The four of us took our seats at the stadium, we hardly ever got out together anymore. We were high school friends. Back in the day we were inseparable. But with new lives, families and jobs we hardly ever got to say hi, let alone get together so when Howard sent a group email that said he had tickets to a home football game. We all made plans to get that day off.
Terrence was the leader of the group, well that's how he acted anyway. He was a tall kid back in high school. But now he was overweight, graying hair. He had been married for a few years but then got divorced, then life hit him with all she had. With everything he was going through, he was barely keeping himself above water.
Howard was the timid one of the group. He had always been shy around women. So when he told us he had hit it big with an online cam site. None of us believed him, that was until we got all access passwords. Some of the women he got to go on the cameras were unbelievable. He was always short, but now he was short, balding and filthy rich.
Damien, well Damien was a trouble maker. No one thought he would see his twenties let alone his late thirties. In high school he always daring people to do things. But his bad boy image always got him the girls. But that changed when he met Desirae. He had said he met her threw an online site that catered to people behind bars. He talked to her while he was locked up for his last brush with the law. When he came out she set him on the right path, since then he had been straight, clean and sober.
Myself, what can I say. I was the token black guy of the group. I was into all the sports. Got lucky a few times in high school. But after I graduated, I made a few bad decisions that got me nowhere. Now I was a shift manager at the local grocery store.
"Come on!" Howard yelled. "Pass interference, my ass!" he shouted down.
"They can't hear you," Damien said.
"They can't see either," Howard laughed.
We had great seats just near the fifty yard line and a few rows back.
"No thanks," Terrence said as the hot dog vendor walked by.
"I got it," Howard said leaning over, he bought for all of us.
"You didn't have to," Terrence said a bit embarrassed.
"No big," Howard said stuffing his face. "How many times you saved my ass, from being stuffed in a locker?" he shook his face. "I owe you,"
Terrence smiled.
"You should have told me, you were hard up," Howard said. "I got plenty of room at my house, you can stay there, until you get on your feet."
Terrence looked relieved but also embarrassed
"Don't give me that look," Howard shook his head. "We're friends, remember that!"
They shook hands.
"Think I am going to cry," Damien laughed making the crying face.
"Shut up you!" I nudged him. "Wasn't too long that you were hard up."
He nodded back at me.
"You're right. Thanks." he nodded patting me on the back.
The last time he was in, I stuck my neck out for him. It was what got him to use the computers at the prison. If he hadn't he would of met his wife.
"I owe you big time for that." He nodded up at me. I was taller than all of them standing just over 6'7.
"Four," Terrence counted.
"Four what?" Howard asked.
"Four times that brunette down there has looked up this way." he said motioning his head down close to the field.
We all looked but couldn't see who he was talking about.
"You're going to have to be specific, there are a lot of brunettes," I told him.
Which was true, looking over the area, there were dark brown brunettes, to light brown.
"The one on the right of the huge muscle dude," he said pretending to look at the field.
Then it happened down near the field, there were a bunch of people. One was a huge guy, but next to him was a brunette. Just as I looked down at them she looked back, but quickly glanced back at the field.
"She noticed us looking," Damien said looking away.
"Yup," I replied.
Then her friend next to her turned but only I was looking in their direction.
"She is looking for the blonde," I said as I looked away.
"What?" Howard asked.
"The blonde is the one that is looking, the brunette is covering," I said.
"How do you know?" Damien asked.
"The kids on the stock crew do it all the time," I replied. I had seen the tactic thousands of times. One of the kids would look down the aisle in question. Then go tell the others. Then one by one they would all take turns.
"So who is she looking at?" Howard asked.
"Can't be me," Terrence said.
"Could be," Howard said trying to make him feel better.
"Nah," Terrence said. "I'm way too big, too old and I scream desperation." he said shaking his head.
None of us argued, we knew he was right.
"Can't be me," Damien said. He had his beer in his hand, the wedding ring could be seen easily.
"So that leaves us two," Howard smiled at me.
He looked like a kid in a candy store.
"You two look, while the two of us look at the game," Howard smiled.
It took a while but then Terrence patted Howard on the shoulder.
"Sorry Howard Jarrad, you are not the one," he said in his best Maury Povich voice.
"Yup, it's definitely Josh," Damien said.
"Dammit, I would've loved to talk her into getting on my site," Howard said shaking his head.
I was looking down at her, she was quite the thing to look at. She had on her Carolina Panther Jersey, very short jean shorts that just barely got past her ass, long blonde hair. She had sun glasses on so I couldn't really make out her face.
But then she turned to the man on her left, then gave him a hug and a long kiss.
"Well that's that then," I said.
"Maybe she was looking at something else," Howard said as he turned around and laughed. "Guys," he smiled.
