one of Brinley’s friends, led them to a corner booth, and the women all piled in together before shooting back the tequila.

Sage sucked on the provided lime as she settled back into the cushioned seat. While she had no claim to Brinley’s friends, they were all so fucking nice to her that it made her painfully aware of the lack of friendship in her life this year.

They included her seamlessly in their conversations, asking about school, her new apartment, and if she was still exercising like a maniac. She rolled her eyes at the last one, but admitted that yes, she still started most mornings with a workout.

“Brinley said you’re doing your grad school internship with the basketball team?” Anecia asked, tossing her long, carmel-colored braids over one shoulder. She glanced at the rest of the group. “Isn’t David Hughes coaching the team this year?”

Sage nodded, watching with curiosity as the rest of the table reacted.

Everyone’s eyebrows shot up.

“Oh my god,” Nicole said, leaning forward toward Sage. “He’s really back?”

She shrugged. “Yeah, he’s the head coach this year.”

Anecia groaned, throwing her head back. “That absolutely devastatingly hot man is back in town. How am I supposed to show up for work every day now that I know we are breathing the same air?”

The rest of the women laughed. Brinley shoved at Anecia’s shoulder. “No chasing after men who don’t know that you exist, Necie. It’s not good for you.”

Sticking her tongue out at Brinley, Anecia turned back to Sage. “David was a senior when we were freshmen. We were all obsessed.”

“Not me,” Brinley said, wrinkling her nose. “I was too busy with my upsettingly mediocre boyfriend.”

Again, the women laughed, and then promptly launched into mercilessly teasing Brinley about Shipley, the guy who she’d dated for the first two years of college. Sage had met him only once, and he was just as terrible as they made him sound.

They ordered another round of shots. The bar was starting to fill up, and soon enough a group of men who knew Nicole came over. The group continued to fracture into smaller factions as more and more Southeastern alumni showed up.

Sage didn’t see anyone she knew beyond recognition, so she made her way back to the bar to order another drink. Just as she was leaning forward to catch the bartender’s eye, she felt someone move in beside her.

She looked back over her shoulder, coming face to face with a wide torso covered in a gray button up. The man was handsome, probably a few years older than her, and looked like a Viking-lumberjack with his shoulder-length blonde hair and reddish beard.

He smiled at her. “Can I get you a drink?” He leaned in closer, bracing himself against the bar.

She searched his face for a moment. “Sure,” she said, opening up her body to face him. She ignored the part of her that looked at his blue eyes and wished they were dark and shadowed by curling lashes.

“I’m Gus,” he said, reaching out a hand that was covered in dark, geometric tattoos.

She slid her fingers between his. “Sage.”

CHAPTER6

---