Page 170 of Call the Shots
My phone finally silenced but the second it did, Bear’s phone rang. We glanced at each other again, confused, and I motioned for him to answer it. Bear reached over the side of the bed, digging it out of his pocket.
“It’s Mom,” he mumbled before answering the call. “Mom?”
“WE HAVE A COACH!” Cleo screamed.
Our eyes met, shocked, and Bear gripped his phone. “What?”
“WE HAVE A COACH!” Cleo belted out, laughing manically. “THEY’RE CONVINCED THE LAWSUIT WOULD BE TOO BIG! THE GLADIATORS HAVE A COACH!WE’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!”
CHAPTER 64
BEAR
THE TEAM OF LOW BARS
I saidI’d tell the team about the new coach and June gave me a tender hug before I left—which was a first after having sex. Mind whirling, I left the dorm, still covered in flour, withPROPERTY OF JUNE BASILon my face.
“He fucking did it!” Elijah yelled from the lounge and a guitar riff belted from his speaker. The rest of the team groaned, pulling out their wallets, counting bills on the mattresses, throwing crumpled twenties at Elijah.
“What is this?” I asked, dumbfounded.
“It’s called making money.” Elijah grinned, crossing something off in a notebook. “I knew you could do it, Moosefucker. Never doubted you for a second.”
“That wasn’t your original vote, you changed it!” Laki snapped.
“Doesn’t matter, I’m on the winning side. Me, Sully, and Kid’s Toy.”
Sully shrugged. “Never been happier to fill out a paper wrong.”
“What’s that white stuff, Bear?” Montoya whispered, eyes wide. “Is that cocaine?”
“That’s flour, Kid’s Toy,” at least five teammates corrected.
Pickles paused. “Why’d she dip you in flour?”
I ignored the question and checked over Elijah’s shoulder. The top of the paper read,BEAR GETS TO SECOND BASE WITH JUNE. There were only three names in the affirmative, the rest were handwritten ‘no’s’ from everyone on the team. The longer I stared, the more I couldn’t believe it. “You dipshits placed money—what if Denali finds out about this?”
“He bet you wouldn’t do it, he’s number nine on the list.”
I ripped the notebook away from him. “That asshole.”
I debated between ripping the papers for a couple of seconds before I tossed it back to the table. Fuck it. Elijahdidget me June in bed. I rolled my eyes but dapped him up while he smirked, patting my arm.
“Where’s Fridge?” I asked, scanning the mattresses.
“Our dorm,” Nick replied, eyes on his laptop. “Word of advice, knock loud.”
I abandoned the lounge and walloped my fist against Fridge’s door. “Fridge!”
Silence.
The goalie couldn’t ignore me. Eventually, he’d open the door, or I’d ruin his. I kept banging on the door until the sound of footsteps stopped me. It opened to reveal a peeved Fridge in a pair of shorts, a durag, and whipped cream smeared around his mouth.
“Bear, I’m busy?—”
“I need your help,” I interjected, shoving past him. Fridge started to argue but I closed the door. “I need June to fall in love with me. How do I do that?”
“I’m saying goodbye to Tallulah?—”
