Junior Year Box Set

Phil’s hair was cut short on the sides, using a number one guard, all the way to the part, and the top was left longer. Curtis then showed him how to add volume and shine to his hair. Yuri got something similar except the top was cut shorter, and Curtis put some product in his hair to spike it. Roc’s hair was longer, and Curtis did his magic to fix the uneven parts and showed him how to comb it back and keep it out of his face. He looked like he might fit in on one of the werewolf shows. Meanwhile, I went old-school and got a flattop. I figured it would grow out in time for my role in the J-drama that I’d be filming over Christmas break.

Next, I took them to various stores to replace their wardrobes. Roc got most of his new clothes from Range Sports. He was still a farm boy who enjoyed the outdoors. Yuri received the bulk of the Jade clothing, and Phil was done up in Abercrombie. Jill was much more into fashion than Jan, so I didn’t want to push Yuri too far.

There were two items I made sure they all had. Boxers, because I’d seen Phil had either tighty-whities or action-hero underwear. I assumed they all were in the same boat. Finally, we hit a high-end shoe store that carried Epaulet leather tennis shoes. These shoes were a modern-day reinterpretation of the clean leather tennis shoes of the 1960s. They came in navy blue, oxblood red, black, tan, and brown. The guys were wimps and got either black or brown, but I bought a pair of the oxblood red.

Once we got back to the hotel, the three of them all ran to Yuri and Roc’s room so they could try on their clothes and take selfies. The plan was to get their girlfriends’ approval on what they should wear. I figured they probably needed the help. After all, I did when I was a freshman. I remembered having to call Tracy or Tami so they could pick out my clothes for me. This was back when I thought stripes and plaids looked fine together.

◊◊◊

I invited Chuck to join me in the hotel restaurant. They had three: a sandwich shop, a bar, and a higher-end place where we’d gotten steak before. We agreed the sandwich shop was okay for our late-night needs. They had some unusual items that you wouldn’t typically see. I ordered the beef tongue, while Chuck wimped out and got the roast beef. When his sandwich came, I almost made him trade. It had thick cuts of roast, not lunch meat. They also did a horseradish mayo. My beef tongue was excellent, so he got to keep his sandwich.

I had two messages, one from Fritz and another from Caryn. I called Fritz first.

“How’s Chuck working out?” I glanced over at Chuck and put the phone on speaker so he could hear.

“I don’t know. He’s been a hard-ass. Yesterday we wanted to play some football, and he wouldn’t let us play in the street. He made us walk a block to the park.”

“Sounds like you’re taking advantage of him.”

“Not really. All we have to do is pay his entrance into the local titty-bar and buy him a lap dance, and he’s more reasonable to work with. When do I get Paul back? Now he’s fun,” I said with gusto.

“I take it, Chuck is there?” Fritz asked.

“Yep. I dragged him out so I could get some food.”

“Has he behaved?” Fritz asked Chuck.

“David’s been fine. If he gets out of hand, I’ll just give him food poisoning again. He was easy to keep track of when he had that,” Chuck said.

“I bet. I’ll add that to his file as a way to control him,” Fritz said.

“Very funny. I hope to never experience that again.”

“I wanted to give you some updates,” Fritz said, turning serious. “Your grandmother came through, so you’ll be fully protected. With the James family joining you in Mexico, I’ll have my full team there, which makes me much more comfortable. Once we get to Monterrey, I’m going to pull Chuck off you and have him with your parents. Paul will be your primary protection, with Cassidy as a backup. Jane will watch the James family, while Flo and I’ll float where needed.”

He told Chuck to call him later when he was back at his room for further discussion.

I next called Caryn. I’d given her free rein as far as who was coming on this trip. She sent me a link with the guest list, and it looked like almost everybody I knew. The plan was they’d charter a jet. It would fly out of my hometown airport and land at Houston, where they would pick up more people. Since we had some spare seats, some of my teammates’ parents would be catching a ride. Caryn said some of them had planned to drive down, but after Fritz had explained the risks, they took Caryn up on her offer.

Everyone would be in Mexico on Wednesday with plenty of time to get settled in their hotel and make it to the Panama game. She’d had to pull some strings to get tickets because the tournament was a big deal for many of the visiting teams.

I was just glad that Megan and Caryn would be there to keep everyone organized.

◊◊◊

When I got back to my room, my brother was still missing. I was getting ready for bed when I received a text from Tami to jump onto video chat.