I watched Laney walk away from me. Her blonde ponytail swished from side to side as she rushed inside the building. The sun shone into her hair illuminating it. Her hair looked like spun gold. My chest actually ached to watch her go. That sensation was new for me.

No girl had ever told me off before like that. It was sexy. I was intrigued more than ever now. She had her priorities in order. I respected her for speaking her mind even if I suffered the brunt of her scorn. A girl like Laney was serious, mature, and committed to her future and academics. She was different from the football groupie girls that were always hanging around the team and me. Those girls were a dime a dozen, but Laney? She was unique. Special.

In reality, who did I want to be with long-term? A party girl? Or a genuine brilliant girl like Laney?

I understood that to get her I needed to clean up my act. She wasn’t going to hang out with just any guy, even if I was the star quarterback. From right then and there, I pledged to change for the better for her and for me, for that matter.

It was true. What kind of functional alcoholic orders Morning Recovery by the case on a weekly basis?

Laney would change me. She’d make me a better man.

Ox, Dylan, Carl, Hammer, and Hatchet crowded around me, laughing hysterically. Ox hooked his arm around my neck and rubbed his fist into the top of my head. “Yo. From where we were watching, we think that went really well.”

I pushed Ox off me while the guys erupted into hooping laughter again and Hammer had to add his little jab, “Gun, she is definitely into you.”

“If being into you means never talking to you ever again,” Hatchet chimed in.

I let the guys rib me, but I was determined to change Laney’s mind about me. “Guys, this is just a minor block.”

Carl gave me a slight punch in the arm as he winked at me. “Minor? She basically told you to have a nice life, which where I come from means: See ya, loser.”

Dylan seemed to be the only guy on my side as he teased Carl, “Aren’t you from some small hick town in Georgia where everyone is a loser?”

“Atlanta? Atlanta is just some small hick town to you, Dyl-Doe?” Carl asked, narrowing his brown eyes at Dylan.

We all looked at each other and laughed. Then Dylan had to add, “Yup. Basically! If you’re from there.”

Ox said with a snicker, “Carl, there is a reason why your nickname is Go Home, remember?”

Carl replied, “Ya, ya, ya. ATL is too bad ass for all you Cali kids anyway.”

Dylan piped in, “Hey! I’m from Oregon.”

Carl was quick to say, "Also known as wannabe NorCal. Portland wants to be Berkeley so bad."

Dylan thought for a moment before saying, “True. Can’t deny that.”

As we walked back to our Sports Business Club table, Ox asked me, “What are you gonna do, Gun? Drop her, right? Why bother?”

I looked at my old Samoan friend with a serious look. “Nope, that’s where you guys come in.” The guys huddled around me. “Brick House has his eye on her. He’s running interference and needs to be shut down.”

Hammer crossed his arms looking ready to jump into a brawl right at that moment. I held my hand up. “No. Not like that.” Hammer relaxed his stance a little, but I knew he had my back no matter what my plan was. I knew all my guys had my back. We were a solid team.

“We’ve gotta obliterate my bad boy rep. I know Brick House has given her an earful about me, but I don’t know who else is feeding her garbage. So I need you guys to spread the word about what a gentleman I am and how I am definitely under no circumstances a player of any kind.”

Carl frowned at me as if what I was asking was impossible. “That is going to take a serious rewrite of history.”

Dylan shook his head as he remarked, “We need one of those memory eraser sticks like they used in ‘Men in Black.’”

Even Hatchet was doubtful. “There is a lot out there about you, Jett. Is this even going to be possible?”

With so much doubt how could I forge ahead like it wouldn’t be a problem at all? “Maybe not, but I need you guys to try.”

They all nodded in agreement as Hatchet answered for them all, “Okay. Sure. We’ll give it a shot.”

With my guys on board, I continued, “I plan on taking Laney out, but Brick House seems to be lurking around every corner. I don’t know how he does it, but you guys need to get in his way when I take her out. I can’t have another confrontation with him like the one we had today in front of her.”

“Alright. Whatever you need, you got it,” Ox assured me.

“I hope this girl is worth it, Gun,” Hammer said, throwing the football up and catching it.

“She is,” I replied earnestly.

I left the guys in the Haas courtyard to run some errands. I needed to show Laney how genuine my intentions were. I headed to Ashby Flowers on Telegraph Avenue. It was the flower shop I always used when sending my mom flowers. The owner, Maggie, a sweet old lady, made flower arrangements my mom gushed over. I had little knowledge of what made a beautiful bouquet, but Maggie transformed my sentiments into a gorgeous visual display of blossoms every time.

I parked my car in the Whole Foods parking lot. Before getting the flowers, I ran into Whole Foods and grabbed a large box of Lake Champlain Chocolates, a gourmet assortment of Vermont chocolates: milk, white, and dark chocolate truffles and specialty creams like orange, raspberry, and cherry. Lake Champlain Chocolates were delicious. I’d bought a gift box just for myself and devoured the entire box after the Stanford game last year.

