Free Touchdown by Garnet Hart

he uttered under his throat. He’d never met a woman more difficult than this one. She wasn’t even a beauty… except for her breasts, probably. They’re the only part of her that he couldn’t get his eyes off.
    But the hell… He wouldn’t have to go through all of these if it were another woman. She’s quite a challenge.
     
    *****
     
    Zoey peered at her reflection in the mirror and pressed her lips together. The red lipstick perfectly matched her dress.
    “You changed your dress?” Bessie asked.
    She turned to Bessie, who was standing at the door of the bathroom. She was wearing a different dress earlier, but Bessie suggested she’d wear this instead. And boy, how right the kid was. Although it was a knee-length dress, it covered most of the bandages on her upper thigh. Those around her knees were visible, but it didn’t look that bad to her. People might not even notice it at all.
    “Because you told me so,” Zoey replied.
    Bessie grinned. “It’s seven. Why is he not here yet?”
    “He might be a little late,” she said and walked out of the bathroom with her crutches. “But he’ll come.”
    “Can I come with you?” Bessie followed her to the living room.
    “Oh, we might go to places where kids are not allowed. We’ll drop you to your Aunt Paula’s house, and I’ll come get you back before midnight. Is that okay?”
    “Okay,” Bessie said and sat on the couch to play Angry Birds on her phone.
    Zoey glanced at the wall clock. Troy was fifteen minutes late. He said he’d come pick her up at seven.
    She looked through the window and imagined Troy getting out of his expensive sports car with a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates for her. How romantic. It sent tingles down her toes.
    “Silly me,” she whispered to herself. She felt like a teenager once again—dreaming of a handsome prince to knock on her door and sweep her off her feet.
    She wasn’t even sure why she suddenly decided to go out with him. All the while, she thought she hated him. But she was just a woman, and no woman could possibly let go of an opportunity to date the most craved for two-time athlete of the year, two-time Superbowl MVP, and two-time NFL MVP.
    It wouldn’t mean she’d convert to the Patriots though. She’d remain a loyal Jets fan until her death.
    She sat beside Bessie and watched her play. Another quarter of an hour later, she lost her patience.
    Bessie yawned. “He’s still not here?”
    She shook her head. “Go on. Just keep playing.”
    “I’m bored already.”
    Zoey stood up and peered through the window once again. He said he was serious when he said he’d come pick her up at seven. Was he making fun of her?
    She went to the kitchen to make a glass of milk for Bessie. When she returned, the girl had fallen asleep on the couch.
    “Fuck!” she grunted.
    What the hell was she thinking? Of course he was kidding. Why did she even bother to believe a word he said? He got what he wanted. She had changed her statement. He had nothing to do with her anymore.
    Well, she’d go watch the game on Monday, and she’d be cheering for the Jets. She hoped his team would suffer an embarrassing loss.
     
     

Chapter 8
     
    “Go Wayne!” Zoey cheered with the crowd of solid Jets fans, all wearing their NY Jets shirt. She had number 21 on hers—Mason Wayne’s number.
    “Ugh!”
    Wayne was sacked by who else than his arch nemesis—Troy Myers.
    Disappointed, she sat back on her seat and dropped her crutch on her feet. The Patriots had been doing great this second half. They were down by nine points before that, until their show-off quarterback made a run with the ball and scored a touchdown, plus another extra.
    “Did you have a fight with Troy again?” Bessie, who was quietly sitting beside her, asked.
    “What?”
    “You’re angry at him because he stood you up the other night.”
    “N-no, no.” She laughed. “He called. He said he couldn’t come because he had to go somewhere,” she