Taking A Risk by Karen Monroe

Analise

“Wow!” William exclaims as soon as I open the front door, his eyes roving up and down my body. “You look… verynice.”

I’m embarrassed it has taken me this long to dress up for him. Tildee would never let me hear the end of this. “Th-thanks,” I stutter, though I got to give credit where credit is due. “It’s all Tildee. I had nothing to do with it.”

She smiles like the Cheshire cat, nodding her head. “Yep, it was me, but it’s her body and face. I just worked with what God gave me.”

The backhanded compliment makes me blush. “Thanks, Til… I think.”

Nate walks down the stairs just then. “Yo’ Will! Whazup!”

Shelby pops out the kitchen as soon as our little brother reaches the first-floor landing. “Hey Will!”

“Hey Shel. Hey Nate,” he says, slapping hands with my little brother, before giving Shelby a slight hug with one arm. The family-like scene makes me blink and I shake my head and turn back toward the door. “Okay. We need to get a move on. You said this thing starts at three, right?”

Will nods. “Yeah. It’s best to get there on time before all the good food is gone.”

I notice the look Tildee is giving me, but I ignore it and concentrate on Nate and Shelby. “Make sure you guys use the bathroom before we leave and grab a hoodie in case it rains.”

Sudden rains were a thing in the South. It was always a good idea to bring some cover.

When everyone is ready, Tildee stops me by the door and whispers, “Have fun. Take lots of pictures.” Then she pushes me outside, shutting the door behind me.

William, Shelby, and Nate are already waiting beside a shiny silver Mitsubishi Outlander. Will gallantly opens the passenger side door. “After you.”

“What? Are you a chauffeur now? And whose car is this?”

He looks sheepish as he helps me inside. “It’s a rental.”

“I could have driven.” Though we both know my car is on its last legs. I would have to buy another one soon. I just hoped it was later rather than sooner.

“No worries. I’ve been thinking about buying a car. This is a good way for me to test drive ones I like.”

Will smiles at me from his great height, then shuts the door and walks around the bonnet to enter the driver’s side. The vehicle has one of those shiny touch screens complete with Sirius XM. Nate and Shelby argue over the radio station. 150 choices is way too much—for either of them—and eventually I decide, settling on a station called “80s Pop”. Madonna belts out the lyrics to “Dress You Up”.

The lively music, along with Shelby and Nate’s off-key singing, provides a wonderful distraction. In what seems like no time at all, we arrive at the football complex on campus.

During my tour of the university, our group had visited the extensive structure, but the team had been practicing, so we hadn’t been able to go inside. Now as my eyes take in the grandeur, I remember some of the guide’s laudatory praise.

Apparently, the entire facility had recently been remodeled by a global architectural and engineering firm renowned for building some of the best stadiums and practice facilities the world over.

The front façade is a mixture of old world and new. Greek columns, like the ones found on plantation-style homes, frame the entrance. Large panel windows and a red brick façade add to the understated elegance. University regalia waves about, combining with various decorations for Thanksgiving. Corn husks are strung between the lampposts, and cornucopias overflowing with what I hope is plastic fruit line the sides of the building. It’s over the top, but I like it. It’s kind of kitschy meets nouvea riche.

Shelby’s out of the car before anyone else, snapping pictures with her phone. I pray she’s not tagging us on Instagram, but I know my sister.

“Hey gang! I’m here at the football complex for the Tigers! It’s fuckin’ awesome! I’ll show you more later.”

Great!

Nate is a bit more circumspect—meaning he doesn’t have his phone out—but he’s still in awe. His gaze is keen with interest as he takes in the practice field just in view beyond the building. His steps quicken toward the entrance.

William opens the large glass door, holding it open with his hand on the corner. He’s so tall we all walk under his arm. I smirk and open my mouth to tease him, but I’m stopped by Nate’s sudden outburst.

“Holy shit!”

“Nathan,” I whisper loudly, looking around at the groups of people standing about, hoping no one heard him. Then I flick his head with my fingertip. “Language.”

He mutters something that sounds like “whatever” but I’m not planning on giving him a hard time, especially since I can understand why he’s freaking out. I’m trying hard to keep my jaw off the floor.

The entrance area is massive, which isn’t surprising, but the various trophies and football regalia is a testament to the team’s success. It’s intimidating. This is football territory—William’s territory. Of course, I’ve seen him play, but this is different. The term “hot under the collar” comes to mind, though, I’m sleeveless. Tildee lent me a lovely multi-colored halter top with a chain link and sexy back. It was a perfect complement to the sunny day and my dark colored fitted jeans and sandals. I felt beautiful when I left the house, but as I survey the glossy crowd and shiny gold trophies, I wondered why I’m even here.

