First and Goal (Moving the Chains #1) (36 page)

“Rob! No!” She hisses softly. “What are you doing? Go pick Dream Girl, you idiot!”

I am, she just doesn’t know it. And I’m not about to admit it to her until I figure out what the best route to run is. The only thing I know for certain is that pretending to implement my program with another girl isn’t an option.

I drag her along to line up with everyone else while the other players finish choosing their partners.

“It’s like you’re purposely trying to sabotage yourself or something! I don’t want to be up here!”

I smile at the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen. “I want you here with me.”

Our little discussion is cut short when Rachel begins her explanation of the game into the mic as the last couples line up where instructed. “We all love the donkey basketball game that’s put on by our very own Student Government in the winter, right?”

The crowd cheers and whistles as intended, so she pauses before erupting in a wide grin. “Today our boys are going to be the donkeys, and our girls are going to saddle up and shoot some hoops!”

Evie clenches a death grip on my hand and whispers vehemently beside me, trying not to draw too much attention to us. “No! No, I’m not doing this!”

Rachel continues on, oblivious to anything but the mood of the crowd. “Since no one will ever make a basket if the guys are on all fours, the girls are going to climb on piggy-back style! Gents, line up with your ladies and whoever makes a basket wins! If no one makes a basket the first round, then you can be more creative with your approach! Let’s get started!”

The crowd roars with laughter as the girls climb onto the backs of my teammates. Some of them have a difficult time getting into position because of the height differences. I guess the guys assume these little girls have an amazing vertical leap and should just be able to jump onto them.

“Rob, I’m not getting on your back! You’ll… feel… certain things.” There’s sheer disgust in her voice, but her reasoning just makes me laugh. As long as she’s not saying she doesn’t want to be up here because of her crush, nothing can bother me.

“I’m a big boy, Evie. I know what happens. I already know you’re on the rag, so it’s not like it’s going to be a surprise.” Crouching down to make her ascent easier, I offer my hand out to her. “Climb on, my girl.”

Maybe if she really is trying to forget about him, I can make her realize I’m still right here.

Knowing she can’t get out of it now without creating a scene, she just grasps my hand and climbs onto my back, moaning. “God, this is so embarrassing. Why did you pick me, you dumbass?”

I simply hook my arms under her knees, standing up as she wraps her arms securely around my shoulders. We move forward in the line as each couple takes turns attempting to make a basket. I can’t keep the grin off my face as she continues to ramble.

Evie Papageorgiou is wrapped around me. In front of everyone.

“I would apologize, but you honestly brought this on yourself. I can’t believe you picked me. What is wrong with you? Dream Girl is never going to know you’re even interested if you keep pulling this shit. Everyone already thinks we’re together, and you’re not giving them any reason to be wrong. And this is the worst possible time for me to be on you like this. Try not to throw up all over the gym. God, you must be so grossed out right now. I can’t believe you did this to me.”

She’s really getting worked up. I shake her a little, feigning adjusting her weight on my back.

“Hey,” I say sharply, trying to get her attention and turning my head so that she can hear me better over the din of the pep rally.

Undeterred, she continues on, not bothering to breathe between syllables. “Do you even understand that you are blowing the whole plan? She’s going to think you want
me
, Superjock. What were you thinking? If you want to practice being absolutely charming and adorable with me when we’re alone, fine. But this is in front of the whole school! This is insane!”

So…she’s hung up on some other guy, but thinks I’m absolutely charming and adorable? Okay. I must be doing something right.

The urge to simply tell her that I do want her, to just blatantly admit that I’m pretty sure I’m way past the lust stage with her nearly escapes my lips. I swallow it down, knowing my admission will only push her away. Instead, when Kerri hands her the basketball as we step up to the foul line, I turn my head and say quietly, “Make me proud, my girl.”

No one has made a basket yet. Evie lets go of my shoulders to grab the basketball. She leans forward, resting her chest against my back and trying to balance herself without holding onto me. Deep breathing is the only thing that keeps me sane with her tits pressed against me so hard that I can practically feel her lace bra through both of our shirts. She taps my head gently with the basketball. It takes me a few seconds longer than it should to realize she doesn’t want to hit me, so I tuck my chin to my chest. Her muscles flex as she uses all her upper body strength to launch the ball towards the basket. The next thing I know, she’s slipping. One arm automatically leaves her knee to wrap around her waist and hold her against me. Her thighs squeeze around my torso, and she throws her arms tightly around my neck to regain her balance. I hadn’t noticed if any of the other girls had outright fallen down, but it seems plausible. The ball bounces off the rim, and the crowd goes wild. No one else had even come close to the basket.

We move to the back of the line. I slide my arm back under her knee as she continues to squeeze the life out of me with her death grip around my neck, her head pressed against mine.

“Holy shit! I almost fell!” she squeaks.

