Isolation Play (Dev and Lee) (32 page)

Pike wanders over with a huge plate of chips, munching with loud chewing noises. Kodi’s beside him and a step behind. I give the brown bear a smile, and he returns it briefly, then looks back down at the plate and grabs a huge mass of chips. Pike says, “Hey, you two, game’s coming back. You guys coming?”

“
I want some snacks,” Lee says. “Dev?”

I shake my head. I don’t feel hungry. I keep looking at Gerrard and his kids, at how he manages to be firm but fair. How he talked to them about his gay teammate. How it was no big deal.

Lee goes off to get snacks, and I follow Pike back to the TV room. Just outside, he hands the plate to Kodi. “Go on in,” he says, “I wanna talk to Dev a sec.” Kodi hesitates, then nods and walks on in.

The first thing I think is that Pike’s going to say something about what I wrote on Fisher’s cast. I get defensive, preparing my arguments about how he’s making me work harder, how Fisher’s still got two rings. “What’s up?”

He glances back at the sun room, and lowers his voice. “Hate to be rude…I mean, he’s a good-lookin’ guy and all, but...how do you do it?”

Startled out of my defensive stance, I laugh, shortly. “How...? You want a play-by-play?”

He laughs and raises his paws. “Whoa, no, dude. I mean, how do you know? I mean, I look at him, and I think, nice guy, probably has a cute vixen girlfriend or wife or something. I don’t think, I’d hit that.”

His voice isn’t low any more. I’m sure at least some people in the TV room can hear him. I shake my head. “I’m not even sure I know how it happened,” I say. “He’s the smart one.”

Pike raises his eyebrows. “Like, he tricked you into it?”

“
No, no. I mean, he, uh, let me work my way through what I wanted.”

That doesn’t help. “But how’d you know you wanted it?”

“
I...don’t even know. I didn’t until...” My gaze slides back to Lee, in the other room.

Pike gives up, with a chuckle. “Foxes, huh?”

I roll my eyes. “You have no idea.”

“
I dunno, I guess it’s just in the wiring. But you’re a hell of a football player.”

I raise my eyebrows. That helps, a little, but football isn’t the part of my life that I’m worried about. “Thanks. Look forward to bein’ on the line with you.”

“
We’re all in this together.” He pauses at the doorway to the TV room. “And, y’know, looks like you’re happy, so, whatever.”

I punch him on the arm. “Thanks. Appreciate it.”

He punches back and checks that none of the wives are in earshot. “I mean, hey, I’ve done girls in the ass before. Not so different. If that does it for you...”

“
Jesus, stop talking and go watch the game,” I tell him, with a smile to let him know he hasn’t offended me.

He does, plopping down on the big couch next to Kodi. The brown bear offers him chips, and turns his head in my direction. His expression is kind of sad, and a little bit longing, maybe. Then Pike says, “Hey, lookit that!” and Kodi turns back to the TV.

When the season started, he, Pike, and I were all backups. Seeing me and Pike get starting spots while he’s still a backup, that’s gotta be hard. Especially Pike—I don’t think I’ve seen him and Kodi apart more than a few times all year. I know they live near each other. I remember what it was like, wanting so badly to start. No wonder he’s a little hunched over here, and even more quiet than usual. I think he’s the only guy here who’s not starting.

The second half’s just about to kick off. I lean against the doorframe, surveying the room. Fisher and Gerrard sit back, offering their experienced perspective on the plays. The younger guys, Pike, Kodi, Norton, Vonni, and a couple of the linemen, all sit in bunches, chatting quietly or typing on their phones. It feels like we could be in a college dorm or a neighborhood get-together, with Fisher and Gerrard the older guys keeping an eye on the group.

The two of them are having a discussion about a pair of wideouts the Sabertooths had ten years ago, cheetahs who were determined to one-up each other all season for three years. Fisher likes one, Gerrard the other. I listen with a little interest, trying to pick up the details they’re tossing at each other. There are two chairs free, but I keep watching the game from where I am. I can hear Fisher and Gerrard, and see all the action.

