Slinging bullets, p.6
Slinging Bullets, page 6
Jace is clearly amused, “I wish you all the best on both fronts. If there is anything you need from me let me know. That scratch healed up nicely. Do you have any aches and pains I should be aware of? You are getting kind of old.”
“Jace, you do realize we are basically the same age?”
“I know but I don’t have to scoot around the field avoiding those blitzing defenders. My scooting days are long over.”
That reminder brings the mood down quickly. “I wish you could be out there too. Since that is not possible, I am glad you are playing such an important role for the team. That advice you gave me the other day about warm-ups really did make a difference. I felt more loose and mobile during practice.”
Jace nods, “I knew that would help. Be sure to stop in if anything feels off. Your arm is going to get a whole lot more reps now and it probably won’t feel too great during the adjustment. I will set you up with a post game treatment plan to keep it healthy.”
“Thank you. I will take all of the help that I can get.”
“I probably shouldn’t mention this, but Aaliyah asked about you a few days ago. She had that same dreamy eyed look that you had going on a few minutes ago. Now, I don’t want to get in trouble with Pops. I am in no way saying that you should date my sister. Nobody is worthy of that. I always thought she would be an excellent nun. Still, I might have agreed to tell you that she said hello. Apparently she bonded with you in shared grief during those text conversations about her beloved brother’s injury.”
I appreciate that because I felt the same way at the time. “She was amazing because I really needed to know what was going on. I felt abandoned when she said she had to stop texting. I have noticed the picture of you and Aaliyah in your office. She is a beautiful woman so, big brother, you have quite a job ahead of you fending off drooling men. As for me, I think I just found a different lady that will make me very happy. Your sister is safe from me for the time being. Therefore, I am also safe from your father. That wouldn’t go over well.”
“Oh man, you are right about that. Maybe when you start leading the Wheels to victory he will warm up a bit. He is a lifelong Detroit fan and that means he is desperate for a great year. He has season tickets and has been dropping in very regularly to see me. Really, I think he is just visiting me as an excuse to see the players. To see the whole inner circle, you know.”
I give a little wave and say, “Catch you later. I had better begin acting like the starting quarterback and play some football before Coach changes his mind.”
Unfortunately, it takes another ten minutes to reach the locker room to change. Everyone I run into has to offer their congratulations. As I pass through the door, ice cold water crashes down over my head. The team breaks out into laughter and cheers. Signs are strung up, congratulating me as QB1. The most unusual streamers made of trainer’s tape and jockstraps hang from locker to locker. High fives and fist bumps galore greet me as I try in vain to find my way to a towel to soak up my impromptu icy shower.
Derek, Matt and Mikala greet me with hugs. Richie and Davis cooperatively carry over a single cupcake as if balancing a five layer, wedding cake. They present it to me with a flourish. Richie explains, “Lucy sent this over to congratulate you. Actually she sent over a few boxes of them but you took so long to get here that the guys ate all of the rest already. We almost sacrificed our lives protecting this one for you.”
Davis adds, “Don’t worry. I can tell you are looking around for Donovan. He was excused from work for the rest of today so we knew it was okay to celebrate without showing him up.”
“Thanks. That really is important to me. I know what it feels like to be benched.”
“Can we take you out to dinner to celebrate this fine occasion?” asks Davis.
“I will have to accept your offer of buying dinner another day. I am craving filet mignon and lobster tails, but I have a date tonight.”
Richie’s eyebrows lift in question to that. “Did you finally say yes to Skylar? Please tell me that did not happen.”
“Have you seen anything in the news about hell freezing over? If not, then the answer is no. Actually it would still be a no even if the devil had put on a snowsuit.” The guys laugh while looking relieved. “I was introduced to a lovely lady by a mutual friend in Northville. I really like her. She is probably out of my league but I will do my best.”
“Good luck, my friend. I look forward to a report tomorrow.”
