Free Playing For Keeps by R.L. Mathewson

food out to him.
    Jason wasn’t even sure she realized
what they were doing. Her focus seemed to be on the game itself.
When their beer was empty he put it down and turned to find another
beer vender.
    “Oh shit!” Brad yelled as he jumped to
his feet the same time Mitch did.
    He turned in time to see Haley jump to
her feet and then jump onto her seat, holding her hands out as she
mumbled, “Oh no, oh no, oh no!” He jumped to his feet the same
moment as something white slammed into Haley’s hands. She held onto
the thing for dear life as she lost her footing from the impact of
the ball and from several guys trying to grab it from
her.
    Before he could push the bastards away
from her Haley was jumping up and down on her seat while hugging
the ball to her chest. Her smile was intoxicating when she looked
down at him and proudly showed him the ball.
    “Look!”
    He placed his hands together in front
of him in a praying gesture and slightly bowed. “Very good,
grasshopper.” He straightened up in time to catch her in his arms.
He whirled her around as she hugged his neck tightly.
    “I can’t believe I caught
it!”
    “You did great!” he said, kissing her
cheek. The action was so sudden that it took him back. He carefully
placed a very happy Haley on the ground. She sat down, still
grinning while hugging the ball.
    After a few minutes she said his name
tightly.
    “Yes?”
    “I think I broke my hand,” she
whimpered.
    **************
    “You sure you don’t want to go with
us?” Mitch asked, giving her a puppy dog expression.
    Haley forced herself to smile. She
liked Mitch, not as much as Jason, but she didn’t see it going any
further than friendship. Mitch was becoming rather persistent over
the past week. It was getting kind of annoying.
    She held up her hand and ice pack.
“Sorry. I think I’m going to go relax. You guys go have fun. Hit
the clubs or bars or whatever you guys do. No doubt Jason’s going
to want to hit the all male review.”
    While the other men laughed Jason
stuck his tongue out at her. Haley looked at the front desk. “Ah,
guys, did you remember to check in earlier?”
    Jason waved it off. “We have the room
reserved on a credit card. It will be there by the time we get
back.”
    Haley didn’t think it would be. Hotels
usually had a tendency to give rooms away when the holders didn’t
show up and since it was now nine o’clock she didn’t have high
hopes that the room the guys reserved was still available. She
didn’t say anything knowing it would come off as bossy and she was
sick of being a worrier. She didn’t want to nag the guys and wreck
their good time.
    “Alright, have fun, guys,” she said
before making her way to the elevator.
    “Haley! Wait up!” Mitch called. She
almost groaned.
    “What’s up?” she asked him, feeling
her patience fraying.
    He shrugged. “I was going to ask if
you wanted company. I know your hand must hurt so I figured I’d
keep you company,” he said with a charming smile that probably
worked on most everything female.
    Her eyes shot past him to see Brad
grab Jason by the arm and hold him back. What the hell was that
about? She gave herself a mental shake and focused on
Mitch.
    “That’s really sweet, but I’ll be
fine. I’m just going to watch a movie and go to bed. I’ll see you
tomorrow.” She didn’t give him a chance to respond before she
headed off towards her room.
    She might not have the best track
record in dating, but she knew the womanizers by sight and Mitch
was definitely a womanizer. She didn’t feel like being just another
notch on any man’s bed.
    A few minutes later she was closing
her hotel room behind her. She walked to the first double bed and
searched her bag for aspirin. Her hand was throbbing like crazy.
When she couldn't find any she called room service for a bottle and
a large ice cream sundae.
    Twenty minutes later she was sitting
comfortably in a bubble bath while eating a decadent hot fudge
sundae. Her