Escaping His Games - Sports Romance

Chapter 1

Welcome :) and thanks for reading! This is a project that I've been working on for a long time, and after publishing my first book on Wattpad (If Souls Return [Then Tell Them I Say Hi]) I decided that I would go back and re-edit this story to be able to share it with everyone. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback on it as I develop it further. Hope you all enjoy. I can't wait to hear what you guys think! 

Jade

As I sit at a patio table surrounded by other restaurant patrons whose silhouettes are lit by the twinkling light bulbs hanging above, my legs go numb from a sharp pain in my abdomen. There are a few possible explanations for the pain. Perhaps it's the fact that I only had three fruit loops for breakfast, or more likely it's cramps. Normally I'd grab a hot water bottle and solve the issue with a good nap, but currently an obstacle sits across from me digging a golden nugget from his nose.

He seems like a nice guy, plaid sweater vest and all. For my roommate Lizzie's sake, I wish there was a connection between us. Dexter is her chemistry partner, and I'd hate for this failed date she set us up on to cause any future awkwardness.

"How does such a soft-spoken lady like yourself find herself single?" Dexter, ever the geologist, questions long after the food arrives.

I pause, my fork midair, trying to develop an appropriate answer. Explaining that my last relationship ended with his suspension from the school's football team and my ass in the ER doesn't sound right even in my head.

"I was dating this one guy, but we had different expectations in the relationship and parted ways," I reply.

Dexter nods and pushes his glasses up his nose. "That can be hard. I should know after all the dates I've been on this pas summer. I just knew none of those girls were for me. I'm a little sensitive to smells, and well there was just this one girl whose hair smelt like dusty violets. You wouldn't believe it but the date from last night had fingernails four inches long."

I raise my eyebrows. "I can't imagine." What I can imagine are the thousands of germs living under his fingernails as of now. I'm also pretty sure he wiped whatever booger he found on his pant leg.

Lizzie owes me big after this. My roommate set us up on a blind date thinking I needed a rebound after my last disaster of a relationship. Personally, I think I could have used a night in with my plush kangaroo, tequila, and a good chick flick.

By the time our food arrives my appetite is long gone. I'm also questioning what the likelihood is that the waiter has spit in our meals. If I was him I would've after Dexter spent a good ten minutes trying to correct the guy on how to pronounce rigatoni. He claims it starts like how you would say the word ridge.

Dexter shovels mouthfuls of food in, while I move some noodles around on my plate. "Lizzie said you used to date a football player?" Dexter probes, as I shift uncomfortably in my seat.

"That's right," I say wishing we could skim over the topic. The whole thing was a huge embarrassment.

Dexter hums thoughtfully. "I expect you to be that type just by looking at you," he says. After taking another bite he notices my silence and backtracks. "You just don't seem a girl to go after athletes. Those ones are always so clingy. I don't know how guys manage it with those long practices. I'm the type of person who really needs quiet time when they're focusing."

I nod to be agreeable, regretting it when Dexter perks up with another comment.

"Did you hear about the guy who missed the semifinals last year that could have gotten us to championships because of some bitter ex-girlfriend? Man, I feel for him. We could have had a real shot at winning it if he had been allowed to play, you know?"