Dirty Player - A Football Romance (A Maxwell Family Romance) Read online

  He moved his attention to Axel, whom he obviously preferred over me, and I got stuck listening to his story for the second time. We eventually made our way to our own table, and I went to get us both a beer. When I returned, Axel grinned at me.

  “Of all the people to get stuck talking to! Quincy’s a cool guy, but man that guy can talk. He drives me insane sometimes. His poor wife. I wonder how she puts up with him sometimes. Have you met her? Quiet as a mouse.”

  I laughed. “I think she gave up trying to get a word in edgewise a long time ago. So, remember that girl I was telling you about?”

  “Girl?”

  “Yeah, remember I asked you if you knew of a girl from my past. I said there was that girl at school that looked so familiar to me.”

  “Oh yeah. The one with the annoying boyfriend. Well, did you find out who she was? Someone famous? Tell me she’s someone famous!”

  I laughed. “No, she’s not someone famous. Although, her dad is pretty well known. Do you remember me hanging out with a girl called Candy? Just before we moved away. I was like eleven or something.”

  “Candy! Oh yeah, that cute girl. I remember. The one with the political family, wasn’t she? No way, is it the same one? The two of you always used to hang out together. We used to tease you about it. Didn’t she call you Nicholas or something?”

  I laughed. “Nicky. And yeah, it’s her. Can you believe it? She’s obviously a lot older now, and she’s dyed her hair. But how’s that for a coincidence? After all these years together we end up in the same college, and she gets assigned as my partner for this project.”

  “Small world man. Wow, what’s it like seeing her again after all this time?”

  “It feels natural. We got along so well as kids, and we seem to get along just as well as adults. It’s bizarre really. I didn’t realize I had missed her until now, to be honest. I mean, I just shoved those memories aside. It’s been such a long time too. I can’t believe how much of that part of my life I had forgotten about, but it’s all coming back to me now.”

  “It was quite a scandal back then. I mean, in the family at least. I remember how much your parents hated her dad. Her mom was pretty cool, if I remember correctly?”

  I sighed. “Yeah, her mom was a sweetheart. But her dad was the ruler of the house. And he did not want me hanging out with his daughter. I grew up with a warped sense of the reality of that. I remember sitting in the car as we drove away and thinking that I would become rich and prove to him that just because my parents didn’t have money didn’t mean that I couldn’t get any. Then I got angry at myself because I didn’t think it was fair that he would only let Candice hang out with rich people. Why couldn’t she hang out with me? And anyway, it wasn’t like we were poor or anything. We just didn’t have the kind of money they had.”

  “I think it was more than that though,” Axel said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I know it was about the money, but I think it had a lot to do with your parents’ political views. They were very different from his, if I remember correctly. And there’s nothing quite like a difference in political views to get people fighting. Having less money, coming from a different social spectrum, and not agreeing with his political views – well, that is definitely something for a man like him to get upset about. God, I hate people like that. They drive me insane. They think that they are better than everyone else.”

  “I don’t get it, though. Why should it matter to him what my parents thought? What have my parents got to do with me?”

  “I suppose he didn’t anyone influencing what his daughter believed. I mean, you were pretty young then. He obviously assumed you would follow in your parent’s footsteps. He probably just didn’t want his little daughter getting involved with people that were different from him. Excuse my bitterness, but it really annoys me.”

  I sighed. It annoyed me too. I was a good person, and so were my parents. They didn’t deserve to be treated like that by someone who thought he was better than the rest of the world. “I guess you’re right. Anyway, that’s in the past now. I’m just glad that we found our way back to each other. I like hanging around her. It’s weird, I mean, I barely know her, but I feel so comfortable around her.”

  Axel raised his eyebrows and gave me a strange look. “Doesn’t she have a boyfriend?”

  “She does. I don’t like her or anything. I just mean it’s nice hanging out again like friends. Like we used to. I’m not trying to get into her pants.”

  “And what does the boyfriend think about this?” Axel asked.

  I grimaced. “He doesn’t like me one bit. He didn’t say it to my face, but it was pretty obvious. I haven’t even seen her much. Just in class and when we’ve worked on this project. But he came by the one day and made a scene in the library. Candice looked pretty embarrassed by the whole thing, and I thought it was pretty childish. He was trying to make it clear that she was his girl.”

  “Who is this guy? He sounds like an idiot.”

  “Derek. He’s a baseball player.”

  “Oh yeah, you told me,” Axel said and made a sour face. “You know how I feel about baseball players. Why do they always end up being such idiots? I have no respect for those guys. All the baseball players that I’ve bumped into over the years have been people that I don’t like. And here’s another one to add to the mix. They all just think that they are above everyone. I wonder what she sees in him?”