“And I look forward to seeing what I believe to be a bunch of football players hoping to keep their jobs get their asses onto the field!” bellowed Coach. “Did everyone forget that we have a kind of important game coming up? Did you forget that a certain new quarterback needs more practice reps so he doesn’t get his butt knocked all over the field. Let’s move it! And, Richie, get these damn jockstraps off of the lockers.” With that said, he heads for the field shaking his head.
I do manage to gulp down Lucy’s chocolate and peanut butter cupcake as I change clothes quicker than ever before. I double check for chocolate on my face and hustle to the field. This is going to be fun!
Chapter 15
Ava
I swirl the slush in my margarita as I listen to Luke tell me about the locker room celebration. Drinking on this date is okay, right? I am officially on duty but undercover work does require blending in. I can suck it up, literally, and play the hopeful girlfriend downing a mango margarita on a first date.
Luke starts to discuss how practice went but then abruptly steers the conversation to me instead. “I am sorry, I have been babbling and haven’t taken the time to ask how your day went.”
“My day was somewhat frustrating. I didn’t make much progress in my investigations, including yours. In your case, I have our tech geniuses working on tracking the social media posts. One of the other two cases I have is hitting a wall. It is a homicide of a thirteen-year-old girl caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. My partner, Bennett, and I are both convinced that the brother witnessed it but is too scared of the perpetrator to say anything. My assumption is the brother may have been involved in a drug transaction. We are hoping the girl’s mom can get him to open up because our other leads are slim.”
“That has to be terribly sad working on a case involving a young girl.”
“Those are usually the worst. You have to force yourself to lock in your emotions but I admit that when I get home they sometimes all come rushing out. The second case is a domestic violence death. Those cases are heartbreaking too, especially when there are children in the home. Although this case is more open and shut we do still need to collect the evidence carefully and interview witnesses so nothing goes wrong during the trial if there is one. Hopefully, the husband will plead guilty and save everyone from that. He already has two prior officer visits on record but the wife wouldn’t press charges either time.”
Luke shakes his head. “I could not handle the demands of that job. My job involves a lot of stress. The pressure to succeed is weighty but your kind of stress is entirely different. I really respect the job that you do.”
“I have a friend, Katie, who is a great sounding board. She is an investment advisor. We like to unload the stresses of our jobs on each other. We got together for drinks a few days ago. Sometimes it is nice to talk with someone who is not in the same line of work. Conversations can get too work-focused in those cases. Instead, we vent a little about our jobs and then focus on important things, like cute guys.”
“You mentioned a partner, Bennett, I think?”
“Yes, Bennett Myers. He is fairly new to homicide but has incredible instincts. He is a great guy. I expect that you will meet him soon. Bennett has an adorable daughter, Tracy, who is seven but acts mature enough to be a teenager. She keeps him extremely busy when he is off duty. She is loaded with ideas and the energy to pursue them. Unfortunately, Bennett’s wife died in a car accident three years ago. Bennett and Tracy get a lot of support from both sets of grandparents as they all live in the same area. A detective’s work schedule can be erratic so they are super helpful to have around. I sometimes watch Tracy when Bennett needs time to do stuff or just wants a break. Tracy and I enjoy our girly nights. I usually come home with neon pink, sparkly nail polish and some crazy looking pigtails or braids. It is hard to be a bad-ass detective with sparkly, pink nails.”
“They are lucky to have a good friend like you. I don’t have any nieces or nephews or close friends with kids yet. The majority of my teammates are single or just newly adjusting to marriage. There are some older guys with kids running around and climbing on things who liven up team events. The toddlers are especially adorable. I look forward to having one run around in a #12 Wheels jersey someday.”
Luke pauses to sip his beer and then adds, “So, you and Bennett are in the homicide division. Should I be concerned that a homicide detective is assigned to me? I am not dead yet.”
He does have a good point. “Mr. Cannas asked Chief Anderson for the best. Chief picked me. I suppose I should take that as a compliment and I very much appreciate working with someone who is alive for a change. Let’s keep it that way.”
