The basketball court was jam packed with people. As Becky scanned the crowd her phone rang for the third time. She looked at the screen. Rob. Again. She dismissed the call and shoved the phone back in her pocket.

"Why do you keep looking at it?" Demi blew out her breath and shook her head. "It'd be easier to block his number."

Becky gave her a grin. "Yeah, I know. I guess I'm not ready to do that yet." She looked across the court to where the two teams were sitting on their benches getting last minute instructions from their coaches. There'd been no sign of Kane. Becky sighed. He'd probably been playing games with her when he'd dropped his invitation. Was it an invitation or had she misunderstood?

"What's the matter?"

"Huh?" Becky gave her friend a puzzled look.

Demi tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. "You're sighing."

"Oh..." Becky laughed. "I was just thinking about blocking Rob's number. I'll let it keep ringing tonight but if he rings tomorrow then I'll block it."

Her phone rang again. Demi chuckled. "Will you at least put it on silent?" She looked over her shoulder. "Or you'll have the crowd coming down on you."

"Good idea." Becky pulled the phone from her pocket and glanced at the screen. "Shit."

"What?"

"It's Rob's mum this time." Becky put the phone on silent. "He'll have got his mother to ring because he'll have worked out why I'm not answering. If I don't answer Sheila, they'll think something has happened to me and I'll have the police on my doorstep."

"Really? They'd do that just because you missed one phone call." Demi shook her head in disbelief. "Wouldn't Rob have told his mother why he thinks you're not answering his calls?"

Becky looked up at Demi from under her brows. "Rob's father is a police inspector. Of course they'd do that." She laughed at the thought, and then added, "And no. He wouldn't have told her that he's a lying cheating bastard." Becky lifted her shoulders as Demi gave her a stern look.

"You actually don't know that for sure. Maybe that girl thought he was going to Melbourne with them. Maybe he really is being sent on a training camp but that group aren't. Maybe they're all in different teams or whatever they call them." Demi flipped her palms up and shrugged. "We're just assuming that he's lied to you."

"So now you're saying I'm over reacting. Is that it?"

"Ah...no." Demi smirked. "Not what I'm saying. I think you're spot on and he is a lying cheating bastard because when we looked through his social media those people are in various posts to do with their training but, I wanted to put it all out there in case you hadn't thought of other possibilities."

"Oh... don't you worry I've thought of every possibility." Becky's phone rang again. She looked at the screen. It was Sheila again. "I'll send her a text to say I can't talk right now."

"Good." Demi gave her a light slap on the shoulder. "But hurry up or you'll miss seeing sugarcane win the ball."

"What?" Becky jerked her head up to see Kane standing in the middle of the basketball court. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "He plays?"

"Yes." Demi grinned. "He plays. And he's very good." She gave Becky a jab in the ribs. "By the way. I saw him yesterday. He wants to know what your name is but I haven't told him."

Becky played dumb. "Why would he want to know that?"

"Because it was your attention he wanted to get that first day in the auditorium."

The whistle blew. The ball went up in the air. Kane jumped, got his fingers to it, and then quickly passed it off. The game began in its truest form. The crowd roared. As Becky watched Kane receive the ball again and take a shot she said, "What makes you say that?"

"He told me."

Becky whipped her head to face Demi. She missed seeing the ball go into the net but knew by the sound of the crowd that he must have scored. She peered at Demi's laughing face.

"I'll lend you that lawn mower, Becky." Demi winked and added, "I won't be needing it after all." She laughed and pinched Becky's cheek. "Look at you going all red in the face."

"I have to send that text." Becky quickly looked away, focused on the phone and typed. Sorry can't talk right now. I'm in a tutorial. That should do it. She stared at the screen before hitting send. Kane had really wanted to get her attention. She thought about that day and him taking the brunt of the fall they'd had. A smile lit up her face and shifted the shadow in her heart. Did she want his attention? He'd made her feel special every time she'd come across him.

Perhaps it was she who had been lying to Rob all this time. Perhaps he'd sensed it and that was why he'd chosen his friends over her. The shadow moved like heavy clouds to blanket her heart once more. Kane would be a good distraction but was that fair on him? Becky squeezed her eyes shut. She was so confused.

"Hit send." Demi jabbed her again. "What are you waiting for?"

"Ah... yeah. I don't know."

"He's scored again!" Demi shot to her feet and joined the celebrating crowd.

Becky hit send. Shoved the phone in her pocket and stood clapping with everyone else. In that moment Kane looked up and caught her eye. He trotted backwards to the centre of the court and with a wink and a smile pointed at the net, and then at her.

"Oh my God!" Demi stuck her elbow into Becky's rib. "That three pointer was for you!"

Becky grinned and bit down on her lip. The ache of a smile forced her to release it. She looked back at her friend. "If you don't stop jabbing me I'm going to slap you."

"No you won't." Demi wrapped her arm around Becky's shoulders and whispered, "I am so... fucking jealous right now."

*****

Kane looked up at the grandstand. Demi had her arm around Sapphire's shoulders, laughing. He couldn't believe she'd turned up. The ball shot past him.

"What the fuck, Kane!"

He brought his focus back to the game. What had just happened?

"Where's your fucking head at?" his coach screamed at him.

"Sorry." Kane held his palms out and shrugged his shoulders. He couldn't help but smile. He took his stance. Game first. He intercepted the throw in and dribbled down the court to score another goal. Kane looked up at the crowd to see she was clapping and cheering with everyone else. Yep. Game first, girl second for now but, he had big plans to put her on top of his list.  

Well... how do we feel about Kane now?  Do I have any team Kane's yet?

Image copyright - Geek Sports Guide.

Copyright © 2020 by Donna Fieldhouse. All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Characters and incidents are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

The Mice Do Play is a registered work.