Page 35 of The Wrong Game

Nothing else came through from Zach.

I should have felt satisfied at that, that I’d gotten the point through with my last text to him. I should have been smiling as Belle and I walked the few blocks to the office, should have still been on a high from the night before.

But instead, my stomach felt heavy and tight, almost like it was being dragged along behind me on the sidewalk.

I’d gotten what I wanted. Zach was gone, practice round achieved, and now — it was game time.For real.

Ready, or not.

And I wasdefinitelynot.

Zach

“Oh, boy.”

Doc crossed one arm over his chest, balancing the elbow of the other on top as he scrubbed the five o’clock shadow coming through on his chin. His eyes were fixed on the tickets I was proudly holding up in my hand.

Season tickets.

For the Chicago Bears.

In the seats right next to Gemma’s.

“Am I brilliant, or am I fucking brilliant?” I asked, slapping the tickets against my palm before holding them up again.

“You’re something, alright.”

It was Thursday afternoon, a full four days since I’d had my lips on Gemma’s in her apartment. Doc had asked me to come in a little earlier than usual, to get the bar ready for Thursday night football, but before we could even start, I had to tell him my master plan.

“Does she know?” Doc asked, sliding up behind the counter to start making the mixer juices for the night.

I scoffed, tucking the tickets in my pocket. “Of course not. That’s part of what makes it so genius. I’m just going to show up on Sunday.”

“She wouldn’tgiveyou a second date, so you’re taking it.”

“Precisely.”

Doc smirked, mixing up our sweet and sour juice. “Were you born stupid, or did you just get this way with time?”

“It sounds crazy,” I admitted.

“Because it is.”

“But.” I continued with a smile. “Sometimes crazy is necessary — especially when it comes to a girl like Gemma. She’s not impressed by the easy, by the normal. And though she hasn’t told me what happened in her past, I can tell she’s been hurt before. Whoever had her last, he messed her up.” I cracked my neck. “I can’t fix that, but I can show her that I want my own chance to prove I can be more than he was.”

Doc lined up the mixers and juices, working through unlocking the taps on the beers and wine next. There was a sideways grin on his face as he shook his head. “Well, you are persistent. I’ll give you that.”

“Thank you.”

“But, this girl isn’t a potential employer,” he said. “She’s a woman. And from what you told me about her, she’s the kind of woman who makes lists, and plans, and then sticks to them.” Doc leaned a hip against the bar, crossing his arms. “You may think you’re going to woo her with this move, show you want her. But, you’re messing with her master plan,” he reminded me. “Which might just piss her off.”

I scratched my head, letting out a heavy sigh. I knew Doc was right. Hell, I knew it when I was doing my research online, trying to track down that couple who sat next to us at the game. When I told them what I was trying to do, they were eager to help — well, Janet was, at least. Roy seemed perturbed, but also like he would do anything to see Janet happy and smiling.

I liked that about him.

Andshewas all about helping me out — especially since, as she had reminded me, she and Roy had a second pair of season passes just a few rows up from the ones they sold me.

Janet said what I was doing was romantic.