Bowser whips out his phone and scrolls while the guys give Jinxy shit. Then he holds up a finger. “Reddit says to wash everything—your dick, balls, ass, and taint—with soap, then apple cider vinegar, then soap again to get rid of the vinegar smell.”
Jinxy runs over to the trainer’s table, grabs a pen, and scribbles something on the back of his hand, then humps the air. “Jinxy’s getting the goods this weekend, my friends!”
I shake my head when I see “ACV” on his hand in giant letters. I’m headed to the locker room when he yanks on my shirt. “You’re not outta the woods. I’m getting you off this weekend.”
“Thanks for the offer. You’re nice and all, Jinxy, but I usually go for girls with less leg hair.”
He holds up the hem of his shorts and models his leg. “What are you talking about? I got nice stems.” Dropping his shorts, he wraps his arm around my shoulder. “But I see what you’re doing. Using humor to hide your pain. Leave everything to me. We’ll go on a double date. I’ll bring Velva and her friend Cricket. She’ll be down to fuck or blow you without any strings, you’ll feel better about breaking the seal, and we can win our damn championship this year.”
He’s told me I need to get laid for months, but I figured he was just talking shit. This time hits a little different. “Do you really think we didn’t win last year because I’m wound too tight?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know, but can sex hurt? What if you do it, and it relaxes you so much your concentration ramps up? What if you step out on the field this weekend and blast away the competition ’cause you dicked some girl through her bedroom wall?”
“You’re crazy.”
Snapping his fingers, he nods. “Think of it like a hard reset of your phone. You know, going back to factory settings. Like, the Nick Silva who won almost every game as a damn freshman minus all that shit that fucks up your head.”
Jinxy is an asshole, and half the stuff he says is insane.
Except…
Motherfucker. What if he’s right?
12
NICK
“Higha, Daddy!” Hazel squeals as I push her a little harder on the swings. Other kids go twice as high, but she’s tiny, and if she goes any higher, I’m afraid she’ll do something dumb like let go and try to go airborne like the other daredevils at the park.
“Hold on tight, Hazel. Don’t let go.”
Who knew the fucking swings could give you a heart attack?
We have a bye this weekend, and I hope to make the most of it with my daughter. I’m sure I’ll regret not doing any homework tomorrow night, but it’s too nice outside to be cooped up at home. I did a quick workout this morning, made breakfast, and then gave Hazel a few options for today. She wanted to run around at the park, so here we are.
After the swings, I help her climb the jungle gym. “Are you hungry yet? ’Cause I’m starving.”
Eager eyes greet me as she nods, then runs off to play in the sand. I’m gonna have to hose her off when we get home, but I’ll do anything to keep her smiling.
“How ’bout I grill us some burgers this afternoon? Did you like that salad Cadence made us? The ones with apples and strawberries and that homemade dressing?”
She nods again, her brow furrowed as she leans over to make a sandcastle.
Thank God she likes the food Cadence makes. She warmed up to the new nanny pretty quickly, which was a relief.
“Did you enjoy the crafts you did with Abby this week?”
“Yes! I liked making flowas.”
Abby and Hazel made fake flowers with crepe paper and wire. I love that Abby always goes out of her way to do fun things with my daughter.
I haven’t seen much of Abby since that day we had lunch. I miss hanging out with her, but it’s probably better if we don’t spend too much time around each other. There’s no need to complicate our lives, and it’s easier to keep things professional if we don’t hang out.
I’m about to suggest to Hazel that we head home when my phone rings with a call from Jinxy.
“Hey, man. Why don’t you text like a normal person?”
He laughs. “I can tell you’re getting more comfortable with the team ’cause you give us shit now.”