The waiter arrives with our meals. I skipped lunch so I am definitely ready to eat and the shrimp tacos look amazing. We dig in and eat in silence for a bit. It doesn’t feel awkward to simply eat without feeling the need to converse all the time. I like that. I feel comfortable with Luke.
Luke does share some of his experiences from practice. “I got really freaked out because I kept throwing incompletion after incompletion. No matter what I did, the balls kept hitting the turf. Most of them seemed like they were reasonably thrown. Three or four were caught by our defensive backs so that’s not good. Finally, after about thirty or so plays, the offensive coordinator stopped practice and told everyone to huddle up. Everyone was dead silent waiting for him to ream me out. Finally, they all started laughing. I mean like bend over, eyes watering laughing. I had been had.
“Davis looked at me and said, ‘Damn, I had to work really hard to miss those catches but not make it look on purpose. They were actually well thrown balls.’ Of course that made everyone laugh even harder. I will have to come up with a plan for revenge.”
Now I am the one laughing out loud. I admire the team for their efforts today. I share my own experience, “Friendly hazing is par for the course with some new jobs, I suppose. When I made detective, the first case that I was called to involved a body lying in an old warehouse. I pulled up to the warehouse next to several other police cars, all with their lights flashing. I was told by an officer on the scene that I was being assigned the lead on this case. He warned me that it was gruesome. I grabbed my supplies, put on my crime scene booties and gloves and made my way to the body. It was a dead deer, chalk outline and all. I assumed that my new coworkers had hauled in roadkill. Instead, my first partner, Paul, had just returned from a hunting trip up north. He decided to make use of his buck before having it butchered. Everyone enjoyed many laughs at my expense that day but at least Paul shared a few venison chops with me later. I still have deer jokes directed toward me now and then.”
Luke is impressed by that story too. He snickers, “Wow, now I don’t feel so bad. Thanks for sharing that.”
By the time our meals are done, I feel good about the evening. In addition to some of our work stories, we also shared information about our families, hobbies and other stuff that dating couples should know. We feel confident in bringing our “relationship” to Luke’s friends because I need to start making connections and getting nosy. We agree to meet up with his core friend group at Harry’s on Friday. Then I will attend the game on Sunday and start talking to others around the team. The wives and girlfriends, known as WAGs, have the option of watching the game together in a suite so Luke will make sure my tickets give me the right access and that security has my name on the suite’s guest list. Hopefully, I can start making some headway on this investigation.
Chapter 16
Luke
Practices went well for the rest of the week. The receivers even made me look good by catching almost all of the balls for a change. I was getting the feel for having Richie in my backfield again. My handoffs to him were as smooth as ever. Tayson Jones is actually our #1 running back but I am used to practicing with him also so the chemistry there seems good. Even as a backup I had always devoted extra time to understanding the plays and watching film. Now I feel some added pressure but overall I am confident in my preparation.
I shower after the final workout on Friday and smile as I think about Ava joining us for a drink soon. Richie, Davis and Mikala are hanging out with us. Mikala is bringing his girlfriend, Alexis, so that Ava won’t be the lone female. I had hoped that Lucy could come but she is working on a wedding cake that needs to be delivered in the morning.
The guys and I walk into Harry’s to find Alexis already seated at the table in our usual corner. Jules hurries over with menus and takes our drink orders just as Ava approaches. I stand and deliver a big hug. We had forgotten to discuss displays of public affection. Should I give her a small kiss? Nah, we are still new so the hug is probably sufficient for now. She smiles and gives me a peck on the cheek. Well, okay. I will accept that.
“Ava, I am so glad you can join us. I will introduce you to this motley crew. Starting on the left is my good friend and favorite target, Davis Moore. Continuing around the table, Richie Clark has been with me since college. You will meet his wife Lucy at the game on Sunday. Next, we have the lovely Alexis May who for some reason seems drawn to this guy, Mikala Kaiwi, our primary tight end. Everyone, this is Ava Morales.”
Ava gives a genuine smile and shakes everyone’s hands before we both take our seats. “I am very pleased to meet all of you. I have been a Detroit Wheels fan for years so I am familiar with watching the guys play. Alexis, how did you meet Mikala?”
