Short Stop to Love

by A. M. Williams

  He paused inside the locker room before making his way to his cubby to look over everything. He needed a few moments of silence after the endless questions.

  They were doing a press tour through the facility the following day, so he also wanted to make sure his area was neat since he was one of five players getting an interview.

  He pulled his phone from his pocket, but didn’t see anything from Keri. He hoped that was a good thing. Since the articles appeared yesterday, he’d been waiting to get an alert about their relationship that told him they knew who she was. He worried how she’d handle the scrutiny.

  He’d already talked to his security about what to do when the news broke about them. He’d checked into her apartment lease, pleased when he noticed the apartment was in Joann’s name and Keri’s was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, that would only temporarily deter the media from pursuing her. They’d figure out where she worked and follow her home. Because of this that he spoke with his back-up security about protection for her.

  He knew Keri would not want security with her. But, he wanted to make sure she was safe.

  After rifling through his locker, he turned and came face to face with Andrew Lennox, the first baseman for the team. The two of them got along for the most part. They worked well together on the field at least. Off the field was a different story. It was off the field that was a problem.

  “Andrew,” Jeremy said as he went to move past him.

  “Jeremy, I noticed you pictured with a woman yesterday. She your beard?”

  Jeremy clenched his hand into a fist.

  “I think you’d have noticed by now I’m clean shaven,” Jeremy ground out, trying not to let Andrew rile him up.

  Andrew laughed. “Come on, Jeremy. We all know you’re in the closet. Why are you putting a woman through all that?”

  Jeremy turned to glare, but didn’t say anything.

  Andrew continued, “Come on, we’ve seen the pictures of you with her. You need to just come out of the closet and not force that poor woman to deal with your sorry ass.”

  “Did you need something? Or are you simply here to heckle me since you can’t seem to get your own woman?”

  “Oh, got some fire in you today. My words hit too close to home? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to keep her warm when she’s done with you.”

  Jeremy’s nostrils flared as he worked to contain his anger. Andrew was an arrogant asshole who had little regard for others. Before Jeremy could reply, he heard, “Lennox! Glass! We got a problem here?”

  They both turned to look at the fiery redhead Ross Bailey, general manager for the team. They both shook their heads.

  “Good!” Ross continued, “I don’t need one of you losing it and costing us a good player.”

  Andrew smirked at Jeremy when he cut his eyes toward him. Jeremy expelled a harsh breath, but held his tongue, internally swearing one day Andrew would get what’s coming to him. With a nod to Ross, Jeremy made his way out of the locker room and to his parked SUV. He didn’t always travel with security, but on days like today when he purposefully put himself in the spotlight, he made sure he always someone with him.

  He nodded at Jacob as he opened the door and slid into the backseat. Once they were on their way to a dinner meeting, Jeremy pulled his phone out and texted Keri.

  Jeremy: I miss you.

  Keri: I miss you too. Sure you can’t ditch this dinner meeting?

  Jeremy: I wish I could. I’ll be staring at the interviewer wishing it was you.

  Jeremy sighed. He’d love nothing better than to ditch the interview paraded as a “meeting.” The Times was compiling a list of the “30 most influential people under 30” in Seattle. Jeremy was fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it—on that list along with a few team members and entrepreneurs in the city.

  Keri: :( that sucks. I wish I could see you tonight.

  Jeremy: Me too. I know what could help me feel better.

  Keri: Oh. What’s that?

  Jeremy: You.

  Keri: You’re such a cheeseball.

  Jeremy: Might be true, but it doesn’t make my words any less true.

  Keri: I’m rolling my eyes so hard right now, I can see the back of my skull.

  Jeremy: Well, make sure they come back to the front. I like the eyeballs and the woman they’re a part of.

  Jacob stopped in front of Royal Fusion and Jeremy sighed at the pack of photographers waiting outside for a glimpse of a celebrity. When he stepped out, he tried to avoid the snapping of the photographers standing to the side as he stepped out of the backseat.

  “Annoying fuckers…” he muttered under his breath as he made his way inside with Jacob following close behind. The entire ride in the elevator up to the restaurant, Jeremy wished there was a way to get out of being in the article, but he knew Allison would have his hide if he did something to ruin this publicity. Allison swore this would be one of the stories that would separate him from the rest of the professional athletes in the city.

  The elevator doors dinged, signaling their arrival to the restaurant. He nodded to the hostess who led him through the main dining room to the private rooms, where Esther Mercer was already waiting for him. Jeremy resisted the urge to roll his eyes and walk out. Jeremy and Esther grew up in the same neighborhood and was one of his sister Emily’s best friends.

  If he’d known she was going to interview him, he would have refused or demanded someone else. For as long as he could remember, Esther attempted to come onto him, hoping to convince him to either sleep with her or date her. He wanted neither, especially since he was with Keri.

  Jeremy: Just got to the dining room. I know the woman interviewing me. I might need you to save me later.