“Evie,” I choke out. “Air.”

She gasps and releases her hold, moving her arms back to my shoulders, and peeling herself away to a more respectable distance. A chill runs through me as her whole body pressed against mine is replaced by air. I would be completely okay with dying that way.

The last couple takes their turn and misses.

Rachel pipes up from the mic. “Okay, no one made a basket, but Rob and Eva were the closest! Round two: You still have to ride the guys piggy-back style, but you can vary it in any way to make it easier. As long as you aren’t on their shoulders. Go!”

Evie is blessedly silent behind me. We both watch as everyone seems to get the idea to turn the girls onto their hips. That makes no sense because the girls aren’t moving up any higher and will have to shoot from a sideways position. Christian actually turns his girlfriend, Dara, to his front. Mr. Smith quickly puts a stop to that as the students whistle lasciviously.

“Here’s the plan.” I turn my head towards her. “None of those variations are going to work. We need to combine our centers of gravity higher up and give you more leverage to shoot with. So when we get closer, I want you to scoot further up my back until your legs are right under my shoulders, and wrap your legs around me. Cross your ankles in the front so you won’t fall backwards. I’m going to slide my arms under your butt, so it’ll be like you’re sitting on my arms. That’ll give you more ability to lean back and really launch the ball.”

“Superjock, do you really want Dream Girl to see you grabbing my butt? Why would you even
want
to do that right now?”

I roll my eyes at her predictable answer. “I’m not going to grab your butt. I’m going to hold you up with my arms that way like a chair. I already get that you’re on your period, so quit freaking out about it. I’m not.”

She shudders behind me. My face grows hot at the thought that she doesn’t want me to touch her like that after what happened with Eddie. Even if it is completely non-sexual. Or that she doesn’t want Dream Guy to see that.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. We don’t have to do that. I don’t ever want to make you uncomfortable with me. I’ll just keep my arms where they are. If you cross your legs in front of me that should be good enough.”

She sighs heavily. Her exhale brushes like a feather on the back of my neck, creating instant goosebumps. “I’m just trying not to gross you out and ruin your chances with Dream Girl. We can do it your way.”

“Evie, if Dream Girl didn’t exist would you want to be up here with me?” I don’t even know where the question comes from. It just pours from my mouth. I wince, waiting for her to laugh and tell me no. She’s still hoping for someone else.

“I don’t really like being in front of everyone anymore, Rob. I feel like they’re always judging me and making fun of me.”

I furrow my brow at her unexpected answer. “But, Evie…you’re drum major this year. You get up in front of everyone all the time.”

“That’s different.” She gestures with her hand. “I’m in my element up there. It’s like my armor.”

“I’ll be your armor everywhere else, then.”

She squeezes my shoulders. “You know, I think I’m starting to understand why you keep sabotaging yourself with Dream Girl. If you’ve really done everything that you say you have, and she still doesn’t want you, then she’s nuts. And definitely not good enough for you. No offense.”

No offense taken. My mouth spreads in a wide grin. She’s definitely good enough. And maybe not as hung up on that mystery guy as I thought.

The couple in front of us shoots and misses. Evie scoots herself into position as I slide my arms under her butt, my hands gripping opposite wrists securely. The irony that I had spent the first half of the pep rally staring at her ass is not lost on me. I wonder if Mike and Alex can see where my hands are from their positions behind me in line. Alex is probably throwing up in his mouth. When she wraps her legs around my torso, cheers and whistles emanate from the stands. Evie shoots and scores. The gym erupts. I tilt my head up to see her throw her arms in the air in triumph. A broad smile spreads across her perfect lips to match the one on my own face. We run a victory lap around the line, and she threads her fingers through my hair to hold on. Dear God, having my hair pulled never felt so good. My arousal is doused by a good measure of guilt as soon as the thought enters my brain. We wait off to the side to see if the last three couples make their shot, laughing together as they scramble to mimic our position. At the end of today’s senior game, we’re declared the winners to the cheering of the crowd.

Step number seven rewrite: Prove to her that we have the makings of a power couple. Team Evie & Rob.

I
scan the bleachers again at all the instrumentalists in front of me. It takes me longer than it should since we’re sitting on the away side of the field and people aren’t in their usual positions. The girls that I think are the most likely candidates for Rob’s crush chatter with each other, seemingly disinterested in the game. Maybe she isn’t a diehard football fan? Is that the reason she isn’t responding to his advances? More likely, after his little stunt at the pep rally, Dream Girl thinks Rob’s moved onto an easier target. If I don’t go to the diner after the game that might convince her that there’s nothing going on between us. Even though he made me promise to meet him there in exchange for a few blissful moments of his special brand of cramp relief after school, I hate to be the reason he isn’t getting what he really wants. I no sooner sit down after another stand song than Jess starts in again about my “boyfriend.”