Читать книгу Tabloid Teacher - Dominique Butler - Страница 9

“These seats are incredible!” Barry cried as they scooted through the row of seats next to the fifty-yard line. “Where’d you get these tickets?”

Sam smiled. “My neighbor gave them to me.” Well, at least her brother was happy. The crowd was growing and the seats filled rapidly. Two men walked down the steps and looked down the row. Then they checked their tickets and looked down again. Slowly, they made their way over until they were seated in the two empty seats next to Sam. Both men wore dark sunglasses, Dolphins jerseys, and Dolphins hats pulled so low that they touched the sunglasses. Sam glanced at them. Were there any normal men left? Since when do gay couples go to football games together? Well, I suppose there must be a number of gay men who enjoy football. After all, it is full of sweaty men, tight pants, and full body contact. Sam tried not to look at the men. Okay, this sucks. Does this guy have a clue about personal space? She tried to squeeze her body into her chair to avoid contact on the armrest or shoulders. With her sunglasses also on, She watched him out of the corner of her eye. Thank goodness for these dark glasses at least he can’t see me looking.

***

Jake had walked down the aisle closely followed by Lewis. He should see six empty seats right about here, his favorite spot right above the fifty-yard line. For some reason, he only saw two. He checked the tickets again and handed them to Lewis to review. Well, they were in the right place. Next to the two empty seats were a woman, a man, another woman, and a teenage boy. None of them looked like his aunt. I can’t believe these people are trying to steal closer seats. Normally, if you do that you wait until the game starts so you can see which seats were left empty. The game hasn’t started and security is pretty tight. Jake became angrier as he pushed passed their knees to get to his seat. Normally, he would have watched the game with Lewis, enjoying the comfort of having two empty seats on either side. He didn’t like sitting in a skybox because it seemed too far from the action. Besides sitting here was a tradition that started when he was little and his aunt and uncle would bring him to the game. Once he could afford the tickets himself, he started bringing them. Then when his uncle passed away, he began to bring his friends. No one had sat in those seats for years. I have to say something. He thought. But then what if I’m recognized maybe I should just try and sit still until, until what? They might still recognize me. She might ask for an autograph and if she asks then others will ask and when will I enjoy the game? Damn. Then a new thought crept into his head. If they aren’t supposed to be here I’ll just have security remove them. He decided to call his bodyguard who sat two rows back.

“Hey.” He whispered into the phone, “I need you to get security and have them check the tickets of the people sitting directly next to me. Thanks.” There, problem solved. He tried to fold his hands across his stomach but accidentally bumped the woman next to him with his elbow. “Sorry.” He said as he brought his hands back into his lap. She turned to him and he could have sworn that behind her dark glasses she had given him an ugly look. Security needs to hurry up, this is a tight squeeze. He had never noticed how close together the seats were until now. Then again he had enjoyed not having anyone here for so long.

***

A man in a shirt marked security made his way down the steps. “Excuse me.” he said politely, “May I see your tickets please.” Sam stared up at him. No one else was with him.

Why would he want to see our tickets? No one is even with him saying that these are their seats. “Sure.” Sam reached into her purse and pulled out the four ticket stubs. The security officer examined them and handed them back.

“Enjoy the game.” He said before making his way back up the steps, mumbling to himself. Sam looked at Barry and they both shrugged.

“Where’d you get those tickets?” The man next to her asked and his tone was rather harsh.

“My neighbor gave them to me.” Sam answered, completely caught off-guard. She turned to him and their dark glasses met. Sam’s temper began to flare. What the hell? Is this a special gay section? This guy must have called security. She looked around. No one else looks gay.

Jake thought over the woman’s answer. Would Aunt Patsy really give away the tickets? Every year she’s so happy to get them. She always calls me to say thank you. Then she goes on about how if Albert was still there she would definitely come. Actually, a vague recollection of their last conversation slowly crept into his head. Last time we talked was just after my break-up. She said she saw it in the social section. Didn’t she mention a neighbor? Yes, I think she did. A sweet girl was how she described her. Oh no. Suddenly, his aunt’s words were clear in his mind.

