Dani
My family’sshocked when we’re shown our seats for the game. I hadn’t thought much about it when we were ushered into the stadium. Never being a sports fanatic, I’d given little thought to seating. As long as we could see the field, I figured It was decent.
“Holy shit,” Derek exhales as he sees our assigned seats. “We’re in the front two rows on the forty-yard line.”
“Ohmigod, Dani,” Damien gushes. “I might just have a man crush on Luke. These. Seats. Are. Killer!”
“Do I need to be worried?” I tease.
“You know what I mean.” Damien rolls his eyes. “You have to admit these are amazing.”
I look around, nodding my head in agreement.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to the field.” My dad’s eyes are wide as he takes in the stadium.
“This will be so much fun to watch,” Mom pipes in with enthusiasm.
“I can’t wait to see Rainier stomp the Eagles,” Davis comments as he takes a sip from his soda.
Just as we settle, the Rainier Renegades come out to the field from the tunnel, and the crowd goes wild. Everyone’s on their feet. I’m thankful to be in the front row because I get a glimpse of Luke, and my excitement surges.
Hot damn!He’s dressed in black slacks and a dark gray Rainier Renegades polo shirt. His muscles flex as he runs on with the team. He fills his slacks and shirt out so well, my mouth waters.Holy hell. How can he look so hot?
Luke’s entirely focused on the game. He talks with a few members of the team and coaching staff as he walks to a spot almost in front of me on the sideline and puts on his headset. The Eagles are introduced to the stadium. There’s a combination of cheers and boos around the stadium as they introduce each player. My focus stays on Luke. His back is to me, but as he holds a conversation with what looks like another coach, I can’t tear my eyes away. Their exchange of words looks intense, and I’m riveted to my spot by their brief interaction. I haven’t been to a live football game since high school, and let’s face it, I was there to socialize, not watch the game. But as I take in this scene, it’s like being transported to an entirely different universe. I can see the draw. The excitement is palpable, and the energy zings through the stadium.
Other than watching the players make the plays on the field, I’ve never considered all the intricacies that go into this sport. There’s so much behind the scenes I never knew about. Before I know it, the players for the Rainier Renegades are introduced, the anthem is sung, the coin is tossed, and the kick-off takes place.
I may not know much, but I do know our team has the ball, and we keep making plays toward the end zone. Luke intensely talks into the headset as he paces along the sidelines. He must be making the right calls, because yards are gained, and the crowd’s on its feet, cheering like crazy. I swear, our quarterback must have magic hands because every time he releases the ball into the air, one of the Renegades catches it, causing Luke to pump his fist in the air in celebration.
“Are you even watching the game?” Damien teases as he elbows me after a few plays, and my eyes continue to trace Luke’s movements in my peripheral.
“Of course, I am,” I scoff, somewhat defensive. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Dame shakes his head and laughs. “Dani…” He waits until I take my eyes off Luke and direct my gaze to him before continuing. “Your eyes have been glued to him. If I didn’t know better, I’d bet you could map out his every move without a second thought.”
Rolling my eyes, I try to avoid being caught. “We’re about to score. Rainier is on the eighteen-yard line and…If…I’m not mistaken, we just got another first down.”
“Okay… Okay… so you’ve been paying attention.” Dame shakes his head. “But every time I glance your way, you’re watching Luke, not the game.”
I point down to Luke and more importantly, the man in nearly the same clothes next to him. “Do you see that guy down there?”
“Um… Dani? There’s a lot of guys down there. Be more specific.”
What a smartass.But I continue, ignoring the sarcasm dripping from him. “The one next to Luke. What the hell is he doing?”
Damien looks to the guy in question and shakes his head. Before he says anything, the crowd erupts in cheers as Rainier scores a touchdown. Of course, with my attention on Luke, I’d missed how it happened. When I watch the instant replay, my mouth drops. The guy leapt over another player and almost did an entire flip, landing on his feet as he finished in the end zone.Holy shit. How did he do that? Talk about athleticism.
“Let’s see how the new kicker is…” Davis looks on with eagerness to the field. “I watched him play in college. Hope he’s comfortable at the pro level. He’ll either gain thousands of fans or have hecklers for a long time to come.”
I can’t imagine the pressure this guy must be under. At least I have an entire book for people to form an opinion of me, not thirty seconds to make or break it. My stomach clenches as the ball’s snapped. Tension fills the stadium as it’s caught and set into position. Gracefully, the kicker takes two steps and glides his foot through, connecting with the ball. It soars through the air, close to the left goal post. I’m so nervous, I bring my hands to my face. It takes everything I have not to cover my eyes. I’m on my tiptoes, anxiously awaiting the score, as if my height will keep the ball in the air longer.
This is why I don’t like sports. I can’t handle the stress.I’m not even playing, and my heart races like a greyhound at the track.After an agonizing second, the officials raise their arms to the sky, and the crowd celebrates.
Realization hits me like a ton of bricks.This is only the first quarter. How the hell am I going to make it through the entire game?
The score volleys between whoever takes the lead. If I thought watching the game was intense, watching Luke is nothing in comparison. His back is to me, but I’ve gotten plenty of glimpses of his profile as he paces up and down the field. His shoulders tense, his pace quickens with the intensity of the plays on the field, and his gaze never leaves the action.
Oddly enough, the thing I can’t keep my eyes off of, is the handsy guy next to Luke. Instead of being able to watch the game, this man’s focus is entirely on Luke. As Luke paces, this guy pulls him off the field, literally. He’s kept Luke from running into officials, the players, and the other staff on the sidelines. It’s almost comical to watch. This poor guy looks like he’s dancing the tango the way he swoops in and saves Luke from potential disaster. Everyone else seems to give this guy a wide berth. He grabs Luke constantly, and Luke completely ignores him or is comfortable with it. I can’t decipher which. Hell, in the three quarters of the game I’ve watched, I think this guy has touched Luke more than I have since we’ve met.Do I need to be jealous?
