Lucky 33 (Love in the District #2)

8. Shaq Attaq

CHAPTER 8

SHAQ ATTAQ

A my made the two-and-a-half-hour drive from DC to central Virginia's rolling hills on Wednesday before the wedding. She wanted some time to check out her old college haunts before the wedding mayhem started.

Charlottesville was a special place to Amy. She had applied to the University of Virginia early decision, stubbornly telling her parents that she didn’t need a backup school. It was UVA or nothing. Even as a teenager, she hadn’t been known for her flexibility when it came to her ambitions.

It had worked out, though, and by Thanksgiving of her senior year, the early acceptance letter confirmed she would be a Wahoo. Something about that town called to her. She liked that the school had a rich history and that she’d be walking the same grounds as Edgar Allen Poe, Georgia O'Keeffe, William Faulkner, Thomas Jefferson, and modern media superwomen Katie Couric and Tina Fey, just to name a few. Charlottesville was her happy place.

Amy couldn’t resist doing a drive-by of her dorm, the stadium, and Central Grounds. It all looked so different since she had been a student there. It was exciting to be back in town, and a wave of nostalgia hit her. I need to get down here more.

Amy reluctantly ended her tour and headed to the hotel to check-in. While at the check-in desk, she arranged for them to unlock Brit’s suite ahead of time so she could decorate it and surprise Brit when she arrived. I can’t wait for her to get here! Yikes, gotta hurry. Brit’s going to be here in two hours. Katie and Trina had to work so they would be down the next day in time for the bachelorette festivities. Amy didn’t mind. She was looking forward to some alone time with the bride.

She freshened up quickly and then ran to Target to get some decorations. At the store, Amy loaded her cart with candy, steamers, and anything festive she could get her hands on. She couldn’t wait to get Brit’s room all set up. Just being down there put Amy in a good mood. She found the perfect “Bride to Be” banner, but it was on the top shelf. She jumped over and over to swat the banner down. Her last attempt had a little too much power behind it, and the entire supply of banners landed on her head.

She looked around as the flat packages slapped on the floor, hoping no one had witnessed the incident.

“Yeah, I definitely saw that,” a deep voice behind her said.

Oh no.

Amy turned around to face the owner of that voice. He just had to be cute and have a little Southern accent.

“Do I happen to be invisible? That would make me feel better,” Amy said meekly.

“Nope, you’re very much visible.”

“Cool,” Amy deadpanned.

They moved at the same time to pick up the banners and knocked heads.

“Ouch,” Amy muttered, rubbing her head. “Now my head hurts almost as much as my pride.”

“Yeesh. You got a metal plate in there?” the man asked, smiling at her.

Amy had a chance to take in his appearance. He was dressed in a jersey, mesh shorts, and basketball shoes.

“I was about to ask you the same, Air Jordan.”

“Jordan? Please. I’m loyal to the one and only Shaq. Hence the jersey,” he said, turning around to show her the O’Neal emblazoned on the back and the number 33.

Thirty-three. That got her attention.

“Fair enough,” she said flirtatiously.

He looked to be around her age but had a boyish smile and the disheveled sandy hair of an overgrown frat boy.

“What has you in the party supplies aisle? A kegger at the frat house tonight? “Amy asked with a smirk.

“First of all, have you ever been to a frat party? Do you think they have balloons and streamers? Secondly, I’m going to be honest here. I came over to meet you. But then you caused a scene.”

Amy couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m Drew,” he said. “I’d shake your hand, but I don’t have faith in your ability to control your limbs.”

“Amy,” she grinned and curtsied. Oh my God. I look like I’m possessed.

He bowed deeply in return.

“Amy, I’ve never encountered anyone like you. I like that. What do you think about meeting up tomorrow night?”

A funny, charming man who lived 100 miles away was asking her out.

“Far be it from me to turn down a man dressed up like Shaq, but I’m only in town for the weekend. My friend is getting married, and we have her bachelorette party tomorrow night. In another life, I’d be all in,” she replied with a sigh.

“Understood. Maybe I’ll be lucky to run into you again while you’re here.”

Amy’s phone buzzed with a text from Brit. She had hit the road early and was 30 minutes out.

