Slam Dunk: A Second Chance Sports Romance

by Sinclaire, Roxy

  “Yes,” chimed in the third. “I’ve seen a few of your episodes. It’s an interesting little show. Boy, if I were your age with that body, I would be enjoying the hell out of myself.”

  The others laughed and I smiled. “I try to keep things professional, but it’s a challenge sometimes.”

  “You know,” said Vander. “One thing I noticed while we were reviewing the interview you did last night was the amazing glow that you seem to have.”

  My heart started to race. “Thank you.”

  “Do you have any children?” she asked me.

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “The camera does a very good job of hiding certain aspects of our bodies. It’s one of the tricks we learn in this trade, wouldn’t you agree?” she asked.

  I cleared my throat again. It felt like it was swelling. “Yes.”

  “You are a very smart young woman, Brittany,” she said softly, a knowing smile on her face. “How far along are you?”

  “Five months,” I told her, my voice barely a whisper. “How did you know?”

  “I’m a mother. I would know that glow anywhere. I was once like you, eager to get in front of the camera and make a name for myself. It wasn’t long before my first son was born. The men,” she said with a touch of nostalgia, “the players do know how to charm a lady.”

  “I never said the father was an athlete.”

  “You didn’t have to. I doubt that you have much of a social life if you’re working here. I know how hard they push their interns. Speaking of which, your internship will be ending soon. Have you given any thought to what you’d like to do after that?”

  “Some,” I said. “I mean, I would love to stay on here. I think that the vlog is a huge hit, but changing the host will throw the whole thing off.”

  “We could have done it two months ago without any problems.”

  “I didn’t realize there was a problem then or even now,” I told her boldly.

  “I think you are very smart, indeed,” she said with a sly grin. “I like you. You have a lot of character and I would like to see you make this a permanent job, but we won’t have any more secrets. Do you understand me?”

  I nodded, my voice gone again.

  “Well, it looks like you still have two months of your internship left. I would like to see you stay on with us after that time, but we will see how things progress. Are you sure that this is what you want?”

  “I am. I love what I’m doing right now.”

  “When you first started here, you were just looking to get your foot in the door. What has changed since then?”

  “I like it here. I like the work and I’ve learned that sports are so much more than just entertainment. These people have families and change the lives of their fans forever.”

  “You’re becoming a star like them. How does that make you feel?”

  I shrugged. It was a hard question to answer. “I don’t really know just yet. I never wanted to be in the spotlight before. I had dreams of being a war correspondent.”

  “Every new journalist does. And now?” she asked.

  “Now, I like it. I like having fans and people recognizing me on the street every once in a while. I don’t think I could ever do anything more than this, but it’s just right for me.”

  “We’re glad that you feel that way,” she said.

  Her voice had a tone of finality to it, and I knew the meeting was coming to an end. I stood up and Vander followed suit, extending her hand. I took it and smiled, hoping that I would still have a job in a few weeks.

  “I think that you’re going to make a great addition to our team,” she said with a smile. “Maybe.”

  “Thank you. I hope that you give me the opportunity.” I turned to leave before she spoke again, and I froze, turning around.

  “Oh, and Brittany? We’re going to leave it up to you when you decide to tell your boss. Michael really isn’t someone I like to spend time with.”

  “Sure, I can understand why,” I muttered. “I will let him know soon.”

  “Good, see you soon.”

  I headed to the elevator that would take me back down to my regular floor. It wasn’t until the doors were closed and I had a moment to myself that I let out the deep breath that had been lodged in my lungs the entire time. My mind was racing. It sounded like they wanted to keep me on, but at the same time, they were all very intimidating. How was I supposed to know what was up and what was down?

  Before I could lose myself in the panic, the doors opened on my floor and I had to come back to reality. I needed to finish my interview questions and review the vlog before meeting the next player for my show. Glancing at my phone, I saw I had a missed call from Corey, but my mind was racing. There was no time to cope with the ongoing pain I felt in my broken heart. The tears I’d shed later over missing him would have to be put on hold, as always.

  8

  Corey

  “That’s what I’m talking about!” yelled the coach from the sidelines.

  I clapped my hands and watched the game from where I sat on the bench. It was the second half and we were up by at least twenty points. Even though I hated sitting there and cheering for Antwan, I knew that was the only way to ever see the court again during a game. The coach had let me play for the first time in a month, and I wasn’t going to screw that up. My father and the scouts saw me give our guys a huge head start.

  Sitting on the bench next to me, my phone rang and I glanced down. It wasn’t a number that I recognized, but the buzzer sounded and the game was over so I let it go to voicemail. With my numbers up, the team was cutting me more slack. Jimmy was the first to invite me out, followed by a few of the players I really liked. I couldn’t tell them no. Two hours after winning our fourth game of the season, we were stepping into the Snake Bar and Lounge.

  I took my usual place at the bar and watched my team mates enjoying the fruits of their labor. Most of the women who hung around us knew by now that I wasn’t going to be spending any time with them. I could pretend all I wanted, but one thing was still the same. My heart was with Brittany and no other woman could compare.

