Page 126 of The Striker (Gods of the Game 1)
I suspected having Asher owe him one helped as well. Knowing my brother, he’d never let Asher forget it.
Regardless, I was thrilled Vincent said yes. I knew how much the charity meant to Asher, especially given its connection to Teddy, and hopefully the match would be a first step toward my brother and my boyfriend tolerating each other.
“So Vincent wasn’t suspicious of you asking a favor for Asher?” Carina followed me to our front-row seats in the bleachers. The charity match took place at a local football stadium, and it was already packed with families.
“Nope. He bought my excuse that I was the messenger and that Asher asked me to ask him because it was an emergency.”
“When exactly are you going to tell him about you two?” Brooklyn took the seat on the other side of me. It didn’t takemuch convincing to get them both to come to the match today. Carina was always down for a fun outing, and Brooklyn was apparently a football fan. “You said next week?”
“That’s the plan.” My stomach danced with nerves as the players filed onto the field for warm-ups.
I spotted Asher and Vincent immediately. The two teams were divided into colors, the Reds versus the Greens. Asher and Vincent both sported red kits, and the crowd’s excitement reached an audible crescendo when people noticed who was on the pitch.
They studiously pretended the other didn’t exist, but at least they weren’t actively picking arguments with each other.
I tamped down a laugh when I noticed how they performed the exact same stretches at the exact time in the exact same manner.
Like I said, they were more alike than they cared to admit.
“God, he’s even dreamier on the pitch than he is off of it.” Carina sighed when Asher sank into a calf stretch. His leg muscles flexed, and half our section released similar sighs. “You’re a lucky, lucky girl.”
Her tone indicated she was teasing me more than anything else. She had a visual appreciation for athletes, but when it came to dating, her type ran toward the artsy, angsty segment of the male population.
“Shhh.” I cast a nervous glance around us. We were surrounded by parents who were more concerned with keeping foreign objects out of their toddlers’ hands than with our conversation, but there were a few members of the local press lurking around. I didn’t want any of them to overhear. “Lower your voice.”
At least the paps weren’t here. They didn’t know Vincent would be playing today, and they clearly thought a charity match for kids wasn’t a ripe breeding ground for scandal.
“Calling your brother to play a match with his rival-slash-your secret lover is a boss move,” Brooklyn whispered. “You have balls. I respect it. You deserve a feature story inMode de Vie.”
Carina giggled while I fought an exasperated sigh. “I don’twanta feature story inMode de Vieor any other outlet. I just want to?—”
“Bone your man all the way to Sunday and back again?” Brooklyn tossed me a devilish grin. “Understandable.”
“Totallyunderstandable.” Carina leaned over me to give the American a high five. “You have a way with words, Brook.”
“Thank you.” Brooklyn beamed. “I try.”
I scowled. “You know what? I’m sorry I introduced you guys.This”—I gestured to the both of them as they laughed at my expense—“is unacceptable.”
As I predicted, Carina and Brooklyn instantly hit it off when they met in person last night. I figured they would, but part of me had worried Carina would feel weird about me introducing someone new into our tight-knit duo. However, they took to each other like ducks to water.
Unfortunately, that meant they sometimes ganged up on me, which I didnotappreciate.
“Aw, you know we love you.” Carina tossed an arm around my shoulders. “Would we be real friends if we didn’t take the piss out of you for your soap opera of a life?”
“Yeah, some of our lives are boring. We have to live vicariously through you.” Brooklyn crossed her legs, the picture of effortless cool with her high ponytail, gold hoops, and giant sunglasses. “The only thing that would make today more interesting is if Asher and Vincent got into a fight.Notthat they would,” she said when I blanched. “No one wants to derail a charity match for kids. It’s bad press.”
“Don’t even put that thought out there.” I eyed the pitch again. Asher and Vincent were still ignoring each other, thank God. “It could very well happen.”
“If it does, whose side would you be on?” Carina asked Brooklyn. “Team Asher or Team Vincent?”
The blond wrinkled her nose. “No team. I like the sport, not the players. They’re way too full of themselves.”
It was a quintessentially Brooklyn answer. We’d texted constantly since the night we met, but I still didn’t know much about her. I knew she grew up in California, she was an aspiring nutritionist, and she could rock a ponytail like no other, but that was about it. She had an impressive talent for carrying on a full conversation without revealing anything about herself.
“I agree,” I said. “Take it from someone who’s related to one.Waytoo full of themselves.”
Carina arched an eyebrow. “This coming from the girldatinga player.”