Playing to Win (The Players)

Our department advisor Marilee is waiting for us in our office when we show up at our normally scheduled meeting time, a sour look on her normally sunny face. The three of us exchange glances before Gwyneth steps forward and bravely asks, “Is everything okay?”

“I need to speak to the three of you. Well, only you two.” Marilee indicates me and Gwen. “It’s about what happened Saturday night.”

My stomach literally bottoms out and I’m afraid I might puke up the salad I ate at lunch. Does she know I had sex with Ace Saturday night? How? Who told her?

“What about Saturday?” Gwen asks, sounding genuinely curious.

“There was a report that the two of you were spending time with the football team at a bar downtown.” Marilee sniffs, pushing her glasses up her nose.

Relief floods me at her not mentioning the sex part, but still.

This isn’t good.

“We were at Logan’s, yes.” Gwen nods, her gaze quickly going to mine before she returns her attention to Marilee. “And we spent some time with the football team.”

“That’s not allowed.”

“They asked us to join them,” Gwen explains. “As friends. We’re kind of a part of the team, you know? And we were there celebrating their big win.”

“I was there too,” Eric adds.

“You were?” Marilee looks over at him, surprised.

“Yeah. I hung out with them as well.”

“That doesn’t seem to be a problem,” she says firmly.

“Why? Because I’m a guy?” Eric’s tone is almost hostile.

“Well…yes,” Marilee says.

“What if I was gay?”

Marilee frowns. “Oh…are you?”

“That’s not the point. You’re making Gwen and Ruby feel bad for hanging with the football team—guys we spend a lot of time with already—like what they’re doing is wrong. Yet when I hang out with them, it’s no big deal.”

“The sexual component always comes into play—” Marilee starts, but Eric cuts her off.

“It shouldn’t. Men and women can be friends. It’s no big deal.”

“It’s true,” Gwen adds. “Nothing happened that night. We were there to celebrate our team. That’s it.”

“Yeah. That’s it,” I echo.

God, I’m a giant liar. Later that night, I had Ace’s dick in my face. In my mouth. In my body. We were wrapped up in each other all night long and it was awesome and I’m dying to do it again.

Marilee studies all of us, her gaze touching on each of our faces, her frown deepening when she lands on Eric.

“I feel like you’re trying to turn this into a bigger problem,” she tells him.

“And I feel like you’re being unfair just because they’re women. They know how to conduct themselves with the football team. We all know what our responsibilities are and we’re not going to jeopardize anything,” Eric says. “Shouldn’t you be sticking up for them, considering you’re a woman too?”

“Eric,” Gwen says, her tone faintly chastising. There’s a pleading look in her eyes, like she’s dying to tell him to shut up.

Marilee visibly bristles. She doesn’t like being challenged, that’s clear. “I merely wanted to let you know about the matter, and if you want my advice, I would suggest not spending any personal time with a football player. Especially at a bar where everyone can see you.”

One more sweeping look and then she marches out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

Gwen slumps forward, pressing her head against the desk for a moment. “Did you have to argue with her, Eric?”

“She was being so sexist! It’s not like you were flirting with the football team.” Eric scoffs.

I keep my lips pressed together so I don’t say something stupid like, oh I was!

Because I was flirting with Ace all night.

“Right, because I was too busy flirting with you.” Gwen lifts her head, her gaze going to mine. “You never heard me say that.”

“She did,” Eric says.

“I did,” I agree, my gaze bouncing between the two of them. “Are you guys—”

“We don’t know what we are,” Gwen says, cutting me off.

Eric remains quiet, but he’s smiling, ducking his head.

My earlier worry is forgotten. I’m grinning at them like a fool. “Ooh, you two! What happened Saturday night?”

“None of your business,” Gwen says at the same time Eric answers, “We kissed.”

“Oh my God!” I’m hopping up and down like a child, clapping my hands. “That’s so cute. You two make a good couple.”

