A/N This little one-shot is the result of a lost bet. Two weeks ago, I got a message from my good friend Chelsie Dagger that said, "Cowboys vs. Bears next week … Care for a friendly wager? Winner gets to set a prompt for the loser." Naturally, I accepted the bet, fully prepared for the Bears to lose. Of course, they did lose last week, and consequently so did I. CD's prompt for me was a Chelsie-Baxley double date (set in my Downton Academy* modern alternate universe) at a Chicago sporting event, one that has actually happened or will happen.

And so here is my humble offering. It's based on the Bears-Lions game that actually took place in Chicago this afternoon. (Even if you don't know a lot about football, I think you'll be able to follow; my description is not very technical.)

*If you aren't familiar with my Downton Academy series, that's all right; here's all you need to know. Charles and Elsie Carson are the recently married headmaster and headmistress of Downton Academy, an exclusive private school in Chicago founded and owned by Robert and Cora Crawley. Joseph Molesley is the school's physical education teacher and cricket coach, and Phyllis Baxter is a college/career counselor at Downton. Phyllis and Joseph have recently started dating.

And I realize that modern AU in general or Downton Academy in particular may not be your thing, and if it's not, then I'm sorry for this.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

"Good morning, Mrs. Carson," called Peter as he stood at the open door to Elsie's office.

She couldn't help but smile at her son. "Well, hello, Dr. Burns! Come in!"

He entered and closed the door behind him. Elsie abandoned her work and stood to greet him.

"Hi, Mum." He kissed her cheek. "I thought I'd pop in during my free period."

"And I'm glad you have! Sit down, and let's have a chat."

They sat in two chairs at the little table in her office.

"What brings you by this morning, sweetheart?" she asked.

He smiled sweetly at her. "You mean besides just wanting to see my mum?"

She laughed. "Yes, besides that!"

"Well, I did have a particular reason for this visit. You see, Claire's dad has two tickets to the Bears game on Sunday. He offered them to Claire and me, but she's scheduled to be on call at the hospital. I wondered if you and Pop might like to go to the game. Mr. Dawes says they're very good seats. Lower level, near the fifty yard line on the Bears side."

Elsie was doubtful. "Oh, I don't know, love. They'd be wasted on us. I don't know anything about American football, and you know your pop is more the cricket type."

"Oh, come on, Mum! You'll love it. I promise. It's very exciting. The Bears are playing the Lions. It's a long-standing rivalry."

"But aren't the Bears doing terribly? They haven't won a game yet this season. I heard some of my students talking about it yesterday."

"It doesn't matter. It's the thrill of being at the game. Think of it: a beautiful autumn afternoon at Soldier Field with sixty thousand other excited fans." Peter tried to sound convincing.

"Oh, yes. Walking miles and miles to get to the stadium from public transport or from the parking lot. Climbing endless stairs. Eating overpriced junk food. Enduring throngs of rowdy, sweaty, shirtless, blue- and orange-painted men who shout obscenities, spill their beer all over us, and become belligerent when their team loses ... Great fun, indeed!" said Elsie sarcastically.

"You'll be sitting next to Mr. Molesley and Miss Baxter. They're going, too."

"Well, that does make it sound slightly less unpleasant."

"Just talk to Pop, all right? Please?" Peter pleaded. "It'll be fun. You'll both enjoy it."

Elsie sighed, defeated. "All right. I'll speak to him."

"Wonderful! I need to get going now, but I'll stop by to see you again later." They both stood; Elsie walked Peter to the door; and he kissed her cheek. "Bye, Mum."

She smiled and squeezed his arm. "I'll see you later, darling."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Later the same day

That night, as Elsie climbed into bed next to Charles, she broached the subject of the game.

"Charles, love … " she began.

"Hmmm?" He closed his book, removed his reading glasses, set both items aside on his nightstand, and gave his wife his full attention as she settled in beside him.

"How would you feel about going to a football game?"

He furrowed his brow. "You mean … American football?"

"I mean a Chicago Bears game."

"What?! You're asking me to go to a Bears football game?" asked Charles in disbelief.

"Yes. That is what I'm asking."

"But … It's not even real football - not English football*! The ball is brown! And elongated! And the players touch it with their hands!" he cried in disgust.

"You don't object to rugby on those grounds."

"Because rugby is English!"

She laughed heartily. "As usual, dear, your logic is irrefutable."

"And since when are you a Bears fan? I think you just want to see well-built men wearing tight trousers," he accused playfully.

"Actually … " she said, kissing him while sliding her fingers under the waistband of his pajama bottoms, " … I prefer to see my well-built man wearing no trousers."

There was no more discussion on the matter that night, but they both knew that issue would be – or indeed already was – resolved in Elsie's favor.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Sunday afternoon found Elsie and Charles sitting next to Phyllis and Joseph in the stands at Soldier Field. The foursome were quite a motley crew. Elsie wore comfortable sandals, navy capris, a blue blouse, and an orange scarf to show her support for the home team. Charles wore loafers, dark jeans, a blue button-down shirt with an open collar, and a navy blazer. He had wanted to wear oxfords, dress pants, a dressier shirt, tie, and sport coat; but Elsie, knowing that even a "casually" dressed Charles Carson would be the most smartly dressed man in a crowd of sixty-some-odd thousand people, had persuaded him (with great effort) to sport a more relaxed ensemble. Joseph wore gym shoes, jeans, and a typical blue and orange Bears jersey, just like half the other men in attendance; and Phyllis wore canvas tennis shoes, denim capris, and a pink Bears jersey with a very flattering, feminine cut.

