A Love Like This (Book 1) (9 page)

It goes
 
on like this for six more plays and some of the boys start to get mad. As soon as they
’
re ready to score
 
their plans
 
are
 
foiled by a surprise attack from the women.
 
Male egos won
’
t permit them
 
to lose to a bunch of girls so they huddle together and devise a plan.
 
They look around at the girls conspiratorially.
 
 
Before the play starts Tucker pulls his t-shirt over his head.
 
His stomach looks as if it was chiseled by an artist.
 
All of the girls are distracted, some are blatantly staring open mouthed others taking quick glances in his direction in an attempt to be inconspicuous.
 
The game starts again and
there
’
s a lot of scrambling around on both teams.
 
I have no idea what
’
s happening until I look up and see that there
’
s a ball headed right for me.
 
I scream and run from side to side in a panic.
 
People are charging towards me and I have a football headed towards my head.
 
I have no choice but to catch it so I brace myself for the impact.
 
The ball reaches my arms, bounces off my boobs and flops around a bit before I manage to take hold of it.
 
I hear a collective yell from the women saying,
 
“
Run,
”
 
as a herd of men head towards me.
 
I turn and sprint in the wrong direction screaming the whole time and wishing I had worn a sports bra. I
’
m a few feet away from the boy
’
s goal post when I feel a thud on my back and everything goes black.
 
I can
’
t move because it feels like a ton of bricks has landed on me.
 
A few seconds later the weight eases and someone rolls me over.
 
I look up and cringe. Tucker, Mike and nearly everyone from the two teams are standing over me.

Tucker kneels next to me looking worried.
 
 
I
’
m lying flat on my back still holding the ball.
 
 
“
Are you alright,
”
 
Tucker asks lifting me to my feet. I drop the ball and start dusting the grass off my pants and shirt.
 

“
Seems like you
’
re always knocking me off my feet,
”
 
I say and instantly feel silly. I turn around to check for grass stains on my butt.
 

“
I can help you with that,
”
 
he says with raised eye
brows.
 
I feel my stomach flutter but there
’
s no time to tell him that I
’
ve got it covered because a screeching voice comes from across the field.
 

“
I
’
m sure she
’
s fine Tucker get back to the game,
”
 
the woman yells from her lawn chair.
 
Tucker
’
s eyes roll up towards the sky.
 
He smiles, touches my arm and says,
 
“
That was a classic play,
”
before jogging back to the boy
’
s side.

Mike is the one who
’
d landed on me.
 
Sarah told me later that Tucker and Mike were pushing each other trying to get my flag and Mike tripped and took me down with him.
 
Mike
’
s apology seems sincere and I can
’
t help but smile at his handsome face.
 
He is about four inches shorter than Tucker with smooth full lips two pierced ears and a fraternity tattoo on his right forearm.
 

“
Mike,
”
 
he says extending a hand and introducing himself.
 
His lips part into a smile revealing perfect white teeth.

“
Leila,
”
 
I say shaking his hand.
 
 
My eyes are glued to his lips. They look like soft pillows and I really want to touch them, bite them lick them.
 
I raise an eyebrow and bite my bottom lip.
 
I
’
ve been forcing myself to ignore these feelings for so long that they
’
re all
 
rushing to the surface at once.
 
Mike doesn
’
t give me butterflies the way Tucker does.
 
Mike
’
s touch makes my panties moist.
 
Tucker makes me want to fall in love and have babies.
 
Mike makes me want to get naked and have sex.

“
Why don
’
t you let me take you out?
 
It
’
ll be my way of apologizing,
”
 
he says still holding my hand.

I
’
m not sure how to respond to Mike. This is usually the time I tell the guy that I
’
m planning to join the monastery or that I
’
m a lesbian to get rid of him.
 

I tear my eyes away from his lips when I hear Tucker shout,
 
“
Let
’
s get back to the game,
”
 
with a bit of an angry edge.

Mike backs away still smiling at me.
 
