Roughing the Kicker (Austin Troopers)

Chapter Seventeen

“ A re you bringing a date to the holiday party?” Rosie asked Cutter one morning. With the playoffs no longer a viable option, absent a minor miracle, and the Troopers on their bye week, preparations were in full force for the holiday party. Having been with the team since the inaugural season, Cutter was fully aware that the holiday party was a big event. This year, it would feature a casino night fundraiser which would be open to the public to raise money for the team’s charity foundation. Tickets had sold out weeks ago.

Cutter wasn’t much into gambling, even for charity, but he supported the cause and had every intention of being at the party. Rosie’s question, though, had him struggling to stifle a groan.

“Do we really have to go there?” He asked, as he stowed his personal belongings in his cubby. “You’re getting to be as bad as my sister.” His teasing was good-natured, and he knew his boss wouldn’t bind.

“It was perfectly well-intentioned question,” she replied. “I like you. I want you to be happy.”

“I want that, too,” Cutter said, “but at the moment, my personal life is non-existent.” Unless one counted fantasizing about Rye and wishing, hoping, for more than conversation, laughter, longing glances and occasional stolen kisses. None of those things were bad, but he still wanted more.

“And your friend? The one with the relationship problems? Where do things stand with that?” Rosie wanted to know.

“Exactly where they stood the last time we talked,” Cutter said. “We’re friends. Nothing more. He’s in a toxic, abusive relationship that he won’t leave, and I’ve vowed that I won’t pressure him to.”

“Even though you want to,” his boss surmised.

“Of course I want to,” Cutter all but snapped. “But I won’t.”

“Right. Because you’re a good guy, and a good friend.” She sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, and we all know what they say about good guys,” Cutter muttered. “Or nice ones, anyway.”

“Hey, that’s not always true,” Rosie insisted. “I refuse to believe that.” She paused, her brow furrowed. “I have an idea.”

Cutter groaned. “I’m not sure I want to hear it.” Seriously, had any monumental, great things ever materialized from the words ‘I have an idea?’ Maybe when it came to inventions. The light bulb was certainly a good enough idea. Cutter was fairly certain Rosie wasn’t about to announce a new idea for a patent, though.”

“Bring a date. Make him jealous,” she said.

Nope. It wasn’t about an invention. The good doctor had stepped firmly into matchmaking—meddling?—territory, and Cutter wasn’t impressed. “Check that. I know I don’t want to hear it.”

“Don’t knock it,” Rosie said with a smile. “It worked out well enough for me.”

“Huh? You’re saying you pulled this stunt on your beautiful wife, and actually got good results?” Cutter wasn’t sure he believed it.

“Okay, maybe not the first time,” the doctor admitted. “That kind of resulted in her being royally pissed off at me.”

“Shocking,” Cutter muttered as he rolled his eyes. “I’ll take taking a pass.”

His boss shrugged. “Suit yourself, but I’m telling you, the second time I pulled that stunt, she was less angry with me. And the third time?” Her lips curled in a mischievous smile. “That was pure magic.”

“Great. Third time’s the charm.” Cutter shook his head. “No, thanks. Playing games isn’t my thing. I’ll leave that to the, you know, actual players.” Was that what Rye was doing? Playing games with his heart? Cutter didn’t want to believe it, but it had been several weeks since Rye supposedly moved into the guest room. He still hadn’t moved out of the house, or better yet, kicked Kristen out of it. “No dates for me, real or otherwise. Not for this party, anyway.”

Cutter walked over to the white board which listed the appointments on it. Even during a bye week, there were injuries to treat, and even if they weren’t listed on the board, he expected walk ins.

“Fair enough,” Rosie said. “I don’t mean to press. I’ll be in my office, at least until Casen comes in about his back. I want to have a look at it. I think he needs an MRI.”

“That was my thought as well,” Cutter said. “For whatever that’s worth.”

“Something, for sure,” his boss said. “You know I value your work and your opinion. Did you ever consider going to med school?”

“I did, yeah,” he admitted. “But the timing wasn’t there.” He needed to get a job to help his family. Maybe, someday, if they got the restaurant going, he could think about going back to school. If not, it didn’t matter. He had a career and a job he loved. That was more than many people had.

Rosie nodded, understanding. “Perhaps it will be sometime. Look at Margie, after everything she’s been through, and soon she’ll have her Master’s degree.”

“Because she got out of a bad situation, and because she has you,” Cutter said. It wasn’t the same, and yet there were still parallels. “I’ll let you know when Casen gets here.”

The morning passed quickly enough, with the routine appointments as well as the unscheduled ones. Addison’s ankle was better, which was fortunate for the quarterback, not only for the sake of his starting job, but also because he was set to deal poker during casino night.

Casen got his MRI, and the results would be ready in a day or so. Hopefully, the tight end would be good to go when the team returned from the late-season bye. Aside from that, the morning was uneventful.