“Crap. The bride is almost here and I need to return to our hotel to decorate her room before she arrives. Sorry to cut you off, but I have to get a move on.”

Drew nodded. “Have a great visit. It was nice to bonk heads with you. ”

Amy hated to leave so abruptly, but her practical side won out over her curiosity about this Drew. She was in town for Brit, and wedding responsibilities had to take priority. See you in another life, Shaq.

Amy got back to the hotel with just enough time to decorate. On her way in, she asked the front desk to stall Brit when she arrived. The decoration spree ended in a photo finish as she shut the door and headed toward her room.

“Amy, why are you out of breath?” Brit asked, dragging a cart down the hallway with her multiple suitcases and garment bag that barely contained her dress.

“I’m not at all. You must be imagining it.”

“I’m just glad to see you. It was so sweet of you to come down here early and to do such a good job filling in for Lan. You’re a top-notch maid.”

“Literally,” Amy said, jingling her Sparkle and Shine key chain.

Brit opened her door and squealed with surprise at the banner and silver and pink balloons that Amy had taped up around the suite. “Did you do this?” she asked.

“Guilty,” Amy said from the doorway, pleased with Brit’s reaction.

“I’m so blessed. Get in here. I’ll unpack later. Let’s relax for a little bit.”

They flopped on the big, fluffy bed and sighed as they sank in. The powerful air conditioner hummed away, providing them with soothing white noise as they laid together on their backs and relaxed.

“Have you gone to see anything yet?” Brit asked.

“Just a drive-by. I’m saving myself for our thorough tour of the bar scene. A lot has changed since we were here.”

“We’re old-timers now. But we’ll turn it up tomorrow night and show these kids how it’s done,” Brit said, patting Amy’s hand .

“Okay, Grandma. Oh, guess what? I met a guy while I was at Target.”

“And?” Brit encouraged, burrowing herself deeper into the comforter.

“I embarrassed myself in front of him no fewer than three times. I think he was a grad student. He looked like he was our age. Too cute to be a townie.”

“That’s townie-ist.”

“You know what I mean. He was quick-witted. He had that smart but relaxed vibe of a grad student. I forgot to tell you the best part: he was wearing a jersey with the number 33 on the back.” Amy breathed a little laugh at the coincidence.

“As in your magic number from the psychic?”

“The very same. And he asked me out.”

“Where? When? What are you going to wear?” Brit looked ready to jump into action.

Amy looked at Brit like she’d lost her mind. “I’m kinda busy this week. Oh, and I live in DC, not Charlottesville.”

“So?”

“Do you have bride brain or something? How would that work out to go out with him?”

“Amy, I don’t question the Universe.”

Amy changed the subject so she wouldn’t have to be in the hot seat. “Is there anything you want to do tonight and tomorrow before the girls get here?”

“We could walk around Grounds tomorrow and see if we can get into our old dorms. I’d love to check out my room. Ooh, how about we get dinner at The White Spot. Katie hates that place, so it’s our only chance to have those burgers with the fried egg.”

“Do you think they’ll be any good sober?”

“Who said we’re going to be sober?” Brit winked.

Katie and Trina arrived Thursday late afternoon, and Brit and Amy were anxious to start the festivities. They kicked things off with party platters of fruit, vegetables, and light sandwiches washed down with plenty of champagne while they got ready, and Amy recounted her embarrassing encounter with Drew at Target. No matter how hard Amy tried to redirect their interest in hooking her up with Drew while they were there, the women kept coming back to it.

“You never let us have fun with you,” Katie pouted. “You’ve been around for a ton of our horrendous dating stories over the years, and we rarely get to even gossip about yours. When was the last time you were even interested in someone, much less dated a guy?”

Her comment hit a little too close to home for Amy, especially since her feelings of loneliness and romantic FOMO had ramped up since her birthday.

“You’ve been involved. I had plenty of guy stories in college for you to be entertained by.”

Katie squinted and pretended to use her fingers to count. “So, you’re saying we’re supposed to be satisfied with stuff from 11 years ago?”

“I’ve dated since then, and you know it.”

“I didn’t get to enjoy the stories from your time in college together, so you need to at least give me something,” Trina said, putting her hands on her hips. “How about some guy gossip since we met, huh?”

