Page 73 of Red Zone Realizations
“Do you guys want anything to drink?” Chrissy calls from near the enormous fridge.
“We’re good for now,” I call back as Noah and I take a seat on the couch.
I lean over to Wyatt. “How was your first Texas Christmas?”
“I couldn’t get on that flight to Wisconsin fast enough.”
“You got to see your family?”
“Yeah, I left the day after we got back from Denver and flew back last night. It didn’t even feel like Christmas until I saw the snow-covered trees through my parents’ big living room windows.”
I sat back against the couch. “Huh, I never thought about that. I don’t think we’ve ever had a white Christmas here. At least not in my memory. There’s been years where it’s too hot to wear jeans on Christmas Day.”
Wyatt visibly frowns. “Ugh, that sounds disgusting.”
“I think over time you get used to it. It’s the same as the saying about home being where the heart is. Christmas is about the people you’re with, not the weather.” He only grunts in response, saved from a reply by Nash sitting back down with her steaming mug clutched in her hands.
“I didn’t know if we’d see you tonight or not,” I say to her.
“I’m so glad I got to come home for the holidays. There really was no reason to stay in Rome since the season is over, and when next season starts in January, I’ll be playing here.”
“I’m so excited for you. I’m going to be at every home game.”
She barks a self-deprecating laugh. “You’ll be the only one in the stadium.”
“Nonsense,” says Noah. “It will be her, me, Wyatt, Jaden, and Mack, and no one else.”
Mack turns up the volume so loud we have to end our conversation. He points to the TV. “The game is on.”
I look sideways at Nash. “Because what else would football players do on their time off if not watch college football?”
She shakes her head. “They can’t go one minute without it.”
At halftime when I get up to use the restroom, I spotNicole and Mack standing close and talking over what remains of the amazing Zuppa Toscana soup Chrissy made. Nicole is quite literally batting her eyelashes; something I’ve never seen her do for any man, but I don’t interrupt. I just slink by.
When the game ends after three overtimes, with whatever confusing rules college football has for overtime, the girls gang up to choose the next activity.
We all stand, arms crossed in front of the TV. Chrissy is—obviously—our leader. “When Harry Met Sallyhas the ultimate New Year’s Eve scene.”
The men acquiesce knowing that in two hours they’re going to be able to go outside and blow things up. But when I look over at them, while Billy Crystal runs through the streets of New York to get to Meg Ryan, they’re all enraptured.
Finally, it’s fifteen til midnight and it’s time to go out into the cul-de-sac and get ready to blast in the New Year with my friends—new and old. We all bundle up, except Wyatt, who walks out in his jeans and T-shirt.
We carry folding chairs out to the front lawn so those of us who don’t want to shoot fireworks can sit and watch. Before all the fun begins, Chrissy comes out of the house with a huge bowl.
She motions for us all to gather around. “In Latin America, a New Year’s tradition is to eat twelve grapes to bring good luck, so I went and got exactly ninety-six grapes for us.” She walks around us and hands each of us our grapes. I sit in the lawn chair next to Nicole and eat mine. We watch all the guys eat half their grapes at one time.
I put another grape in my mouth. “So I saw you chatting with Mack during the game.”
“Chatting?” Nicole says. “What is this,Love Island? Weweren’thaving a chat, we were just talking.” Her fake British accent is horrible.
“I was just curious.” I laugh.
“Nothing honestly, he’s not exactly my type.” I open my mouth to ask her exactly what her type is because she never had many dates in school, but I’m interrupted by the start of the countdown.
“Ten!”
I get up and make my way over to where Noah stands.