  Pocketing his phone, he stepped further into the room, alerting Esther to his presence. He tried to smile as he stepped closer, holding his hand out for her to shake. “Esther, I’m surprised to see you here. I didn’t think you were doing the interview.”

  Jeremy tried to breathe shallowly as Esther’s cloying perfume surrounded them.

  Esther giggled as she stood. “I just got hired as a junior staffer and I’m helping the main reporter. When they found out I knew you, they suggested I handle this interview.”

  Jeremy narrowed his eyes. He was sure they didn’t let her interview him because she knew him. He knew there was more to the story than she was revealing. She probably manipulated events in some way so she could get here. Bracing himself for what could potentially be a long evening, he settled into his chair across from her.

  “Shall we?” he asked, indicating their seats.

  “How have you been?” Esther asked.

  “Good. You?”

  “I can’t complain,” she leaned forward and Jeremy caught a glimpse of her cleavage. “Things are certainly looking up.”

  Jeremy kept his eyes on Esther’s face. “That’s great to hear. You just graduated?”

  “Yes, this past December. This is my first major assignment.”

  Jeremy smiled tightly and glanced at the door. He breathed easier when he spotted Jacob just inside the door. He wouldn’t put it past Esther to take advantage and make this dinner into something it wasn’t.

  Before Jeremy could suggest they start the interview, the waiter came up with the pre-ordered bottle of wine, presenting it to Jeremy for his approval. After Jeremy nodded, the waiter efficiently opened and poured the wine, took their dinner order, and left them alone.

  “You ready to start?” Jeremy asked.

  “Are you sure? We can wait until after we finish eating.”

  “I want to make sure we have enough time to cover everything.”

  Esther nodded and fumbled with her purse, pulling out a recorder, notebook, and pencil. He watched as she fiddled with it before placing it in the middle of the table. She pressed a button on the device and a red light turned on.

  “Thank you for meeting with me, Jeremy. I know I know a lot of people want to know more about Jerem
y Glass. You’re notoriously private about your life off the diamond. Is there a reason you protect your privacy?”

  “While I am in the public eye, I don’t want my family subjected to the intense scrutiny that comes from this lifestyle. Choosing to keep my private life separate from my public persona helps with that.”

  “When you say family, you’re referring of course to your parents and siblings, but what about the woman in your life? How does that work?”

  “What woman?”

  “You’ve recently been pictured with someone that is reported to be a Seattle native. The assumption is she’s your girlfriend. How do you keep that separate?”

  Jeremy tamped down the initial response he had and carefully said, “I’m not here to comment on my private life. I may or may not be seeing someone at the moment. I’m not sure what this has to do with the article you’re compiling.”

  Esther coughed and looked uncomfortable as she shifted in her seat and avoided her gaze.

  “I’m with a lot of people when I say I greatly admire you and everything you’ve accomplished. You were drafted at a young age. Do you think that’s had some impact on your success?”

  “I can’t say for certain that my age when drafted had anything to do with any success I had. I like to think I’ve had a fair bit of luck. I’m lucky to be able to play ball as well as I do and I’m lucky to have a great organization that supports me in my career.”

  But you don’t just play baseball. You’re also a businessman, owning several local businesses. Why do both?”

  “It’s always been my dream to own my own business. Since that’s really not a possibility while playing, this is the next best thing. It allows me to be involved in the Seattle community, helping create jobs. I think it’s important to support the area in which you live. This is just one of the ways I try to do this.”

  “So you’re essentially trying to keep jobs here?”

  “In a way, yes. So many times we see small businesses lose out on customers and close up shop. While they might only employ a handful of people, that adds up. Some of these people can’t get jobs with some of the larger corporations. Helping struggling businesses revitalize themselves and rebrand in turn helps the community. Have you heard the term ‘shop small?’”

  At Esther’s nod, he continued, “I fully support that initiative. By shopping small, we pour money into our local economy. The money goes right to the people that run the business, not a large corporation. We need to be doing everything we can to help each other.”

  “That’s a great way to move into a discussion of your philanthropic work. Over the years, you’ve given quite a bit of money to local charities. Why?”

  “It’s the same as with my business practices: it’s important to help support this community. We have the same issues other cities do with homelessness, hunger, abuse. You name it, we have an organization here that helps. So it made sense to give locally.”

  “What made you want to get involved in charity work in the first place?”

  “I was adopted, as most people know. What most people don’t know is when I was adopted, it granted me a new lease on life, so to speak. Before my adoption, I lived in squalor, never sure of my next meal because my mother struggled with addiction the majority of the time. That experience has left a lasting impact on me. I don’t want anyone else to experience the same if they don’t have to. I have the means to give back, so I do. It’s as simple as that.”

  Esther’s mouth opened in an ‘O’ of surprise. He obviously caught her off guard, which didn’t make sense as his adoption and some of the details were part of the public record. He’d said the same things he just told her in other interviews. He realized, as Esther asked her next question, she hadn’t done her research, instead most likely banking on the fact they were acquainted to get her through.