Hmm, well, that's a little harder. She'd met Trina four years ago and hadn’t had anything serious to speak of since then. Not even a little drama or fun to share. “I can’t think of a good argument for that,” she responded honestly.

“Then, my request for tonight is to find Amy some action,” Brit declared.

“What is this, The Hangover? I’m not the action type, and you know that. Anyone we may meet tonight will be kids in college, so that would be wrong. I will agree to let someone buy me a drink if the opportunity arises and he is over 30.”

“25,” Trina countered.

“28,” Amy said .

Trina nodded and shook her hand.

The women gave Brit a once-over, ensuring she was wearing her rhinestone “Bride” t-shirt, bachelorette sash, and plastic tiara.

“It’s 9:00. That’s officially the earliest someone can hit a bar without being weird. Let’s do this,” Katie ordered.

Between the celebratory drinks people bought them and the cheap drinks at college bars, the women were more than a little tipsy by the time they hit the halfway point in their bar crawl.

They had happened upon a “Throwback Night” party and were dancing to the soundtrack of their own college years amongst the kids and occasional graduate students. The bartender got Amy’s attention and waved her over. The women followed.

“These are for you,” she said, passing the colorful shots over the bar to each of them.

“Thanks, that’s nice of you,” Amy called, looking confused when the bartender shook her head.

“No, it’s from those old guys over there,” she said, pointing to a group of men ranging from their late 20s to mid-40s at a table.

Amy had to laugh at that characterization, but age was all a matter of perspective.

A familiar face in the group caused her to pause with the shot glass at her lips. Amy grinned and waved Drew over to the bar. He was in a lightweight button-down and jeans, looking even better than he had in his basketball gear. Much more mature but still boyish with his floppy blonde hair. The college girls in the bar didn’t know what they were missing. The so-called old guy was startlingly handsome, and at least to Amy, he stood out from the crowd of boys.

“Don’t pepper spray me,” Drew said over the loud music. “I know I look like a stalker, but I’m out with some friends tonight and noticed your group. It’s hard to miss you ladies.”

I could say the same about you.

“The bartender called your group old,” she said in his ear .

“Fair,” he agreed.

“Who’s this?” Katie asked coyly, practically fluttering her eyelashes at Drew. She was a notorious flirt when sober and downright trouble when tipsy.

“I’m Drew.”

“Target Drew?” she yelled.

Amy turned red as a tomato. Thanks, Katie.

He raised his eyebrows at Amy. “You told your friends about me?” He looked positively elated.

“I told them I met Shaq. I don’t know where she got ‘Target Drew’ from.”

“I like my new name. Yep, I’m Target Drew,” he said playfully, extending his hand to Katie.

“I’m Katie, and I’m definitely not going to interfere with this,” she said, sashaying off to the dance floor.

“I am,” Brit said, stepping forward. “I’m Brit, and I’m very happy to meet you. That’s Trina,” she said, pointing to her friend who had joined Katie to dance.

“Ah, the bride-to-be,” Drew replied.

“How did you know? Did Amy tell you about me?” Brit said, practically preening.

“Yep. Also, the sparkly ‘Bride’ shirt gave you away.”

“Sassy,” she said, running a finger down his chest.

I better cut this off. She would take him home if she weren’t getting married. “Okay, lady. Go dance with Katie and Trina. I’ll be there soon,” Amy urged, nudging Brit toward the dance floor where Katie and Trina were already dancing with a group of guys who couldn’t be more than a day over 21.

“Want to dance?” he asked her. “I’m the only one of my friends who enjoys getting down to the oldies.” Amy couldn’t think of anything she wanted to do more. Well, not anything appropriate.

Drew stayed with the bachelorette party as they moved to the next bar.

“Don’t you want to hang out with your friends?” Amy asked loudly when they stepped outside.

The sudden relative quiet contrasted with her booming bar shout startled her. Drew laughed.

“No, I want to hang out with you,” he shouted.

Amy blushed but couldn’t help giggling. He’s fun. She liked that he humorously responded to her foibles instead of trying to ignore them. Usually, she’d be embarrassed, but his reactions made things better.

“Where to now?” Brit yelled, stepping outside, sending Drew and Amy into a fit of laughter. “What?” she asked, still at top volume, then shrugged when they didn't respond.

