The Beautiful Game

Chapter Thirty-Nine - Lou

I'd never been a fan of crowds, and given the choice I usually avoided them.

Turns out I'd somehow forgotten that fact when I'd agreed to come to a College football game. It was officially an introverts worst nightmare.

A living hell; feeling too hot, bumping into unknown bodies, spilled drinks and the cacophony of different shouts and smells; more unfortunately body odour or smoke.

Ella was in her element, leading me by the hand, gliding through the boisterous, vivacious crowd. An undeniable swagger in her gate, probably encouraged by the fact her and Marcus had agreed they were exclusively together. She wasn't just a girl at the football game, she was the girlfriend of a Michigan player.

It wasn't the time to start dwelling on the exclusive agreement I had with a certain Michigan player myself, it was hardly the same thing.

It was a churning, bustling sea of navy and yellow, several people walked around with wolverine masks chanting like it was a religious ceremony. I suppose it was in a way, an American institution, the players herculean and godlike.

Despite my discomfort in the raucous atmosphere, I couldn't help but smile at the Dad with his little boy held up on his shoulders. The obvious wonder, with the widest smile that lifted his chubby cheeks, missing baby teeth and all.

"Four beers please!" Ella, on her tiptoes, shouts to the guy behind the counter before turning towards me.

"There are two of us."

"With queues like these it's best to double fist it." She shrugs like a professional. "How long do you think you're going to be able to avoid my questions?"

"Until the angry vein in your forehead pops up probably."

"Oh believe me, after days and an intolerable four hour bus journey, I'm surprised it's not ruptured!"

"If I remember correctly you didn't tell me when you slept with Marcus for the first time." I pin her with a look, ample with accusation.

Carter opening the door of our apartment and revealing a wide eyed Ella rooting through her handbag for her keys was not the ideal scenario; yet it had happened. She'd not stopped asking me about it since. Gone was her promise to stop asking questions, she blamed it on the fact she was a Scorpio, whatever that meant.

She nibbles her bottom lip for a minute, caught out by the undeniable truth. She raises her hands in surrender.

"Touché. But Lou, he was in our apartment! With you! Alone! You both had sex hair! I'm going to end up in a psych ward if I never find out what's going on between you two."

The server chooses that moment to pass over our beers, his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face. God, these guys probably overhear so many things.

"Erm, thanks." I accept the sloshing plastic pint cups and wait for Ella to do the same. Once she's retrieved her drinks she starts to lead us towards the gates for seating. Waiting a heartbeat before continuing in a stage whisper, our voices lost in the crowd now.

"Please tell me."

"It's embarrassing." Her mouth opens melodramatically.

"Number one. I'm struggling to find out what could be embarrassing about seeing Carter Hughes naked." Her eyes almost bug out of her head as she says it, earning a giggle from me.

She's not wrong. He was nothing short of glorious. I'd never seen him fully naked, he'd always been partially clothed. The thought of pressing up against him, nothing between us but skin; it was enough to make my neck flush.