  I shrugged. I had wondered the same thing. Candice was such a nice person, and Derek didn’t seem like the sort of guy she would be interested in. It didn’t seem to make any sense at all, but it wasn’t exactly a question I could ask her. “I have no idea. Maybe he’s not as bad as we think. Maybe he just likes her a lot and was just trying to show me that. I don’t know. Maybe he’s a good guy that I caught on a bad day.”

  Axel laughed. “Yeah, maybe. Or maybe she just has crappy taste in men.”

  “Could be. Yeah, I guess so. I can’t assume I know her now just because I knew her when she was eleven. That was a long time ago. Still, she seems really nice, and I wouldn’t mind hanging out with her some more. Boyfriend or not, I’m not going to let him stand in the way of me being friends with her. Not after we found each other after such a long time. Maybe if she was just some random girl I got along with. But we were best friends when we were younger, and now we are together again. It would be a shame to just let a friendship like that go again.”

  “Good for you man. You can be friends with whoever you want to. Hey, why don’t you bring Candice to my race? I can just about remember her, so I’d love to see how she’s changed. And it would be a cool way for you to see her outside of school. See what she’s really like.”

  I didn’t think Derek would like the idea, and I wasn’t sure if Candice would even agree to it. But it was worth a try. “Yeah, good idea,” I said.

  We made plans to meet up, and I promised I’d do my best to bring her along. I knew that Axel was just curious to see how Candice had changed over the years.

  “Well, I better get going,” I said after a while.

  “What? Why so soon? Come on, have another beer,” he urged. “It’s delicious. I’ll even buy you one. You can’t say no to a free beer.”

  I laughed. “I can’t stay, but thank you. One beer is fine. But any more and I won’t want to study.”

  Axel groaned. “You’re going to leave me to go and study? Seriously?”

  “Seriously. Why do you think I’m at college?” I asked.

  “To play football and meet girls?” he suggested. “Isn’t that why everyone is at college? Fun and hookups?”

  “That might be why everyone else is there, but not me. Although you’re close. I’m there to play football and study. And I have a lot of studying to do at the moment. I barely have any time because of all the practice we have to do later, so I have to spend all my spare time studying so I don’t get left behind.”

  “You are way too good,” Axel said.

 
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said and stood up. I shook his hand and made a promise to see him soon. “It was good to see you again.”

  “Bring the girl with,” he said.

  “I’ll try,” I promised and then quickly ducked out before Quincy saw me leaving. The last thing I needed was to get into another long conversation with him. I walked back to my dorm, ready to hit the books, but I couldn’t stop thinking about my promise to Axel. Would Candice really come with me to watch him race? Or would she be too worried about what Derek was going to think of it all?

  Chapter Eight

  Candice

  I arrived at my parent’s house at the same time as Derek. We were invited to dinner, and I was not looking all that forward to it. I wished it was just dinner with my mother, who I would have a lot of fun with. But whenever my father and Derek were together, the conversation always moved to politics and the trucking company, both of which were topics that I had no interest in. I wondered if I’d be more interested in politics if my father wasn’t so involved. Instead of making me more interested, it had only served to make me less so over the years. Also, being involved so closely in politics had forced me to see and hear things that had opened my eyes. It was a corrupt system and one that I wasn’t so sure I wanted to be a part of. It was, also, incredibly dull and did not make for a good dinnertime conversation.

  Derek, on the other hand, loved politics. It was how the two of us had met. My father was good friends with his father, and the two of them had plotted to get the two of us together. I didn’t have many friends, and Derek had been a welcome relief at the time. It had been nice to hang out with someone my own age, and for a while, it had been fun. But the more I got to know Derek, the less sure I was that he and I were suited to each other.

  He looked very nice tonight, although the suit and tie were perhaps a little over the top. I knew that he had dressed that way to impress my father more than he had to impress me. I smiled at him and tried to convince myself that I was going to have a good time. The one upside of having Derek along was that I didn’t have to talk as much. I could sit back and let the two of them talk while simply adding in an appropriate sound every now and again to make it seem like I was listening.

  “Nice suit,” I said as I approached him.

  He bent down to kiss me and smiled. “Like it? I got it made especially for me. It cost a small fortune, but it was totally worth it. Tailored suits are so the in thing right now.”

  I laughed. “They are? I thought jeans and sneakers were more the in thing for guys your age?”

  “Shows how little you know then. Suiting up is the way to go. Times are changing, and guys want to look good again.”

  “Well, it looks nice on you,” I said. I waited for him to tell me that I looked nice too but he didn’t say anything. Although I supposed I couldn’t blame him for not complimenting me. It wasn’t like I had dressed up for the occasion. But they were my parents, and we were just going to dinner at their house. I would feel strange dressing up for something so informal.

  Although, dinner at my parents’ place was never really informal. My mother was a great cook, but my father still liked to have his chef cook up something whenever they invited guests over. I hoped that they wouldn’t this time around, considering we were family and not really guests, but I was wrong. The chef, a young Portuguese woman named Cheri, walked in with a tray of mini bite-sized delicacies. I hadn’t even said hello to my parents yet, but I took one anyone and popped it into my mouth.

