Joel shot me a shit-eating grin. “Holy shit, you’re so fucking loved up it’s disgustingly sickening.” He glanced around the room. “Miles, it’s time to call it, right?”
Miles whooped. “Fucking finally.” And the assholes around me clapped.
I couldn’t hold back my grin. “You fuckers. Coming off a loss and you’re celebrating like you’re all fucking winners.” I didn’t conceal the warmth in my tone.
“With Cass picking up the bill tonight, you bet your ass we’re all celebrating.” Miles high-fived Wilkes.
“For fuck’s sake.” Cassius shook his head. “Malcolm, you couldn’t have waited one more week?” He launched his sweaty shorts at me.
“I don’t get it,” I admitted, making my way to the shower. These guys were too distracting with their motivational love talk.
Miles answered for him, “Cass decided to make a new wager. He was the one who made the stakes a night out for the team.”
“I don’t even want to know.” I flipped Cassius off, shouting, “Serves you damn right, alligator dick. But…,” I stretched out the word, “I’m not actually confirming anything either.”
Cassius seemed happy. The others not so much.
I washed quickly, spoke to Coach, then hightailed it out of the arena. Bronwyn, one of the Eagles’s all-round miracle workers, was able to organize me a car and a way out, away from the crowd, so I could head out without fanfare.
While I still had no idea how I’d get into the hospital without causing a fuss, the important thing was I was going, and not for me. Well, not just for me. Eddie and Lottie were my priority.
My cell rang. I answered immediately. “Hey, Bron.”
“Ask the driver to take you to the east-side emergency exit. There’s someone from security there waiting to greet you. They’ll get you to Eddie,” she explained in her no-nonsense voice.
“You’re amazing, Bron. Thank you.”
“Uh-huh. Just remember this next time you even think of a prank anywhere near my vicinity.”
I chuckled. “You’ve got it.”
“And don’t forget your sit-down with the team on Saturday night, okay?”
I cracked my neck, having completely forgotten our official end-of-season meal with the team. We’d all been hoping it wouldn’t happen for another two and a half weeks. “Yeah,” I responded, sobered by the reality of tonight’s loss and being out of this year’s playoffs. The reminder was a sucker punch.
Bronwyn’s sigh preceded her. “Just try to relax the next couple of nights, okay? You guys did amazing to get this far.”
“Yeah, thanks, Bron. I best speak to the driver, as we’re getting close.” I said goodbye, disappointment and failure threatening to overwhelm me. Truth was, I was devastated by tonight’s loss. Add in how poorly we’d played, it made the loss even more cutting.
We should have done better. The fact that every single player was able to pinpoint so easily something that went wrong, or what we should have done better at, made that crystal clear. Losing sucked majorly.
I tried to shake off my funk as I spoke to Mark, the driver, and worked hard at reining in my pity party so I could be there for Eddie. This grown-up shit, behaving all responsible and less of a selfish asshole, took a lot of energy. The thought made me want to slap myself.
I hadn’t eaten, and I could feel my energy flagging as quickly as a spent dick. Jesus. And there I’d been on the phone to Eddie earlier, acting like I could handle it all and be responsible, implying I could look after myself perfectly fine as well as him.
“I don’t suppose there’s a drive-through we pass before we get there?” I asked Mark, trying to salvage some of my self-respect. Food was food, right?
Mark met my gaze through the rearview mirror. “I can make that happen. Anything in particular?”
“What’s good around here?” I asked.
“There’s a Susie’s just ahead. Their chicken cheese fry bowl is pretty good. Add in some extra chicken and it hits the spot.”
I smiled, relieved. “Sounds great, thank you. Will you order three and shakes, and whatever you want for yourself?”
Mark bobbed his head and grinned back. “I sure can.”
“Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.”
