Running Forward: A Quick Snap Novella

by Crystal Perkins

  “All I know is it’s been way too long since you’ve been laid.”

  “Obviously. Which is why we need to find me an Alec doppelganger ASAP.”

  “Say what now?” she looks at me like I’ve grown a second head, but I just shrug.

  “His type is a dime a dozen here in Seattle, right?”

  “Um, no. I can’t say I often see a sexy nerd who also has ‘abs for days’ as I’m traversing the city.”

  “I’d settle for the abs at this point,” I admit. I want a nice eight-pack to lick sometimes, and I’m not going to apologize for it.

  “But why settle when you don’t have to?”

  “Just because I think he’s hot, doesn’t mean he feels the same way. I told you how he practically sneers at me every single day.”

  Sexy sneers. No, not sexy. Oh, my God, I really need to find another man.

  “Please. Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately?” she asks, looking at me like I’m crazy.

  “Well, this makeup didn’t do itself, so yes.”

  She tosses a fry at me as I laugh. “Bitch, you know you’re a knockout.”

  I toss her fry back at her because I wouldn’t go that far—and I’m not wasting one of my own fries, either. I can acknowledge I’m pretty, beautiful even, but “knockout” is a little much.

  “It wouldn’t work out, and I can’t risk my job for a fling.”

  “Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that, and I’ll be here waiting for details once you finally get the D.”

  Alec

  “Thanks, Arabella,” I say to one of the team therapists when she’s done helping me stretch out my legs.

  Karli put me through the ringer again today, and I’m feeling it. Two days of crazy workouts, and my body aches like I haven’t been doing anything for the last four years. I know I have, but damn, this job is kicking my ass. Or rather, Karli is. And yeah, I’m loving every minute of it, despite the pain.

  “You okay over there, Flynn? You looked like you could barely make it off the field earlier,” O’Hennessy asks me. He’s a tight end and seems like a pretty good guy, although I’ve heard some stories about him that would curl your toes.

  “I’m managing. I thought I was in shape and ready for this, but this is a whole new level of training.”

  “Especially since you seem to piss Karli off just by breathing. Good luck, man.”

  “Thanks. I’ll probably need it.”

  He’s right about Karli and me. It’s how we’ve been for months at home, but everyone is noticing it at practice now. That’s not going to be good for either one of us. I need to be the bigger person in this scenario and offer an olive branch. I know just where to find one, too.

  I knock on Karli’s door an hour later, holding the box of cupcakes I bought in one hand and her food I just intercepted from the delivery driver in the other. I can hear her soft steps approach the door before she swings it open.

  “Again? I’m sorry, Alec. I wish the drivers would just read the notes I add.”

  She looks different tonight, still beautiful, but not as vibrant or fierce as I’m used to seeing her. I don’t like it, so I do what I have to in order to try and bring things back to normal.

  “Then we wouldn’t get to argue over your life choices, now would we?”

  “No, we wouldn’t,” she says, and yeah, even my snark isn’t working tonight. She still looks sad.

  “Want to talk about it? I brought you cupcakes.”

  “Why would you do that? Are they some weird vegetable cupcakes?”

  “Nope. They’re from a place Will recommended, Succulent Sweets. I even got you some with sparkly sprinkles.”

  She assesses me warily, and I don’t blame her. I wouldn’t be surprised if she slams the door in my face, but she doesn’t.

  “You can come in. I’m not sure I want to talk about how shitty my day has been, but I would love a cupcake. Or twelve.”

  “I have twelve, but I was hoping I could try at least one,” I tell her with a laugh.

  She leads me into a living room that’s a mirror image of mine in design, but not in style. Black and grey furniture fill my modern apartment, whereas her place is colorful and glamorous. I didn’t expect it to be boring, but this is beyond what I could have even imagined.

  Karli casts a glance at me over her shoulder. “I thought your body was a finely honed temple of health food.”

