Page 15 of Honey Undone
“The most attractive thing about your father is heknew,” she said. “Be certain about her, don’t waffle on your decision. She’ll see it.”
JENSEN
“Take me to tonight's Hillcats game,” I bombarded Van in the locker room.
“Good morning to you too, Jenny. How was breakfast, you look particularly fit today, new workout routine?” He angled his massive frame in my direction with a scowl on his face as he stripped from his damp practice gear.
“What?” Mine scrunched up in confusion.
“Making a conversation with a teammate before demanding shit from them is a social norm you dickhead.” He laughed and shoved me back playfully with one hand. “This about that girl, isn’t it?” He asked, slipping into a clean shirt.
Yes. “Maybe,” I said, stepping back as he turned around to face me fully. “Has anyone ever told you how handsome and tall you are?”
Van shook his head with a laugh, “yeah Zoey all the time. You don’t have to suck up,” he said, clapping a massive hand on my shoulder.
“I don’t?” I gave him a confused smile.
“I was going anyway, it’ll be nice to have some company. We’ll leave the Nest in thirty. And wear a hat.” He grabbed his bag and left the locker room without another word.
“Wear a hat…” I mumbled to myself, what the fuck was that supposed to mean? I shoved all my shit in my bag so I could run up the hill to the Nest and get clean clothes. Van would absolutely leave me behind if I wasn’t fast enough and Ineededto see her.
I had never moved up the hill so fast. I slid into a pair of jeans and tossed a t-shirt on before swiping a hat from the dresser. Van was waiting on the stepsoutside when I finally made it back down the stairs. He looked me over with a scowl.
“You have to keep your hat on, Cosy’s rule.” He pointed to it.
“Why?” I asked, pulling it down over my head.
“Because,pretty boy,” he mused, slapping my cheek. “You’ll take away from the game and that’s rude. If you come, you keep your head down and your mouth shut.”
“I can do that,” I said, just trying to keep my tone even so he didn’t pick up on how excited I was to see Adeline. He stopped just before his truck and turned back to me.
“I’m not your wing man here,” he warned me.
“I don’t need a wingman, Mitchell.” I laughed.
“You’re cocky for a man that can’t get a date,” he joked.
“What about me makes you think I can’t get a date?” I looked down, chewing the gum in my mouth with my back teeth, my arms wide covered in dark ink and looked back up at Van. “I’m a single, well educated, tattooed, semi-professional baseball player.”
“What’s the problem then?” He challenged.
I laughed and tugged the door open, staring at him with a grin on my face, “I’mpicky.”
Van stared at me for a moment, no doubt trying to figure out a jab but he gave up after a moment and said, “you forgotarrogant idiot. Try to behave,” he added, “and no gum in my truck.”
“You keep adding to the rules, how am I supposed to remember them all?” I teased, spitting the gum out and climbing in.
“You’re well educated, you’ll figure it out,” Van chuckled and pulled from the driveway and out onto the street. The drive to the pitch wasn’t long and I knew because of the game I wasn’t going to get a response out of her, but I checked my phone a hundred times anyways.
The stadium for the Hillcats was a shared space where they played opposite days of the soccer team and alternate weekends with the Lacrosse teams. What I wasn’t expecting was how packed the arena was when we arrived.
“People really like rugby…” I said following Van up the steps to the back of the bleachers.
“How have you never been to a game?” Van grumbled, tucking his head down as a group of college girls found seats in front of us.
“Between practice, games, drinking and school?” I shrugged. One of the girls looked back at us, her blue eyes looking me over slowly from top to bottom. I gave her a wink and she melted into a puddle of giggles as she turned back to her friend.
“What didn’t you understand about keeping your head down and mouth shut?” Van nudged me.
