My Second Chance Player: A Romantic Comedy (Beaky Tiki Series Book 2)

by Elyse Riggs

  He gives me an impressed look. “You know my friend Walt? The backup running back?”

  “Yeah, of course I know him. I live here.”

  “Then you know he became a deputy later?”

  I nod.

  “Well, he told me about it afterward. Angie never cracked. Said he saw drug dealers crack under the kind of pressure you were under. Threatened your scholarship and everything.”

  “Yeah, assholes. All for a few flowers and hedges. Lucky for me, I wasn’t stupid enough to fall for it.”

  “You’re strong, Angie. Always have been. You know what? That’s one of the things I’ve always admired about you. Your strength. To tell you the truth, I’m jealous.”

  “How many of those beers have you had?” I ask him.

  He grins. “Hey, you’re the one who asked for a list.”

  The waitress comes back to give him another beer and try to flirt with him right in front of me. That’s something I’ve actually been used to since high school, only it bothers me more now that we’re actually together. Kind of.

  In Jake’s defense, he stares at me the whole time. Like I’m the only girl here. He’s all I ever wanted. And he’s right here in front of me, giving me that thousand-watt smile that I’ve missed all these years.

  At the end of the night I grab my purse and get back into his car.

  “Come to my place,” he says with a twinkle in his eye. “I’m not nearly done thanking you for your help.”

  Chapter 37

  Angie

  I wake next to Jake and roll over, staring at his angelic face. His tan, sculpted arms, and blond hair falls in ringlets making him look like a Greek god statue come to life.

  He’s sleeping like an angel. But he was a demon in the sheets last night. I smile to myself as I watch him snore slightly, a smile playing on his lips.

  I stretch and then do my best to silently slip out of the bedroom so I can make some coffee. As opposed to my beat up and broken coffee maker, he has one of those Keurig machines.

  I spin through the kiosk and take a second to choose one and then pop it in. Seconds later, that heavenly coffee aroma is filling the room. It’s going to be a great morning.

  Last night was fun. Really fun. The kind of relationship I’ve been waiting for my whole life. It’s funny how much Jake was holding me back. Either because of my own insecurities about how the whole thing with the two of us went down in high school or my holding out for him and refusing to give my heart to anybody else.

  Life is a funny thing. I add milk and sugar and take that first magical sip of the morning. I savor it as I walk to Jake’s window and look out at the ocean.

  I hear footsteps behind me and Jake pads over, wearing only boxer briefs.

  “Morning, babe.” He reaches down and kisses me on the neck. “Here’s where I get to show off for you,” he says with a wink.

  I raise an eyebrow at him. “Oh?” He did plenty of showing off last night. Thanks to his exploits in the bedroom, I slept like a rock.

  “Breakfast. I’m really good at making breakfast. What do you say to eggs, hashed browns, and toast?”

  “Yes, please.” Great sex and he’s going to make me breakfast? I could get used to this. I cross the room, snuggle onto his couch, and then watch him get to work. He’s confident in the kitchen. It’s obvious that he’s done this before.

  “Coffee?” I ask. It’s the least I can do. He nods and I pop in a coffee pod for him and grab him a mug. A couple minutes later I fill the mug with cream and sugar and hand it to him before I return to the couch.

  The food smells amazing, and soon he’s delivering two steaming plates of food to the coffee table.

  I take a bite. It’s delicious. “When did you learn to cook, Jake?”

  “Picked it up. You know, the internet and everything. Besides, you know how much I love to eat.”

  “Fair enough.” I dig in.

  A few minutes later, Jake takes the two empty plates into the kitchen. That was more food than I usually eat for breakfast, but it was delicious and I couldn’t help myself.

  While Jake is throwing the plates into the dishwasher, I hear a notification chime. It’s Jake’s phone. He left it on the coffee table.

  I pick it up and glance down at it. “Hey, it’s a message from your agent. About how well the workout went yesterday. The teams were impressed. Blah, blah, blah.”

  I keep reading and then I freeze. The message continues: that whole part about you and the pretty vet getting back together? Worked like a charm. Without that angle, none of those teams would have flown in scouts to your workout. I only wish I had thought of it myself.

  I sit stunned, not sure what to say. The whole thing was a rouse? To fix his career. And get sex out of it? The worst part is I probably would have played along willingly if he had asked. Instead, he made it seem like he really wanted me this time.

  I guess I’ve always known deep down that the most important person to Jake is always going to be Jake. And what Jake wants. What I didn’t realize was that even if I’m in his life, I’m always going to be in last place.

  That’s when I figure out that the room has gone silent. Jake is staring at me, and the smile is gone now, replaced by a look of concern. “What is it, Angie?”

  “Oh, it’s Angie now? What happened to babe?” I look up just in time to see the oh, shit expression cross his face.

  “What’s happening? What is this, Angie?”

  “The rest of the message from your agent, Jake. He said it worked. The thing with you and the blond vet. The scheme to convince the NFL teams that you’ve changed worked like a charm. He says you wouldn’t have gotten any of the scouts here without it. And he says the whole thing was your idea.”

