Page 50 of Savage for You
Best. Birthday. Ever.
twenty
Montana
Dickface: Today is our first game of the season, and I hate that I won’t see you cheering for me with my last name on your back.
Me: Break a leg.
Dickface: That’s not good luck in football, Monti
Me: I know, asshole.
Groaning, I throw my phone on the bed. This asshole has a lot of nerve, I thought he would’ve moved on by now.
Today is Rocky’s first game of the season, and I’m excited and nervous for him. Last week when we celebrated his birthday was basically the last hoorah before the season started. Game day at SBU is a whole experience. There are always people tailgating, cooking, and drinking. The band is playing and vendors around campus are selling everything from university shirts to those seat cushions. There are usually also face painting booths—which is my favorite part—and games to play, like corn hole, and then they have blow-up slides.
I had a shirt made for me with Rocky’s name and number on the back. On the front is a photo montage of some pictures of him from previous games or from promo days. My favorite picture is front and center of him flexing his arms. It’s like one of those TikTok shirts that you get with someone’s face on it.
It's always fun putting my designs on shirts. I have always loved art. Don't give me a paint brush, though. I royally suck at painting. Apart from messing around with shirts for Rocky, I have been having fun building up my profile within the book community. Everyone is so nice, and I love helping authors and being able to make merchandise designs for stickers and shirts. I’m working on my first book cover, and it's been so fun to see the author’s ideas come to life. I cannot wait to finish this school year and get my business up and running. I know I don't technically need a degree, but my parents wanted me to get one, and I know they would be proud of how far I have come.
I pull out my phone to text Rocky.
Me: Good luck today, Savage.
Savage: Thank you, pretty girl. I think I need a good luck kiss.
Me: *sends a kissy face selfie*
Savage: damn those lips.
Me: Win or lose baby, they are yours.
Savage: Yeah, they are. See you soon, Killer.
Me: Kick some ass baby!
Autumn comes over before the game so we can ride together. She walks in and sees the shirt I’m wearing, and she laughs, but tells me that the shirt is amazing and that he’ll love it.
I got some university stickers for our faces—I’m wearing the number eight on my right cheek for my man, and when we get there, I’ll have them paint a scorpion on my other cheek.
I’m excited that Autumn is down with my shenanigans, because it’s more fun to do with someone. I get a good look at her, and she’s banging, but is dressed to hide her body. I know why, but I want her to get to the point where she will be able to see herself the way me and so many others do.
“Girl, what are you wearing? You have a banging body! Why do you hide it?”
“Well, I don't really know how to dress for my body type.” She looks down at her fidgeting feet when she says it.
“Nuh-uh, let's go!” I start to pull her into my room. “Okay, first thing first, what size do you wear?”
“Umm, I don't know, I just grab shirts, and leggings.”
“Okay, that right there is problem number one. We have to figure out your true size and go from there. Take your clothes off,” I say, and she lifts her eyebrow. “Girl, I want you try on some of my clothes. You look to be close to the same size as me, so we just need to figure your style out.”
I pull out a pair of high-waisted, ripped black skinny jeans for her to try on. You can never have enough, okay? Don’t judge me.
She tries on the first pair, and they’re a bit too snug for her comfort, so she tries on another pair that fit amazing. I pull out a few of my SBU crop tops for her, but she shakes her head no like they shirts are going to bite her.
I walk up to her, grab her hands, and make sure I am looking directly in her eyes before I say, “Autumn, you are a beautiful woman. I know you have met some shitty people in your life, but I promise I’m not trying to set you up. I just need to let you know that you’ll be turning heads because you are breathtaking. You can totally say no if you want to put your clothes back on, and we’ll leave, and I won't say a word about it again.”