The Beautiful Game

Chapter Ten - Carter

     "This is a fucking awful idea." Marcus grunts as we heave the keg of beer up the steps to Blondie's apartment.

       "It can't be worse than what you were already doing. Pining for her and stalking her Instagram feed."

      Initially my offer to get the beer and drop it off at her apartment had been wholeheartedly for my own self-interest, it was only in retrospect that I realised Marcus would be able to talk to that Ella girl tonight. Maybe then he'd stop acting like a sulking asshole. He'd acted pretty chilled when I first told him at training, only to become more nervous the closer we got to the address.

      It was a small apartment complex, only three floors and six flats in total, it seemed secure enough, already cars were lining the street and music floated down from the open windows. Seamus was oblivious to the situation; he'd merely heard that there was a party going on tonight and shoved himself into the back of my jeep.

      "Just stick to the plan, keep it casual. Friends with benefits." Marcus doesn't say anything back to me, just nods slightly as we reach the door. Apartment 3, the welcome mat on the ground says: 'good chakras only'.

      Marcus doesn't move to open the door, so I move to the side, Seamus grabs the handle and shoves the door open, hanging back to let us move through. I can't say I'm not relieved when the keg thuds against the floor as we set it down.

     The place is packed, it's not a bad sized apartment for three students to be living in, smaller than ours but Seamus's parents subsidised a lot of it. It's open plan like ours, I look around at the sea of faces that watch us, I recognise a lot of them from campus. I keep looking until I find her.

     There. I find her deep blue eyes looking at me from the crowded kitchen, they're glassy, likely from the insides of the wine glass she's holding. Fuck, that damn face. It's like every time I look at her my body kicks into fight or flight, it doesn't know how to respond to the spike in my heart rate, the adrenaline pounding through my veins. I've never reacted to a girl like this before. I've never reacted to anything like this.

     I'm staring, I can't help myself, she can't seem to either. She's gorgeous. Her jumper is loose and only shows the bare skin of one tan shoulder and her collar bone, the jeans are vintage looking and tight, I wish she'd turn around so I could stare at her ass, which I can only imagine looks insane. There's a patch of darker denim on her groin, making it look like she's had an accident. I keep going, she's got fucking Christmas tree socks on.

     I'm looking into her eyes again; I take a deep breath before I decide to approach her. Suddenly, the girl who'd been haunting Marcus's Instagram feed, grabs her and pulls her away; leaving me bereft.

    "I told you. Bad idea." Marcus says as he shoves his hands into his jean pockets, he's already edging towards the exit. Seamus comes up behind us, shoving shot glasses into our hands, a bottle of vodka in his other hand.

     People have already started coming over to say hi to us. The family dinner is cancelled for tomorrow due to it being Mom's turn to host her book club, so I'm free to get as fucked up as I want, and with Blondie already unnerving me, I don't think I could face her whilst sober.

     "Let's go boys, we're on the catch up game." He starts filling up our glasses. I grab Marcus' shoulder.

     "We just got here, have a drink."

     "Sanders find your dick, it's there somewhere." Seamus shoves him roughly in the shoulder and drinks straight out the vodka bottle, gritting his teeth as he swallows it. I smile as I tip the shot back, holding out my empty for Seamus to refill. Marcus sighs in surrender and does the same. Seamus is already trying to organise some beer pong on the large coffee table.