Elsie had suggested that Charles sit next to Joseph so that Joseph could explain the game to Charles. Phyllis sat on Joseph's other side, and Elsie sat next to Phyllis. Elsie was enjoying herself tremendously, caught up in the exciting atmosphere of the game even before the kickoff. Charles was cordial, but he pouted passively for the first twenty minutes or so. However, by the time the Bears scored a touchdown halfway through the first quarter, he, too, had begun to appreciate the action happening on the field. He found himself distinctly unhappy when the Lions kicked a long field goal near the end of the second quarter. Charles had a general idea of how the game of football was played, but Joseph filled him in on the details. Charles proved to be an eager pupil, asking pertinent questions, and Joseph was a willing and patient instructor. Elsie and Phyllis had little interest in the game itself, but they chatted happily with each other, pointed out interesting people and occurrences among the crowd, and observed their men with fond amusement.

When the buzzer sounded at half-time, Charles turned to Joseph and asked, "So what happens now?"

"Well, it's half-time. The players take a short break and go to their locker rooms," Joseph explained.

"I see. Like a 'lunch interval' in cricket?" Charles wanted to know.

"It doesn't last quite that long – closer to a tea interval, really … but yes. That's the general idea," Joseph told him.

"Well, then. I think we should go and acquire ourselves some refreshments while there's a break in the action," Charles suggested. "Ladies, what can we get you?"

"Why don't we come with you to help carry everything?" offered Phyllis.

"I wouldn't mind stretching my legs, and I need to use the ladies' room, anyway," Elsie added.

While the women used the rest room, the men investigated the food offerings. Joseph told Charles what was available at the various concession stands and made some recommendations. The women joined them again after their bathroom break, and everyone decided what to order. To Elsie's shock, delight, and amusement, Charles rejected the crab salad, chicken flatbread, brisket egg rolls, and feta cheese with crackers – in favor of a hot dog loaded with toppings … and a beer!

"It's all part of the experience," Charles justified. "Or so Joseph tells me."

Elsie just shook her head, chuckled, and ordered a chicken taco.

The foursome took their food and beverages back to their seats and settled in for the second half, rearranging the seating so that the men were next to each other in the middle, with Elsie next to Charles on one end and Phyllis next to Joseph on the other side of their little group.

At one point Charles pointed to a group of shirtless men with their chests painted blue and orange. He leaned over and asked Elsie, "What do you suppose they hope to accomplish with that display?"

"I'm not sure what their purpose is, but I don't mind. The one on the end is pretty muscular," teased Elsie.

Charles looked appalled momentarily … until he caught the glint of mischief in Elsie's eyes. He waited a few minutes before stretching, puffing out his chest, removing his jacket, and unbuttoning one more button on his shirt. Knowing exactly what he was thinking, Elsie reached over to stroke his chest – and his ego. She smiled and kissed him before making a face.

"Maybe next time, forgo the onions?" she said.

"Oh. Right. Sorry." He grinned sheepishly.

The Bears maintained their lead throughout the rest of the game. Even though the Lions scored and pulled close within the final minutes, the Bears held on and claimed victory**. When the final horn sounded, Charles found himself nearly as happy as Joseph. When Joseph turned to embrace Phyllis triumphantly, Charles followed suit and leaned in to hug Elsie in celebration.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

That night as Charles settled in bed next to Elsie, he kissed her cheek.

"Thank you for convincing me to go to the game today, love. It was quite enjoyable," he said.

"Well, I'm just glad you liked it. I had a nice time, too," she told him.

After a few moments of adjusting, snuggling closer, and getting comfortable, he spoke again. "Elsie, love … "

"Hmmm?" she answered, already drowsy.

"How would you feel about going to a baseball game?"

That perked her up. "Baseball?!" she gasped. "Charles Carson at a baseball game?! I don't believe it!"

He ignored her good-natured ribbing. "Joseph thinks he can get us two tickets to the Cubs playoff game Friday night."

"Hmmm … A baseball game ... " She pretended to consider. "I don't know. It's just not cricket."

"What if I take you out to dinner before the game and for drinks afterwards?"

She feigned outrage. "Do you think you can win me over that easily?"

"No? What will it take, then?" he asked.

She quirked one eyebrow, put a finger to her lips, and thought for an instant. Seeming to arrive at a decision, she leaned over and whispered in his ear.

"Done!" he declared confidently. And he ducked his head under the covers and immediately began to fulfill his end of the bargain.

A/N *English "football" is what we Americans call "soccer," in case you're wondering.

**The final score of today's actual game, if you're interested, was 17-14 Bears.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed my first two contributions for our unofficial S7 initiative, particularly the guest reviewers to whom I can't reply individually. I realize this might not be a very fitting offering for the S7 project, but it's what I was able to manage. Thanks for reading. A review would be wonderful if you can spare a few moments.