Playing to Win (The Players)
Playing to Win: Chapter 19

Ace and I chatted a few more minutes along the sidelines about nothing in particular, never mentioning what happened between us last night. How he gave me an orgasm and I promptly fell asleep after it.

When I woke up hours later with the lamp still on and Ace passed out next to me, I felt guilty. I should’ve done the same thing for him. A hand job, some dry humping…something to pay him back, so to speak.

I tried to sneak out of there without waking him. He looked so cute while he was sleeping, and I turned off the lamp so not to disturb him.

Ugh, he was adorable. I can still envision his face.

He woke up anyway and seemed confused by my leaving early, but I had to. Snuggling close to his hard, warm body is a recipe for eventual disaster.

I’m not trying to get my heart broken here. Meaning I should steer clear. Besides the fact that I absolutely can’t date him, hook up with him, whatever you want to call it.

But I can’t resist him. It’s like he’s fire and I’m drawn to the flames. I need to remember…

Spending more time with Ace will only result in me getting burned.

Once we finished talking, he returned to the field and played his little heart out. Seriously, he was so good. I couldn’t even wrap my head around him playing terribly because clearly, something clicked in his brain when he got the ball back in his hands. Everyone was cheering and clapping at one point, Mattson losing his mind to the point I couldn’t tell if he was happy or upset.

Turns out he was happy. He just has a weird way of showing it.

Eric and I captured everything that unfolded on video and AirDrop’d it to Gwen’s phone, so she could start editing right away. By the time practice was over, Gwen had already posted the arm candy reveal video and it was racking up the likes.

“Over two hundred comments already,” Gwen reveals as we leave the field and head back to our office.

“You only posted like thirty minutes ago!” I chance a look in Eric’s direction to replace him scowling over this news, but the moment our gazes connect, the scowl is gone.

He’s still not thrilled by this when he really should be. We’re all in it together, after all.

“I know, it’s like…I don’t even know how to describe it.” Gwen is actually grinning—something she never does—and she’s shaking her head. “It’s unbelievable!”

“Well, I think it’s great.” I send a pointed look in Eric’s direction. “And it tells me this is the kind of content that will work and help us gain new followers.”

“We’ve grown,” Eric admits, sounding almost reluctant. “By almost two thousand followers. I’ve been keeping track.”

“See?” Oh, I sound smug. I feel smug. “Gwen, you were so right.”

“You’re the one who came up with the arm candy idea,” she says, giving me my props. “Looks like it worked.”

“We keep this up, we’re going to have so many followers!” I offer up my hand and Gwen gives me a high five.

We talk like this the rest of the way back to the office, with Eric interjecting here and there. He’s not as grumpy as he has been, so maybe he’s seeing that it actually works. Which it so does.

I’m gathering up my stuff and slipping my backpack strap over my shoulder when I receive a text.

Ace: Thank you.

Frowning, I read the text again, confused.

Me: Thank you for what?

I was the one who got an orgasm out of last night. Shouldn’t I be thanking him?

I’m climbing into my car, tossing my backpack on the passenger seat when my phone buzzes with his response.

Ace: For talking to me earlier at practice. I played better because of you.

A snort leaves me at his answer. Come on. I had nothing to do with that.

Or did I?

Hmm.

I decide to play it off.

Me: You’re welcome for nothing.

He immediately sends me a text.

Ace: It wasn’t nothing.

Ace: I want to see you again.

Ace: Tonight.

Uh huh. Why? So he can collect what I supposedly owe him? Is he one of those types of dudes?

Me: I can’t tonight.

Stowing my phone in the center console, I try to ignore it as I leave the parking lot and drive back home. It’s not until I’m pulling into my parking spot at the apartment complex where I live that I finally check my phone to see I have more texts from Ace.

Ace: Whatever time you can meet, I’m game.

Ace: I just really want to talk to you again, Red.

Ace: There’s something I want to ask you.

I stare at the three texts he sent, confused. What does he want to ask me that he can’t via text?

He’s not making any sense.

Shoving my phone into the front pocket of my backpack, I make the short walk to our apartment, grateful when I spot Natalie sitting on the couch when I open the front door, shoveling a mouthful of Lucky Charms cereal into her mouth via a giant spoon.

“Oh. Hey.” The guilty look on her face stops me in my tracks and I start laughing.

“Hungry much?” The bowl she’s eating the cereal out of is one we usually reserve for making a salad in.

She sets the silver bowl in her lap, crunching away until she swallows. “I was starving and nothing else sounded good.”

I walk over to the kitchen table and drop my backpack on top of it, deciding to get right to the issue. “I have a dilemma.”

She takes another big bite of cereal, her teeth loudly crunching. “Please explain.”

Taking a deep breath, I tell her mostly everything that happened last night. About Ace being drunk and trying to hit on me. How I explained that my meeting him at Logan’s didn’t make it a date and how I don’t have sex with anyone until at least the fifth one.

Nat’s mouth hangs open in shock at that reveal.

Then I tell her how I ended up taking him back home and that he gave me an O—I don’t go into too many details about that—and that I tried to slip out and he woke up. And lastly, how he needed to talk to me at practice today and how he’s now claiming that I helped him so much.

