Jameson 

Following

Rico up the steps, we jog up to the top level, and sprint toward the concession

stands. With the Sixers getting their asses handed to them, the halls are

starting to crowd. People shuffle about, knocking into us as we pass. Once we

reach the counter, I shake my head, disappointed, because the concession stand

has closed for the night.

“I don’t

think they have any more nachos, kiddo. Would you settle for soda and another

hot dog?”

Rico folds

his arm over his chest and pouts. “But I want nachos.”

“They’re

all out.” I clamp my hand down on his shoulder and move him in front of me so

he can get a better look at what they have left. “You can have a hot dog,

pretzel, or ice cream. Which one do you want?”

“I think I

can help you out,” a woman says from behind me.

At first, I

don’t realize she’s talking to me. Not until she strokes my arm with her

fingers, commanding my attention. Her touch sends a chill through me. She

smells sweet, like honey, and good enough to eat.

I spin

around, holding onto Rico. The girl smiles so wide that it reaches up to her

bright, blue eyes. Tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, she moves

closer to me. She has a girl next-door look about her, but she’s also sporty,

like Charlie, and is in full basketball gear, looking as though she just

stepped off the court.

A girl that

reminds me of Charlie is never a bad thing. She’s the coolest girl I have ever

known. Despite being subpar at most sports, I’ve always loved them and continue

to coach youth basketball with Charlie.

Beautiful

beyond words, I have trouble coming up with anything decent to say as I take

her in, thinking of all the dirty things I’d like to do with her mouth. As her

lips part, her breath hitches. She’s about to say something when Rico breaks

the silence.

“Nachos!”

Rico demands.

I laugh, as

does the girl in front of me. Her laughter is soft and feminine and like music

to my ears.

“I can help

you out with your nacho problem.” She holds out her hand for me to shake. And I

do, mostly because I want an excuse to touch her. “I’m Regan, and you are…” She

waits for me to stop acting like a moron and get my shit together.

“Jameson

O’Connor. Jamie. My friends call me Jamie.” Wow! Real smooth, dude.

“I like

Jameson better,” she says, grinning. “The name suits you.”

“Thanks, I

guess.” I stuff my hands into my jean pockets. “Regan isn’t a name you hear

often either.”

“That’s my

dad for you.” She chuckles to herself as if there’s a private joke behind her

name. “How about you two handsome guys follow me, and I’ll get you those

nachos.”

“Yay! Thank

you!” Rico latches onto her by wrapping his arms around her stomach.

“Cute kid

you have here,” she says, staring at me while patting Rico on the back.

“I don’t

know about all that,” I deadpan. “Rico is a pain. You can keep him if you’d

like.”

“Hey!” Rico

finally unhooks himself from Regan to give me the stink eye. “Take it back.”

Hooking my

arm around Rico, I walk down the long hallway next to Regan. “I’m kidding. I’d

never give my buddy away.”

“Rico,” she

says as if thinking to herself and staring down at him to get another glance at

his face. “You don’t hear that name often either. Have we met before?”

“No, I

don’t think so. You have the kind of face I wouldn’t forget.”

She laughs,

blush spreading across her cheeks. But she doesn’t respond to my stupid comment

that sounded like a pickup line, even though it wasn’t intended as one.

The crowds

are getting heavier as we pass, and the buzzer still hasn’t sounded, which

means we have time to get back to our seats. I hope. But I’m also unsure if I

want to go back now that I have Regan’s company. After we loop around the

corner, she stops in front of a different concession stand.

“Hey, Joe.”

Regan waves to a balding man behind the counter. “Can I get two nachos and two

Cokes for my new friends?” She winks at me as she says this.

She has a

certain ease about her that reminds me of Charlie. You can be yourself around

girls like them. Except, for some reason, she makes me nervous. I think of

asking her out as we wait for Joe to fill the plastic containers with cheese.

What if she shoots me down? Not that it would matter. It’s not like we will see

each other again. What do I have to lose?

Joe hands

the nachos to Rico first, and then, the other set to me. Regan takes a chip

from my tray, dunks it in cheese, and shoves it into her mouth with her eyes

trained on me. We share a moment. With me focusing on her mouth as she chews,

it takes me a second before I realize Joe is trying to get my attention to hand

me a cup of soda.

“Thank

you.” I lift the drink from the counter and hold it up in acknowledgment. Then,

I turn to Regan, who has stolen another chip from me. “How is it that you have

the hook up around here?”

“I know a

guy who knows a guy,” she deadpans, laughing to herself.

“What are

you doing this weekend?”

I’m usually

not so forward with women. My question surprises me just as much as Regan. I

like to check women out, make sure they’re not crazy or up to Charlie’s

standards before I ask them out on a date. But I feel comfortable around Regan.

