thing is, Carolyn, that . . . ”
Carolyn closed her eyes dreamily and sighed. “I’ve always wanted to see Paris. And London. You’ll make so much money in the NFL—we’ll be able to go places. Maybe you’ll even get a deal with Nike or something . . . ”
She took a swig of Clay’s beer and continued her soliloquy. “I mean, the only thing is, like, we wouldn’t be able to bring the kids everywhere. Maybe a nanny?” Carolyn sat brooding for a moment. “Oh, I could ask my mom!”
Clay’s eyes widened. “Carolyn!”
Carolyn turned her head to Clay’s and nuzzled his nose.
“What, Clay?”
“I need to talk to you. Alone. Now.”
Carolyn threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, Clay—now?”
Clay reddened. “No,” he tried to explain.
“Then later,” Carolyn teased as she hopped off his lap to mingle with her sorority sisters.
Leigh walked over to Clay, her eyebrows raised. Clearly she’d been watching them.
“So that was you breaking up with her?”
“Leigh . . . you saw I tried. She didn’t let me get a word in edgewise!” Clay rested his forehead into his hands. “Jeez. I bet she has our babies’ names picked out.”
Leigh smirked. “Do you like the name Ashley? It’s this year’s most popular Southern baby-girl name.”
Clay sighed. “How did I get into this mess?”
Leigh slurped the last of her beer. “Simple. Coach’s beautiful daughter likes you, and you like her.”
“I do like her, she’s sweet. But I don’t love her.” Clay turned to Leigh. “I’m going to end it. Really, I’m going to.”
“Right.” Leigh tossed her can in the garbage. “Whatever you say, Clayton.”
Carolyn stuck her head back into the kitchen “Clay! Clay’s friend! Yoo-hoo—Come on down to the basement, y’all. The team is hanging down there.”
Clay and Leigh exchanged a look and started down the stairs.
The team was sprawled out on the couches and the carpets. A couple of the teammates were dueling each other in a game of Halo, letting out colorful expletives now and then.
Carolyn and all her sorority sisters sat in a loose circle, tittering and gossiping, keeping an eye on their boyfriends, comparing fake tans and salon stories.
When Clay made his entrance, the whole team cheered.
“Guys!” Carolyn called out, immediately commanding the entire basement’s attention. “I think we should play spin the bottle!”
Clay noticed that alcohol-fueled Carolyn was even peppier than normal Carolyn. It seemed juvenile to play a game they hadn’t played since they were kids, though no one wanted to argue with her.
“Come on!” Carolyn herded everyone to the center of the room and flicked off the video game. “Don’t be party poopers!” The gamers let out a small whine, but acquiesced.
“Spin the bottle is so much fun! It’s like, so vintage.” Carolyn motioned everyone to join.
Leigh and Clay rolled their eyes simultaneously but obediently joined the circle. Nobody had played this since junior high. At least she didn’t insist on her game of Twister, like she had at their last party.
“When are you putting your plan into action?” Leigh whispered.
“After this,” Clay muttered through gritted teeth. Carolyn wasn’t the girl for him, but she was still nice. He guessed it might not be a great idea to break up with her in front of the whole football team.
Carolyn pranced to the center and placed the beer can in the middle of the circle.
“Okay. Who wants to go first?”
No one was volunteering.
Clay felt bad for her, so he stood up. “All right Carolyn, I’ll go,” he volunteered. Maybe the can would spin to Austin and he’d give him a fat, wet kiss on his cheek. That would be a hoot.
Carolyn brightened and let out a high squeal. “Yay! You go ahead, Clay.”
The crowd tittered as they watched their quarterback.
Clay pushed the can and as it wobbled and the team started chanting Carolyn’s name: “Carolyn, Carolyn, Carolyn!”
But the can passed by
Carolyn closed her eyes dreamily and sighed. “I’ve always wanted to see Paris. And London. You’ll make so much money in the NFL—we’ll be able to go places. Maybe you’ll even get a deal with Nike or something . . . ”
She took a swig of Clay’s beer and continued her soliloquy. “I mean, the only thing is, like, we wouldn’t be able to bring the kids everywhere. Maybe a nanny?” Carolyn sat brooding for a moment. “Oh, I could ask my mom!”
Clay’s eyes widened. “Carolyn!”
Carolyn turned her head to Clay’s and nuzzled his nose.
“What, Clay?”
“I need to talk to you. Alone. Now.”
Carolyn threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, Clay—now?”
Clay reddened. “No,” he tried to explain.
“Then later,” Carolyn teased as she hopped off his lap to mingle with her sorority sisters.
Leigh walked over to Clay, her eyebrows raised. Clearly she’d been watching them.
“So that was you breaking up with her?”
“Leigh . . . you saw I tried. She didn’t let me get a word in edgewise!” Clay rested his forehead into his hands. “Jeez. I bet she has our babies’ names picked out.”
Leigh smirked. “Do you like the name Ashley? It’s this year’s most popular Southern baby-girl name.”
Clay sighed. “How did I get into this mess?”
Leigh slurped the last of her beer. “Simple. Coach’s beautiful daughter likes you, and you like her.”
“I do like her, she’s sweet. But I don’t love her.” Clay turned to Leigh. “I’m going to end it. Really, I’m going to.”
“Right.” Leigh tossed her can in the garbage. “Whatever you say, Clayton.”
Carolyn stuck her head back into the kitchen “Clay! Clay’s friend! Yoo-hoo—Come on down to the basement, y’all. The team is hanging down there.”
Clay and Leigh exchanged a look and started down the stairs.
The team was sprawled out on the couches and the carpets. A couple of the teammates were dueling each other in a game of Halo, letting out colorful expletives now and then.
Carolyn and all her sorority sisters sat in a loose circle, tittering and gossiping, keeping an eye on their boyfriends, comparing fake tans and salon stories.
When Clay made his entrance, the whole team cheered.
“Guys!” Carolyn called out, immediately commanding the entire basement’s attention. “I think we should play spin the bottle!”
Clay noticed that alcohol-fueled Carolyn was even peppier than normal Carolyn. It seemed juvenile to play a game they hadn’t played since they were kids, though no one wanted to argue with her.
“Come on!” Carolyn herded everyone to the center of the room and flicked off the video game. “Don’t be party poopers!” The gamers let out a small whine, but acquiesced.
“Spin the bottle is so much fun! It’s like, so vintage.” Carolyn motioned everyone to join.
Leigh and Clay rolled their eyes simultaneously but obediently joined the circle. Nobody had played this since junior high. At least she didn’t insist on her game of Twister, like she had at their last party.
“When are you putting your plan into action?” Leigh whispered.
“After this,” Clay muttered through gritted teeth. Carolyn wasn’t the girl for him, but she was still nice. He guessed it might not be a great idea to break up with her in front of the whole football team.
Carolyn pranced to the center and placed the beer can in the middle of the circle.
“Okay. Who wants to go first?”
No one was volunteering.
Clay felt bad for her, so he stood up. “All right Carolyn, I’ll go,” he volunteered. Maybe the can would spin to Austin and he’d give him a fat, wet kiss on his cheek. That would be a hoot.
Carolyn brightened and let out a high squeal. “Yay! You go ahead, Clay.”
The crowd tittered as they watched their quarterback.
Clay pushed the can and as it wobbled and the team started chanting Carolyn’s name: “Carolyn, Carolyn, Carolyn!”
But the can passed by
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