Cutter walked into the dining hall, ordered himself a club sandwich, and took his seat across from Rye at the table in the back of the room. They’d been sitting there together, every day at lunch now, for the past three and beyond weeks. While Cutter welcomed any opportunity he had to spend time with Rye, it was foolish to pretend he didn’t want more.

Or that others on and affiliated with the team weren’t beginning to speculate about the exact nature of their relationship.

As far as Cutter was concerned, people could speculate all they wanted. He didn’t care. He suspected Rye did, though.

“How’s your day going?” Rye asked as Cutter set down.

“Living the dream. Another day in paradise,” he said. “You know. All that.”

“Okay.” Rye smiled, making him even sexier than usual. “Good to know.”

“Yeah. Perfect,” Cutter said.

“Or not,” the kicker replied. “What’s up. You seem like you’re in a mood.”

He probably was, and Cutter hated when he got in moods. Especially when he knew he had little to know right to be in, given the nature of their situation. The very terms he agreed to. Friendship. Nothing more.

“I’m not. I’m fine,” Cutter lied, unwrapping his sandwich.

“Great. Let’s talk about the party,” Rye said. “Are you bringing a date?”

~&~

“Oh, for gosh sake, why the hell does everyone keep asking me if I’m bringing a damn date to the holiday party?”

“Whoa!” Rye leaned back in his seat and held his hands up as if in surrender. He’d been right. Cutter was obviously in a bad mood. He could sense it in the way the trainer had walked into the dining hall and approached their usual table. The one they’d been sitting together at for weeks. Today, something seemed a little... different. Tense. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to set you off. I thought it was a reasonable question. You know, big party coming up. Most everyone will be bringing a date. You’re a handsome guy.”

“I’m sorry, too. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” Cutter’s tone softened. “You’re not the first person to ask me that question today, and I’m kind of over it.”

“Gotcha,” Rye said. He took a bite of salad and washed it down with a swallow of water, waiting as Cutter unwrapped his sandwich.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” The trainer asked.

Man, he was touchy today. “I’m wondering if you’re going to, you know, answer the question. The one you’re so sick of everyone asking you.”

Cutter let out a sigh. “No, I’m not bringing a date to the holiday party. Are you happy now?”

Rye weighed the question. If he were being honest, he had to admit there was a part of him that was happy that Cutter wasn’t bringing a date. As wrong as it was, he’d probably be jealous seeing the handsome athletic trainer with a sexy guy on his arm. He couldn’t exactly admit that, though. “Not really,” he said. “You should bring a date.”

“Why?”

“Why not?” Rye shrugged. “I know you’re not exactly out to your family, but you are around here.” He didn’t exactly get why Cutter was still in the closet with most of his family, yet out at work, but that was none of his business. He wouldn’t pretend to understand the family dynamics at play.

“It has nothing to do with being ‘out’ or not,” Cutter said. “It has everything to do with the simple fact that I’m not seeing anyone right now. You know, because we sort of have this ‘thing’ going, whatever the heck it is.”

“Wait, what?” Did he hear that correctly. “Are you saying the reason you’re not seeing anyone, the reason you won’t consider bringing a date to the party, is because of me? Us?” Rye tried to wrap his head around that. “Because there isn’t an us, Cutter. At least not now, and I’m not sure there ever will be.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” The words came out louder than usual, and Cutter immediately glanced around the room. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

Rye looked around to, checking to see if they’d attracted unwanted attention. If they had, everyone else in the dining room had already moved past it. No one was looking their way. “And I didn’t mean to hit a nerve.”

He’d have to be more careful what he said, knowing full week that Cutter was attracted to him and interested in him. Rye sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. I know this isn’t easy for you. It isn’t easy for me, either.” He hoped he didn’t sound like a selfish jerk. “I’m still processing a lot of things. The mess that is my relationship with Kristen, my attraction to you—”

“You’re admitting there’s an attraction then?” Cutter interrupted, causing Rye to chuckle.

“I think it’d be pretty hard to deny it at this point,” he said. “It’s there, and I’m trying to figure out what it all means. You’re a good friend, and I don’t want to lead you on and make you believe we have a future together. That’s not something I can promise right now. Not when there’s so much stuff I don’t understand.”

Like why he suddenly found himself attracted to guys. Was it something that was always there, and he’d repressed, or were the problems with Kristen triggering some of it? Whatever it was, Rye hoped he could figure it out without hurting Cutter, because that was the last thing he wanted to do.

“I get it, Rye,” Cutter said. “I’m focused on our friendship for now. If something else develops, great. If not, I’ll deal with it.” He shrugged. “I’m still not bringing a date to the party, though.”

“Suit yourself.” He was done asking about it.

“Hey, on the bright side, since we’ll both be there alone, maybe we can spend a bit of time together,” Cutter said.

“Alone?” Rye frowned. “I’m not going to be there by myself. I guess I should have mentioned it earlier. Kristen will be with me.”