Page 4 of Brick Wall
“So, yeah, so,” I stumble. I don’t know what to say now, either. “He was petting, playing, and kissing his cat the whole time, and it was fine, not the worst date I’ve been on, but I wasn’t expecting, well, a cat.”
“That wasn’t your worst date?” he asks, raising one brow.
“Nah, I went on a date with a cat. Who could be mad at that?”
There’s a beat of silence until “Alex” asks, “So, are you going to tell me your worst date?”
“Nope,” I say, popping thepwith my lips.
I look over to my friend Goldie because I realize I’m doing a terrible job of keeping an eye on her. I’m distracted by this giant wall of a man in front of me.
Goldie is laughing at something Bryce said, and it hits me. “Wait, are you here with Bryce?”
“Yes…” He pauses and looks away from me. “You know him?”
“Well, no,” I stumble, but then add, “My friend, Goldie.” Ipoint over my shoulder to the table with the golden-blonde goddess sitting and laughing with Bryce.
“Ah,” he says flatly.
“Not that you asked, but she’s the best.”
“Gotcha,” he says, although it doesn’t really sound like he’s getting me at all. I wish I hadn’t asked so blatantly, but our conversation has been effortless before now.
I don’t know why I do this, but whenever someone plants a tiny seed of doubt, I ramble.
“Well, she is. She’s a delight. The best person I know. She’s picked me up from the airport four, no, five times, and if I moved, she’d help me in a heartbeat. She’s the person you’d call in the middle of the night if you hear a burglar because she’d come help.” I am definitely rambling now. I need to stop talking.
“Why wouldn’t you call the police?” he asks, confusion lacing his tone.
“Well, I’m just saying she’s one of the good ones. Ya know?”
There’s an awkward beat of silence, and then he adds, “Who wants to date a player.”
“Wait, what?” Now I’m the one confused.
“You can’t tell me she doesn’t know who Bryce is…” Skepticism is all over his face.
“I don’t think so.”
“You’re telling me she didn’t swipe right on a professional athlete on purpose?”
“Well, I don’t think you swipe on that app. I think you flick.” He says nothing in response. “Also, I don’t think he put his occupation in his profile,” I say unconvincingly.
“His face is still recognizable.” I’m about to argue that she doesn’t watch football, nor would she care, but he keeps going. “And you knew she was going out with a player tonight?”
“Well, yes,” I say because I did. Goldie showed me her dating app yesterday, and I scrolled through his profile. I thought it was Bryce Ellis, but I didn’t share my suspicions with her because I didn’t want to get into her head. I honestly thought she was going to get catfished, not get the man himself.
It’s why I’m tucked in the corner of the bar in my oversized hoodie in the first place. I was snooping on her to ensure her safety.
“And you know who I am,” he says as a statement of fact instead of a question. His arms are crossed, and there’s a scowl evident behind his beard.
“Yes,” I say softly. There’s no point in denying it. As soon as I laid eyes on him, I realized the wall of a man beside me was actuallytheBrick Wall, the best right tackle in the entire league. No defender can get past him. The offensive line has the best sack rate in the league, being known for effectively protecting their lefty quarterback and he’s a big reason why.
“Alex,” or more commonly Sebastian, when he’s not being referred to by one of his many nicknames, is a man who stands out, even when he’s not trying.
He’s wearing dark, simple clothes, and he’s trying to blend in, but it’s kind of hard when he’s roughly six and a half feet tall and well over three hundred pounds.
Offensive linemen are typically not small dudes.