  “It is, most of the time. But what kind of monster do you think I am that I would refuse a cupcake?” I set my gym bag on the floor next to a mirrored coffee table and take a seat on her purple velvet couch.

  “You threatened my burrito the other night, so I’m not sure you want me to answer that question.”

  “Fair enough.”

  I could shock her and tell her just how much I would’ve loved a bite of that burrito, but I can’t reveal all of my secrets to this vixen. Not yet, at least. Even if something inside of me really wants to.

  “I should probably eat my beef and rice first, but I really want a cupcake.”

  Did I mention how good her Mediterranean food smelled as I carried it to her door? No? Well, it did. But yeah, cupcakes. I really do want one, even if I know she’s going to make me pay for it tomorrow at practice.

  “It’s one of the perks of being an adult. You can totally eat the cupcakes first,” I remind her.

  “Enabler.”

  I don’t dispute that. Watching her open the box and look over her choices shouldn’t be making me hard. Biting her lip like that as she makes her selection shouldn’t make me want to jump over the coffee table to the chair she chose and press my lips to hers.

  “I should go!” I practically yell the words as I jerk up and grab my bag to cover the tent in my shorts.

  “You don’t have to.”

  “Yeah, I do. Enjoy!”

  “You didn’t get a cupcake.”

  “Oh. Yeah.” I grab one without even looking and shove the top half in my mouth. Strawberry lemon. Good random choice. “Delicious. See you on the field.”

  Her mouth opens to say something, but I’m already out the door. If I’d stayed one more second, I’d be tasting something I know is even better than the cupcake, and that’s a line I can’t cross.

  Chapter 4

  Alec

  “What’s going on?” I ask Will when I get to practice the next morning. There’s a weird vibe in the air, and some of the guys are whispering in groups.

  “Some asshole reporter is doing an expose on how Karli got her job. Management tried to get it shut down, but the guy’s online site won’t back down.”

  “That’s bullshit. She kicks our asses.”

  “Yep, but you know how the media is. They’ll look for any reason they can to take someone down.”

  I don’t like it. I don’t like anyone going after Karli. We may spar, but even after just a couple of days here, I know she does a good job. Yeah, I wondered myself how she obtained a job it takes most men over a decade to attain, but I have no doubt she earned it.

  “What’s her story?”

  “Not my story to tell,” he says, lifting up his hands.

  I don’t like the answer, but I appreciate his loyalty to her. “That’s fair.”

  I finish getting suited up for practice and swap my glasses for contacts because there’s nothing else I can do right now. When we get out onto the field, Karli is there, looking beautiful but subdued.

  “Hey, Coach, I think I’m ready for you today.”

  Instead of giving me shit like normal, she just sends a sharp glare my way. Yeah, something’s definitely up.

  “What do you need to be ready for, if you don’t mind me asking?” a guy asks, holding out his phone toward me.

  Seeing her fried my brain for a moment, and I forgot about the fucking reporter. I have the strange urge to punch him, but I know that would make things worse. Doesn’t mean I’m not clenching my hand around my helmet to stop myself from doing it.

  “An intense and strategic pr
actice. Which I need to get to,” I reply, turning toward my teammates.

  “Oh, she gives you a good workout, doesn’t she?”

  I stop and contemplate murder. Luckily, I’m not alone since the rest of the team heard and jogged over to stand near me. Arms crossed, we form a wall between Karli and this idiot.

  “Get to work. Four Quarters for all of you,” the woman in question bellows.

  I don’t know why she’s angry at us, but I scatter along with everyone else. Extra 4x4 varied sprints are not something I want her to assign for me.

  Throughout practice, I force myself to focus, but I still see the reporter hovering near Karli. None of us talk about it, but we all work harder and better for her today. If this guy wants a story, he can talk about how she brings out the best in us.

  “This is some bullshit,” one of the guys on defense, Solomon, says when we’re back in the locker room. “Karli does a good job.”

