Page 54 of The Surprise Play (Nolan U Football #3)

It’s not until I’m miserably coating chicken tenders with some secret breadcrumb concoction that an idea hits me.

And, oh shit, it’s the best fucking idea I’ve ever had!

“Uh… can I take five?”

Tommy glances at me. “I’m not paying you, kid. Take whatever time you need.”

I thank him, quickly washing my hands before darting out the back door and pulling my phone free. Pacing the cold parking lot, I walk to the dumpster and back, tucking my hand under my armpit and wishing I’d grabbed my coat.

“Hey, Wily. What’s up?” I smile at the sound of Sienna’s voice. “How’s your weekend going?”

“What are her parents like?” Nylah calls.

“Whose parents?” another girl asks.

“Wywee!” Zoey yells, letting out a whine when Sienna won’t hand the phone to her.

“Put me on speaker,” I instruct with a laugh. “Hey, Zoey girl.”

“Wywee!” She laughs my name, letting out an excited squeal.

“How’s my favorite cowgirl?”

“Good. Me shopping.”

“Are you now? Are you gonna buy me something pretty?”

“No.” She laughs. “Buy me pity!”

Nylah and the other girl start to laugh.

“Who am I talking to right now?” I have to ask .

“Oh, it’s me,” Sienna says. “And Nylah and her roommate, Jolie.”

“Hi.” Jolie’s voice is sweet and kinda perky.

Have I met her before? I can’t even remember.

“How’s it going?” I ask as a way of introduction.

“Yeah, good, thanks.” Her response is polite, and I figure it’s about time I get to my point.

“So, guys. I’ve had an idea, and I need your help to pull it off.”

“Ooo! Do tell.” Sienna sounds excited already. Excellent.

“Okay, well… it was Satch’s birthday yesterday, and I was wondering if we could throw a surprise party for her. She’s never really had a big party with a bunch of friends, and I think she deserves it.”

“I love that idea!” Nylah starts getting excited too. “So, what do you want us to do?”

“Should we go for a theme?” Sienna asks.

“Yes, definitely.” I quickly tell them about Satch’s love of all things ’50s and how she was given this poodle skirt for her birthday. “She was stoked, and I want to give her the perfect event to wear it to.”

“I love that so much,” Jolie gushes, and the girls are soon all babbling together.

It’s hard to keep up with their stream of ideas, but I catch little comments as they talk over top of one another.

“I’ve got a bunch of vinyls my grandparents used to own. You can borrow those.”

“I have the soundtrack to Grease .”

“What kinds of foods did they eat in the ’50s?”

“Let me google it. ”

“Yes! I’m so pumped for this. I’m gonna make Carson dress like James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause.

” Nylah lets out a girlish eeepp sound. “He’s gonna look so freaking hot.

My gramma made me watch that movie a couple of years ago, and she’ll flip if she knows Carson is gonna dress up as Jim Stark! ”

“Who’s Jim Stark?” Sienna asks.

“The guy in Rebel Without a Cause. ”

“I thought you said James Dean was that guy,” Jolie questions.

Nylah groans. “Jim Stark is the character James Dean plays in that movie. You know what, we’re watching it tonight. I don’t care if you feel like it or not, you girls need a serious movie education.”

“We should watch Grease too.” Sienna gets into it. “We can use it as inspiration for this party.”

“Yes! I love that idea.” Nylah’s voice is getting all high and excited again.

“Aw, now I want to come. Ben would make one hot Gary Cooper. He’s the High Noon guy, right? My father loves old Westerns.”

“You can come,” Sienna quickly adds, then asks me, “She can come, right, Wily?”

I laugh. “Invite whoever you like, just make sure it’s a bunch of cool people who are willing to dress up and really embrace the era. I want this to be a party that’s all about Satch and what she loves.”

“Okay, you are like the sweetest boyfriend e-ver.” Nylah sings the last word, and the other two start gushing their agreement.

“Thanks, girls. I really appreciate your help.”

“We are on it!” Sienna lets out an excited squeal, which Zoey jumps all over. I can hear her cheering as I hold the phone away from ear and wince at the high-pitched noise.

Seriously, what have I unleashed?

“Thanks, guys.” I raise my voice over their unrestrained enthusiasm. “I’ll be back tomorrow and can help with the prep this week. It’d be great if we could have the party soon so it’s not too far away from her birthday. Any chance we could hook this up for the coming weekend?”

“A week?” Sienna squawks. “You’re giving us a week?”

“We can do it,” Nylah assures her. “Don’t worry about it, big guy. We’ll rally everyone to pitch in and help. We can totally throw this thing together.”

“And I want it to be a surprise,” I remind them, “so you’re gonna have to prep in stealth mode.”

“Yay!” Jolie cheers. “Surprises are the best! Can I help? Please?”

“Of course you can,” I laugh. “Now get to it, ladies. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The girls are too busy talking to hear my goodbye and I end the call, a delayed wave of uncertainty running through me.

Is this a terrible idea?

I momentarily question my sanity until Satch appears around the corner.

“There you are.” Her smile is bright with affection, and I tuck my phone away, holding my tongue against spilling my big surprise.

“Hey, baby.” I pull her against me, leaning down to kiss those plump lips of hers. “How was your nap?”

She groans like it was orgasmic. “One hundred percent required.” Looking up with a sleepy grin, she kisses me again. “But you can wear me out anytime, Coyote.”

I waggle my eyebrows at her until she’s giggling against my chest.

Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, I walk her back into the diner, determined to give her the best surprise party in the world.

I can’t fucking wait!