  He answered her questions, bored while they waited for their food to be brought out. When Esther turned the recorder off so they could eat, Jeremy instead suggested they continue. He wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible once she finished her inane questions.

  By the time their plates were cleared and the interview was wrapping up, Jeremy was ready to leave. He waited impatiently as the waiter brought the bill back, watching as Esther used her expense account to pay for the dinner. Once he was gone, he saw Esther open her mouth, undoubtedly to ask him something he wouldn’t want to hear, so he stood.

  “Esther, thank you for the interview.”

  He held his hand out, waiting for her to shake it. He saw her hesitate slightly before grasping his hand, limply shaking it. “It was a pleasure as well.”

  With a brisk nod, Jeremy walked out without looking back. Once he was back in his car, he breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled his phone out and saw Keri had texted him.

  Keri: You survive? Who was the horrible person that interviewed you?

  He double-checked the time and saw that she would be home, so he dialed her number.

  “Hey,” she said when she picked up.

  “Hey.”

  “You survived, I take it.”

  “Yeah, though it was touch and go there for a minute.”

  “Who interviewed you? I thought you said it was some guy from features.”

  “That’s who it was supposed to be. Do you remember me telling you about Emily’s friend Esther?”

  Keri was silent for a few beats before saying, “Yeah, you mentioned her the other day because Emily was complaining about her.”

  “Yeah, that’s her. She can’t seem to get the idea through her thick skull that I’m not interested. Anyway…she interviewed me.”

  “Why her?”

  “I have no idea. She claimed it was because of her acquaintance with me, but I’m sure there’s more to it. Thankfully, small talk was kept to a minimum and the interview finished quickly.”

  They chatted for a few more minutes until Jacob pulled into the underground garage at his place. Once he was in his place, Jeremy wandered into his office to see what articles had been posted that day.

  He pulled up several news sites, skimming the stats on the sports page before moving to lifestyle. Several articles about the press conference from earlier dominated the headlines. He was dismayed more attention wasn’t going to those press conferences. After all, they were doing them to drum up interest as the season came close to starting. Most focused on speculation about the “beautiful brunette.” He sighed in disgust at the fodder the newspapers printed. Even though they had virtually no information about their relationship, they were beginning to make things up.

  He closed out of the websites and made his way to the bedroom. He should consider going to bed, but he was worked up about everything. He grabbed his phone and sent Keri a text.

  Jeremy: I can’t sleep.

  He tossed his phone on the bed and yanked his clothes off and pulled on sweat pants before he lay down. He stared at the ceiling as he willed himself to relax. His phone buzzed. He smiled as he read.

  Keri: Me too. That’s why I’m downstairs.

  He went to the elevator, meeting Jacob on the way. “Sir, Ms. Robson is downstairs. I gave permission for her to come up.”

  Jeremy smiled. “Thank you. You’re free to go.”

  With a nod, Jacob made his way back to the security office, leaving Jeremy alone. He grinned as the doors opened to reveal Keri standing there in a pair of jeans and a jacket.

  Jeremy pulled her to him. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me too,” Keri whispered, tilting her head up.

  He kissed her lightly before pulling her bag from her shoulder.

  “Come on,” he said as he pulled her to his bedroom.

  He glanced at the clock as they stepped into the room, placing her bag right by the door. It was just after ten.

  “Are you tired?” Jeremy asked.

  Keri shook her head no.

  “Would you like to share a bath with me?”

  Keri nodded in reply. He grinned at her
and pulled her to his bathroom. While she stood by the vanity, he moved to the large tub, turning the water on and holding his hand under the stream until it was warm. He put some bath salts he’d bought on a whim for her in the tub, filling the bathroom with the fragrant scent of vanilla and sandalwood.

  He moved back to her, lightly brushing his fingers across her cheek before, slowly popping open the buttons on her jacket and pushing it off her shoulders to the floor. He made quick work of the rest of her clothing, leaving her nude in front of him.

  Keri’s eyes raked over him as he slowly shed his own clothing. He turned to switch the water off before quickly turning back to face Keri. He moved closer to her, tilting her face up to his to kiss her again, this time deeply, pouring his feelings into it. Keri moaned as his tongue begged for entrance at her mouth.

  He grasped her around her thighs, picking her up and placing her on the edge of the vanity. He continued to kiss her languidly as he carefully danced his fingers across her breasts, brushing her nipples. He pulled back, pressing kisses on her cheek and then her neck, working his way down her chest. He crouched in front of her, continuing to pepper kisses on her abdomen before pushing her legs further apart and settling between her thighs.

  She was open before him and he could see the evidence of her arousal. He kissed her right above the start of her folds, breathing in deeply, smelling her.

  “So fucking good,” he groaned as he lightly licked her. He used one hand to spread her lips, suppressing another groan at the sight of her clit.

  He pointed his tongue and laved her clit while sliding two fingers into her wet heat. She was deliciously wet, allowing his fingers and tongue to glide over her most intimate parts effortlessly. He curled his fingers while flattening his tongue and firmly swiping at her clit before sucking it into his mouth.