  “Yeah, but she’s always going to have to deal with crap like this,” Will reminds him.

  We all know this. We’re in a male dominated sport, and not everyone is going to accept that a woman can do a great job. It sucks, but other than speaking up for her, I’m not sure what we can do.

  The door slams open, and we all make sure our junk is covered. It could just be Coach, but you never know.

  “Don’t ever do that again!” Karli bellows when she walks into view.

  “We just wanted to help,” Brax tells her.

  “Well, you didn’t. Now, he’s probably going to say I’m fucking you all.”

  “I’ll kill him,” I say, before I can even think about saying it.

  “I know people,” Will adds.

  “We got you,” Solomon adds.

  Another guy yells out, “I’ve got a cabin in the mountains.”

  The responses continue as I watch Karli’s face go from anger to disbelief before it crumples and tears roll down her cheeks. I want to hug her, but I know I can’t.

  “You all know I’m soft off the field. You can’t do this to me.”

  Karli

  These guys. These guys are my guys—and not in the way that bastard reporter wants to make it seem. They’ve got my back, and I love them for it. But they need to back off.

  “You can’t kill him. Just ignore him and answer his questions calmly. You did a good job, Alec.”

  He nods in acknowledgement. “I’ve had my share of media wanting to dig into me over the years, so I know not to react before thinking. Doesn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about beating the shit out of him, though.”

  That shouldn’t make me happy. Nothing about Alec should make me happy. I can’t go there with him, especially not with my job on the line.

  “I appreciate it. I’ll let you guys get back to your manscaping or whatever it is you do in here.”

  I dodge a bunch of towels as I run from the room, laughing. I needed that, especially after the meetings this morning with team management. Riding this out isn’t going to be easy, which calls for a giant burger and a lot of fries. Placing my order as I walk to my car, I add mozzarella sticks, too. Stress eating is definitely my thing, so I silently thank God for my metabolism and love of the gym.

  An hour later, I’ve picked up my order and am happily stuffing my face when there’s a knock at my door. I recognize the knock from last night, and I’m not emotionally ready to go there with Alec again today.

  “Go away. Unless you brought more cupcakes.”

  “You ate them all already?” he asks through the door, then pauses. “No judgement. I don’t have cupcakes, but I was hoping we could talk.”

  “You sounded judgey!”

  “I apologize. Please let me in.”

  “Fine.”

  I get up and unlock the door but turn back to sit in front of my buffet again.

  Alec examines the smorgasbord. “That’s a lot of food.”

  “Judging again.”

  “No, I just really want some fries.”

  I nudge one of the three containers toward him. “Go for it.”

  “I can’t. I’m not as young as some of the other running backs, and I had those years when I wasn’t training.”

  It’s like a light bulb going off in my brain. “Is that why you’re always so angry about my food? You’re jealous?”

  “Sometimes, but I also think you need to eat some vegetables.”

  I hold up a fry. “Potato. So good and tasty.”

  “Woman, I’m hanging on by a thread over here,” he growls.

  “Come to the Dark Side, we have fries and mozzarella sticks.”

  “One. Just one fry.”

  I grab a large one and hold it out for him. The groan he makes when taking a bite has me thinking all kinds of impure thoughts. Thoughts I need to get under control.

  “Was there a reason for your visit, or were you just hoping I’d toss you some fried goodness? Oh wait, you said something about wanting to talk?”

  “Yeah. I want to know how you got your job.”

  “Excuse me?”

  I stand, ready to punch an asshole. I don’t have to deal with this bullshit in my own townhouse. He backs up as I advance toward him, holding out his hands like he can stop me. I mean, he can, but I don’t think he’d hit a woman.

  “That came out wrong. I meant, I want to hear your story. From you. I didn’t want to just Google you.”

  I place my hands on my hips and stare him down. Or try to, at least. He holds my gaze until I roll my eyes.

