First Down: A Fake Dating College Sports Romance (Beyond the Play)
First Down: Chapter 31

LAURA THRUSTS the flyer into my hand with a flourish. “You’re welcome.”

I barely glance at it before setting it down on my desk. As soon as I finish the last paper I’m writing, I’ll be done with the semester. Finally. Taking six classes is not for the weak. As finals season has winded down, the tension has leeched from me bit by bit.

It’s being replaced by the panic I feel every time I remember I agreed to spend Christmas with James’ family, but you know. Variety is the spice of life, and all that. It was easier to agree to it and let him get excited about that, rather than argue more about what he thinks I should do with my future.

Laura drops down on my bed, making the mattress bounce. “Really? I’m about to leave, you know. I’m not going to see you for a month. The least you could do is say goodbye, if you’re not going to even look at my super-awesome parting gift.”

“And I’m still green with envy,” I say, spinning the desk chair around so I can look at her. “Is Barry really coming to Naples?”

“Yep. It took some convincing, but he’s in.” She grins. “My brother is going to eat him alive. Are you still going to Port Washington?”

I play with a bit of fuzz on my sweater. Port Washington. Even the name sounds fancy. “Yeah. And every time I think about it, I feel like I’m getting an ulcer.”

“You have to take some sneaky pics, I’ll bet the house is spectacular. If his parents don’t hire someone to professionally decorate for Christmas, I’ll eat my hat.”

“I thought you never wear hats because they make your head look big.”

“Well, if I had a hat, I would eat it. His mother is so glamorous. You better get ready for glam Christmas.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Is this supposed to make me feel better? I’m already freaking out, so thanks.”

She bounces on the bed a few times. “Look at the flyer. I’m sending your real Christmas present to James’ house, but this is like a mini present.”

I sigh as I turn to grab the flyer. The second I start scanning it, heat erupts on my cheeks. “Laura—”

“You don’t have to be a visual arts major to enter,” she says quickly. Of course, she preempted all my arguments. “It’s for anyone who wants to try. And it’d get your work in an actual gallery in the Village!”

I force myself to read the flyer. It’s a contest sponsored by McKee’s Visual Arts Department, offering prizes in various categories… including photography. All the finalists will win a thousand dollars and have their work displayed at the Close Gallery in the West Village, and there’s a grand prize for the set of pieces the department deems most exceptional. The amount nearly makes my jaw drop. Five thousand dollars. That could be a huge help with the apartment rehab.

“Wow,” I whisper.

“You could use the pieces from the diner,” she says. “Or those new ones you showed me from the football practice, those were amazing. I still don’t know how you made a bunch of cold dudes running around in the snow look so good. Tell me you’ll at least try?”

I fold the flyer carefully and stick it into my planner. “Yeah. But don’t expect anything. It’s probably one of those things where they really prefer someone from the department to win it.”

“You’ve taken some classes. That one professor tried to convince you to double major!”

“It’s not the same.”

“Don’t count yourself out.”

“I won’t. I’m just—being realistic.”

I haven’t told Laura about the offer from Angelica. After I called her, which I did because I promised James I would, she called this guy named Doug Gilbert, who handles media across all McKee athletics, and he looked at the photographs I took of the practice. He was impressed, and now I have a student press badge to use if I want, provided I give any photographs to him to look over and possibly use—with payment—in promotional material for the teams.

It felt weird, like I was there because I’m James’ girlfriend, but he assured me that it wasn’t because of that. Looking at my work was a favor to Angelica, who apparently likes me a lot, but offering me the access badge was something he did because he thinks I’ll deliver good photography.

I haven’t told James yet, either; I’m planning to spill the beans on the drive down to his parents’ place. I’ve never had a secret like this to keep before, and honestly, it’s pretty fun.

But even if I do this, even if I sell some photographs to the university, or enter the contest Laura just told me about, it doesn’t replace the reality of my situation.

Laura looks like she’s going to push, but I shake my head incrementally, so she backs off. “Show me what you’re going to wear to Christmas dinner. Do they cook? You know what, they probably have a chef. That’s what my parents do, especially for holidays.”

“JAMES! BECKETT!”

Sandra pulls both of us into a tight hug the moment she opens the door, even though we’re still bundled up in our coats on the front porch. My knit cap—the same one James knocked right off my head when he kissed me after his practice—goes askew thanks to the force of her embrace.

“Sandra,” I reply with genuine fondness. I haven’t really had a chance to speak with James’ mother, so the enthusiasm is puzzling, but welcome anyway.

Three whole days of this before we head down to Atlanta for the championship game. Despite Laura’s best efforts, I’m not at all calm about this. Christmas for me usually means pie for dinner on Christmas Eve and opening presents while Elf plays on the television, then dinner at Aunt Nicole’s. This Christmas, I may as well have gone to the moon to celebrate.

She helps me get the hat back on properly before giving Cooper and Sebastian the same treatment. “I’m glad you got down all right—was the traffic rough?”

“It’s Long Island, the traffic’s always rough,” Cooper says, his voice muffled against his mother’s hair. When she pulls back and sees his face, she gasps. The remnants of a bruise linger on his cheekbone.

“Cooper Blake Callahan,” she chides, rubbing her thumb over the bruise.

“You should see the other guy,” he says, trying for a grin.

I sneak a glance at James because we both know that’s not from hockey. Cooper and Sebastian got into a bar fight with some dudes at Red’s a week ago, and as far as I know, it’s on the list of things Richard Callahan is hopefully never going to replace out about.