  “These are amazing!” I said and reached out to take another one.

  “Don’t ruin your appetite,” my father said as he walked into the room and saw me.

  I groaned. “Why hand out food if you don’t want me to take it?”

  “It’s good to see you too, Candice,” he said and placed a kiss on both my cheeks. Where he had picked up this European tradition, I had no idea. He shook hands with Derek and smiled at him. “And Derek, my boy, it’s always good to see you. You’re looking sharp today. I love the suit.”

  “Thank you, Sir. I got it from Angel’s Suits down on Longton Street. Have you been there?”

  “I haven’t. But I’ve heard good things. I’ll make sure to visit them soon. Come on in, both of you, let me pour you something to drink. What are you having? Scotch? Wine?”

  “Scotch would be great,” Derek said even though I knew he hated the stuff. He liked drinking things that he knew my father would approve of. I thought of telling my father but then changed my mind. I supposed it was nice that Derek was trying so hard with my family.

  “Wine for me. The biggest glass you have,” I said. I could use a drink. Alcohol always made these family gatherings a lot easier. My parents had always been fairly strict about not drinking, but they’d always allowed us to drink in the confines of their home. I sometimes think my father thought Derek was much older, like he was prepping him to be his business partner. I pushed the thought out my head. When my mom walked into the room, I grinned. She was the light in the otherwise darkened room. I hugged her and squeezed her tight.

  “Nice to see you again, my darling,” she said. “You look lovely. Hi, Derek,” she said.

  “Mom, why didn’t you cook tonight? I miss your meals.”

  “Oh, you know what Dad is like. He likes to impress.”

  I groaned. “Your food impresses me.”

  “I’ve got some Tupperware ready for you,” she whispered. “Just remind me to give them to you before you go.”

  “You’re the best, Mom.”

  We went to sit down, and I rolled my eyes at my mother as my father and Derek immediately launched into a political conversation. I tried to make an effort and join in, but it didn’t take me long to realize I had no idea what I was talking about. So I sat back and enjoyed my wine, and chatted instead to my mother. When the food arrived, we all went to sit and the dining room table, even though I asked if we could all just sit in the living room.

  “This isn’t the sort of food you eat on your lap,” my dad said.

  I didn’t argue. I had learned a long time ago that it was best not to argue with my father. I tried to steer the conversation away from politics for a while, but it was short lived. My father simply didn’t find much else interesting in life, and he couldn’t help himself. He became incredibly passionate when it came to his career, and he loved that he had Derek to talk to about it. Derek knew a lot, mostly because of his own father. Unlike me, he hadn’t stayed clear of politics but had been interested in finding out more. I knew that one day he wanted to go into it himself.

  “It’s the best way to make a good sum of money,” he’d said to me once.

  “But money isn’t the most important thing in the world,” I had argued.

  “Oh come on, Candice. We’ve both lead a pretty good life. It would be hard for us to suddenly live without money. I’d much rather I just continue with the way things are. And anyway, the more money I have, the more I can spoil you,” he’d said. I told myself that it was a sweet thing to say even though I wasn’t so sure.

  After dinner, my father took Derek to his office to show him a few things, and I sat drinking coffee with my mother.

  “Finally alone,” I said and smiled at her.

  She laughed. “Your father would be devastated to know how bored you got from talking politics.”

  “Can’t he see it written all over my face?”

  “I don’t think he’s noticed. At least, he’s probably trying to convince himself otherwise. Or that you’ll change your mind.”

  “Poor Dad. You should’ve had a boy.”

  “No way! Then I would’ve been all alone. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  “Ah, mom! That’s nice.”

  She smiled. “I miss you around the house. How’s school going?”

  “It’s going well. I told Dominic who I was by the way. He couldn’t believe it. What a small world. And to think, we ended up on the same project together. It’s
crazy.”

  She shook her head. “Little Dominic. I had forgotten all about him.”

  “Trust me; he’s not so little anymore. He plays football now. You wouldn’t recognize him. Of course, there’s still a little something of the Nicky I remember.”

  She chuckled. “Nicky. I forgot you used to call him that. He was always such a sweet boy. And so studious. I always believed he had a good future ahead of him, even if your father refused to acknowledge it. Is he still like that?”

  “Oh yeah. He wants to become a football player and play for the NFL, but he’s also studying just in case that falls through. He’s got a good work ethic, that’s for sure.”

  “Good for him. I’m glad to see that he hasn’t changed that side of him. You must send him my regards.”

  I was just about to say something when Derek walked into the room and glared at me.

  “Are you talking about Dominic?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I was just telling my mom about him. My mom remembers him from when he was a kid. The two of us were such good friends.”