Scoring off the Field

by Naima Simone

I liked that this had depth, that the relationship between Dominic and Tennyson was grounded, if a little stuck in the mud.

This pair had a friendship that stemmed from their time spent together is foster care and it was one that so far had survived everything that had been thrown at it but there is only so many unrequited feelings that one woman can take before she makes the decision to move on and for the most part that was what I got from the story.

Tennyson has loved Dominic for years but has always found that it is safer being in the friendzone because Dom isn’t the sort of guy to hang your dreams on, far from it. Relationships are not high on his agenda, in fact they barely register at all, he’s devoted to his game and having been burnt once he is resolute in the fact that his relationships from now on are strictly casual.

But as his assistant, Tennyson is tortured by his constant stream of one-night stands, and driving herself crazy with regret that there is little chance of him ever seeing that she feels more. The pain of being on the side lines has finally started to hit home and it is all getting a little too old, so she decides that it is time to step up and ship out.

Knowing that he isn’t capable of giving her what she really wants…which is him, she takes the decision to keep their friendship intact but move on.

Dom isn’t a stupid man but he soon has to face the fact that he will be without her and that is a far from tempting prospect, and as for her potentially dating, well that leaves a very bitter taste in his mouth…and the author cleverly allows the penny to begin to drop and we get to experience his inner musings as he realises that he cares more for Tennyson than he has been willing to admit even to himself but rectifying the situation is going to require a whole new mindset because if he doesn’t want to be without her, he has a decision to make and that is , Just what is he prepared to do to keep her?

The steps that Dom thinks will rectify the situation are just a shuffle towards where they need to be and as they venture into the whole friends with benefits vibe, it was obvious that they hadn’t quite gotten to grips with the fact that a little bit just wasn’t going to be enough, everyone around them could see it…they just had to catch up!

I thought the author created clever characters that delivered on all fronts, they were relatable, with witty banter and on occasion a sharp tongue. I liked that Tennyson was willing to move on, that whilst she loved him but that she realised that she had to first and foremost love herself and to make herself happy, well that meant doing what she had to do to move forward, I don’t know that she believed that Dom would change but I secretly think she had her fingers crossed.

An enjoyable story that was well written and descriptive.