The guys took off, and I shook my head. It was going to be a very long season. I was trying not to let my nerves show with the players, but I knew how much was riding on me. The team meant everything to the community and the kids. I couldn’t screw it up. For the millionth time, I wondered why they’d been crazy enough to trust me with the job.
***
“I don’t know anything about football. Was that a good practice?” Molly climbed down from the bleachers after I sent the guys into the locker room.
“It was fine. I think.” I clasped my hands behind my head. I was exhausted and stressed. I wanted a drink. Scratch that, I needed one. There was only one thing I wanted more. “Are you busy right now?”
“I’m going to drive you home…” She looked at me funny.
“Is there any way I could convince you to drive me to Wilmington?”
“It depends on whether you have a good reason to go.” She took a seat on the bottom row.
I sat next to her. “It’s to see a girl.”
“A girl? Between recovering from a collapsed lung and getting a DUI, you managed to meet a girl?”
“I met her because of that…”
“Wait. Oh my gosh. It’s the nurse, isn’t it?”
“How’d you know?”
“I just did. You were totally checking her out at the hospital.”
I smiled. Leave it to Molly to notice something like that. I think girls are just more perceptive. “Does that mean you’ll drive me?”
“Have you seen her since you left?”
“A couple of times.” I kept the details to myself.
“How? Did she come here?”
I nodded.
“How the hell did you manage that?”
I grinned. “My charm.”
She stood up. “She’s really pretty, and she seemed sweet. I’ll take you, but we’re stopping at your place first.”
“Why?” I looked at my watch. It was after five. If I wanted to see Emily before she went to work, I had to move fast.
“You need a shower.”
“No I don’t. I didn’t play.”
“Jake, you’re taking a shower.”
“Fine. Then let’s go.”
“Okay. I have to call Ben. He’s going to love this.”
“He already knows about her.”
“How?” She put a hand on her hip. “You told him first?”
“Why wouldn’t I? It came up at work.”
“Came up? Oh. You were talking sex, weren’t you?”
“We’re not having this conversation.”
“Let’s go.”
We got in her car and were at my house a few minutes later.
Molly waited in the den while I showered. When I got out, she was grinning.
“What?”
“Ben says we can use this as an excuse for a date. He’s on his way over.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. What did you expect me to do while you took out your nurse?”
“Her name’s Emily.”
“I know. Sorry.” She really did look sorry. As much as Molly loved riling me up, she was a nice person.
I heard Ben’s truck pull up out front. I grabbed my keys even though I only needed the one to my house, and we got in Molly’s car. Thankfully, Ben didn’t force me to ride squashed in the cab of his truck with them.
“Already needed to see her again, huh?” Ben taunted as he pulled out onto my street.
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No. I just think it’s funny.”
“Funny?”
“Have you ever made this kind of effort for a girl before?” He glanced at me in the rearview mirror.
“No. But I’ve never wanted to see one so bad.”
Ben moved his seat back, crushing my legs. I made a mental note to sit behind Molly on the way home. “I’m just waiting to find out what’s wrong with her.”
“Nothing’s wrong with her.”
“Something has to be wrong with her to make so much effort to see you.”
“Maybe I’m just irresistible.”
Molly snickered. “Keep telling yourself that.”
“Hey, even you admitted to having a crush on me.”
“In middle school. I can’t account for my bad taste back then.”
“Maybe your taste only got bad after that.”
Ben laughed. “I’d say something in response, but I’m actually enjoying you two being back to normal.”
“So am I.” It was weird having Molly nice to me, especially after she found out what a jerk I was in high school. She should have hated me.
Ben put an arm behind Molly’s seat. “Where and when are you meeting her?”
“I don’t know. I need to call.”
“What?” Molly turned around to look at me. “She doesn’t know you’re coming?”
“Nope. She has to work at seven thirty, I think. I’ll call now.”
Emily picked up after two rings. “Hey. I was just thinking about you.”
“In a good way, I hope.”
“Definitely.”
“Any interest in seeing me?”
“I wish I could, but I have to work tonight.” She sounded disappointed.
“What if I come to you?”
“You can’t…”
“I’m about five miles outside Wilmington right now. Ben and Molly are driving me.”
“Really? What if I didn’t pick up or I said no?”
“I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”
She laughed. “I already ate dinner, and I only have an hour. But we could do coffee, I guess. Do you guys know the city well? Want to meet at Port City Java?”
“We’ll find it.”
“Good. I’ll see you soon.”
“I can’t wait.” I hung up.
Molly shook her head. “You’re unreal. She must seriously like you to agree to a last minute date like that.”
“I cut it close. She only has an hour.”
Molly turned around again. “You’re going to have to find something to do for longer than that. We’re going to dinner.”
“You mean I’m not invited?”
Ben pulled off at the exit. “Not a chance in hell.”
I laughed. “Just drop me off at Port City Java.”
“Not a problem.”
We found the coffee shop and I hopped out. “Thanks for the ride. Give me a call when you finish dinner.”