Fox scent tickles my nose, with nacho cheese. “Hey. Got you something.”

“
I’m not hungry.” But I turn anyway, to see the plate he’s balancing on the paw in a cast: chips drizzled with cheese, with salsa next to them. He’s got a beer in his other paw, a slight smile on his muzzle. The cheese smells pretty good. So I reach out and take one, then another. And his foxy smile broadens.

Getting food in me lets a little sun into my mood. I watch more of the game, especially the guy the Sabretooths have at my position—a young coyote, second year like me, terrific football player. All through the second half, though, even as I joke and join in the discussion, my mind is still on Gerrard and his family.

I remember Lee talking about “twisters,” back at the scouting combine, college kids with real talent who just didn’t have the right exposure or didn’t quite make the cut. Kids who might’ve made the league if things’d turned out a little different for ’em. I feel like I’m twisting now between what is and what ought to be. Why couldn’t I have had Gerrard as a dad, someone just as tough, but fair?

I look at him, sitting on the couch, and I laugh at myself. Never thought of him like that before. I can’t imagine playing linebacker alongside my dad. Then again, I know all his tendencies. If he could play football, I bet he and I would be a good team. The Terrifying Tigers, maybe.

Lee would get a chuckle out of that. I search the room and spot him sitting with Charm again. He’s gesturing at the TV with his broken paw. I know my father’s been rough, but he never sent any of us to the hospital. He did sprain my wrist once, but, well, that wasn’t him, it was when he was trying to teach me to block. He threw me down and I just landed wrong.

He thought I might be a tight end, but I didn’t do so good at that in high school. Switching to defense was a disappointment, but he’s always been there to support me. I’m sure he’ll come around on Lee, too. He has to.

I mean, everybody here likes my fox. Yeah, it’s just a few select guys, but still. Lee’s at his most charming, talking about football, and the guys aren’t even a little tense any more. Even Pike, who kept his distance coming in, leans over to get his two cents in on something Lee says. He’s a great fox. I get a bit of a lump in my throat, and chug some beer to cover it.

The Sabretooths win in a close one, 24-21, when the Rocs can’t convert on fourth down from their own 45. We settle in for the second game, during which Angela brings out more substantial snacks: chicken skewers, cheese, and small sausages with chili. By this time, Lee’s coaxed me into eating more, and even though I relax a bit, I can’t fully shake the clouds.

The second game isn’t as good as the first. It’s 21-0 at the end of the first quarter, and we all lose interest quickly. I’m chatting with Fisher and Pike about techniques during halftime when I look over and see my fox at the center of attention, Gerrard just lifting his pen from the cast. They exchange a few words. Gerrard smiles. I get this happy but wistful feeling, and then Fisher says, “Dev? You hear that?” and I yank myself back to the conversation.

“
Hey,” Pike calls to Gerrard. “You allowed to play hoops or is that just for the kids?”

Gerrard raises an eyebrow. “You any good?”

“
Hell, no,” Pike gestures to the TV. “But it’s better’n this.”

“
We got a soccer ball,” Gerrard says. “Less risk of injury.”

“
Bullshit.” Vonni’s come over. “You see that guy who broke his leg last week?”

Gerrard scans the room. Alex and Carson are wandering over, too, ears perked. “Fine, fine. No contact, though.”

Pike laughs and walks out. Gerrard follows, pausing to say a couple words to Angela. Then Vonni grabs my arm. “Come on,” he says. “Can you play?”

I nod, turning to see if Lee wants to play. He’s looking at Fisher as he makes a shooting motion with his undamaged paw. “C’mon, Gramps,” Charm says, bumping me toward the door.

“
Let me just see...” I gesture toward Lee.

“
He’s got a busted paw.”

“
He could still watch.”

