You’re going to ruin it for Carolyn if you break up with her in front of all her friends. Why, you might as well just text her.”
“Hey, I didn’t think of that.” Clay perked up. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“I was being sarcastic.” Leigh shook her head. “You can’t break up with someone by texting. Clayton Harper, you’re truly a hopeless case.”
Clay laughed. “Chill, Leigh. I’m going to let her down gently. No way I’m going to continue going out with a woman I don’t love.”
Leigh nodded. “If you say so.”
Clay didn’t even bother ringing the doorbell—it was so loud, what difference would it have made—and opened the door.
The crowd of people was overwhelming. Way too many football players in one room; they swarmed and pulsed to the music like one single mass. Clay knew Leigh was uncomfortable, and he guessed she fought the urge to run away from the crowd. He suddenly thought that maybe it hadn’t been a great idea to take Leigh to this party after all. But Austin spotted Clay and walked over.
“Clay! My man! Awesome game!” Austin gave Clay a bear hug, his beer sloshing out of the cup. Clay grinned as his teammate stumbled on his words. “Whoa, epic, man! That throw totally made the whole friggin’ game! Noooo—the whole friggin’ season!”
Clay nodded sheepishly. “Thanks, bro.”
Leigh stood to the side, looking uncomfortable.
“Hey, man, we’ll catch you later.” Clay slapped Austin’s back and led Leigh through the clumps of partygoers toward the kitchen. He secured a can of beer from a cooler and popped it open. “Here you go, Leigh. It’ll help you loosen up.”
Leigh shrugged. “Clay, I don’t usually drink much, you know that.”
Clay’s blue eyes bored through her. “You don’t usually go to parties either.”
Leigh tentatively took a sip.
He watched her carefully while drinking from his own can. “So, you good? If any drunk guys bother you, you’ll know how to handle it?”
Leigh nodded enthusiastically. “Sure, Clay, don’t you worry. You know I can take care of myself. You got a girl to break up with. I’ll be waiting right here for you.”
• • •
“Clayton!” A high-pitched squeal drowned out Leigh’s words as Carolyn held out her arms and jumped on Clay. Usually he would swing her around but this time he held her gingerly and put her down.
“Hey,” he said.
Carolyn’s face glowed with uncontainable energy. Her glossy ponytail had been taken out, and her golden hair fell in soft waves down her back. There was no girl in the room who could compete with her natural beauty.
“Clay! What you did out there was just incredible!” She held his arm and squeezed. “I mean my dad was saying that if you keep on playing like that you’ll for sure get to the pros! It’s going to be such an amazing journey.”
Clay didn’t remove her arm.
Carolyn continued. “That play, it was like the angels up in the heaven were singing! I am so happy for you, Clay. For us!” She ran her manicured nails through Clay’s sandy hair and pressed a hand to his cheek. “We are all so proud, you know.” She inched closer to Clay and leaned in for a kiss.
“Uh . . . actually, Carolyn . . . ”
On a good day, Carolyn had little concept of personal space or boundaries, but Clay realized that when she was a tipsy, she had none.
Carolyn proceeded to sit on Clay’s lap and continued talking. “The big leagues! The N.F.L!” she gasped. “I mean, Clay, it’s going to be like a dream come true! It’s going to be such an adventure. I can’t wait!”
She tried to plant another kiss, but Clay turned his head and Carolyn didn’t notice a thing. He wanted to break up with her but he had no clue as to how to do it. Focus, he thought, only he knew Carolyn would be really mad at him if he did. She might even cry. He hated it when she cried. How could he let her down? He knew that all of their friends would be annoyed at him, too.
“Well . . . the
“Hey, I didn’t think of that.” Clay perked up. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“I was being sarcastic.” Leigh shook her head. “You can’t break up with someone by texting. Clayton Harper, you’re truly a hopeless case.”
Clay laughed. “Chill, Leigh. I’m going to let her down gently. No way I’m going to continue going out with a woman I don’t love.”
Leigh nodded. “If you say so.”
Clay didn’t even bother ringing the doorbell—it was so loud, what difference would it have made—and opened the door.
The crowd of people was overwhelming. Way too many football players in one room; they swarmed and pulsed to the music like one single mass. Clay knew Leigh was uncomfortable, and he guessed she fought the urge to run away from the crowd. He suddenly thought that maybe it hadn’t been a great idea to take Leigh to this party after all. But Austin spotted Clay and walked over.
“Clay! My man! Awesome game!” Austin gave Clay a bear hug, his beer sloshing out of the cup. Clay grinned as his teammate stumbled on his words. “Whoa, epic, man! That throw totally made the whole friggin’ game! Noooo—the whole friggin’ season!”
Clay nodded sheepishly. “Thanks, bro.”
Leigh stood to the side, looking uncomfortable.
“Hey, man, we’ll catch you later.” Clay slapped Austin’s back and led Leigh through the clumps of partygoers toward the kitchen. He secured a can of beer from a cooler and popped it open. “Here you go, Leigh. It’ll help you loosen up.”
Leigh shrugged. “Clay, I don’t usually drink much, you know that.”
Clay’s blue eyes bored through her. “You don’t usually go to parties either.”
Leigh tentatively took a sip.
He watched her carefully while drinking from his own can. “So, you good? If any drunk guys bother you, you’ll know how to handle it?”
Leigh nodded enthusiastically. “Sure, Clay, don’t you worry. You know I can take care of myself. You got a girl to break up with. I’ll be waiting right here for you.”
• • •
“Clayton!” A high-pitched squeal drowned out Leigh’s words as Carolyn held out her arms and jumped on Clay. Usually he would swing her around but this time he held her gingerly and put her down.
“Hey,” he said.
Carolyn’s face glowed with uncontainable energy. Her glossy ponytail had been taken out, and her golden hair fell in soft waves down her back. There was no girl in the room who could compete with her natural beauty.
“Clay! What you did out there was just incredible!” She held his arm and squeezed. “I mean my dad was saying that if you keep on playing like that you’ll for sure get to the pros! It’s going to be such an amazing journey.”
Clay didn’t remove her arm.
Carolyn continued. “That play, it was like the angels up in the heaven were singing! I am so happy for you, Clay. For us!” She ran her manicured nails through Clay’s sandy hair and pressed a hand to his cheek. “We are all so proud, you know.” She inched closer to Clay and leaned in for a kiss.
“Uh . . . actually, Carolyn . . . ”
On a good day, Carolyn had little concept of personal space or boundaries, but Clay realized that when she was a tipsy, she had none.
Carolyn proceeded to sit on Clay’s lap and continued talking. “The big leagues! The N.F.L!” she gasped. “I mean, Clay, it’s going to be like a dream come true! It’s going to be such an adventure. I can’t wait!”
She tried to plant another kiss, but Clay turned his head and Carolyn didn’t notice a thing. He wanted to break up with her but he had no clue as to how to do it. Focus, he thought, only he knew Carolyn would be really mad at him if he did. She might even cry. He hated it when she cried. How could he let her down? He knew that all of their friends would be annoyed at him, too.
“Well . . . the
Similar Books
