Play with Me: Grover Beach Players, #1

Chapter 1

––––––––

He’d never tried to kiss me, even when we practically shared the same bed for half of the summer. And then he was gone. For five tormenting weeks. I thought I was going to die after day two.

But today, my torture was over. Today, Anthony Mitchell returned. My best friend and future husband.

Not like I had informed him of that yet, but it wasn’t necessary. Everyone knew it, and I couldn’t wait to trade my last name, Matthews, for his. Tony and I had been hanging out since kindergarten. We were inseparable, except for the few hours every day when he had soccer training and I had—well, some time to write how much I loved him in my diary for the sixteen millionth time.

Lisa and Tony, that went together like Bonnie & Clyde. Like Lois & Clark. We were M&M, really.

The door bell chimed.

My heart banged against my throat as I tossed my diary to the side, struggling to disentangle the quilt from around my legs. I finally flopped off the bed together with the comforter.

I’m coming! On the way down the winding stairs, I raked my fingers through my long, brown hair to give it the last bit of oomph before I rushed to open the door. A sunbeam hit me first, then Tony’s long-missed good looks followed. His tousled blond hair fell over his forehead, almost touching his pretty blue eyes. He wore a white shirt half open, and I always had to fight really hard not to drool over his naked skin.

Hands shoved into the pockets of his shorts, he just stood there and looked at me. Then his mouth curled into his typical sly grin. What is it, Liz? I know you’re dying to hug me.

I flashed my teeth, which now were perfectly straight after wearing braces for two years, into a broad smile and gave him the bear hug he expected. He dragged me outside and twirled me under the warm sun with my face buried in the crook of his neck. Ah, he smelled so good, sun-kissed and all Tony. I never got enough of that special brand.

How was camp? I asked after he set me down.

He mocked me by wrinkling his nose. Boring as hell without you.

Yeah, right. As if.

To fully understand him, one had to know that, apart from cheese crackers with mayo, soccer was Tony’s greatest passion in the world. But I appreciated his lie and stuck my tongue out at him.

Tony tsked. Manners, girl. If you want to kiss me, just say so. His face was close enough that his nose brushed mine. I swallowed the urge to tilt my head and do just that. But I knew he was teasing me again. So far, we’d never kissed. In regular intervals, I fell asleep in his bedroom when we played video games, or he would crash at mine when his parents were on business trips around the state. He let me rest my head on his shoulder, even played absently with my hair. But a kiss? Nah.

I was going to be seventeen at the end of this summer and had started feeling a little weird because I hadn’t been kissed yet. But no one other than Tony would touch my lips, and if he needed a few more months to realize he wanted me, too, I could wait.

Hey, want to go down to the beach? I got this pretty new swimsuit and haven’t tried it out yet. In anticipation of our reunion, I had put on the neon green bikini that morning, and now pulled down the collar of my pink tee to tease him with a glimpse. Green was his favorite color.

He snarled like a jaguar, with one corner of his mouth lifted. I’d love to see you half-naked, Matthews. Just another tease, but it didn’t matter. Goose bumps shot up on my skin. Unfortunately, I have to pass. I’m going to see some friends from the team down at Charlie’s.

My shoulders slumped. Seriously? You just got back, what, ten minutes ago? Didn’t you see the guys enough at camp?

Hunter wants to discuss tomorrow’s tryouts.

I pouted. Ever since Ryan Hunter had become the new captain of Grover Beach’s high school soccer team, Tony’s training time had doubled. And more training meant less time for him to hang out with me. I hated Hunter.

Cheer up, girl. Why don’t you come along? You know most of the guys anyway, and I’ll introduce you to the rest. I’m sure Hunter won’t mind. He gave me no chance to argue, or even trade my flip-flops for decent shoes. My hand in a tight grip, he hauled me down the path through our front yard.

Wait! I have no money on me.

Don’t need it. That single soda you’ll sip on for the next two hours won’t ruin me.

I pulled my hair back and fastened it with a hair tie I had in my pocket as we ambled along Saratoga Avenue to Charlie’s Café and Diner.

A bunch of kids sat around three tables in the shade of the wooden roof sloping over half of the outdoor area. I recognized a few of them from Tony’s team. Sasha Torres, Stephan Jones, Alex Winter. Nick Andrews’ arm was laid in a cast. The training camp obviously hadn’t passed without leaving battle scars.

I was surprised by the many female faces there, though. What’s this? I whispered to Tony when we were still out of earshot. Are you into co-ed training now?