“You okay?” William asks.

I smile faintly and step forward, refusing his proffered hand. “I’m good.”

Lord Jesus!I hope I’m good. Though, I sort of feel ready to throw up. I think I just glimpsed a guy from the local news.

What in the world have I got myself into?

Just as the question clears my mind, a burly dark skin man the color of rich cocoa walks up, his bear-like arms open wide in greeting.

“Gilly! I didn’t expect to see you here,” he says like he’s shouting from the deck of the ship, though he’s only about five feet away.

“Coach Gary! I thought you’d be home with your family.”

He greets the similarly large man with one of those coordinated man-shakes.

“Hell no! My mother-in-law is in town. She hates me.” The dark skin man looks curiously in my direction. “And who is this?”

“Coach, this is my friend Analise. Analise this is Coach Gary. He’s my defensive line coach.”

I smile, but before I can say a word, my brother and sister jump forward to stand next to me. Coach Gary tilts his head, then looks at Will with a raised brow. Instantly, my smile fades. I don’t know why, but their silent exchange makes me feel awkward.

Shelby thrust her hand out with no concern. “I’m Shelby Pruitt and this is my brother, Nate.”

God bless my sister! Her timely intervention jolts me out of my strange reverie.

Coach Gary slaps palms with Shelby and chin nods at Nate.

Will smiles down at my brother, then pats his shoulder. “I was hoping we might get this guy on a football team.”

“How old are you?” Coach asks.

Nate lifts his head in that defiant way adolescents do. “Twelve.”

“What position do you play?”

My brother looks down, stubbing his dirty sneakers against the expensive tile. “I’ve never played.”

I can tell he’s embarrassed, and the stunned look on Coach Gary’s face has me ready to take up arms, but the large Black man smiles gently as he reaches out to lay a hand on Nate’s shoulder.

“That’s a damn shame. Football’s not for everybody, but I think it may be the perfect sport for you. Come out on the field with me. Let me see what you got.”

Nate nods eagerly. I feel like I should intervene. A strange man is trying to walk off with my twelve-year-old brother. I remember reading an article about Jerry Sandusky in The Atlantic. It had sickened me. No way was I leaving Nate alone with someone I’d never met before.

“Let’s eat first. Then we can all go out on the field.” When he looks ready to protest, I add, “I thought you said you were hungry?”

“I’ll bring him out after we eat, Coach. I’m ‘jonesing for some prime rib,” William says, diffusing the situation before it even becomes a situation.

“Yum… prime rib. You’ve never even had that, Nate, but it’s like steak on crack!” That wasn’t the best analogy, and I shake my head. “Trust me. You’ll like it.”

My little brother looks torn. His stomach and athletic instincts are likely engaged in deadly combat.

“Can we go out after I eat?” He asks.

Coach Gary laughs, causing several heads to turn our way. “Boy! As big as you are, I would be surprised if you weren’t hungry. Go eat.” Then he turns away, walking over to a large group in the middle of the room.

Will grabs my hand, but I don’t pull away because his warm palm feels good. “Sorry about that. Coach Gary means well, but he lives and breathes football. Do you really want to eat now, or were you just saying that?”

My stomach growls in response. “Eat. I am hungry.”

“Come on. Follow me,” he instructs.

Shelby is snapping pictures with her phone like the paparazzi. Shaking my head, I wave a hand in front of her face to gain her attention. She frowns back, but thankfully puts her phone back in her pocket.

William leads our small troupe through the sparse crowd congregated in the entry area. He waves at a few people in greeting, then guides us down a hallway through a large double-doorway.

The smell is the first thing to catch my attention. I inhale deeply, taking in the subtle hints of garlic, herbs, and roasted meat. “Damn that smells good.”

William chuckles, ushering us toward the large buffet. “Let’s get some plates and get in line. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Like the entry area, the cafeteria is huge. Similar type decorations hang from the ceiling and cover the walls. There are seats for at least one hundred people, though only about a third of the tables are full.

We grab plates from the holder at the back of the line and wait our turn for the grub. There are a couple of kids in front of us, a boy and a girl. I peg them to be around Nate’s age.

They turn around eyeing us curiously and I smile, leaning forward to whisper to Nate, “Ask them to hang out.”

“Shut up,” he grits in return.

I laugh, then ruffle his hair because I know he hates that.

“Stop.”