Plus, she didn’t even know me and went out of her way to get Rico food. The

least I can do is return the favor and buy her a decent meal that doesn’t

consist of processed cheese and corn chips.

“Umm…nothing

much. Are you asking me out, Jameson O’Connor?” She inches closer to me and the

tension between us is burning like a lit match.

“Yeah, I

suppose I am asking you out. So, what do you say? Do you want to have dinner

with me on Saturday night?”

She holds

her finger up to her lip, pretending to think it over. The wait is killing me. Say

yes already.

Before she

can respond, I hear Alex call out, “There’s the man-of-honor. We’ve been

looking for you everywhere.”

I was so

caught up in Regan and getting Rico his nachos that I’d forgotten about the

game. How is it I didn’t even notice the buzzer go off, only the people tearing

through the halls in a rush to get out of the building?

“I’m right

here,” I say, annoyed.

Our entire

wedding party follows behind Alex, including Charlie, who has a strange look on

her face. She seems confused, but I have no idea why.

Coming up

next to me, Charlie does something I least expect when she locks onto Regan.

She hugs her as if they have known each other for years.

“How are

you?” Charlie asks, taking a step back from Regan to stand next to me. “It’s

been a while. Is your dad keeping you busy?”

Regan

shrugs. “You know my dad.”

Alex

glances at me, confused, and then, back to Regan. “What are you doing out here

with Jamie? How do you guys know each other?”

“We don’t,”

I interject before she can respond. “They were out of nachos at the concession

by our seats, and Regan helped us out.”

“Mind your

own business, Parker.” Regan’s tone is playful. She speaks to him as if she’s

good friends with Alex.

Who is

this chick?

“Oh, shit,”

Tyler says, stealing the show with his dominance, as he moves through the crowd

to get to Regan. “Are you gonna tell your dad we’re up to no good again?”

Regan

blushes, looking away from him and to me. She holds my gaze for a few seconds

before rolling her eyes at Tyler. “Will you ever let me live that down, Kane? I

was a teenager back then.”

“You’re not

a kid anymore,” he jokes, and that earns him an elbow to the biceps from Regan.

“Shut it,

Kane, before I shut it for you.”

After

Carter exchanges pleasantries with Regan, I start to feel left out of this

conversation. Everyone seems to know Regan except for me. And she never had the

chance to answer my question.

“So, you’re

with Coach,” Regan says to me. “I had no idea.”

“Why? Would

you have treated me differently if I you had known?”

She nods.

“Yes, actually, I would have.”

“Meaning?”

I ask, hoping she will elaborate.

“I was

about to say yes, but now…” Her voice trails off, leaving me even more confused

by the conversation.

What has

changed since Charlie and the gang had to show up and ruin everything?

“I don’t

mix business with pleasure. Sorry.” She gives my arm a pity stroke that sets my

skin on fire.

Why is

she sorry?

Regan

flashes a tiny small before saying her goodbye’s to everyone in our group,

including me. “It was nice meeting you, Jameson.”

“Wait.” I

grab her forearm as she walks away. “You never answered my question.”

A sullen

expression crosses her face. “Under different circumstances, I would’ve said

yes to you in a heartbeat.”

“What

circumstances?” I ask, bewildered.

“I can’t

get mixed up in my father’s business. I’m sorry. It’s just not a good idea. But

I’m glad we met. Come by and see me sometime. I’ll make sure you have nachos

for the next game.”

Without

giving me time to interject, she waves over her shoulder at me, falling in line

with the rest of the crowd, as she strolls down the hall.

Charlie leans

close and whispers into my ear. “Did you ask Regan out?”

I frown.

“Yeah, but she shot me down.”

“She

doesn’t date athletes.”

“But I’m

not an athlete,” I counter, “not even close.”

Charlie

shrugs. “Yeah, but I bet she thinks you are one just by association with me.”

“Why would

she think I’m one of your players?” I stare down at my clothes. I’m built, but

nowhere near the kind of conditioning that screams professional athlete.

“You’re in

much better shape that you realize, Jamie.” She acts nonchalant. “It’s probably

for the best. If things didn’t work out for you, it would mess up my

relationship with her father, and I can’t have that.”

“Who is her

father?” The question of the hour.

“Mike

Turner.”

It takes me

a minute to recognize the name. “Her dad is the Mike Turner?”

“The one

and only,” Charlotte says.

I scratch

the stubble on my chin, trying to process the news. Mike Turner is the general

manager for the Flyers, a hall of famer, and one of the most legendary hockey

players to step onto the ice. “I guess that makes her like hockey royalty.”

Charlie

nods. “Yup, which also makes her off-limits to you.”

A

challenge. Knowing that Charlie wants me to stay away only makes me want to

pursue Regan even more. I also want to change her mind and make Regan see that

I am not like my friends.