“
Think about it,
”
 
He says before leaving.

Mike turns and does a slow jog back over to the group of men.
 
Tucker punches him lightly on the arm when he reaches the group.
 
I see Mike mouth the word,
 
“
What,
”
 
laughing and raising his hands in mock surrender.
 
I pick up my jacket and find a place on the grass to sit and watch the rest of the game. San Francisco is such a beautiful place.
 
Some of the buildings are over a hundred years old and have managed to survive fires, earthquakes and other natural disasters.
 
I
’
ve been meaning to take a walking tour of the city.
 
I want to go to a pizza place I
’
ve heard about in the Western Edition.
 
I want to see a free jazz concert at Stern Grove. I want to sketch the fog rolling pass the Golden Gate Bridge.
 
 
The bridge has a view of Marin the richest county in all of California if not America and San Quentin one of the most notorious prisons in the back ground.
 
I lie back on the grass with my jacket under my head thinking about how
 
much I
’
ve missed out on in the weeks I
’
ve been in school.
 
When Sarah announces that the game is over I sit up and see Tucker hug the girl that yelled out to him earlier.
 
 
I know that
I have no right to be jealous. H
e
’
s talked to me a few times, and
carried me to my dorm once but it
’
s not like we
’
re dating.
 

I ask Sarah to take me home.
 
“
I thought you said he and Amy broke up?
”
 
I ask as soon as we
’
re alone.

“
I just asked him the same thing.
 
He said she just shows up everywhere.
”
“
Yeah I
’
ll bet,
”
 
I say feeling my anger come to a boil.

“
Why don
’
t you come out with us tonight so that you can ask him about it yourself?
”

“
Who
’
s to say Amy won
’
t just show up again?
”
 
 
I say louder than I intend.
 
“
I have to study,
”
 
I say trying to hide my frustration.

“
You like him.
 
So stop hiding behind your books and hang out with him.
”
 

I look out the wi
ndow and try and think of a legitimate
reason not to go.
 
 
“
I
’
m not hiding.
 
I really should study,
”
 
I say looking down at my hands.

Back at the dorm Sarah showers and changes into a sun dress and wedged heels.
 
She tops the outfit off with a cowboy hat.
 
 
 
“
Tex is meeting us at the V bar tonight,
”
 
She says as she heads towards the door.
 
“
Are you sure you won
’
t come with?
”

“
I
’
m positive,
”
 
I say wishing I was brave enough to change my mind.

After Sarah leaves the room I take a shower and try to wash
 
away
 
the memory of falling head over ass in front of Tucker.
 
I also think about Mike, he seems like a nice guy but I
’
m just not sure about him.
 
I dress in my warmest flannel pajamas get into bed and pull the covers over my head. My phone buzzes indicating that I have messages.
 
I dial my voice mail.
 
The first message is from
Pookie.

“
Baby I haven
’
t talked to you in days. We
’
re all having dinner at your parent
’
s.
 
Keisha made peach cobbler and your mom made that rosemary chicken you love so much.
 
It
’
s no fun here without you, call me,
”
 
He says and I can
’
t hold back the tears.
 
I
’
ve been
trying not to give myself time to miss my family but it
’
s so hard to be away from them.
 
I have a brief pity party then pull myself together and listen to the next message.

There
’
s noise and loud music in the back ground.
 
 
“
Hey Leila,
”
 
the voice on the other end says.
 
 
“
I just want to make sure you
’
re alright.
 
That was quite a spill you took today but if you have to fall I
’
m happy you
’
re falling for me.
”
 
 
I sit up in bed and press the phone closer to my ear.
 
He exhales loudly,
 
“
God that was corny, sorry about that. Um, Sarah said you might come out with us tonight.
 
I really hope you do,
”
 
Tucker says and disconnects.
 
I lie back on the pillow holding the phone to my chest grinning like the cat that swallowed the cannery.
 
 
I take out my journal and write about the football game.
 
This entry goes under all of my other encounters with Tucker.