  I inhale, trying desperately to fight off the tears that I know are coming. It’s only a matter of time.

  “Angie, it’s not like that.”

  I stand. “What’s not like that. What are we even doing, Jake? What are we?”

  He stands there motionless. I wait, but he doesn’t say anything.

  “Like everything else in your life, this was nothing more than a game.” I go to the bedroom to throw on clothes and grab my things.

  “Angie, wait!”

  “Wait for what?” I ask as he follows me. “You got what you wanted. You’ll probably get an offer. And then you’ll be gone again. You never had any intention of staying, did you?”

  I turn to him.

  He still stands there not saying anything.

  “Thought so. Unbelievable, Jake.” I walk to the door, but then a final thought hits me and I turn around. “You know what? You convinced the NFL teams that we were together and they fell for it. But I really should have known better. The problem isn’t that you don’t know what you want, Jake. The problem is you always get what you want and damn everybody else. Especially me.”

  One door slam later, and I’m on my way down the stairs to the parking garage. Tears stream down my face as I clutch my purse.

  Chapter 38

  Jake

  I stand stunned in my own living room. Am I used to fucking up my own life? Hell, yes. But even I’m stunned at how fast I went from happy to dumpster fire. This awful feeling is how my life has mostly felt for the last few years.

  No, this isn’t just my normal dumpster fire. It’s dumpster fire at a shit factory which then spreads and takes out everything else on the block.

  What the fuck, Jake? I had it all, for the briefest of moments. And then when she asked me what the hell I’m doing, I choked. The perfect analogy of my life without her.

  If I thought that leaving without her the first time left a gaping hole in my stupid heart, I know that’s nothing compared to what I’m feeling now. What we had for a while was perfect, it was all I ever wanted.

  But what if I do get my job back? There’s nothing else I’m good at, and I’m not the kind of guy who ever thinks about the future.

  She’s the last person in the world that deserves to be
hurt. And it’s not how I meant it. Maybe that’s the problem. What did I expect her to do? Follow me around forever like she did in high school with nothing in return? Stupid.

  C’mon, Jake. You have to be smarter than that. I have to think. So I throw on sweats and go to the place I always go when I have something I need to figure out. The gym.

  Chapter 39

  Angie

  I have a good cry in the car and then I feel better. But then I’m not really sure what to do next. So I decide to go home and change. That has to be first.

  After all, nothing could possibly be worse than going to work and having to explain a Jake Mann walk of shame after what I’ve just been through. It would be way too much to bear.

  Once I get to my apartment I consider calling in sick, but that would leave too much for poor Gwen to have to do. Besides, once I get home and change I realize that the last thing I want to do is stay home by myself and mope.

  Then I get in my car and head to work, watching the buildings and cars fly by as I drive too fast. What is wrong with me? Why did last night feel so perfect? It only made this morning harder.

  I fight back tears again, knowing I can’t keep opening myself up to get hurt like this. It’s time to finally move on from Jake Mann. I know that it’s the only way forward for me.

  I pull into the parking lot, and as is usual lately, it’s packed with customers. I guess I can thank Jake for that.

  According to my accountant, I’m in the clear financially for the foreseeable future. So at least that’s one less thing for me to have to worry about today.

  I park far away, leaving the close parking spots for the customers. It’s a routine I’m happy with. Plus, I want a longer walk into work. I’m not in any hurry to have to see and interact with people. And yet I don’t want to be alone either.

  And so I take a deep breath and throw open the door to my clinic, plastering a fake smile on my face.

  Mia looks up at me and does a double take. Her look of concern does not bode well for me faking a good disposition. Oh well, I storm through the waiting room as sweetly as I can manage and then head to my back office. Probably to cry again. Then I’ll see some patients. I’m well aware that it’s a sad to-do list.

  I’m not yet to the safety of my office when Mia catches up with me, breathless.

  “Oh my God, Angie, you look like hell.”

  “Thanks,” I deadpan, “always great to hear that I look awful.”

  “No, you look fine. As always. But you don’t look okay. Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.” Not even I believe it, and I’m sure I’m not fooling Mia either. That’s when Gwen catches up to us.

  “Hi, boss.” Then she catches sight of my face. “What the hell is wrong, Angie?”

  All of a sudden, I’m starting to rethink my ability to see patients today. I wish I were better at hiding my emotions, but in my defense I’m not anywhere close to being okay. And I have no idea how to say it, so I push forward into my office.

  Mia and Gwen give each other side-eye and then both of them push and shove their way trying to get into my office first.

  I throw myself heavily in my comfy office chair. “Well, if you two are in here with me, who is checking people in and seeing patients?”

  They both cross their arms and look at me.

  “I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong,” Gwen says.

  Mia nods. “Me too.”

  I guess they have me over a barrel. And unlike Jake, I know that they are friends and that they aren’t in here looking to take advantage of me. They look legitimately concerned.

  “Fine. I broke up with Jake.” Then I think about it for a minute and that’s not exactly what happened. I found out he was the asshole I thought he was before, and he just stood there like an idiot instead of convincing me otherwise, and I stormed out.

