The Beautiful Truth

// 12

At the beginning of the third quarter, I decided it would be OK to start drinking. Talyn was beating UVA 21-3, and looked as confident as I'd ever seen him.

"Can you hook me up with a drink now?" I leaned over and asked Barton Black, who had been watching the game as intently as I had, once Seth had decided we were boring him and left for their house several blocks away.

The bartender was out of earshot, but when he approached again, Alex made some gesture and called him over. "Whatever she wants, just throw it on our tab."

The bartender nodded in agreement. "What's it gonna be, babe?"

"Vodka and tonic...any chance I can get that in a glass like this one?" I asked, pushing my empty glass of water toward him slightly.

Barton laughed softly next to me. "Better make it Goose, then."

"Comin' right up," the barkeep winked at me and said before turning around to fetch the liquor.

I laughed. "I didn't mean you had to fill it up!" I defended myself. "I just like a lot of ice."

"Mmm, sure," Barton joked. "So your boy looks pretty good, huh?"

"Yeah, I was a little worried he'd be nervous or something...he tends to mess around with the way he throws the ball when that happens, but he's doing fine," I explained.

"You sure do know a lot about football," Alex said from beside me.

I supposed I did. I'd been calling plays along with Talyn—most of the time agreeing, but making a mental note of when we didn't because he'd want to know the next time we talked. Of course, I had to explain that I only knew all this because I'd helped Talyn learn plays ever since he started carrying around a playbook.

Barton was being awfully quiet, despite the fact that he and Alex should have been bombed by then, what with the two giant bloody Mary's they'd had and the seemingly limitless supply of beer with which the bartender was providing them. I couldn't help but think that he was a little put off, or something, by how much attention I was paying to the game, seeing as how I was watching to see the guy some girl at the far end of the bar kept calling 'the hottest football player she'd ever seen in her LIFE.'

I'd have to tell Talyn that one, too.

Anyway, I warned him I'd be into it. He knew Talyn was my best friend. I couldn't help but be interested.

But I had to throw him a bone.

"So what are you doing tonight?" I turned to him and asked after taking a sip of my recently delivered ice-cold Grey Goose and tonic.

Barton turned to face me, too, and shrugged, unable to hold back a growing grin. "I dunno. Probably taking a nap after the Cal game, to be honest. And then, I've got no ideas. Do you?"

I hesitated. "Uh, so does that mean you want to hang out?"

He rolled his eyes. "You're quick."

"You're unbelievably hard to read," I countered.

Behind me, Alex laughed to himself.

Barton sighed loudly for Alex's benefit. "Fine. Yes, Sawyer, I want to hang out with you tonight. Let's go over to the beach."

My heart skipped a beat. "Sure, you want to run?"

"Nah, I'm not gonna be in any kind of shape for that after drinking all day," he admitted, twisting off another smile.

"Ah," I nodded, not sure, again, what he was getting at.

"I'll come pick you up later and we'll head over to the OB," Barton explained. "Sound like a plan?"

I nodded again, having picked up my glass for another drink. Talyn ended up schooling UVA pretty well, and Cal had a twenty point lead over Tennessee at half-time, so by then, Barton and Alex were ready to go, and I was satisfied with my first collegiate football watching experience. I would have much rather been at the actual game, but that was for next weekend.

At 6:00 I was back in my dorm. After a quick nap to sleep off that horribly strong drink I'd managed to force down at the bar, I showered again, and waited to hear from Barton. It was about 8:00 when he came to pick me up.

Surprised, but excited at the same time, I climbed on the back of his motorcycle, carefully put on the shiny black helmet he'd brought for me, wrapped my arms around his body, and headed for the beach.