Free Played by Natasha Stories Page B

look like you have a hot date, Ri.
Am I going to be on my own after the game?" I teased.
    "We'll have to see!" she
answered, her good mood showing through.
    Rihanna craned her neck, searching for
someone in particular, I thought, when we arrived at the Huntsman Center. As
usual, our tickets were high in the stands. Not the nosebleed section, but not
VIP, either. Russ's generosity would have afforded me better seats, but I
didn't want Ri to stretch her budget for it. I didn't think she'd take it well
if I offered to buy her ticket, either. Finally, she saw the person she was
looking for, a tall blonde boy with a wispy mustache and beard. She waved him
over, and he joined us.
    "Alan, this is my roommate, Janey.
Janey, Alan." No further explanation about Alan's provenance was
forthcoming, and then the announcer called for the tip-off and the game was in
full swing.
    The Utes had lost their game at Boise State
on Tuesday, their first loss of the season, and they were mad. It had been a
close game, which they lost at the buzzer when Boise tipped in a rebound in a
tied game, winning 69-67. Our boys, and especially Drew, were out to decimate
their next opponent. I watched Drew direct his team's movement, his precise
passing right past the hapless Fresno State guards, and his occasional
three-point shots. The way he moved gave me an unfamiliar thrill. He was poetry
in motion, the game a fast-paced ballet of athleticism. I was falling in love
with the game and for the most part ignoring Ri and her date, canoodling as if
they were in private. Ugh.
    When the final horn sounded, the score was
90-77 Utah. The fans were ecstatic, the loss of a few days before forgotten in
the euphoria of the moment. We fought our way to the player's exit as usual and
let Drew know we'd be waiting for him. He'd been named MVP of the game, with
twenty-eight of the Ute's points to his credit, nine assists, a few steals and
even a couple of rebounds despite being the shortest man on the court. Flushed
with his success, Drew waved at us and made a motion as if he were tipping back
a glass of some beverage. Ri nodded, and we headed to the Pancake Haus where we
always congregated after a game.
    A freshly showered and still glowing Drew
slipped into the booth beside me a little while later. I already had his cheese
fries waiting, along with sodas for the table. He half-rose to kiss Ri's cheek
across the table, then plopped back into the seat, shaking the booth.
    "Great game, Drew," I said. We'd
seen each other weekly since the first game of the season, except for last
week, and I considered him a friend now.
    "Thanks, Sugar," he replied. I
didn't remember when he'd started calling me Sugar, only that it had surprised
me the first time. Ri said it shouldn't, that it fit perfectly because I was
too sweet for words. I thought she was being sarcastic. Though he'd grown up in
Ogden, Utah, Drew had a bit of a southern drawl, and the word on his lips took
on an exotic flavor that tickled my fancy each time he said it. It sounded like
'Sugah'.
    We couldn't get much conversation in, as
every few minutes someone came to the table to congratulate Drew. He answered
everyone graciously, but about an hour later, he'd apparently had enough.
    "You want to get out of here?" he
asked us.
    "Alan and I are going to a
movie," Ri answered. "Want to come?"
    "Depends," he said.
    "On what?"
    "On what Janey wants to do. What do
you say, Sugar, wanta go with them?"
    I tilted my head questioningly. Was he
asking me on a date? That could be fun, I thought. "Sure, why not?" I
answered. Drew immediately slipped his arm around my shoulders and answered Rihanna.
    "I guess it's a date," he said,
answering my unspoken question.
    After a little discussion, we decided to
see Ender's Game. I'd read the book, and was all for it. Even though critics
were panning it, Ri was obsessed with Harrison Ford, and the guys were just
happy we didn't want to see a chick flick.
    Not having much experience of movies,