“Don’t rush things,” Gwen says.

“I agree,” Eric tells me.

This man is clearly into her and she’s freaking out. We need to have a talk, but I can tell Gwen doesn’t want to have it now.

“We’re not going to practice today.” Gwen rises from her chair and starts pacing around the office like she’s nervous. “I wanted to work on editing the footage we got over the weekend and putting together some posts, and now after what Marilee said, I think it’s a good idea if we steer clear from the team for the week.”

“The entire week?” I ask, sounding sad.

“Gwen, that’s being a little extreme,” Eric tells her.

“Do you have a better idea?” Gwen crosses her arms in front of her, defensive.

“Yeah, I think I do. I agree we should stay here this afternoon and work on all the footage we got during the game, but later this week? Those guys are going to be a lot more relaxed since they don’t have a game Saturday, including the coaching staff. You should put together some of those lip-syncing videos you like so much.” Eric makes the slightest face. He still thinks those videos are ridiculous, but he doesn’t give us too much grief over it. “What do you think, Ruby?”

“I think that sounds perfect,” I say with a firm nod.

Gwen sighs. “Fine. Let’s get to work then.”

I’ll miss seeing Ace out at practice, but it might be best to stay away this afternoon. I’m guessing they got a talking to as well, and I wonder how he took it. Will he freak out and not want to see me anymore?

I doubt he would give up on me that easily.

Would he?

He better not.

Acey Baby: What are you doing?

Me: Avoiding football players at all costs.

Acey Baby: Including me?

Me: Especially you.

Acey Baby: Ouch. That’s harsh.

Me: Did you hear that someone snitched on us?

Acey Baby: Yeah. We got a big speech over it, though I have to admit, it didn’t feel like that big of deal. So we hung out at the bar. It’s not like anything happened.

Me: We were talked to as well and I quietly freaked out because something definitely happened.

Acey Baby: No one knows about us.

Me: Right and we need to keep it that way.

He doesn’t respond for a few minutes, and of course, my stomach twists into knots and I worry about what he’s thinking. How he might be reacting.

Acey Baby: I can’t stop thinking about it.

Acey Baby: Can’t stop thinking about you.

Butterflies flutter in my stomach and I glance up at the ceiling, searching for strength, but there’s none to be found. I know what I should do: turn him away. Tell him we need to play it cool and not hang out because this is dangerous. This kind of talk? Him saying he can’t stop thinking about me?

It’s not good. It’s not good at all.

Acey Baby: Let’s hang out.

Me: Tonight????

Acey Baby: Yeah. I want to see you again.

Acey Baby: Get you naked again.

Acey Baby: Fuck you all night. What do you say?

It’s a terrible idea. Despite the way my pussy tingles and my entire body turns to mush at him saying he wants to get me naked again and fuck me all night—sheesh, way to get a girl excited—I know I should say no. At the very least I should lie and say I’m busy.

My phone rings and I answer it automatically, Ace’s deliciously deep voice filling my ear and making me shiver.

“You took way too long to respond.”

“I don’t know. Is it a good idea, us seeing each other?”

“It’s a great idea.”

“They’re cracking down on us. What if someone finds out?” He’ll get a talking to and I’ll get fired.

I definitely have more at stake than he does.

“Trust me, no one will find out.” He sounds so sure of himself that if he were standing in front of me, I would smack him for being so confident. But then he goes and lowers his voice, becoming intense. “I need to see you.”

More tingling and I clamp my thighs together to try to stop it. “Why?”

“Don’t ask me questions, Red. Just tell me I can come over.” He sounds vaguely irritated. A little impatient.

“But—”

He cuts me off. “Like I mentioned earlier, I’m dying to fuck you again. Eat that sweet pussy of yours. Maybe even fuck your mouth if we have time? What do you think, Red? Sound good?”

His tone is rough, his breathing ragged and I sigh into the phone, feeling weak. “Okay. Come over.”

“See you in ten.”