  My phone vibrated. I looked down without recognizing the number and opened the text message. It was a picture of Brittany and another man, one I faintly recognized, holding hands and walking. Instantly, I felt the rage inside of me start to build up.

  “Hey, stranger,” said a woman as she sat down next to me. “We haven’t seen you out much lately. Still pining over your newswoman?”

  “No,” I growled. “What do you want, Elisa?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Just wanted to stop over and say hi. You looked so sad over here on your own.”

  “I’m not sad,” I lied. “I don’t want anything to do with you, remember?”

  Elisa leaned forward, her breasts spilling out over the low-cut top she wore. It had been almost six months since I’d last been with a woman. The desire inside of me was reaching a boiling point where I wouldn’t care who I slept with before too long. Elisa was an attractive woman, but she still wasn’t Brittany, and she was the only woman I wanted.

  “I don’t understand why you hate me so much,” she said with a pout. “What did I ever do to you?”

  “It’s not what you did to me. It’s what you do to all the other guys. Don’t you ever just get with someone because you like them?”

  She glared at me. “Are you calling me a basketball whore?”

  I quickly shook my head. “Of course not—”

  Her hand came out of nowhere and collided with my cheek. It was barely enough to sting me. Still, it managed to get the attention of everyone within twenty feet. They all turned to see what was going on as Elisa stormed away. My cheeks burned red. The last thing I wanted was for my name to be tied to hers. I had no doubt that tomorrow, somewhere, a headline would read, Falling Star and Harlot an Item.

  I spun around and flagged down the bartender. “Whisky, straight. And keep them coming.”

  I co
uldn’t fix what the press was going to say about me, but at least I could forget that it was going to happen for a little while. I took a few shots before Micha, another player, stumbled into me and sat down, a broad smile on his face as his date headed for the bathroom.

  “I tell you what, man,” he yelled over the music, “being a basketball player is the greatest thing in the world. My girl is a model, man!” He laughed, almost falling off his stool. “A model! Shit, man! I used to jack off to pictures of girls like her, and now they’re lining up to get with me!”

  “Yeah, because you know how to play a sport. Don’t you want something deeper?” I asked him, the drinks making me bold.

  He shook his head in confusion. “Stop being such a pussy, Corey. You’re bringing everyone down. Don’t think that just because you sank a couple of baskets, we haven’t forgotten about your dive off the deep end over that chick. You’ve gotta uphold the bro code, just like everyone else.”

  “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” I told him belligerently. “You and your ‘bros’ can kiss my ass. I will play how I want, date who I want, and do what I want without your sorry ass input.”

  Micha fell silent, setting his vodka down on the bar. I knew that he was thinking about taking a swing at me, but his date for the night bounded out of the bathroom and into his arms. She pressed her lips to his ear, no doubt telling him everything they were going to do. When his eyes lit up and a telling smile appeared, I saw the fight was over. He stood up and took her hand.

  “Suit yourself. Be miserable. Just don’t screw up our scores again.” He shrugged and walked away. “It’s just selfish.”

  The bartender already had another two shots lined up for me. I didn’t waste any time downing them and letting the harsh whisky burn away my problems. The more I drank, the more I seemed to realize that what I really needed to do was talk with Brittany. She could avoid my phone calls, my texts, and emails, but she couldn’t avoid me if I went to her. The plan was foolproof. It was late enough that I knew she would be home. I dropped a few large bills on the bar and stumbled to the door.

  * * *

  The taxi lurched to a halt outside Brittany’s apartment complex. It had to be close to midnight, but I couldn’t be sure. My phone was dead and the numbers on the car’s dashboard all seemed to blur together. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered as long as I could talk to Brittany.

  “Can you wait?” I asked the driver as I handed him money. “Gotta make sure the lady is home first.”

  “Sure, pal,” he said.

  I climbed out of the car with the ground feeling like lava beneath me. I didn’t feel all that drunk, but by legal standards, I had to be. It took me a few minutes to remember what apartment she lived in. I knocked on the door, first quietly, then after several seconds when no answer came, with a little more gusto. After another minute, I heard footsteps rushing in my direction and Brittany jerked open the door.

  She looked absolutely stunning, her wild hair flowing down her back as she rubbed her eyes. I was surprised to see her in more than a thong and bra, though. That’s how she slept before. I could tell that she was going to be angry, but I was so overjoyed with getting to see her that I couldn’t even speak. Anything I said would sound terrible.

  “What the hell are you doing here? Do you have any idea how late it is?” she hissed at me, stepping into the hall and closing the door behind her.

  “I–I just wanted to see you. Did you get the flowers?” I winced. I sounded like such a nerd.

  “Yes, okay? I thought you’d get the hint when I didn’t reply to any of your messages. We are over, okay?”

  “I don’t want to be over, though. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I want to be with you.”

  “We dated for six weeks, six months ago,” she shot back. “This is a little bit much, don’t you think?”

  “Then just tell me that you don’t have feelings for me,” I told her.