  “What do you want to know?” I ask, sitting down and stuffing half a mozzarella stick in my mouth.

  “How you got where you are today. You have to admit it’s impressive.”

  “Yeah, it is. You might as well have a seat, and I’ll start at the beginning.”

  Chapter 5

  Karli

  “I used to be a cheerleader in college,” I start and then glare at Alec, “not a word. I know what I look like.”

  “You look beautiful. Oops, sorry, those were words. Shutting my mouth now,” he tells me, taking a seat next to me on the floor.

  “Those words are acceptable,” I tell him, meaning it. Hearing I’m beautiful is never a bad thing, especially from the guy I’m inappropriately crushing on. “Anyway, I was a cheerleader who was dating the quarterback, but not really a cliché. I kept him on track with his workouts—and yes, his diet, too—and I might’ve done some yelling from the sidelines instead of cheering. After several weeks, his coach asked me to attend practices and see if I had any other ideas. I did, and some of them worked. The coach talked to me after and said I should consider switching my major. He said he’d help me if I did. I laughed it off at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew I wanted to do it.”

  “I like this guy already.”

  “I hope so, since he’s your Head Coach.”

  “Coach?” he asks, looking shocked.

  “Yes. He mentored me and gave me different positions as assistant to the assistant of the assistant for the next year. I did a lot of grunt work but also learned a lot. I made my way up to assistant to the Running Back Coach and stayed on after graduation. And then, Seattle called him. He told everyone we were a package deal, that he wanted me with him eventually, and while they were extremely reluctant, here I am a few years later. I got my Masters while he got the team going and dropped everything when I got the call that he was able to create the position for me. Before I came on, the Offensive Coordinator had various members of the team oversee the running backs. This job was literally created just for me, although some other teams have someone in the position.”

  “Wow,” he says.

  I feel a little pang in my chest. It’s a reaction I expected, but I still hate that it’s the one I always get.

  “I know I jumped a lot of rank and stepped over people who have been doing this way longer than me, but I work hard.” Yeah, I’m defensive, but dammit, I’m tired. So tired of having to do extra to prove myself.

  “I kno
w. I’ve seen you and felt the effects of the drills you put us through. You know what you’re doing. I didn’t mean for my surprise to make you think I doubt you. It’s just a wild story.”

  “Oh. Yeah, it is. I’m sorry to be so reactionary, but I don’t always have a lot of support.”

  “The guys on the team all love and respect you.”

  “I feel the same way about them. The coaches have my back, too, although most of them would throw me under the bus as it rolled by if it came to that. The media and some players and coaches from other teams aren’t always so nice.”

  “Fuck them! Not literally, of course. Unless you wanted to because a woman should fuck whoever she wants. And now I’m rambling.”

  He looks so adorable in his glasses and tight blue t-shirt that I can’t help myself. I know it’s wrong, but right now, I don’t want to be right. So, I do it. I fist his shirt in my hand and pull his mouth to mine, stopping when there’s less than an inch between us.

  “I should ask if this is okay because consent goes both ways.”

  “It’s better than okay,” he tells me, closing the last little bit of distance between us.

  The kiss isn’t sweet or soft, like many of the first kisses I’ve had over the years are. No, this one is full of passion and hunger, and my head is spinning before his tongue even tangles with mine. Once that happens, I know I’m done for.

  Alec

  Kissing Karli is like breathing for the first time after having been underwater for too long. It’s a need more than a want. I need to feel her lips on mine. I need to twist my tongue with hers. I need to taste her over and over again if I’m going to survive.

  “This is a bad idea,” she tells me when we come up for air.

  “The worst,” I agree, and then I drag her back to me and kiss her again.

  This time, she climbs onto my lap and wraps herself around me. I’m glad we’re on the floor because I’m pretty sure I’d be falling off a piece of furniture right now. She grinds on me, and I want to keep going and get us both off, but I know better. Being a responsible adult sucks at times. Times like now.