3. Chapter 3

Susie's "flavor of the week", as Brie likes to call them, is definitely not getting another date. It took us twenty minutes to find him before we could leave. He talked about the game the entire ride home, asked for my autograph—which luckily I do keep a pen in the car for just that type of occasion—and then forgot to acknowledge Susie when he got out of the car.

"I think that was a first." I laugh at Susie's shocked expression. "I can't believe that just happened. I mean seriously you all, that was bad."

"You think?" Brie is laughing so hard she's crying.

"You need to stop going to sports bars to meet people. It's not working for you," I scold her. "Most of them don't understand the game, they've never played and most of them think that because they manage a fantasy team they know how to coach. It drives me crazy."

"Like you should talk! How many women have you dated in the last year, Mr. Josh "The Ladies' Man" Owens?" She retorts. I've only dated one woman in the last year, and it was literally just a few dates. However, that reputation was fully earned my first two years in the league. I partied and dated like it was going out of style. But now I find myself wanting to find someone to build a relationship with.

"I just want to meet someone who will enjoy football with me, but doesn't like my brother more." She drops her hands in her head and lets out a big sigh. "Is that too hard of an ask?"

"When you're as great as I am?" Both Susie and Brie groan. "Why yes, yes it is. But really Susie, most of these guys are not nearly good enough for you. You deserve someone who will appreciate you, not just the fact that you can get them great seats at a game."

"I know," she mumbles, into her hand. "Why does dating have to be so hard?"

"Do you want me to set you up with someone?" I ask, completely serious. "I know some people that you might like."

"No," Susie and Brie yell together.

"Come on. Nick wasn't that bad. He's good looking, funny, and has a successful career. All the things Mom and Dad would want for you."

"Funny? You think telling jokes about accounting is funny?" Susie exclaims, her eyebrows arched. "I spent two whole hours with him while he talked about his work. Which just happened to be a whole different view of football players that I'm really not interested in. Brie, however, was entertained when I told her his math joke."

"Oh yeah! That was great. Why do plants hate math? Because it gives them square roots." Brie laughs, while Susie and I roll our eyes. "It got a huge laugh out of the kids. I was definitely their favorite teacher that day!"

"Okay Brain-anne. We all know you're a total dork."

"Seriously? Brain-anne? Can't come up with anything better than that? I think my eight year old students would be able to think of something more creative than Brain-anne." She draws out the n's.

"Why fix something that's not broken?" I waggle my eyebrows at her through the rear view mirror. Brie tries to hide a smile while rolling her eyes.

Teasing her will never get old. I love how she gets all flustered, and when she's really annoyed, her nostrils flare. It's hilarious. My goal during every conversation is to make sure that I rile her up.

"Can we focus here? I need help. What am I going to do? Maybe I could pretend you"re not my brother, Josh?" Susie is dead serious.

"Sure." I shrug. "Couldn't hurt. But they may get mad once they realize I am."

"Why don't you go out with Adam?" Brie says from the backseat.

"What?" Susie asks, at the same time I say, "NO!"

"Why?" Brie asks seriously. "He seems like a genuinely nice guy and he's hot."

My pulse starts to pound and I squeeze the steering wheel, Brie just said Adam was hot. I feel my jaw clench. Sure, he's a good looking guy. I'll give him that, but I don't like hearing those words fall from her lips.

First she wears someone else's jersey, now she's calling my teammates hot? Woah. What is this? Am I jealous? HA! I'm not jealous. She's so not my type. She's a bookworm, I'm a jock. Total opposites in every way. HA!

"Ha," I scoff out loud, asserting the ridiculousness of me having a thing for Brianne Woodbury to the world.

"No, listen to me. It's actually not a bad idea," Brie continues to defend the notion of Susie dating Adam. "She would be able to enjoy football without having to worry about them being completely enamored of the players." When neither one of us says anything she takes that as a cue to continue. "I'm pretty sure he's into you, Susie."

"He is?" we both say together, and immediately look at each other and scream. "Jinx."

"Come on you two," Brie whines. "Can you just listen to my reasons why I think this could work?"

"Oh look, Brie. We're at your house," I pull up to the curb and put the car in park. "Do you want myautograph?" I reach over to the glove box and grab a napkin. She laughs and slaps me on the back of the head.

"No dweeb. But thanks for the ride home." She gets out of the car and closes the back door, then moves to the driver"s side and leans on my door's open window. A breeze picks that moment to blow into my car and I'm surrounded by Brie's scent. She smells like vanilla and cinnamon with a hint of jasmine. It's all I can do not to close my eyes and inhale deeply.

"Susie, give me a call later, we need to chat." She pokes my shoulder and I wince. "Without this guy."

I gingerly rub where Brie poked me and she catches my grimace.

"Ugh, I'm sorry. I forgot about that hit you took in the third quarter. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I brush off the hit with a toss of my hand. "The trainer said everything looked okay."

"You're sure?" Is that concern in her voice?

"Yup, totally."

"Good. Susie, call me," she shouts, as she pushes away from the car and heads to her porch.

"I'll call you as soon as I get home," Susie calls out.

I watch her open her door then head inside. She turns to give one last wave before closing the door behind her.

"So, what's all this talk about Adam?" I ask as I pull away from the curb and turn right at the next corner toward Susie's house.

She shrugs. "I have no idea what she's talking about."

"Do you think Adam is hot, too?" I can't keep the mocking tone out of my voice.

She stares at me for a moment before starting to laugh.

"What? I thought it was a pretty straight forward question. I'm asking you if you're interested in Adam."

Her mouth drops open and her eyes widen as she looks at me. "No, you're not. You're asking me if Brie is interested in Adam."

I keep my eyes on the road and let out a snort. "No, really. I'm asking if you like him."

Her laugh starts off soft and then it gets louder and louder. The next thing I know she's laughing so hard she's wiping tears from her eyes. Thankfully, I pull up to Susie's house.

"Get out, brat. And stop laughing." Now she's doubled over and having a hard time opening the door. I put the car in park, lean over her and open the door for her.

"Go," I yell. "And you can forget about me finding out if Adam's dating anyone."

Susie throws her head back and howls. She almost falls out of the car. It takes what feels like forever for her to get onto the sidewalk; she's laughing that hard. She stops, wipes her eyes, takes a deep breath, glances at me and starts laughing all over again. I shake my head and start to drive off.

I look in the side mirror to see her laughing and slapping her leg. I feel a chuckle rise up at how silly she looks.

She can't seriously think I'm interested in Brie, can she?

"Nah," I say out loud, brushing off the idea completely. "There's no way anyone would think that."