She sighs. “Do you need help bringing in your things? Richard, the kids are here!”

As we walk into the entryway of James’ parents’ house, I have to make a conscious effort not to let my jaw drop. We left McKee mid-afternoon, so it’s evening now, and it didn’t sink in, when we first pulled up to the house, just how much of a mansion it is. I’m pretty sure the entirety of Abby’s Place would fit into the entryway alone. It has one of those towering cathedral ceilings with a double staircase leading to the upper level and a chandelier overhead; in between the staircases, there’s a tree that’s at least twelve feet tall and decorated to perfection with gold and silver trinkets and lights. Sandra takes my coat and scarf. I hear her complimenting my sweater dress, but I’m too busy staring at Richard.

Even though I’ve seen him a few times now, it’s still jarring to realize that James and Cooper look so much like him. For half a second, I feel like I’m looking at my boyfriend twenty years into the future. He smiles as he takes in the sight of his wife fussing with Sebastian’s collar, but then his gaze replaces mine, and his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes anymore.

“Beckett,” he says, nodding at me as he accepts a hug from James. “How wonderful that you’ll be joining us for the holiday.”

I try to keep my smile relaxed, even though inside, I feel like bolting. That intensity that James radiates out on the field? Richard has that all the time, apparently.

“Isn’t it great?” James says, winding his arm around my waist. “It took some convincing, but I think what really sealed it was the promise of the annual Monopoly game.”

“Which I’m winning,” Cooper declares. “Three years in a row.”

“One year and two years of cheating,” Sebastian retorts.

“I hope you don’t mind traditions like this,” Sandra says with a fond eye roll. “We’d love to do a family football match, but no one wants to risk the injury. Anyway, I had Shelley set up snacks and drinks in the den. Izzy’s back there picking out tonight’s movie.”

Sebastian and Cooper give each other a look before dashing down the hallway.

“Cooper thinks it’s not Christmas until we watch Christmas Vacation,” James murmurs in my ear. “Sebastian prefers Elf. Izzy is a wildcard who can easily be bought with the promise of more presents.”

“And what about you?”

He grins. “You first.”

“I’m siding with Sebastian.”

His jaw drops. “No way. Here I was thinking my girlfriend had taste.”

Instead of leading me down the same hallway, though, James pulls me into the next room. “I figure I’ll give her the tour now,” he tells his parents.

“Sure, honey,” Sandra says. “But don’t take too long, there’s hot cider.”

“We want to hear more about what you’ve been up to,” Richard says. His tone is light, but I hear the question in it, and James must as well, because his jaw tightens slightly.

He turns on the lights in the room, revealing a formal sitting room with a massive fireplace. There are bookshelves all along one wall, and a piano in the corner.

“Izzy was really into it one summer,” he explains.

“It’s nice,” I say. The room doesn’t feel all that personal, though. Hopefully the rest of the house looks like someone actually lives in it.

He takes me through his father’s office, kisses me underneath a bunch of mistletoe in an entryway, and shows me the hallway that leads to his parents’ wing of the house. In the kitchen, an older woman with a spiky blue hairdo chides James as he steals a cookie from a plate.

“Thanks, Shelley,” he says as he breaks it in half and hands me a piece. “This is Bex, my girlfriend.”

Shelley holds out her hand for a shake, her eyes crinkling when James drops a kiss to the top of my head. I’m blushing, but I don’t mind much. I can’t stop staring at the incredible marble countertops and the industrial-sized refrigerator.

He takes me upstairs, walking past a series of doors. Sebastian’s room, Cooper’s room, Izzy’s room. Two guest bedrooms. I peer into one of them. It looks cozy enough to spend a few nights in, piled with throw pillows and a thick quilt. For some reason, there’s a painting of a cow on the wall opposite the bed. I’d gotten more of a coastal-chic vibe from the rest of the decor, which feels fitting for a house only minutes from the beach.

James reaches around me to shut the door. “You’re not sleeping there.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What about your parents?”

“We’re adults. They know we’re sleeping together.” He entwines his fingers in mine and tugs me down to the end of the hallway. “No point in pretending.”

He opens the door to his own bedroom, revealing a neat space with light blue walls and tons of football posters on the walls. I smile, looking around at every inch. There are trophies on a shelf above the bed, and a bookcase filled to the brim with novels. The sheets and bedspread are a creamy white, but there’s a threadbare plaid throw laid over the end of the bed.

“This is nice,” I say. “Did they change anything after you left for college?”

“It’s definitely missing something,” he says.

I suppose I should be expecting it, but I still squeak when he pushes me back onto the bed.

He looks down at me, eyes dancing, and swipes my hair away from my face. “Ah, that’s better.”

I shove at his stomach. “Your parents want us downstairs.”

“In a minute.” He pushes me back gently, covering my body with his as he kisses me. “I didn’t get a chance to kiss you congratulations for getting the press pass.”

I can’t help myself; I kiss back. His lips are chapped from the cold, and he has a tiny bit of stubble that he needs to shave; the friction has me swallowing back a moan. We stay like that for a few minutes, pressed tightly together, kissing until we’re breathless and have to break apart for air before going at it again. His hands don’t wander, but I can feel his growing hard-on, and I’m on the verge of giving in to a quick blowjob if he wants it when the door opens.

“Found them!”

Izzy walks into the room with a shit-eating grin on her face. “You two are such dorks.”