Seven Days

Chapter 2: Thursday-1

Chapter 2: Thursday

Reggie was to play against Hardy, another American, and Dubois, a Frenchman. Theirs would be the third start on the first day of the tournament.

When the rising sun started coloring the Virginia Beach sky orange, Reggie was already up, clean and freshly shaven. With his hair still moist from the shower and the towel tied around his hips, he’d been staring at the four outfits he had put out on the bed for several minutes, trying to choose which to wear first.

He felt tired before the day had even begun. He hadn’t slept well the night before. Performance anxiety and the memory of his exchange with Russell Lee had kept him tossing and turning. As much as he tried, he couldn’t remember when he’d felt so disappointed in his life. Disappointed, humiliated, and embittered.

Not even when, back in the high school, he’d been publicly scorned by a group of older guys because of his sexuality. Or when he’d been a step from away winning his first trophy and then missed the last hole. Or when his first boyfriend broke up with him on Valentine’s Day. Boyfriend…well, they had only been together two days, but Reggie had considered him a boyfriend.

Something had happened in that bar. Something amazingly intense, that had lasted a fraction of a second, before disintegrating in the worst way.

He shook his head.

You’re making something big out of something that doesn’t exist, he warned himself. You thought he was a good person, but he’s just an asshole who doesn’t like you. That’s it.

Then he chose the outfit consisting of black trousers, a white polo shirt, and a black zip vest to keep him warm on the green.

“Let’s go prepare for the battle,” he exclaimed, full of hope.