Head Games

Brent had excused himself to go talk to Mia ‘privately’ in her room, and he came out a while later with a triumphant look on his face.

“She agreed,” he grinned. He had actually gone in there to tell her how he, Sharpie and Burish tricked Dave into it, but Dave didn't need to know that.

“She did?” Dave asked, almost disbelievingly.

“Yeah. It didn’t even take that much convincing. She seemed kind of excited, actually,” Brent explained.

“Excited?” Dave echoed, watching Adam and Patrick give Brent high fives.

“So where are you guys going?” Adam asked him.

“I dunno, a nice restaurant I guess,” Brent shrugged. “Somewhere fancy?”

“She doesn’t like fancy places,” Dave interjected, causing the other three to look at him. He had originally said it to shoot Brent down, but then he remembered that none of this was real. “Uh. Her favorite place is Rainforest Café.”

“Oh. Sweet. Thanks Dave,” Brent responded, patting Dave on the back. “Well, I should head home and get ready for tonight.” Brent stood and headed toward the door.

"Tonight?" Dave said. "You're going out tonight? Already?"

"Yeah. Told you she was excited," Brent grinned, wiggling his eyebrows before saying goodbye to Dave.

Patrick and Adam followed suit, and Dave shut the door after them. He immediately went over to Mia’s door, knocking swiftly. She opened the door with a small smile playing on her face.

“Hey,” she greeted.

“Hey,” Dave replied. “Listen, about this date with Brent-”

“Oh, if you have a problem with it I totally understand,” Mia told him. “It is kind of…awkward for you, isn’t it?”

“Awkward for me? No. Not at all,” he denied. “I just didn’t want you to feel obligated just because he’s my teammate. He’ll completely understand if you aren’t interested.”

“No, I’m interested,” she smiled. “I’ve always thought he was a nice guy.”

“Yeah. He’s great,” Dave nodded. Mia continued smiling, waiting to see if Dave had anymore to say.

“Alright, well. As long as you’re cool,” Dave said, backing away.

“I’m cool,” she chuckled. Dave nodded and went into his room, collapsing on his bed. He took out his cell and dialed a familiar number, asking the woman who answered if she was free that night.

***

As Dave was getting ready for his night out, there was a knock on the door. He went over and answered it, seeing Brent on the other side.

“Hey man,” Brent greeted. “You’re looking sharp.”

“Thanks. You too,” Dave noted. Brent smiled, and they both heard Mia call that she’d be right out.

The two men made small talk until Mia came out, and both men looked at her with awestruck expressions. Her black dress showcased all her curves, and Dave was silently kicking himself.

What the fuck had he been thinking? Did he really want a change of scenery that badly?

“You going somewhere tonight too?” Mia asked Dave.

“Uh, yeah. I’ve got a date,” he stammered. Mia nodded and tired to not to show any signs of being upset.

“Alright, well. See you later,” she said, grabbing her coat. Brent helped her put it on and waved at his teammate.

“Later, man.”

“Later, Seabs,” Dave replied. "Bye Mia."

Brent and Mia walked out of the apartment and towards Brent’s car, and they both got in silently. Mia remained silent throughout the car ride, and Brent couldn’t think of how to get her to talk.

“So…” Brent sounded, causing Mia to tear her gaze away from the window. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I dunno. You seem kind of…down,” Brent shrugged.

“Not at all. Seeing Dave ready to go out on another date absolutely cheered me up,” Mia quipped.

“Look, Dave had no plans before I asked you out, which means he set this up after he found out we were going out tonight,” Brent stated.

“So?”

“So, it’s already getting to him,” Brent asserted.

“Okay, if all me going out with you is going to do is cause Dave to go out, I don’t want to do it,” Mia remarked.

“Eventually he’ll realize how stupid he’s being, and he’ll ask for you back,” Brent assured. When Mia was silent, he glanced over at her. “You do want him back, right?”