“
So he’ll come watch. C’mon, I don’t wanna get stuck with Pike on my team.”

I keep looking, but Lee doesn’t turn back my way. So I head out with Charm and Vonni. We pick up Carson and play some four on four against Pike, Kodi, Gerrard, and Norton.

It’s fun to see the guys doing something other than football. This is really like a game, not a job. Despite Gerrard’s barked warnings, Charm smacks into Norton, sending the cheetah sprawling. I hip-check Gerrard and make a total of one impressive shot. Pike, to our surprise, turns out to have a really nice shooting touch for a big polar bear. “I played in high school,” he says without any false modesty when he fakes out Vonni for a layup. The fox is pissed and demands the ball the next three times we go down the court. To his credit, he sinks it all three times.

After a few minutes, the coyote cubs come out and play ballboys. Lee stays in the house; the one time I jog up to the living room window, he’s not in there, and neither is Fisher. Then Charm says, “Checkin’ up on the missus?” and I run back to the court, switching teams with Gerrard specifically so I can school the stallion. He’s half a foot taller than me but has
no
moves. He just heaves the ball toward the basket whenever he gets it. I block his shots twice, then he knocks me down, and Gerrard says that’s enough.

When we get back in, panting and slapping each other on the back, Angela’s talking in front of one of the paintings in the hallway to Lee, Fisher, Gena, Vonni’s wife, and Norton’s fiancée. Norton wraps his arm around his fiancée’s shoulders as we go by and leans down to kiss her. Vonni and his vixen exchange smiles, and I catch Lee’s eyes. He glances back outside, ears down, but when he looks back to me, they straighten.

As Pike and I walk back, I notice Kodi watching us. Feeling sympathetic, I take that chance to pull the brown bear aside. “Hey,” I say.

He gives me a guarded look, hesitating as though he doesn’t really want to talk to me. “Sorry,” he says. “I wasn’t staring.”

I shake my head quickly. “Listen, don’t worry. The guys here, they know how you play.”

His guarded look changes to surprise. “Really?” His voice is low and gruff.

“
Me and Pike do. I’m sure the coaches see it. If you don’t get a starting spot here, you’ll land somewhere good. You’re young, you got plenty of years left.”

“
Oh. Thanks.” He nods and smiles, small ears flicking.

I look up, trying to see if I’ve helped at all. “I hope you get your shot here. That’d be cool, right? You, me, and Pike all starting?”

“
Yeah.” He looks down at his paws, then back at me. “That’d be cool. Thanks.”

We walk back together to the TV room, where the ladies, Fisher, and Lee join us. Kodi stands by the window, a little less uncomfortable than before, I think. Pike walks over to stand by him while Lee and I ignore the still-unexciting football game to talk to Gena. She’s much more comfortable with my fox now, and chats happily about how her boys are doing in high school. Then I get pulled away to watch Charm and Norton arm-wrestle. Everyone expects Norton to win—kickers’ strength is all in their legs—but Charm surprises them all.

When I look back, Vonni and his wife are talking to Lee. His wife is a little taller than Lee, and Vonni towers over both of them, but they’re all laughing and having a good time. Again, I get the vibe of a family reunion: meeting the new additions to the family, renewing old friendships. The thought pushes me to go spend the rest of the time talking to Fisher.

Pike and Kodi take off soon after the game, then Vonni, and then everyone’s leaving. Lee and I say good-bye and thanks to Angela and Gerrard and the cubs, who have behaved enough to stay downstairs and who say “goodbye, sir,” to both me and Lee.

I’m lost in thought on the way home. Lee would call it a “minor funk,” if he mentioned it, which he doesn’t. But his conversation is energetic, bright, and just a touch forced, so I know he notices. “Everyone was really nice. Charm’s a kick.”

“
I’m glad you didn’t kill him when he called you ‘Mrs. Gramps.’”

“
You can tell he doesn’t mean anything by it.”