  So the idea that I broke things off is an oversimplification, but it’s not entirely inaccurate. Now I’m giving myself a headache just thinking about it.

  Gwen shuts the door to give us a little bit of privacy. “What? Why?”

  “I guess I thought he had changed. And I was wrong. He was using me. To help his reputation, to get a new NFL team interested in him. Something like that. It was a plan. A scheme. Not a relationship.”

  To be fair, he was helping me with my business too. I thought he was being nice. Turns out it was an unspoken quid pro quo that cost me a lot more than I was prepared to pay.

  “No,” Mia says, shaking her head, “I don’t believe it. I mean, I saw the way he looks at you.”

  I smooth my hair with my hand and try to force myself to breathe in and out. “Well, you can believe it because it’s true.”

  “That jerk,” Gwen adds, “I’m really sorry, Angie.”

  “Thank you, guys. It means a lot. It really does. Now if you’ll just give me a few minutes to compose myself, maybe I can still be of use in the office today.”

  Gwen narrows her eyes at me. “You sure you shouldn’t just go home?”

  “No, I want to help. Be there in a few.”

  Thankfully, the two of them file out of my office, giving me a few minutes to process the events of the morning. Damn you, Jake Mann.

  Chapter 40

  Jake

  This time I get to Salt Life first. I’m early, way early. Before they even open early. I pull up a barstool and stare at the televisions, but of course they’re not turned on.

  So I swivel in my barstool to see the ocean view. It’s peaceful, watching the waves roll onto the shore and seeing the tree branches sway with the breeze. I listen to people walk by having happy conversations and kids screaming joyfully.

  It’s funny. I always come here and drink and talk and watch the games, but I never look at the view. It’s peaceful.

  “Hi, Jake.” The voice comes from behind me, inside the bar. It’s old Bill.

  I swivel back around to face him. “Hi, Bill. How are you?”

  He thinks about it before he answers. “Better than you, son. You look like somebody ran over your dog and then backed up and did it again.”

  “Yeah,” I say, “that about sums it up.”

  “You meeting the boys here or drinking alone?”

  “The boys are coming,” I answer, trying to force a weak smile.

  Bill shakes his head at me like he knows the answer to every mystery in the world. He’s not obnoxious about it though. He always lets you find the answers yourself.

  That’s all in the past, though. He can’t solve my problems anymore. In the past my problems were about football and schemes and blocking. Bill was a player in the league briefly and then he had a stint coaching college. Whenever there was something on the field I couldn’t figure out, I’d come here. To see Bill. And he always helped me out.

  “You know I don’t open for another half hour, right?”

  “I guess I’m here to think more than drink.” It’s not entirely true. I plan to get blind stinking drunk tonight. I even uber’d here instead of driving.

  Bill heads a few feet under the roof covering and starts pulling chairs off of tables and generally setting up for the night. “Well, tell me, then. What’s got Jake Mann turned upside down?”

  I want to answer him. I really do. But what do I tell him? That my girlfriend broke up with me?

  She has a point. We never even talked about it. There was never a commitment. We just kind of fell back into old habits. In Angie’s defense, that sounds about as unromantic as anything I’ve ever heard. No wonder she’s mad. That and of course, the text from Chad. But even that’s my fault. In the end I find as simple an answer as I can.

  “I fucked it all up, Bill.”

  Bill pauses for a moment. “Well, I guessed that part, Sherlock. What’d you do? I read about the scout workout. Looks like it went great. The trade bloggers are all buzzing with excitement. The great Jake Mann, Touchdown Maker is back.”

  He emerges back into the sunlight. “The articles are all a
bout who’s going to sign him? The Saints? Cowboys? Eagles? Who needs a little Jake Mann magic to get to the playoffs?” He fixes me with a harsh stare. “How the hell do you fuck up that kind of excitement, boy?”

  “There never was any Jake Mann magic.”

  Bill turns back around and scurries over behind the bar to continue setting things up. “Sure there was.”

  “It was never real, Jake. It was all just marketing buzz. Smoke and mirrors. A disappearing act.”

  “Are you sure that’s all it ever was? Or are you just really afraid to make the illusion real?”

  That stops my entire train of thought. I look up at him. “You know that I’m talking about a girl and not football, right?”

  Bill’s face breaks into a wide grin. “Duh. What kind of an old fool do you take me for?” He leans forward on the bar. “I’m going to tell you something I wish somebody had told me when I was your age.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “Grab the magic while you can, boy. Because let me tell you, sometimes when it passes you by, it’s gone forever.”

  I swivel my barstool back to face the ocean. That might be the single most frightening thing another human being has ever said to me.

  Chapter 41

  Angie

  After what seemed like the longest workday in the history of the world, it’s finally time to lock up. I thank Gwen and Mia for helping me get through it, but frankly faking being okay even for a few hours has left me emotionally exhausted.

  Only one thing will make me feel better now. I texted Fi and Kaylee hours ago and asked them to meet me. I didn’t say why. I couldn’t bring myself to type it out.

  I’m still not sure I’ll be able to talk about it without crying, but I need Fi and Kaylee. I need chips and salsa. And I really, really need some Beaky Tiki punch.