Page 95 of Who's Playing You
“Fine,” she conceded. “As long as you admit one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“You admit to me right here and now that you’ve been obsessed with her since she first came home with me from college,” she said, thinking she could make me admit to some big secret that I was harboring and that it would make me embarrassed. “Don’t think that I didn’t notice you hanging around when she’d come home with me, or the conversations you’d have with her when I wasn’t around.”
But I fully admitted that, and loving the word choice that Nat made.
“Nat. You wouldn’t believe the depths of myobsessionfor Scottie, even if I told you half of it,” I admitted. “And I guess I wasn’t as sly as I thought. I did take every opportunity to spend time with her, yes.”
Not understanding the true depth of my truth she half-yelled back, “I fucking knew it! You were all puppy dog eyes for her, following us around and trying to get her attention.”
“Well, do you blame me? She’s beautiful, smart, talented, funny, kind, and literally one-of-a-kind.”
“I can’t argue with that. But also, dang, Nick! I didn’t think you’d fess up so easily. Props to you. But I get it,” she let thathang. “I get it. This has been a long time coming for you. She was oblivious though, wasn’t she?”
I laughed. “Completely.”
Nat snort-laughed. “Figured.” She then let out a heavy breath. “Fine. I forgive you, and only you. I was never mad at Scottie anyway. I could never be mad at her. She doesn’t have a mean or deceitful bone in her body.”
“One-hundred-percent.”
“M-hm. Well,” she let out another sigh. “In that case, you have my blessing. However,” she said and raised her voice slightly. “Three things. First off, you and I are most definitely having another conversation.”
“Done.”
“Second, tell Scottie to call me tomorrow. She and I also have to talk.”
“Done. And third?”
“Third. You break her heart and I will break your legs and ruin your pro football career. Are we clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Good talk. Oh, and nice game.” And with that she hung up on me.
I turned around to three of the most important people in my life looking at me expectantly. I handed my mom her phone and took Scottie’s hand while giving them all a smile.
My mom broke the silence, “So how’d that go? Is she going to…”
I waved her off. “Ahh, she’ll be fine. We’re cool.”
Three sets of disbelieving eyes stared at me. “What? She’s totally fine with everything, with us being together,” I said as I looked at Scottie, to which she raised her eyebrow at me. “She is! She expects a call from you tomorrow though. And, ahh, we have an understanding, which is that if I hurt you that she’sbasically going to ruin me. So there’s that. But at least we have an understanding. So it’s all good.”
I beamed at them. Like this wasn’t some big deal.
I then grabbed my helmet from my dad, laced my fingers through Scottie’s and said, “Come on, let’s go.”
43
NICK SOBA
The next few weeks or so flew by after that first game.
The anticipation of my very first pro game along with Scottie meeting my parents and Nik had had us all stressed out leading up to it. Well, her more than me.
I knew it was all going to work out just like a dream.
And look at us now!