“Now, Jake you know how much I love you and I’m so proud of you, but you need to settle down soon. You really should try dating normal women who would take care of you. Leave those women who are too busy with their careers and their looks, alone. Now I have a neighbor, she’s a real sweet girl. She would be just perfect for you.” At the time he had dismissed the comment as another way that his aunt was just worrying about him and trying to be a part of his life. Now he realized she might have had a plan.

I shouldn’t jump to conclusions, he thought. This might not be the neighbor she mentioned. This woman doesn’t seem sweet at all. In fact she has a rather hostile aura about her. He tried to watch her through the corner of his eye. She was sitting with her arms crossed making sure not one inch of her came into contact with him. At least with these dark glasses she can’t tell I’m looking at her.

***

Why the hell does this creep keep looking at me? Sam grumbled in her head. I’m so sick of freaky men. He should be paying attention to his boyfriend.

“Who’s your neighbor?” The words shot out of his mouth in a last hope that this wasn’t his Aunt Patsy’s neighbor. Please say anyone but Patsy, please.

“Why is it any of your business?” Sam hissed back.

Poor Aunt Patsy must be senile. This woman is the farthest thing from sweet. Maybe they’re all roommates. He looked down the row at the woman’s companions. The two next to her were engrossed in a conversation and holding hands. Any hope that the other woman was the one Patsy thought was sweet was extinguished. “I happened to have bought those tickets.” Jake snapped. Now he was facing her completely.

Crap! Patsy wasn’t kidding about hooking me up with her nephew was she? Only thing is he has a boyfriend. Sam turned with a forced smile. “Your Aunt Patsy gave me the tickets. I’m Sam her neighbor.” She extended her hand.

Crap! Now she knows who I am. That’s why she’s suddenly nice. He took her hand and shook it. “I’m Jake.” He replied. “I’m sure my aunt has told you all about me.”

“Not everything.” Sam replied nodding towards Lewis. Lewis nodded back at her. There was a hint of amusement in her voice.

What the hell did that mean? Jake wondered. “I know she goes on and on when she starts talking about me.”

“I usually cut her off.” Sam interjected.

“Oh.” Well, I guess she’s not a fan. Maybe she’s a lesbian. Aunt Patsy had said something about the girls next door once. Maybe she has a female partner. Jake stared at the field. The game was about to start. Even lesbians can be fans though. Maybe if I knew why she’s not a fan I could use that information. It’s not often I meet someone who might critique me.

“Why do you cut her off?” he asked.

What is wrong with this guy? Does he really think I have time to sit around and listen to his aunt talk about him? “Well, for one thing she thinks you’re single and she wants to set me up with you. She doesn’t know about him does she?” Sam thought the situation was hilarious. She nodded again towards Lewis as she mentioned him.

Why does she keep nodding towards Lewis? Jake wondered. Then, Ely’s voice boomed over the loud speaker as he began announcing the teams. That’s when the realization of what she was implying struck him. She thinks I’m gay. Come on. Tabloids were always printing that crap and this woman actually believes it. How ignorant. Oh no. What if she tells Aunt Patsy I’m gay? She’ll probably have a heart attack. Jake raised his voice over the noise of the crowd.

“I’m not gay.” He boomed just as Ely took a breath. Three rows must have heard him.

“Good for you, man.” Someone called back.

“Yeah, right.” Called another voice.

“Who cares?” Was yet another.

Jake felt his face turn red, so much for going unnoticed today. He looked at Sam to see her reaction. She had loosened up a bit but had slumped down some in her chair. She turned to him with a huge smile. “I’m not gay.” He repeated quietly.

“If you say so.” She answered.

“I need a drink.” He muttered then he turned to Lewis. “You want a drink?”

“Yeah, let’s get some beer before kick off.”

Not offering them drinks would be rude, right? He contemplated the situation. I didn’t give them the tickets. So, technically they’re not my guests. However, if you were sitting next to Jake Jameson in seats you know he purchased would you feel like his guest? It’s all about perception he thought. “Would any of you like a drink?” he hoped it hadn’t sounded the way he thought it sounded. Can they tell he hoped they’d say no just so he wouldn’t have to carry all those drinks back? Barry jumped up.