Cool, isn’t it? We played a few games together in Santa Monica, and Hunter thought it would be fun to assemble a mixed team here, too.

Some of the girls looked familiar, and I even had Spanish with Susan Miller. But a handful of them I swore I had never seen before. Like the one who stood as we approached and kissed Tony on the cheek with her awfully bright-red-painted lips.

You’re late, Anthony. I almost thought you wouldn’t come.

Anthony? The only person I ever heard calling him that was his grandma.

Hi, Chloe, he replied in a strange, deep voice I’d never heard before. His hands rested on her hips. He dipped his head and let her kiss his other cheek.

She winked at him then gave me the strangest once-over I ever got. The spite in her eyes made me feel as if I fell short in the looks and fashion department in her book.

My glance skated to Tony’s face. What the hell was that? And seriously, he didn’t have to drool over her shamelessly long legs when she sat down again and swung one over the other. Her white mini dress must have shrunk in the wash, because something red flashed underneath.

Tony shouted our order to Charlie behind the bar. A Coke and a Red Bull. The Red Bull certainly wasn’t for me. But when did Tony start drinking that nasty stuff? Red-lips-and-white-dress had a bottle of that in front of her, too. I started feeling really awkward all of a sudden.

Mixed soccer teams, huh? I grumbled at Tony while we sat down—he opposite Chloe, and I between him and Nick with the cast.

The tryouts are tomorrow, Matthews. I can put you on the list, if you’re interested, Ryan Hunter called out to me, a mocking glint in his deep brown eyes.

The fact he even knew my name caught me off guard.

Liz and soccer? Tony laughed next to me. It hurt in a weird way. You might as well try to get an elephant to dance the tango. Right, Liz?

I directed an irritated scowl at my supposed best friend. He didn’t even notice when the entire bunch joined in on the laugh.

The elephant part hits home, Barbie said to the redhead next to her then flashed me a cruel smile.

Sorry, what? I was a perfect size XS. My five-feet-four might seem a little short to her Amazonian six-foot-something, but I was in no way fat. I picked up my dropped stomach from the ground and decided to punish Tony later for pretending not to have heard that. In all the time we had been friends, not once had he let anyone insult me without breaking their jaw. Okay, messing with Chloe’s face would be a little drastic, but he could at least have said something to defend me.

Since he seemed to have forgotten how, I returned the saccharin-sweet smile to the Barbie clone. I tried puking up my meals in ninth grade, but that seems to be more your thing than mine.

The laughter died, and Tony choked on his swig of Red Bull while the rest of the group pretended to be conversing in lowered voices. The only sound, a chuckle, came from the place where Ryan Hunter sat.

Chloe frowned at me as if I’d spoken a foreign language. Did you just insult me?

The funny thing was she really meant it. I cut a glance skyward and sipped on my Coke.

Thankfully, Tony got a text message from his mother not long after that. Mrs. Mitchell was hoping to see him again before she and her husband had to leave town for two days. Tony looked at my glass of soda and asked me if I wanted to stay with the others.

I downed the drink in three seconds, already standing. Nope, I’m ready.

He shook his head, but smiled, and let me walk in front of him.

See you tomorrow, Anthony, Barbie cooed.

I ignored the rising heat of jealousy and resisted the urge to glare at her over my shoulder. Instead, I counted the tiles on the floor to the exit. One, two, three...

How about it, Matthews? Ryan Hunter said as I passed him. Will you try out for the team or not?

I stopped, stunned that he was serious about it. My eyes fastened on the easy smile he cast me. I—

Tony’s hands on my shoulders gently pushed me forward. You shouldn’t tease her. She’s just not made for soccer.

My heels dug into the ground. Not because he’d tried to save me from answering, but because of her snortling laugh behind me. Know what? I turned to face Tony with a determined glare. I think I’ll just give it a shot.

You’re shitting me.

That didn’t require a reply, but I raised my brows at him anyway.

Cool, so you’re on the list. We meet at ten on the field.

I turned to Hunter’s amused tone and gave him a polite smile. I’ll be there.

A ball cap shadowed his face as he lowered his chin, but I could feel his gaze skim down to where my cut-off jeans ended then travel slowly farther down my naked legs and back up. Bring shoes. He smirked and winked at me.

This sent a shiver skating down my neck. Tony shoved me out of the café before I could figure out why.

We walked most of the way in silence, until we were close to home and I exploded right in his