model. “Yeah, well, I hope he isn’t disappointed when someone tells him stories about me.”
“You know, I think Liam does know.” Rodrigo met his eyes. “And he sees the world in black and white, but somehow he still thinks you’re one of the good guys. So maybe there’s something he knows that the rest of us don’t.”
He had never been an emotional type, so Chase was taken aback by the wave of emotion he suddenly felt. He had taken responsibility for what his mother had done so completely that it took a child to remind him that he was innocent after all. “He’s a great kid,” was the most he could say.
Rodrigo put an arm across his shoulder. “Come on, let’s go join the rest of the party.” As they walked into the dining room together, Chase saw that the rest of the guests were already seated at the table, waiting for them. “Everybody, this is Chase Reston,” Rodrigo gestured in his direction. “Chase, this is… well you’ll all have to introduce yourselves.” This was met with too-hearty laughter---like the kind at sports conferences when the reporters laughed at anything he would say.
He saw that the chair next to Amy was already taken, so he found his way to the only empty available chair before noticing the place card with his name on it. This explained why everyone else was already seated---Shelby was trying to keep him from embarrassing himself by sitting in the wrong seat. This was the kind of gesture only Jamie’s mother Frances had done for him before, and Chase suddenly felt more at ease in this couple’s home than he had felt anywhere else in a long time.
The rest of the dinner party wasn’t as boring as he thought it was going to be, and on the way home, when Amy asked what he thought, Chase could answer honestly. “It was cool, but those people talk way too much abut their kids.”
Amy nodded. “I’m used to it. I’m sure I’ll be the same way when I have kids.” She paused. “But you were so sweet to Liam...you’ll probably be the same way.”
“Probably. But that’s a long way away.” This last sentence seemed to add an unnecessary tension in the air that didn’t go away until they were back in Amy’s apartment. Instead, it seemed to trigger something else. Chase recognized it. He would get like that when his team was behind by ten points, and he’d decide that he would win the game on his own. Her wistful mood gone, Amy was now back in her sex-kitten role. As if to emphasize that fact, she turned on the TV and one of her movies came on.
Chase chuckled. “Do you just, like, watch these movies every night?” Amy looked hurt, as if she were about to deny it, but realizing that Chase could read her, shrugged good naturedly. “You’d be surprised how much I watch my old movies.” She handed him a beer and they settled into the couch together.
“Well, these cheerleader ones are good and Zoe was the fucking best” he said, as the movie character Zoe appeared on the screen in her trademark ponytail and cheerleader. The story was of virginal Zoe and her perfect football quarterback boyfriend Kyle. But Zoe was actually carrying on a torrid affair with Kyle’s just-released-from-prison older brother Mike. Of course, there was the requisite devoted but bookish friend of Zoe’s who was secretly in love with Kyle, and who he really should have been with. But it was the scenes between Zoe and Mike, secretly and lustfully hooking up wherever they could that made the movie such a hit with guys his age. After the first half of the movie, Amy kissed him on the lips and said she had to make a quick a phone call. A few minutes later when she came back, Chase’s jaw dropped. Standing in front of him, in full costume was “Zoe”.
He threw his head back and whooped. “Holy shit!” Being an athlete definitely had it’s privileges.
Amy stood in front of him. Chase ran a hand up her legs and underneath her cheerleader skirt. He wasn’t surprised to find that she was
“You know, I think Liam does know.” Rodrigo met his eyes. “And he sees the world in black and white, but somehow he still thinks you’re one of the good guys. So maybe there’s something he knows that the rest of us don’t.”
He had never been an emotional type, so Chase was taken aback by the wave of emotion he suddenly felt. He had taken responsibility for what his mother had done so completely that it took a child to remind him that he was innocent after all. “He’s a great kid,” was the most he could say.
Rodrigo put an arm across his shoulder. “Come on, let’s go join the rest of the party.” As they walked into the dining room together, Chase saw that the rest of the guests were already seated at the table, waiting for them. “Everybody, this is Chase Reston,” Rodrigo gestured in his direction. “Chase, this is… well you’ll all have to introduce yourselves.” This was met with too-hearty laughter---like the kind at sports conferences when the reporters laughed at anything he would say.
He saw that the chair next to Amy was already taken, so he found his way to the only empty available chair before noticing the place card with his name on it. This explained why everyone else was already seated---Shelby was trying to keep him from embarrassing himself by sitting in the wrong seat. This was the kind of gesture only Jamie’s mother Frances had done for him before, and Chase suddenly felt more at ease in this couple’s home than he had felt anywhere else in a long time.
The rest of the dinner party wasn’t as boring as he thought it was going to be, and on the way home, when Amy asked what he thought, Chase could answer honestly. “It was cool, but those people talk way too much abut their kids.”
Amy nodded. “I’m used to it. I’m sure I’ll be the same way when I have kids.” She paused. “But you were so sweet to Liam...you’ll probably be the same way.”
“Probably. But that’s a long way away.” This last sentence seemed to add an unnecessary tension in the air that didn’t go away until they were back in Amy’s apartment. Instead, it seemed to trigger something else. Chase recognized it. He would get like that when his team was behind by ten points, and he’d decide that he would win the game on his own. Her wistful mood gone, Amy was now back in her sex-kitten role. As if to emphasize that fact, she turned on the TV and one of her movies came on.
Chase chuckled. “Do you just, like, watch these movies every night?” Amy looked hurt, as if she were about to deny it, but realizing that Chase could read her, shrugged good naturedly. “You’d be surprised how much I watch my old movies.” She handed him a beer and they settled into the couch together.
“Well, these cheerleader ones are good and Zoe was the fucking best” he said, as the movie character Zoe appeared on the screen in her trademark ponytail and cheerleader. The story was of virginal Zoe and her perfect football quarterback boyfriend Kyle. But Zoe was actually carrying on a torrid affair with Kyle’s just-released-from-prison older brother Mike. Of course, there was the requisite devoted but bookish friend of Zoe’s who was secretly in love with Kyle, and who he really should have been with. But it was the scenes between Zoe and Mike, secretly and lustfully hooking up wherever they could that made the movie such a hit with guys his age. After the first half of the movie, Amy kissed him on the lips and said she had to make a quick a phone call. A few minutes later when she came back, Chase’s jaw dropped. Standing in front of him, in full costume was “Zoe”.
He threw his head back and whooped. “Holy shit!” Being an athlete definitely had it’s privileges.
Amy stood in front of him. Chase ran a hand up her legs and underneath her cheerleader skirt. He wasn’t surprised to find that she was
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