He ducks his head away, but I catch his slight smile. It feels good to have the old Nate back.

My forehead creases as I look over at William. Since I’ve allowed him into my life, things have changed. I’m not thinking about the possibility of being pregnant. It isn’t a fact—and hopefully won’t be. I’m not even thinking about the words he said when he was concussed, especially since I refuse to repeat them in my mind. Those two subjects are off-limits.

It’s the smaller things I’m thinking about. Like how happy Nate had been at the game, or the time William had helped Shelby with a math problem. And the time he helped me beat Shelby in Words with Friends—that had been a great day! Even his help at the library had given me more time to study, which helped with the more rigorous course work required at university.

And today… me and my siblings are at a fancy Thanksgiving with food that looks almost too good to eat.

I grab his hand suddenly, squeezing his large palm. “Thank you. For everything.”

Dark, soulful eyes gaze into mine. I lose myself in them momentarily, helpless to look away.

“You’re welcome,” he murmurs as he leans down.

I’m pulled toward him like a magnet, and I rise on my tippy toes.

“Hey, lovebirds! I’m getting ready to eat. Cut that shit out,” Shelby calls, loud enough for the two kids in front of us to burst out giggling.

Shaking my head, I glare at my sister. “Jeeze, Shel. Language please,” I reprimand.

It’s my fault they talk this way. I never scold either of them at home.

“Don’t worry about it,” the girl in front of us says. “My dad says worse than that all the time.” She looks past my shoulder and waves. “Hey Gilly.”

“Sara! Hey. I didn’t see you standing there.” He chin nods at the kid next to her. “Ricky. How are you doing?”

“I’m good.”

Now they’re both facing me. I can tell the two kids are related. They have the same coloring and eyes. I also notice the shy look Sara keeps casting in Nate’s direction. I elbow Will, then I flick my eyes between the two. He gets the hint.

“Let me introduce you to my friends. This is Analise and her brother and sister, Shelby and Nate. Guys, this is Sara and her brother, Ricky. They’re one of my coach’s kids.”

Shelby looks up from her phone long enough to wiggle her fingers, then her attention goes right back to the screen. Nate shuffles a bit from side to side, his head slightly lowered. I forgot how awkward adolescent courting could be. Before I can provide a sisterly assist the line lurches forward.

My eyes widen as the array of meats and seafood on the warming platters come into view. Nate is forgotten as my stomach rumbles with hunger. I’m not even sure where I would begin. There’s so much food!

Ahead, Shelby and Nate bend their heads close as she points out different items. I can hear bits of their low-voiced conversation. It’s clear they’re conferring over things to try. I’m not sure what’s decided, but they definitely have a strategy.

Shelby loads her plate with a lobster tail, a delicate filet of salmon covered in fresh herbs, several golden beer-battered fried shrimp, crab legs, and a piece of tilapia.

Nate is all about the meat. He gets a slice of Prime rib, some ham, turkey, chicken, and to my surprise, a slice of venison. When it’s my time to step forward, I’ve already decided on my choices. Who knew when I would have this sort of food again—Prime rib, shrimp, crab, and lobster weren’t on the menu at home.

I smile at the food server wearing a tall chef’s hat behind the glass counter.

She greets me with a similar smile. “What can I get for you?”

“Prime rib and lobster. Plus, a couple of those King Crab legs and some shrimp.”

I’ll be back for the turkey, if there’s enough room in my stomach, but I can already tell the shrimp, lobster, and Prime rib will be gone soon. I don’t want to miss out on those.

William orders next and he requests meat—lots of meat. Then we move on to the next serving station, which is full of various side dishes. Nate and Shelby again bow their heads, whispering low to each other. Their plan has stalled. Their plates are too full for anything else.

After a moment, Shelby says, “We’re going to find a table.” Then they exit the queue without further fanfare.

William stands next to me, smiling at the server in front of us. “Hey Maude! Happy Thanksgiving.”

An older woman with tanned skin and green eyes beams radiantly. “Will! You made it.”

“I told you I would. Maude, I want you to meet someone.” He gestures toward me. “Maude this is Analise. Analise this is Maude.”

I blink for a second because the name is familiar, then I realize. “You made those awesome sandwiches.”

She nods, and if possible, her grin grows even wider. “Guilty as charged. It’s nice to meet you and put a face to the name.”

We exchange a few more pleasantries as Maude loads up our plates. She dishes out a bit of everything, filling every bit of space with food. My dish is noticeably heavier when she hands it back.