Victories over ‘Stanfurd’ called for special celebrations, in my book. I was tempted to buy two boxes but told myself it wasn’t the time for me to be a lush. Besides, Laney hadn’t agreed to go out with me just yet. It wasn’t celebration time until then.

I moved my car across the parking lot to the corner where Ashby Flowers was. The tiny building with a bright green awning sat on the corner of Ashby and Telegraph, sharing parking lot space with Whole Foods. The small no frills windowed flower shop may not have looked glamorous on the outside, but Maggie was a floral magician. She was key to getting Laney to go out with me.

I walked into the shop. The bell on the front door jingled. Maggie popped up from behind the counter. Her bright white hair was swept up into a loose bun. She was probably only five feet tall and had to tilt her head up to look at me. “ Hello, Jett! You getting some flowers for your Mama?”

With a shake of my head, I leaned on the counter. “Not today, Maggie. I’m here to get flowers for a girl this time.”

She ran out from behind the counter to give me a hug. I stooped so her arms could reach up to me. “It’s about time. She must be a special girl, Jett.”

With a nod, I let her know she’d hit the nail on the head, “She is, Maggie.”

Her red lips pulled into a smile. “That’s wonderful!”

I smiled right back at her and gave her a wink. “But she isn’t mine... yet. I’m going to need your help.”

“A girl who’s a challenge!” She extended her index finger and shook it at me. “Always go for the challenging girls. This girl must know her worth! What did you have in mind?”

As she made her way back behind the counter, I looked around at all the flowers. “I want to show her that I have genuine feelings for her. That I think she’s special. Maggie, she’s beautiful and so smart. I’ve never met anyone like her. But I don’t want to come on too strong, you know?”

Maggie rubbed her chin with her tiny hand, in thought. Then she sprang into action. “I’ve got just the thing for you. You trust me?”

“Always,” I replied. It was best to let Maggie perform her magic without any specific input by me.

I watched her scurry around the shop grabbing different flowers. Her little feet in slippers padded around the linoleum floor. She held up bright pink and lavender roses. “You want to give her roses, but not red roses. Red roses are for after you get the girl,” she said with a wink.

Shoving my hands in my pockets, I leaned back on the wall and watched her work. “That’s a good thing to know.”

She lifted one of the pink tulips up to show me. “Tulips symbolize love but not in a showy way. See how the tulip’s petals curl into itself.” She pointed to the tulip’s rounded shape. “The petals contain the love right in the center, privately.”

I gazed at the bouquet she was quickly creating. “Is that so?”

Next, she arranged green and pink hydrangeas into the mix. “Hydrangeas symbolize heartfelt emotions. This will tell her your feelings are straight from your heart."

From my heart? Am I really putting myself out there like that?

Lastly, she added green blossoms I’d never seen before. “These are cymbidium orchids. Orchids mean love, beauty, and strength. In ancient Greece, orchids were associated with virility.” She put her small hand to her mouth and giggled.

I laughed too. Maggie, a woman in her eighties, most likely thought mentioning virility to a young man was risqué.

When she was done, a leaf-lined cylinder vase overflowed with gorgeous colorful blossoms. It was stunning. Maggie was a flower magician. I picked up on Laney's interest in plants and flowers. I hoped the unique arrangement would impress her.

In the card, I wrote,

Laney,

I’m sorry. Please take these flowers and chocolates as my apology. I hate that you think the worst of me. I’d like to take you to dinner at Chez Panisse. Please accept my invitation and my apology. I’ve never met anyone like you. I’d like to get to know you better. Please don’t hold my past against me. Please think about giving me the chance to prove myself to you. That’s all I’m asking for is one chance to show you I might’ve been a certain way before I met you, but now that I have, I’ve changed.

I hope you will call.

Jett

510-682-6962

I looked up Laney’s address on the Haas directory: Clark Kerr Campus and jotted the address down for Maggie.

Giving her my best charming smile, I asked one more thing of the nice woman, “Maggie, can you deliver some chocolates I bought her too?”

She grinned. “Of course! Of course!”

“Let me run out to my car and grab them real quick.” I hurried out and came back with the box of candy, placing it on the countertop.

She looked down at the box. “Vermont Chocolate! I love Lake Champlain Chocolates! This girl must really be special!”

“She really is, Maggie. You’d like her.” I left the shop feeling fantastic about the flowers and candy.

With an idea in mind, I ran back into Whole Foods and picked up another box of Lake Champlain Chocolates.

From the glass door of Ashby Flowers, I didn’t see Maggie behind the counter as I opened the door gently and held the bell in my fist to stop it from jingling.

Tiptoeing, I put the chocolates on the counter and picked up a pen and piece of paper that were nearby. A quick note told her I was thankful for her help and the candy was for her for being such a nice person. Then I hurried out before Maggie returned.

In the car, I drove with the windows down, feeling good about my campaign for Laney’s affection. Maggie’s flower magic had to work. Laney had to call me. I couldn’t get her out of my head.