"It's too cold out here for this! And too bright!" Mindy complained from a few feet behind Danny. She was about 10 steps behind him and dragged her feet along the grass.
"What?! It's 73 degrees! It is not too cold for outdoor activities! And who told you to wear that to a soccer game?!" Danny stopped, turned around and threw his hands up in the air in frustration to Mindy. In doing so, he dropped the handle to the cooler which he was dragging alongside of him. It landed sideways and ice and a few juice boxes rolled out.
"I thought you said softball, Danny! Who the hell plays soccer, anyways?" Mindy yelled at him, looking down at softball uniform that she was wearing. "Plus, I think I look cute! I got hit on by the teenage clerk at the sports store, thank you very much!"
"How do you get hit on by every person in every one of your stories? Not possible! Besides, I clearly said soccer, Min. The memo has hung on the office fridge for the past week!" He retorted as he kneeled down to rescue some of the ice.
"Whatever, Danny. I heard softball so you must have said softball." she said as she caught up to Danny and the lopsided cooler. "Well, hurry up, Danny. We don't have all day. They are waiting for us…" she tapped her watch and kicked her toe against the ground next to Danny.
"Min, are you kidding me?! I waited for you ten minutes because you couldn't find the 'perfect shade' of pink socks to wear! How is this my fault?" Danny was sweating from frustration and from the exhaustion of dragging the heavy cooler for the past 10 minutes. Admittedly, he parked down the street from the recreation center to avoid paying the $2 parking fee.
"Come on, Danny. Don't pretend that the other pair that I had on was not horrendous… So, tell me why we are here again?" Mindy sighed, glancing around the outdoor recreation center.
Danny wiped the remaining pieces of grass off of the ice and shoved it back into the cooler before standing up. "Thanks for helping… Morgan said that he would be here around 9, it's already 9:15. I hate being late. And to jog your memory, yet again, Morgan asked us to come to play on his weekend soccer team. Some of the team is out-of-town on some trip to Disneyland or something, I don't remember. But, we are the replacements." Danny picked up his pace.
"Oh, like in that Keanu Reeves movie? Eh, I wasn't fond of that one." Mindy said, trying to keep up with Danny.
"Huh? Oh, never mind…." he cut off as they turned the corner and immediately stood in a large, empty lot. Some of the others were already there. Morgan, dressed from head to toe in soccer gear and pads; Peter in what looked like a rugby outfit and Tamra in a cute light grey and blue running outfit. The two men awkwardly staring at her.
"So, what? We only get half a field?" Danny asked once they reached the others, noticing a group of people standing opposite them on the field.
Morgan enthusiastically responded, "No, this is all for us. I know the janitor here and he gives me the hookup for this back lot. Ok, so, take a look over there, Danny. Those are the 'Wet Wedgies', they are the best team in our league. We have to take them down!" Morgan finished with a punch to Peter's arm. Peter immediately reacted, punching him in the gut. The two pathetically groaned while Danny responded to Morgan.
"Who? Those kids?!" Danny asked and motioned to the small group of boys, aged about 10 to 13. "Morgan, you did not get me worked up about a soccer match to play little kids… I thought this was a guys' league?" he shrugged his shoulders to Peter, trying to get him to chime in on the frustration. Peter was too busy keeping guard from any additional throws from Morgan. Danny continued, "So when you said that they went to Disneyland, you meant for real?! I can't do this. I can't honestly beat them and not feel bad about it." he said as he placed his hands on his hips.
Mindy squealed, "They look so adorable in their little uniforms!" Her facial expression quickly changed to displeasure, "Wait, how come we don't have uniforms, Morgan? And where's Jeremy and Betsy, I swear, if you made me come but not them…." Mindy raised her finger to Morgan, threatening him.
"I am on a budget, I can't afford uniforms!" he said, quickly stepping away from Mindy. "Betsy went to the restroom. I think Jeremy did, too." he added, flinching from Mindy's finger.
"Whatever. I'm going to the ladies' room, too. Don't wait for me to start the game…seriously, don't. Like, I might be a while…" she said as she walked towards the restrooms.
Mindy walked to the door and could hear shuffling from the other end. She opened the door and immediately screamed out "Sweet monkey fritters! What the hell?!" She instinctively placed her hands over her eyes.
Jeremy and Betsy immediately stopped kissing. Jeremy pushed Betsy out of his arms and into the wall opposite them. He tried to casually play it off "Oh, Mindy. You always come in at the most inopportune times. I was helping Betsy here with her…" he paused to look at Betsy, who was rubbing her arm from where she was pushed into the wall.
"Helping her with what?! A dental exam? I think her insurance covers that, Jeremy!" she said, still eying the two incredulously. "Seriously, in the bathroom?! Get a room!" she said as she stepped past them into the restroom.
Betsy was beside herself with embarrassment. "Please, Dr. L. I am so sorry. I am so ashamed. You must think I am a floozy. I am so sorry" she anxiously tried to explain herself.
"Oh, Betsy…" Mindy mentally rolled her eyes, "Jeremy has had the hots for you for... forever. No biggie. I just thought you had better taste. You deserve more than a feel-me-up in a dingy, questionable bathroom." She said nonchalantly to Betsy. Mindy then sternly looked at Jeremy "Don't mess this up, Jeremy! You know she deserves better. Now, please get out of here so I handle my business…" she said, waiving her hand to get them out of the door.
"I am so sorry, Dr. L. Please don't call my father." Betsy said as she sulkily exited the restroom. Mindy almost felt sorry for her.
Instead of hiding in the restroom for the duration of the game, which was originally her plan, Mindy wanted nothing more than to spill the latest gossip to Danny. She hurriedly walked towards the group while she avoided Betsy's glances. Mindy spotted Danny and tugged at his shirt for his attention. "Uh-hum" she said followed by several fake coughs.
"There you are, Min. I was waiting for you so we could leave. Game's been cancelled. I guess we're not allowed to trash talk before games. Stupid rules." Danny mumbled.
"What? You trash talked the little kids? How? Did you not see their adorable uniforms?" Mindy exclaimed before she remembered the real reason she wanted to see Danny so much. "OMG! I have the latest office gossip and you're going to D-I-E. Hurry up, Danny!"
"Let me guess? You found out about Jeremy and Betsy?" Danny asked, with a smile spreading over his lips. "I hate to break this to you, but they've dated for about 2 months now. Everyone knew about it….but you I guess."
"Oh, snap!" Peter sung in response to Danny. He gave a quick thumbs up to Danny before sheepishly putting his finger down once he caught a glimpse of Mindy's stare.
"Shoot me in the face! How am I the only one out of the loop here?! Really, two months?" Mindy demanded to know when she looked to Jeremy.
"It's not a big deal, Mindy. You would have found out anyways." Jeremy coolly said. "And Josh was right, you are pretty dense sometimes. We never hid anything."
"That is not cool, Jeremy. He did not call me dense." Mindy defensively said.
"I like to paraphrase." Jeremy stood closer to Betsy and held her hand.
"I hate all of you." Mindy said as she stomped off of the field. It would have been quite a dramatic exit, had she not slipped on those few remaining melting pieces of ice and fallen, very hard actually, on her bottom. "I really hate all of you!" Mindy yelled from across the field as she tried to get back on her feet. "Morgan, bring me a juice box!"
