ready for it? • t. zegras

one

My eyes are glued to the TV, focused on the NBA game playing. My roommates, Mira and Matilde, were probably off dazzling a group of people with their charm. Well, Matilde is most likely dazzling them with charm and Mira is nodding along. It always works out for her in the end and if it's not broken, don't fix it. I swore to them I was getting another Shirley Temple and then I'd be right back but the Blazers game caught my eye.

It's the same bar we go to every night out. At this rate, the bartenders see me walk in and change at least one of the two small televisions to basketball if it's on. Hell, I watched a UC Irvine game one night despite swearing off college basketball.

A voice draws me from the game, being greeted by a very cute guy. "Basketball, huh? Big Lakers fan?"

My brows furrow and his face floods with worry. I glance from him to the TV, to him, and back to the TV, before landing on him once and for all. A small laugh and I say, "Neither of those teams is the Lakers."

"Wha--" His eyes flicker for a brief second to the TV. "Oh, my god. That's embarrassing. I swear I just didn't look close enough. I promise I'm not a complete idiot."

"Happens to the best of us."

"So... Let me guess, big Blazers fan?"

"Mhm," I hum. "Into basketball at all?"

He shrugs and smiles as if he's making the greatest joke known to man. "More of a hockey guy."

"Yeah? My roommate actually works in PR for an NHL team." Now, I have no clue why I told him that. He could be a complete weirdo. I don't even know the man's name. Something in me was begging to relate to him somehow, though, and it came tumbling out.

"Really?" His phone gets a notification and he digs it out of his pocket. I watch the gears turn as he messes with it until it's being held out to me. A new contact being made. "I have to go but I'd love to discuss sports with you more."

There are two options here, reject this incredibly good-looking guy or give him my number and see where it goes. I'm always down for new friends. Again, he could be a complete weirdo. He seems nice. Isn't that how they get you? God, why did this have to happen my night as DD? I would never question this drunk.

I grab his phone and type in my information slowly, making sure it's totally correct. If I'm doing this, I'm doing it successfully. When I hand it back to him, he nods. Apparently, my number and name are up to his standards.

"Okay, Teagan," he says. It could be the smell of his cologne or the way he looks effortlessly confident but my name sounds perfect coming from him. "I'll, hopefully, talk to you soon."

"Well, it's all up to you."

"Right, so I'm definitely talking to you soon."

* * * * *

He held up his promise. Not even ten minutes after he left, I got a text. I ignored it in favor of debriefing my roommates, in all their drunk wisdom, after we got home. It was routine on a night out to end up on our kitchen floor eating whatever snack was in its phase that week.

"Got a guy's number tonight," I say.

Tilly's head snaps up from the Cosmic Brownie she was struggling to open. "What's his name?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know? You're the one who got his number." Mira shakes her head in disbelief.

"I haven't texted him back yet. He has my name."

"Tenner, please text him back right now," Mira says. "Don't leave the man hanging."