GROUNDING 🏈 Nick Bosa

#ELEVEN.

A bit later.

I find myself knocking on room 308.

I had no idea why I was here, or why I possibly thought I could do this. There wasn't an answer, but I herd music coming from inside. I quickly change my mind and took this as my opportunity to get out of there.

—But as soon as I start to walk away the door opens up briskly.

"Hey! Liliana, right?"

A tall, beautiful, dark brunette woman holds the hotel room door open, staring at me.

"Yes, hey. I was told I should come over?" I anxiously, question.

"Yes, I told my husband if he seen you, to invite you over to hangout with us. I'm Claire, George's wife." She enthusiastically, replies.

I was taken back, I wasn't sure why she'd want to hangout with me. I had never met or even seen her before, but I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, hoping she didn't secretly hate me.

"This is Kristin, Kyles wife." She continues, moving the shorter, and lighter brunette forward into my view from the doorway.

"Come in." Kristin says, waving her hand in an inviting and warm manner.

They seemed genuinely nice, but I was still a bit skeptical as to what I was doing here.

As soon as I get through the door Claire says "Want a shot of vodka?"

"Oh, I don't know. I have to work tomorrow." I quickly, reply. Feeling a bit uncomfortable in the new surrounding and company.

I just kept thinking to myself, why I got into this predicament.

"Come on, just like, one? It can't hurt." Kristin, was quick to fire back.

"Um, okay. Sure." I reply. Shit, why not? I think to myself, it'll help me feel more comfortable.

The three of us all take a shot of vodka and diet Red Bull. It wasn't bad, in fact it was a bit exciting. I hadn't drank hard alcohol in awhile though, so I needed to be careful.

"Let's sit at the table." Claire, speaks up.

I follow them over to the table in the room and pick a seat, trying to calm myself down from feeling the anxiety of meeting new girls.

I was still very, unsure of their motives, and I couldn't help, but question this entire get together. I realized I wasn't an entirely trusting person.

"Sooo, how's things going for you.. How's it like working with the guys? Is it horrible?" Claire asked, contorting her face into a slightly, disgusted manner.  As if almost, to motion working on the guys, sucked.

I laugh, lightly. "No, it isn't all that horrible. It's been okay, so far." I kinda lie, but not completely.

That question wasn't exactly an ice breaker, I thought to myself. In fact, it made me a bit more nervous. It made me think about taking another shot of vodka, in fact.

"I'm glad to hear that. I just hope they're not giving you too much trouble." She continues "I'm sure working around all that masculinity could get tough. I'm sure."

I smile, nicely. "No, honestly. It's been totally cool."

"—Oh. Well, she's only asking because we were at practice the other day, and seen you and Bosa have some type of altercation of sorts." Kristin says. She quickly, covers her mouth. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be nosey. I'm drunk, I'm sorry." She repeats.

"No, it's okay. Yeah, we did.. I guess. He's just um, he's annoying sometimes." I awkwardly, say. I wasn't sure how to respond to that question on the spot without being weird.

"Really? He seems pretty chill?" Kristin, replies.

"Yeah, he is, but we just had a misunderstanding, that's all." I was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable at this point. "Can I actually take another shot?" I ask.

"Yeah! Of course." Claire says, fetching our shot glasses, the alcohol and chaser.

She pours them up for all of us. "Cheers!" She says, clinging her glass against mine.

"So, can I ask you something?" Kristin, asks. After finishing her shot, her eyes now glued to me, with a smile firmly planted across her face.

Oh, shit. Oh, fuck. I think to myself, becoming even more nervous.

"Um, sure." I say, unassured of what might come next.

"Are you guys like, a thing?"

"Who?" My throat nearly becomes dry for no apparent reason, other than... that question alone. My nerves were shot through the ceiling. Was this like, an interrogation. What the fuck?

"You and Bosa?" She pries.

"What?— No, absolutely not at all." I quickly, respond. Lying my ass off to save the life of me.

"Well, George said that Bosa likes you." Claire says. "Like, a lot."

My heart starts to pound. "He doesn't like me, he's wrong."

"He wouldn't just say that, though." Claire, replies.

"He doesn't like me. I honestly, have no idea what he's talking about. In fact... we don't like each other. He's a chauvinistic prick. I wouldn't even give him a second thought." I lie, hard. Very, hard. Trying to convince them otherwise.

I couldn't believe I was in this situation right now. My body was starting to go completely numb.

"What—Really? He always seemed nice. I mean, at least from when I was around him. Which is pretty rarely, so... maybe you're right." Kristin, speaks up.

"He's hot, though. We can all agree on that, right?" Claire, laughs.

I didn't respond to that, I couldn't.

Finally the conversation changes into normal things. Like, music and hobbies. I was extremely grateful to get off the subject of Bosa. I wasn't sure I had fully convinced them, but I also wasn't sure if they knew something I didn't want them to know.

Either way, I wasn't ready to trust them with that type of information. It wasn't that they weren't nice, it was just, that I didn't even know them. At least, not yet I didn't.

We ended up taking at least three more shots— or maybe even more. I lost count because my mind had been wrecked from the nerves.

We listened to music, and altogether had a goodnight and got along. Surprisingly, more than I thought we would after all the Bosa questions.

They really opened up, and I felt like I had created a friendship with them before the end of the night.

It was fun, I had a good time.

🏈