“Yeah,” she said after a moment. “I just…I guess I want him to realize it on his own, you know?” She looked out of the window again, and the car was silent once more. Brent knew Mia had zoned out when he pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot and she hadn’t noticed.

“You ready?” He asked her with an amused smile.

Mia jolted out of her reverie and saw they were parked.

“You’re actually taking me out?” Mia asked, astonished.

“Uh…yeah?”

“It’s just, I thought we were just going to go back to your place or something,” Mia said, getting out of the car.

“I wine and dine my women before taking them home for some lovin’,” Brent grinned. Mia laughed and looked up at the restaurant before freezing in her place.

“I fucking love this place!!” She exclaimed, grabbing Brent’s arm. Brent chuckled and led her toward the door.

“Dave told me to take you here,” he told her. Her smile faltered, but then she suddenly felt warm inside for her ex’s considerateness.

Then again, Dave thought Brent wasn’t serious about her, so maybe it didn’t mean as much as she thought.

“Hi, welcome to Rainforest Café,” the hostess greeted. “Just the two of you?”

“Actually, we’re meeting people,” Brent said.

“We are?” Mia asked.

“I think they’re already here,” Brent continued with the hostess.

“They are?” Mia spoke again. Brent and the hostess continued conversing while Mia stood there confused. A moment later the hostess was leading them through the restaurant, and soon enough they stopped at a table. Mia peeked around Brent to see Ben and Alyssa standing to greet them, and they looked as if they weren’t expecting her.

“Mia is your date?” Ben asked, sitting down, dumbstruck. Alyssa followed, staring up at them.

“Yeah,” Brent chuckled, pulling out Mia’s chair. She smiled at him and sat down, shrugging off her coat. She was so happy Ben and Alyssa were there, because she didn’t want this ‘date’ to be awkward.

Brent and Mia settled in and tried to ignore Ben and Alyssa’s intense stares.

“Oooh, Dave is gonna kiiiillll you,” Ben sang.

“Actually, he knows,” Mia said.

“He does?” Alyssa asked incredulously.

“Yeah. He came up with the idea,” Brent told them.

“He did?!” Ben exclaimed. Brent and Mia laughed, causing the other two to become even more confused. Brent dove into an explanation, and afterwards Ben and Alyssa sat there and soaked it all in.

“So let me get this straight,” Alyssa stated. “Dave employed you to date Mia so that she’d get back on her feet, but thinks that Mia has no idea that you are just doing him a favor?”

“Right,” Brent said.

“But really, you tricked Dave into employing you just so he’d be on board with you dating her,” Ben said.

“Yes,” Brent nodded again.

“And you’re dating him to make Dave jealous?”

Mia nodded.

“But, how can Dave get jealous if he thinks you aren’t really dating her?” Alyssa pointed out.

Mia looked over at Brent, wondering if he had an answer for that.

“Simple. We’ll ‘fall’ for each other,” Brent shrugged.

“What?” Ben asked.

“I’ll tell Dave I actually like Mia, and want to be serious with her,” Brent clarified.

“This is going to bite you guys in the ass. I hope you know that,” Alyssa announced. “But, I have an idea that will drive Dave nuts.”

Mia grinned at her best friend, knowing by the glint in her eye that it was going to be good.

The next morning, Dave strolled into the apartment and was surprised not to be greeted with the aroma of food. Mia was always cooking something, so Dave was a little unnerved.

There was no way she…didn’t come home last night?

Dave looked around, but saw no evidence of whether or not Mia was there. Suddenly her bedroom door flung open, and she walked out wearing an oversized t-shirt.

His eyes traveled over her legs briefly before she spotted him. Except, she must not have seen him because she continued to the kitchen and Dave just watched her pass by.

A moment later Dave heard a noise back by her bedroom, so he turned his head to look. He saw Brent stroll out in just a pair of boxers, his hair ruffled.

“Hey man,” Brent yawned, greeting Dave with a nod. He walked into the kitchen after Mia, and Dave could only stand there with his mind reeling.

Fuck.