Trina came outside and grabbed Brit’s hand to lead them to the next stop. The bride skipped along blissfully.

“She seems to be enjoying her party. Were you the mastermind behind the evening?” Drew asked, taking Amy’s hand as they followed the bachelorette party.

“Kinda. I’m the pinch hitter for the real maid of honor, Lan. She had to go to Vietnam unexpectedly for a family emergency, so I’m the top maid now. Luckily, she had already planned out the hard stuff.”

“Sweet,” Drew said, offering his free hand for a high five.

Amy grinned, “Right? All the prestige with a fraction of the work.”

“Has Brit dressed you up like an 80s style cream puff for the wedding?”

“Nope, she’s a good friend. We’re all wearing cute dresses.”

“I wish I could see you in it,” Drew said. “Did I say that out loud?”

Too bad it’s too late to bring a date.

The night was going better than Amy imagined it would. Brit was soaking attention from the young men at the bars, and Katie and Trina gleefully egged her on. Amy was glad that everyone was having such a good time. She figured the pressure was off her now, so she let go of her responsibilities as maid of honor and had fun with Drew .

Amy melted each time he rested his hand gently on the small of her back to keep her from getting jostled by the crowds. The bars were packed with end-of-semester revelers, and Amy didn’t mind feigning a need for him to shield her from them.

Drew’s actions that night were gentlemanly, but they made her sizzle with heat. How can an innocent evening make me feel this way? It's a vacation from reality, so I can lean into him and be swept away.

They danced closely at each of the bars, the hours flying by. Amy would have liked to talk to him more to get to know him, but it was pointless since she’d never see him again. Instead, she chose to go against her nature and allow herself to simply enjoy being with him. I’ll be in the moment for a change. She closed her eyes and let the rhythm and the alcohol in her system take her away.

“Come to the bathroom with me,” Katie said in her ear, jarring Amy back to reality. She had gotten into dancing with Drew like a couple of college kids at a frat party. Who knew I had that in me? She reluctantly moved out of Drew’s arms and followed her friend.

“I can tell you’re having a good time,” Katie noted while reapplying her lipstick in the mirror.

“Oh, yeah, but I can help out with anything.”

Katie stopped, lipstick hovering over her lips. “What?”

“You make a good point about this not being about me having a good time. It’s Brit’s night.”

Katie looked at her questioningly in the mirror. “What are you talking about? Brit is having a great time. We all are, thanks to you. I brought you in here to gossip about Drew.”

Oh.

“There’s not much to say. He’s cute and we’re having a good time.”

“Are you going to go out with him again?”

“No. I don’t have time to start a long-distance relationship with a man in Charlottesville,” She shook her head at the thought. Or is that just an excuse not to put myself on the line? Nope. Not thinking about that.

“I’d have plenty of time for Drew,” Katie said suggestively, chuckling at Amy’s horrified reaction. “Kidding. Let’s get you back to him. Apparently, he turns into a pumpkin at midnight and your fairytale ends.”

Amy’s head was swimming from the drinks, but she had a feeling it was more because of Drew. He had been a ton of fun and had treated the women like queens throughout the night, holding their purses, buying them drinks, and dancing with them. Amy started to wonder if Katie was right. Maybe she could make it work with a guy in another city.

The group stumbled back to the hotel and Drew stopped Amy outside the lobby.

“I had a lot of fun with you tonight,” he said, looking more serious than he had that night.

Her balance wavered and he swiftly reached out to steady her. As the world danced around them, she blinked away the initial dizziness, only to find herself mesmerized by his clear blue gaze. Time seemed to stand still as conflicting desires tugged at her heart. Should she savor this suspended instance endlessly or shatter it with a kiss?

The touch of his lips jolted her from her reverie, and she responded by drawing him closer, throwing away all inhibitions and good sense. “Do you want to come up?” she asked. Who am I?

“Do you want me to?”

“Yeah, but maybe that’s not the best idea. I think this is where our adventure ends, but I’ve loved every minute.” Should I get his number? No, that would just make leaving harder and complicate everything.

“I’m going to reluctantly agree.”

She bowed deeply, nearly falling over. “Then I bid you adieu.” Oh my God.

“But we’ll always have Charlottesville,” he responded with an equally deep bow.