this boxed up. You need to sleep.”
“I promise you, there’s no way I could sleep even if I tried.”
She gives me the side-eye and says, “Whatever you say.”
The server brings our food and everything looks delicious, if overly fancy. I’ve never understood the need for garnish. If the food tastes good, why does it need to look good?
“This smells amazing,” Courtney says as her steak is placed in front of her.
As we begin eating, I realize that my hands are shaking. Though I was nervous about the draft, I think I’m more nervous about tonight.
Courtney and I talked some about what would happen after the draft, but not a lot. It didn’t seem like there was much we could do until we knew where I would be going. The only thing we did know was that most likely, I’d be moving away. So we decided that no matter what, we’d try to make long distance work.
I’m going to do a hell of a lot more than try.
I somehow make it through dinner without dropping food on myself and after I hand the waiter my credit card to pay the bill, I’ve become so nervous that I feel like I’m going to throw up.
“Thank you so much for this,” Courtney says, placing her hand on top of mine. “It was way too much, but was delicious and amazing.”
“It’s no problem,” I say, swallowing the lump in my throat. “It’s the least I can do to make up for the craziness of the last couple days.”
I don’t know what got into my parents. I guess I should have told them that Courtney was coming to New York, but I figured they’d assume she’d be here. They know that she’s important to me. That she’s always been important to me. I guess they’re just used to how Mike and Jason acted after they were drafted. It was a constant stream of women and parties. While I wouldn’t mind going to a few parties, I don’t need the stream of women.
I already have Courtney.
“So, what now?” she asks. “I think Dan and Rufus said they don’t have plans tonight if you want to hang out with them later. If you’re up for it, that is.”
“That’d be cool,” I say nonchalantly, standing up and heading out of the restaurant. I pull out the burner phone I bought before the draft, knowing that my real phone would be blowing up. Willa texted me directions to the next place we’re going and I need to double check that I know how to get there.
“Do you mind taking a bit of a walk?” I ask Courtney.
“Nope,” she says. We had an early dinner, and it’s a perfect spring day—sunny and warm with a cool breeze, and the sun is just starting to set. “It’s really nice out. I’m glad we’re walking.”
We make our way from 72 nd Street toward 59 th , holding hands and chatting about anything but football and the fact that I’m moving to New Orleans.
It hasn’t skipped my notice that Courtney has been avoiding the subject. I know she’s been nervous about our future and she’s mentioned talking to Willa about long distance.
My burner phone buzzes and I see a text from Willa with nothing more than a question mark. I give Courtney an apologetic look and quickly text back with “go,” before putting my phone in my pocket.
“It was smart of you to get that phone before the craziness hit,” Courtney says.
“Yeah, Jason suggested I do it,” I say. “Remember when he was drafted and had to change his number because someone posted it to Facebook?”
“Yeah,” Courtney says. “Why would someone do that?”
“I think it was an ex,” I say, shrugging, but glad I don’t have many of those. Watching the shit my brothers went through was a cautionary tale.
“Bitches be crazy,” Courtney says, making me laugh.
We round a corner and our destination—Gapstow Bridge—is in front of us. The bridge is made of stone with ivy creeping up the side, and sits over a pond in the park.
“Oh wow,” Courtney says.
“I promise you, there’s no way I could sleep even if I tried.”
She gives me the side-eye and says, “Whatever you say.”
The server brings our food and everything looks delicious, if overly fancy. I’ve never understood the need for garnish. If the food tastes good, why does it need to look good?
“This smells amazing,” Courtney says as her steak is placed in front of her.
As we begin eating, I realize that my hands are shaking. Though I was nervous about the draft, I think I’m more nervous about tonight.
Courtney and I talked some about what would happen after the draft, but not a lot. It didn’t seem like there was much we could do until we knew where I would be going. The only thing we did know was that most likely, I’d be moving away. So we decided that no matter what, we’d try to make long distance work.
I’m going to do a hell of a lot more than try.
I somehow make it through dinner without dropping food on myself and after I hand the waiter my credit card to pay the bill, I’ve become so nervous that I feel like I’m going to throw up.
“Thank you so much for this,” Courtney says, placing her hand on top of mine. “It was way too much, but was delicious and amazing.”
“It’s no problem,” I say, swallowing the lump in my throat. “It’s the least I can do to make up for the craziness of the last couple days.”
I don’t know what got into my parents. I guess I should have told them that Courtney was coming to New York, but I figured they’d assume she’d be here. They know that she’s important to me. That she’s always been important to me. I guess they’re just used to how Mike and Jason acted after they were drafted. It was a constant stream of women and parties. While I wouldn’t mind going to a few parties, I don’t need the stream of women.
I already have Courtney.
“So, what now?” she asks. “I think Dan and Rufus said they don’t have plans tonight if you want to hang out with them later. If you’re up for it, that is.”
“That’d be cool,” I say nonchalantly, standing up and heading out of the restaurant. I pull out the burner phone I bought before the draft, knowing that my real phone would be blowing up. Willa texted me directions to the next place we’re going and I need to double check that I know how to get there.
“Do you mind taking a bit of a walk?” I ask Courtney.
“Nope,” she says. We had an early dinner, and it’s a perfect spring day—sunny and warm with a cool breeze, and the sun is just starting to set. “It’s really nice out. I’m glad we’re walking.”
We make our way from 72 nd Street toward 59 th , holding hands and chatting about anything but football and the fact that I’m moving to New Orleans.
It hasn’t skipped my notice that Courtney has been avoiding the subject. I know she’s been nervous about our future and she’s mentioned talking to Willa about long distance.
My burner phone buzzes and I see a text from Willa with nothing more than a question mark. I give Courtney an apologetic look and quickly text back with “go,” before putting my phone in my pocket.
“It was smart of you to get that phone before the craziness hit,” Courtney says.
“Yeah, Jason suggested I do it,” I say. “Remember when he was drafted and had to change his number because someone posted it to Facebook?”
“Yeah,” Courtney says. “Why would someone do that?”
“I think it was an ex,” I say, shrugging, but glad I don’t have many of those. Watching the shit my brothers went through was a cautionary tale.
“Bitches be crazy,” Courtney says, making me laugh.
We round a corner and our destination—Gapstow Bridge—is in front of us. The bridge is made of stone with ivy creeping up the side, and sits over a pond in the park.
“Oh wow,” Courtney says.
Similar Books
Max and the Prince
R. J. Scott
Lilith - TI3
Fran Heckrotte
How to Wash a Cat
Rebecca M. Hale
The Ruse
Jonas Saul
Petronella Saves Nearly Everyone
Dene Low
The Weight of the World
Amy Leigh Strickland
Arguably: Selected Essays
Christopher Hitchens
Yuletide Immortal (The Immortal Chronicles Book 4)
Gene Doucette
