"Wait, what?"
"You heard me, unless you're afraid," she said teasingly. "I would understand that coming from you, not to mention your sorry-ass third-string Broncos."
Dani's proposal caught me off-guard. Maybe it shouldn't have, but it did.
It will help to have a little background. I made the hardest decision I've ever had to make in February. I was offered a promotion by my company, but it meant I would need to move to corporate headquarters. That meant a move from Denver to Newark. Nobody goes from Denver to Newark unless they have a good reason. The two-step jump up the company ladder with the big increase in my pay and benefits were good reasons to consider it. The decision was more difficult because it meant leaving my buddies and the outdoor sports and activities I enjoyed. Rock climbing, snowboarding, hiking, and cycling kept my six-foot two-inch muscular frame in shape. I bit the bullet and made the move, taking the job at corporate to lead a marketing team in the Sales and Marketing division. Shortly after my move, the pandemic hit. I was in a new city and state, half-way across the country and didn't know anyone except the few people I met at work. Needless to say, it made meeting people more difficult than it already was, except for the few people I met at work.
One of those is Dani (short for Danielle). Dani is a feisty petite five-foot four-inch brunette with a broad smile and sparkling blue eyes. She is lively and outgoing. She never met a stranger and she is highly competitive. She is wired for sales, which is why she leads a team on the Sales side of the division. She is also attractive. We only met in person a few times; due to the pandemic, most of our interaction were on Zoom. That didn't quell her enthusiasm. I chose to keep things professional with people at work, not wanting to complicate things in my new position, especially with the company frowning on fraternizing within the ranks. With her personality and natural beauty, I assumed she was unavailable despite her overt friendliness. I couldn't tell if she was flirting or her playful winsomeness was just her outgoing personality that had a gift for closing sales.
The move up the corporate ladder didn't require a move for Dani. She grew up in the suburbs of Newark. She was born and bred New Jersey. She was a proud Jersey Girl. She was also a die-hard Jets fan. "They might be called the New York Jets, but they play in my back yard," she repeated. As far as she is concerned, they are a Jersey team. Her team. When all the fair-weathered bastards abandoned them because they are bad, Dani remains true. This year, they are bad - again.
As the Broncos/Jets game grew close as the first game in the fourth week of the already-strange football season, Dani began the inevitable smack talk. She knew I was a Broncos fan and had no intention to shift my loyalties. It started on the Thursday, two weeks before game night. Her banter came in all forms, including bold comments in Zoom meetings, emails, intranet messaging, memes and even texts. The rare times we were both at the office, she never passed me without saying something. Dani always started it and was relentless. By NFL standards, she would have been penalized for taunting. Of course, I had to defend my team by returning the banter.
On the Monday before the Thursday night game, Dani called to discuss third quarter Sales and Marketing quota numbers. I knew the call wouldn't end without some comment about the game.
"How sad you have to watch your Broncos get their asses beat again while you're stuck in your apartment all by yourself."
"Oh, there will be an ass-beating," I answered impetuously, "but it won't be the Broncos." I suddenly realized I was talking with her more like one of the guys than someone from work. "I won't be alone, I'm representin' my team when they're here with me in enemy territory," I added.
"That will be a sight, watching you see them make their way back to Denver with their asses handed to them."
"That's not going to happen," I answered.
"I know a great sports bar two blocks from here. Want to watch the game from there?" she offered.
I looked at her with surprise. She looked back with her broad smile and playful competitive gleam in her eye.
"It will be fun watching you both lose," she added.
"You're on," I answered. "Thursday night after work," I said. "Loser buys the drinks."
"You're on, Loser," she quipped as she turned and walked away. She had a confident bounce in her step that showed off her small round ass in a way I was not sure if she intended.
Over the next couple days, Dani's playful razzing intensified. It was difficult to tell if she was mocking or flirting. Maybe both. Whatever it was, it was incessant - especially on Thursday. With the Jets playing that night, and with so few people in the office, our company let employees wear Jerseys to support the local team. Of course, my 58 Miller jersey revealed my enemy status. Due to sales meetings, Dani was unable to dress casual, but wore a green dress to show her support.
"I wouldn't be caught dead in public wearing Jets' gear either," I jabbed.
"I've got it with me," she answered. "Meet you downstairs at 5:00."
I stepped into the elevator at 5:00, the only one wearing orange and blue. While there were a few obligatory comments as people got on and off the elevator, most don't have a lot of hope or interest in the Jets. Many would have had no idea they were playing except for the few loyal jerseys seen throughout the day. I stepped off the elevator and walked across the large first-floor reception area to wait for Dani by the large glass entrance. I looked up and saw Dani walking toward me from the other side of the massive tiled floor. The first thing I noticed was her confident broad smile as her sparkling eyes drilled into me from across the vast entrance. She walked with purpose. Heads turned. She had changed her clothes, losing the Gotham green dress. She wore a low-cut cropped jersey with 14 emblazoned on the front, a short black skirt and Gotham green heels. She topped it all off with Gotham green lipstick. She looked stunning. Her midriff showed off the shape of her 34C tits and the firmness of her abs. The tight skirt and heels showed off her tanned legs and raised ass. The look on her face said she knew she looked good.
"OK," I said, "someone's ready for game night," I added as a hint toward a compliment.
"Always," she quipped. "This is going to be fun watching you lose newbie. The Broncos are going to get schooled on how we do things in Jersey."
"You're relentless," I said as she kept walking toward the large glass front doors and toward the sports bar. Because of the virus and arriving early for happy hour, we were able to get a small table surrounded by TVs. We started with small talk, appetizers and drinks. As more people poured into the bar and the game got closer, the energy ramped up. I was the only one wearing orange in a sea of Gotham green. Verbal assaults came from all directions. So did the looks toward Dani.
We moved from apps to burgers while the drinks kept coming. We had three hours to kill before the 8:20 start time to the game. Time went fast. I couldn't help admiring how sexy Dani looked. I could tell she knew it. If she didn't, the continual stares from admirers around the room would make it obvious. The more drinks we consumed, the less hidden my glances at her body became and the more she showed her enjoyment of it.
"I might make you a Jets fan after all," she quipped, calling me out about a half an hour before the game began.
"Not going to happen," I said.
"It's getting crowded in here," she followed. "I live two blocks from here. Want to watch the game from there?"
My heart raced but I did my best to not let my face show it. The waitress delivered two more drinks. We were already feeling the effects of the alcohol. "Sure," I said. "Maybe I won't be so outnumbered there," I added with a smile.
"You'll still be outnumbered," she said. She looked up at the waitress without allowing any chance of reconsideration. "Can we have the check please?"
"Just charge it to my tab," I said to the waitress.
"We'll be glad to make Denver pay all night," the waitress said. "I'll be right back."
