Page 23 of Sweet Spot
“No, I’m not drinking tonight.”
I nod in understanding. Of course, she isn’t. She knows as well as I do what it’s like to be left behind while the team travels. I wouldn’t be drinking either.
“I’m sorry about taking your spot. I know how hard you’ve worked and—”
“Don’t be sorry. You’ve worked hard too. Coach made his decision, and as much as I disagree with it, it’s good for you. Take advantage of it. I know I would be.”
She nods, and I step away before the conversation tanks my mood. “Good luck this weekend, Britt.”
After a couple of drinks, we clear the table and set up for beer pong. Erica and me against Chapman and Han. Cassidy and Keith stand off to the side watching us. Cass has switched to water, and Keith holds a Natty Light in each hand.
Erica and I get smoked three games in a row. My bloated stomach can’t take another loss, but I’ve managed to distract myself from thinking about the tournament this weekend. Well, sort of.
“We’re getting thrashed. Do you have a couple of wedges around we could use so we have a chance in hell of winning the next one?”
Erica’s eyes narrow and then widen with understanding. “Definitely.”
She returns with a golf ball and two wedges.
“All right boys, ready to switch things up?” I go first, tossing the ball and catching it with the club. I bounce it a couple of times before hitting it into the air, flipping the club around, and tapping it toward the cups. The ball hits the rim and bounces away, nearly tipping over two cups in the process. Guess there’s a reason we use ping-pong balls.
Han shakes his head but gives it a try. After each of us has taken a turn, we’ve managed to spill half the beer, but no one has made a shot.
“How about you use empty cups, and then the loser has to chug?” Cass suggests.
“Good idea,” Erica says. We wipe down the table and re-start. Slowly, we garner a crowd, and they’re watching me closely as I bounce the ball off the clubface. This time, when I send it sailing toward the cup, it goes in. I drop the wedge to the floor and throw my hands over my head in victory as Chapman and Han chug their beers.
“Oh, man. I’m glad you made that because I need to pass out.” Erica holds a hand over her mouth as she yawns.
“What happened to sleeping in the van tomorrow?”
“Sorry.”
“Han and I are going over to The White House if you want to come,” Chapman says at the same time I look around to see everyone has left or is preparing to leave. My teammates are headed off to sleep so they can play well this weekend and that makes me want to keep right on drinking, so I don’t have to think about how I won’t be there.
“I’m in.”
Chapman, Han, and I walk the block to The White House, an off-campus house where some of the basketball guys live. Parties at The White House are always big and crazy fun. They had a foam party in their backyard once. It was insane. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Loud music greets us inside and there are people everywhere. We head out to the back patio. Chapman grabs us beers, and we mill around.
I spot the guy who was with Lincoln the night I tossed tequila on him at the same time he does me. I leave Chapman and Han and walk toward him. He stares at me for a second as if he’s trying to place me, and then one side of his mouth pulls up into a grin. “Tequila girl.”
“Not tonight,” I say as I lift the cup of beer I’m holding. “You play basketball?”
He scoffs. “Nah, I’m on the hockey team. Heath,” he introduces himself. “I don’t think I caught your name.”
“Keira.” I glance around hopefully. “Is Lincoln with you?”
“No way. Linc be caught at a college party?” He laughs. “He went back to Scottsdale, I think. He travels so much it’s kind of hard to keep track of him.”
I nod like I know. “How do you know him? Is he a friend of yours or . . .” I’m trying to piece together how a college hockey player knows a pro golfer.
“Sort of.” He bobs his head from side to side. “Friend, boss, pain in the ass. He’s tight with my brother, so he’s like a second big brother in some ways.”
“Did you say boss?”
“Yeah, you know his site? Reeves Sports? I work on the hockey portion of the website and do the occasional in-person job. Last summer, he got me a gig coaching at a kids hockey camp.”