“…he said he played better because of me.” I throw my hands up in the air, flopping down in the recliner my parents gave me. “That he wants to see me tonight. He has something to ask me.”

“What did you say to him in response?” Natalie asks.

“I haven’t responded,” I admit.

“Ruby!” she practically shrieks, leaning forward to set her disgustingly giant bowl of kids’ cereal on the coffee table. “Girl. You need to answer him.”

“I was waiting to talk to you.” I climb out of the chair and grab my phone before I sit down again, staring at Ace’s last texts. Wondering if he’s waiting by his phone right at this very moment, anxious for my response. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Tell him you’ll meet with him tomorrow. Like for coffee?”

“I mean…I could meet with him tonight. I don’t have plans.”

“Why did you tell him you couldn’t meet tonight?”

“I don’t want to look like I’m desperate and boring.” I turn my phone face down and rest it on my thigh, closing my eyes. “This is a mess.”

“What are you saying? It’s a great mess. The best kind of mess. He’s chasing after you. Claims he has something to ask you that must be important because he wants to say it to your face. Right now, you’re a queen and he’s put you on a pedestal, ready to worship you,” Natalie explains, her eyes flashing.

“You’re being really dramatic.”

“I’m speaking truths! Ace doesn’t chase after girls. He never has to. All the women flock to him wherever he goes. He has a fan club for God’s sake.”

“You know about the fan club?” I ask incredulously.

“Everyone knows about it. They try and recruit members like they’re a fucking sorority! It’s madness.” Natalie starts laughing, shaking her head. “You have to meet with him.”

“Not tonight,” I say firmly, making her frown. “What? I can’t run to him every time he asks me to. He’ll think I’m easy.”

He probably already thinks I’m easy. He had his fingers inside me last night.

I’m the epitome of easy.

“Oh yeah. That reminds me. Your date rules.” She watches me carefully, like I’m a puzzle she’s trying to figure out. “Were you for real about that?”

“About what? The five-date rule?”

“Yeah. Because if you ask me, that’s some straight-up trash.”

“Why do you say that?”

“First of all, if a girl gets with a guy immediately after meeting him, does that make her a slut?”

“No, of course not.”

“Well then, why do you have that stupid rule with the stipulations and the minimum of five dates?”

“I was trying to prove a point to Ace that I’m not the type of girl who gives it up during the first date.” I cover my face with my hands, irritated with myself. “Instead, I took him home after our non-date and let him finger me until I came all over his hand.”

“Ooh, Ruby! That’s a juicy detail you didn’t originally share!” Natalie’s so excited she leaps off the couch and starts pacing. “I think you might’ve hypnotized him.”

“How?” I drop my hands to stare at her. She’s talking nonsense.

“With your magical hoo-ha, of course.” Natalie waves a hand in said hoo-ha’s direction. “He’s had a tiny taste and now he’s hooked.”

“He didn’t taste it,” I admit softly.

She rolls her eyes, stopping directly in front of me. “Well, he stroked it and now he’s eager to get back to it. Proving your dating rules are nothing but bullshit.”

“He only wants to talk to me so we can hook up again.”

“And that’s a big deal because these guys on the team, they don’t really hook up with someone twice. Trust me, I’ve tried,” she retorts.

“With Derek?” I wince.

“Um, yes. I’ve thrown myself at that asshole and he still won’t touch me. Claims he just wants to be friends.” She huffs out a breath, crossing her arms. “Who wants to be ‘just friends’ this day and age? You’re either fucking or you’re not.”

“Natalie…”

“I’m serious.” She settles on the edge of the coffee table, directly in front of me. “Go meet with Ace tonight and replace out what he wants from you.”

I slowly shake my head. “I’m not meeting him tonight. I’ll do it tomorrow.”

Natalie doesn’t respond. Just stares into my eyes for at least five seconds, maybe longer. I start to squirm, but I don’t look away until she finally breaks out into a smile, slowly nodding her head. “I’m so proud of you. Yes, that’s perfect. Make him suffer.”

My shoulders sag with exhaustion. “You are so confusing.”

“I was seeing if you’d change your mind and you didn’t. This is exactly the kind of treatment these assholes need. Every woman they encounter, they snap their fingers and the girls come running. It’s annoying. We need to be stronger. We need to learn how to resist.”

“Are you turning into a man-hater, Nat?” I ask with a sigh.

“No, I’m turning into a woman supporter. Fuck these guys who think they can get all the pussy they want, just because they know how to throw a ball or whatever. I say if Ace Townsend wants more of you, he should have to work for it.” Natalie smiles and it’s almost evil. “He’s probably going to spiral, having to put some effort into seeing a woman for the first time in his life.”

“He’s not that bad—”

“He’s awful, Ruby. Don’t defend him. He’s a man, he’s on the football team, plus he’s a jerk and women fall at his feet. Don’t let him get away with it.” She points at me. “Let’s answer him.”

She is seriously making my head spin, but hey. At least she saw the light and is now on my side.

We work on the response for far too long, to the point that Ace has probably given up on me replying at all, and when I finally send it, I immediately feel nervous. Like maybe I just made a mistake.

Oh well. Too late now.