“I’ll go with you guys.” He said. “What can I get you?” He asked his girlfriend.

“Diet Coke.” She answered.

“And you?” he asked her son.

“A beer.” He tried. “I mean a Coke’s fine. How ‘bout some food, too, like hot dogs and nachos?”

“Ok.” Barry nodded. “Anything for you, Sam?”

“Soft pretzel, with lots of cheese and a Coke, please.” She reached for her purse.

“Don’t worry about it. I got it.” Barry answered. The three men made their way up the steps to the concessions.

“I’m Jake, by the way and this is my friend Lewis.” Jake put his hand out and Barry shook it while they waited in the concessions line.

“I’m Barry.”

“What’s wrong with your friend?” Jake asked.

“What?”

“Your friend is not very friendly.” Jake explained.

“What friend?” Barry asked squinting to see the menu prices.

“That girl you’re sitting next to.”

“Nothing’s wrong with her. Why do you ask?” Barry answered absentmindedly.

“Well, for one thing she just about tore my head off when I asked her where she got the tickets. Then she thought I was gay.”

Barry stared at Jake blankly. “I never even saw you talk to her. I was talking to her.”

“No, not your girlfriend the other one.”

“Oh, my sister. Yeah, she can be like that. Particularly with men.”

“Is she gay?”

Barry laughed. “No, she’s not gay. She’s just had bad luck with men so now she’s scared.”

Jake thought about this. Poor girl’s probably looking over her shoulder wondering when her abusive ex will attack. “Who is she scared of?”

Barry laughed again. “No, you don’t get it. My sister’s not scared of any man. She’s scared of all men. I’d actually feel sorry for a man if he tried to hurt my sister. She can be ruthless.”

“So what exactly is she scared of?” They were inching closer to the front. At this rate the game would start before they had even ordered.

“My sister’s been married twice. I actually think what she’s most scared of is that she’ll meet a guy and he’ll propose.”

Now Lewis laughed. “Well, she can relax then with Jake, ’cause he’ll never propose.”

“What do you mean by that?” Jake asked defensively.

“Come on, I’ll bet my boat you’d never propose. You’re just not that type of guy.”

“You’re on then.”

“I’m on for what?”

“You just bet me your boat that I’d never propose.” He smiled at Lewis. Lewis had a really nice boat.

“So.”

“So, I’m going to propose to his sister.” He pointed to Barry who laughed.

“Well, that’s one way to make her face her fear.” Barry chimed in.

“I’ll bet my boat that by the end of the game you will not have proposed to his sister and what do I get if I win.”

“I’ll take your wife out and show her a good time.”

“That’s so wrong, man.”

Jake lowered his voice so only the three of them could hear. “You know your wife would want a night with Jake Jameson.”

The smile suddenly melted off of Barry’s face. “You’re Jake Jameson the movie star.” He said quietly.

Jake put a finger to his lips. Damn this guy hadn’t recognized me and I blew it.

“Here’s my card in case you’re ever in the market.” Barry handed him his realtor business card.

“Thanks.” said Jake as he took it.

“So” said Lewis bringing them back to the topic. “What do I get if you lose?”

“I never lose a bet.”

“Still, it’s not a real bet until both sides take a risk.”

“Ok, if I lose then I have to do something really embarrassing on national TV.”

“As long as I choose what it is.”

“Deal, because I’m not going to lose. This is the easiest thing; all I have to do is pop the question.”

“No, that’s not fair you have to make it seem real. If you were proposing to a girl at a football game how would you do it?”

“I’d use the big screen, of course. Your sister doesn’t seem like she has much of a sense of humor, though.”

“Is that an attempt to chicken out ‘cause the bet’s already on, bro’?” Lewis began thinking of embarrassing things Jake could do.

“Actually, this would definitely get her back for all the practical jokes she’s always playing on me.” Barry smiled. He could just imagine the look on her face when none other than Jake Jameson proposed to her.