After Maude promises to stop by our table for a longer chat, William and I make our way to the table where Nate, Sara, and Ricky our sitting. Shelby is back in the line with her phone out. No doubt she’s filming the “food porn” extravaganza, but she must have provided some sisterly help because Nate and Sara are sitting next to each other.

I smile at them and at Ricky as I take a seat. Then before I can think too deeply about it, I lean against Will and kiss his cheek.

“Thank you for this.”

Before I can pull away, his large hand caresses my cheek. “Anytime.”

I smile back, knowing that’s not true. Soon… our time would end.

* * *

Will

Today is an excellent day.I hadn’t expected to have such a good time at a team sponsored event, but watching Analise and her siblings run around the obstacle course is a true a highlight.

There’s a raffle for the grand prize of a 55” 4K television with surround system, but some of the “smaller” prizes can be won by competing in the obstacle courses set up on the practice field.

They have a blocking dummy with sled for one event. Whoever pushes the dummy passed the finish line first wins. There’s also the 20-yard shuttle with cones. This is about time. The fastest wins. Of course, they have the quarterback challenge, and the extra point attempt.

Coach Raymond’s son, Troy, has the QB category on lock, and it seems there are no budding kickers or soccer players in the bunch. No one has even gotten close to the goalpost, much less through the U-shape.

The games are for family and the kids only. Players have been excluded this year. Several freshmen had grumbled about this until they realized betting and laughing at the participants was a lot more fun.

There are a lot of prizes to go around. If you don’t win, you can keep trying until you do, or until your heart’s content. Analise and Shelby had turned their noses up at first, but when they started giving away Mac Air Books, both of them jumped in line to give it a shot.

Poor Analise is an absolute disaster. She’s slow and totally uncoordinated. I bend low with gut clenching laughter as I watch her throw herself against the tackle dummy, only to fall backwards on her ass. They’re using the one for the pee wee youth league. It can’t possibly weigh over 100 lbs.

That’s unfortunate for Analise since I doubt she weighs 110lbs soaking wet.

“Square your feet and imagine it’s your Chem professor,” I instruct, hoping that steels her with determination to try again.

Others in the crowd cheer her on, including Coach Vaughn. “Hit that sonofabitch again! Don’t give up!”

Analise stands, facing off again against the dummy. Her gaze focused.

“Square your shoulders and feet!” I yell.

She runs again at the tackle dummy, and again gets knocked on her ass. Not only is she slow like molasses, but she lacks any upper body strength.

Nate, though, is kicking ass! He’s the second biggest kid out there and is a natural. He already won a PlayStation 5, but he’s still out there tackling away for the fun of it.

Shelby’s not doing so badly. Like her sister, tackling is not her thing, but she’s had some success with the shuttle run. I think she might win this round. She’s fast, unlike Analise.

“Go Shel! You can do it!” I cheer.

Coach Peyton, the running back coach, blows the whistle, and the group sets off for the first cone. Shelby’s in third place, but there are four more cones to go. The fastest out the gate doesn’t always win it.

She picks up ground by the time they reach the third cone. She’s now in second place, but the leader is tiring fast. It’s going to be close.

The crowd is amped. They’re cheering both runners.

Shelby narrows the gap and pumps hard for the last one. She’s got decent form, which is why she’s been able to keep up a consistent pace. The girl in front of her started off too fast and now she’s too tired to keep the lead. Shelby easily outpaces her.

I guess I was wrong. It wasn’t close at all. “Way to go, Shel!”

When she’s presented with a Mac Air for her victory, she almost starts bawling. Analise walks up and gives her a hug, whispering something in her ear. Shelby nods, then swipes at her eyes with the back of her hand.

Another group forms up for the next competition, and Shelby walks off to the benches for a breather.

Analise decides to try her luck, but she comes in last place. After that, she calls it a day.

She walks over to where I’m standing, huffing and puffing like she just finished running the Boston Marathon.

“I think you need to take self-defense classes,” I say, laughing as she bends over with exhaustion.

“Why?” she huffs.

“Because if a serial killer is ever chasing you, you’ll never get away.”

She’s breathing too hard to laugh and starts coughing instead.

“Let me get you some water,” I offer.

“Thanks.”

When I return with a nice cold bottle, she grabs it from me in a rush and sucks nearly half of it down before she finally pulls the plastic away from her lips. “I… hate.. running,” she says, stating the obvious. “But I had to give it a shot for a Mac Air.”

I chuckle. “It’s all about the effort. Winning isn’t everything.”

“Yeah, sure. That’s why there’s a shrine with all the trophies you guys have won… because winning isn’t everything.”

She has a point. “Touché”