“Oh, I am actually tied to the team too. I am the Community Engagement Coordinator. I work on social justice initiatives, grants, community events and a whole lot of other stuff on behalf of the Wheels. I pull players into some of our programs and ensure that the team is doing good work for Detroit off the field.”
Ava replies, “That is a wonderful position. I am sure it must be very interesting and rewarding. I spend my time doing freelance writing for some travel magazines and websites. It sounds glamorous but it very much is not. My articles tend to be on subjects like packing your luggage efficiently, the best timeframe to buy flights and passports vs. Real ID. Eventually I hope to get more into the travel reviews so I can experience the world. The problem is that I have to pay for my own travel because I am not affiliated with a specific publication yet.”
The atmosphere is lively as the guys do their best to tell embarrassing stories about me to amuse Ava. I had to insert some fact-checking when their story embellishments got a little out of hand. Alexis and Ava had no trouble bonding. All in all, it was a really nice night. I held hands with Ava a bit on the table after we finished our meals. Then I nestled my arm around her shoulders. The goal is to sell the relationship but it felt right anyway.
Those happy thoughts come to a screeching halt as Richie says, “Incoming!”
I am greeted by the fiery eyes of Skylar. I hadn’t noticed her in the bar but clearly she has been monitoring my PDA with Ava. As usual, she has her pair of Skylar clones trailing behind her. She steers her glare toward Ava and speaks with bitterness, “Lucas, who do you have here?”
“Skylar, please meet my good friend Ava.” I purposely avoid giving a last name, fake or not. There is no point in giving Skylar information to help with the Internet searches that I presume would occur when she gets home, if not sooner.
“Hmm.” That is all Skylar has to say? Quite unusual.
Ava, on the other hand, launches into full girlfriend mode. “Skylar, it is great to meet you. I have heard your name mentioned already so you must be around the team a lot. I am so fortunate to be dating Luke. He is a treasure. We really connect so I won’t be letting him go anytime soon. Especially with his new role as a starter, I will do what I can to support him. Isn’t it fantastic that he earned the job?”
Ava makes a point to rub my thigh as she talks. Yep, Skylar notices and her nose flares. Mission accomplished.
Skylar simply replies, “It’s great.” Again, the lack of words from Skylar has all of us at the table exchanging surprised glances.
Ava dug in a little deeper, “I will be in the WAG suite on Sunday. Are you dating anyone? Will you be there too?” Then, turning her attention to me, Ava added, “Honey shouldn’t we be going soon? You said you want to show me your house tonight.”
Direct hit, Ava! If looks could kill then Ava would be the subject of her own department’s investigation unit. There is a moment of silence as Skylar processes that information.
“Colton Crawford and I have been spending some time together,” Skylar sneers. “Maybe I will be at the game to cheer him on. You won’t be with Lucas for very long. He will drop you so I will keep my #12 jersey ready to go.” With that she turns and quickly makes her exit, half tripping over her pair of devoted followers.
“Ouch!” Davis says, clearly fascinated by Ava. “You had better be careful on Sunday or you will leave the game with a set of claw marks. Although Skylar’s fake nails will probably just fall off in the process.”
Alexis adds, “Girl, you impress me. I have never seen Skylar so stunned. You and I shall be friends for life.”
Ava chuckles, “I hope I didn’t go too overboard. Luke told me about Skylar during our date the other night. I thought I should help him out by showing that he is taken. I am generally a nice person so I hope I haven’t ruined our first meeting.”
Richie answers first, “Absolutely not. Consider us Team Ava. Really, this has been a fun night and you are a great addition to our group. We look forward to having you around more. Luke looks undeniably hooked so I am pretty sure that Skylar was wrong about predicting you will be dropped soon. You and my wife Lucy will get along perfectly. Maybe too perfectly. Luke and I can only handle so much woman power directed toward us. We may be professional athletes but we are meek when Lucy takes charge.”