  She looked up at me and my heart started to race. It was the same look that I’d fallen in love with before. I saw a fleeting moment of pain behind the love that I knew she felt for me. A split second later, she shuddered and broke the gaze, turning away from me.

  “I don’t want to talk to you anymore, okay? Leave me alone.”

  “Then tell me that you don’t care,” I said again. “Look me in the eyes and tell me there is nothing in your heart but coldness toward me.”

  “Corey,” she whispered, “It’s more complicated than that.”

  I took a deep breath and let it out, trying to figure out what my next move was. I was just so excited to be talking to her. I hadn’t planned ahead. There was so much I wanted to talk to her about, but it was midnight during a work week.

  She sniffed the air and glared at me. “Have you been drinking?”

  “What?” I muttered, covering my mouth and stepping back. “I had a drink or two with the team, I guess.”

  “Oh, my God,” Brittany said. “I can’t believe this! You’re drunk! Wow! You honestly expect me to believe anything that you’re saying right now when you are three sheets to the wind?”

  “Please, Brittany,” I begged. “I just want to talk to you and see if we can work things out. I can’t stop thinking about you. My game is terrible, and I want to be with you.”

  She glared at me and stormed into the apartment, leaving the door open behind her. I couldn’t tell if she wanted me to follow her or not, but when she reappeared with her phone, I knew the answer was ‘no.’ Brittany tapped the screen angrily for a few seconds before spinning it around and showing me a photo taken of the club earlier in the night. Elisa had her hand resting on my knee, dangerously close to my groin. I could clearly be seen staring directly down her shirt.

  “For someone who is so heartbroken and sad, you sure seem to be having a good time,” she spat out before jerking her phone away and stepping back into the apartment.

  “I don’t want anything to do with her. Just give me a chance to explain, okay?” I said quickly.

  “Yeah,” she said, shaking her head. “That isn’t going to happen. I don’t ever want to see you again, do you understand? Stay away from me and stay out of my life.”

  “Please,” I begged her.

  “If you come here again, I promise that I will call the police.”

  “You never answered me,” I said quickly.

  She shook her head. “I wish that I didn’t still care about you, but telling you that would be a lie. We are never going to be together, though. That’s a promise. I don’t want anything to do with you or your team. You didn’t want me before, and now I’ve moved on.”

  “But I want to be with you,” I told her again. “You are the love of my life.”

  Brittany looked away from me and shook her head. “It’s too late for all that now. Goodbye, Corey. Don’t come back here again.”

  “Brittany,” I whispered. “Please don’t do this to me. Please give me another chance to do the right thing.”

  It was no use. She slammed the door in my face and left me standing out in the cold. With a heavy heart and a quickly approaching hangover, I climbed back into the taxi and gave him my home address. Tonight was a terrible idea. Brittany was never going to forgive me now, and the team knew that I still had feelings for her. Any way I looked at it, my life was spiraling out of control and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

  9

  Brittany

  “Seven months?” Michael grunted out.

  I was already flushed at being forced to tell him and now his hungry look seemed unbearable. He reached below his desk and moved some. I held in the scoff. He was adjusting his cock as his eyes traveled down my body to my engorged breasts and protruding stomach. Michael licked his lips and I quickly cleared my throat to get his attention. He took his time working his way back up to my eyes.

  “It’s a shame you didn’t tell me earlier.”

  I held in the sigh of relief. It seemed like a trap. “Really? I thought y
ou’d be against the pregnancy and try to have me terminated.”

  “But now your internship is up and I have orders to hire you full-time.” His eyes roamed again. “If I think you’ll be a good asset to the team.”

  I straightened my skirt. “I know that we’ve had our differences in the past, but this vlog and my career here mean the world to me.”

  “I think the pregnancy is great,” he said to my surprise. “But what are you going to do when the baby comes? Do you have a plan or know who the father is?”

  My mouth fell open. “Sir, I think those are very personal questions that I don’t feel comfortable answering. I will continue to do my job and take care of my personal life outside of work.”

  “Sure, but right off the bat, you’ll need a ton of time off work.”

  “I don’t think that my pregnancy constitutes grounds to not hire me. Plus, I believe that the bosses upstairs picked me for a reason. I’m bringing in new viewers, and my numbers for the vlog are rising daily.”

  “You never should have cut that other chick out of the picture. The players love her.”

  Of course they do. She sleeps with most of them. I couldn’t let my temper get the best of me. If I didn’t secure this job, I would have to move back home with my parents. That was something I couldn’t even think about. My mother was still pressuring me to let her move in with me when the baby was born. I had to admit, I was starting to panic about everything that was happening. My doctor tried to reassure me, but it was a challenge in a city I barely knew with no family around.

  “The players love her, but the viewers hate her. The last test group we did thought she was too pretty and too easy for their liking.”

  “A bunch of prudes, you mean?”

  “The women who watch the show, sir. I think that they’re the ones we need to be thinking about, right?”

  He leaned forward, his eyes resting on my stomach. “I’ll give you your chance and sign you on, but this isn’t going to be easy.”