I wasn’t eavesdropping.
I just happened to hear that Brett guy say, “Lucky to have you, son.”
Son.
I wonder how he felt about Brett O’Bannion calling him that.
Mr. Colter died a few years ago from a heart attack, I read. The family took it pretty hard if the rumors were true. Duke was still at school playing at Madison in his senior year. He went for a fifth year because his studies fell behind, and he couldn’t play in a few games.
Entered the combine and the rest? Is history, as they say, and now the man is holed up in my spare bedroom.
My mind wanders, and I take my phone to begin researching—sleuthing—looking at pictures of Duke in his football uniform. Damn, he’s good-looking.
Virile.
So serious.
Helmet off, hair drenched in sweat, face red.
Rawr.
“This feels so wrong,” I tell myself.
I feel like I’m spying on the guy, and he’s in the next room!
Not only that, but I get to see the man live and in person. I shouldn’t have to look at images of him on the internet.
Regardless, I can’t seem to stop.
The pictures of him from his college days look entirely different than he does now. Younger.Grumpier,if that’s even possible.
I don’t find too many photographs of him with women—virtually none to be found. Nonexistent.
He must’ve had girlfriends?
The man looks like a god. He must’ve gotten laid anytime he wanted. Isn’t that what college guys who play sports do? Have sex all the time andbang? It’s definitely something I want to ask him; I wonder how he’d react. The thought makes me giggle, like I was giggling after I told him those jokes today. The look on that man’s face…
Priceless.
These photographs shouldn’t be turning me on either, but they are. Much as I hate to admit it? I’m totally attracted to Duke Colter.
Well.
I’d have to get over myself because I’m the girl next door quite literally. The next room, actually. I am the girl who bakes cookies and wears bows in her hair and is a kindergarten teacher for an unruly crew of misfit six-year-olds. I do art projects on weeknights as examples for the kids.
I wear ugly sweaters all year long because they think it’s funny.
I talk goofy and know silly songs and spend hour upon hour every summer decorating my classroom.
Sometimes I saypottyinstead of saying bathroom.
I try not to curse.
Duke Colter? Surely, he dates women on the covers of magazines.
Models. Actresses.
You would have found photos of those women online, Posey.