by Kylie Walker
“You have a few hours to make yourself beautiful. I know it will be a stretch…”
Laughing I said, “Shut up, ass.”
He was laughing too. “You know I’m kidding, sort of.”
“You’re not convincing me to meet you anywhere.”
“Okay, okay, seriousness. You’re beautiful. I promised my friend I’d show up at the bar to have one drink with him for his birthday tonight. I really want to see you while I’m in town.”
“We could have breakfast, where are you staying?”
“I can’t have breakfast, Sis. I’m staying at the Omni but I have a breakfast meeting in the morning with Lyle Kramer.”
Where do I know that name from? I was racking my brain when it suddenly hit me. Lyle Kramer is a retired football player. He works as a sports announcer now for Sports Center on one of the big cable networks. “What are you meeting with Kramer for? Is he doing a story on you?”
“No, actually he wants to talk to me about a job.”
“A job? Are you retiring?”
He laughed. “No way! I won’t go until they carry me off the field. But, they are looking for someone part-time in the off-season to be a commentator.”
“How are you going to comment in the off-season?”
“It won’t be all about football. I’d work through basketball season and hockey season and baseball season.”
“So you’d be here in San Diego part of the year?”
“If they offer me the job and I take it then yes.”
“If you take it?”
“Well it’s going to depend on hours and payment and all of those important things.”
“Wow! That’s really exciting Jordy. I’m happy for you and happy for me because I’ll get to see you more often.”
He chuckled. “So you’ll have a celebratory drink with me tonight?”
“I don’t know, celebrating before the deal is done could be tempting the fates.”
“You don’t believe in fate.”
It was my turn to laugh albeit nervously, “Someone told me recently that I was too serious and basically alluded to the fact that I need to be more open minded, so I’m trying.” Although for the life of me I don’t know why I’d take anything Brett Kinney said to heart.
“I want to see my sister. Tell me you’ll be there.”
“Fine, I’ll be there.”
“Great! I love you.”
“Love you too, drive safe.”
I hung up with a smile for Jordan and dreaded about going back to that bar. I wouldn’t be able to be in that place without thinking about the night with Brett. He was obviously a regular there too. If he showed up tonight it would put a big damper on my visit with Jordan. But, I promised my big brother and I tried hard not to break promises to Jordan. Shit.
When Adele and Jenny got home they were both surprised and thrilled that I had made dinner. We’re all so busy during the week that we rarely have time to cook at home. We eat way too much fast food.
“What’s the occasion?” Jenny asked as she piled pasta onto her plate.
“No occasion, I just had time and I thought it would be nice.”
“It is nice,” Adele said as she took a bite of her garlic bread. “I love your spaghetti.”
“Thanks. Hey, do either of you want to go out with me for a bit tonight?”
“Where are you going?”
“Jordan is coming to town. I’m going to meet him at La Hacienda around nine for a drink.”
“Ooh! I’ll go,” Jenny said. “That’s where the team hangs out you know. Maybe Colin will be there.”
I looked at Adele and she gave me a little nod. She still wouldn’t talk about what happened between her and Josh at the barbecue but she and I talked about Jenny and Colin and we agreed that she at least had a right to know about his reputation. “About Colin,” I started. Jenny pushed her red hair back out of her face and said, “I know what people say about him. I’m not looking to marry the guy though, okay?”
“You’re a big girl. You can do what you want.”
“He’s really hot, but there’s actually a lot more to him than that. We talked a lot at the barbecue. He’s smart and he gives a lot back to the community. Did you know he works with disabled kids?” Adele and I both said we didn’t know that and she went on, “He has a football camp he puts on every summer. The kids are all autistic or Down’s syndrome or developmentally disabled or delayed in some way.”
“Wow, that’s awesome,” I said. I’d always promised myself if I ever got rich I’d do my best to give some back to the community. I have a lot of respect for people that do.
“Yeah, that is awesome,” Adele said. “Just be careful because philanthropist or not, he’s still a heart-breaker.”
“I will be careful,” she said. “Like I said, I don’t want to marry the guy.”
We finished dinner with small talk and after washing dishes the three of us went our separate ways to get ready to go out. I picked out a black, ruffled skirt with white lace lining that skimmed the tops of my thighs. I also wore a white tank top with lace accents and a pair of white sandals. I left my hair down and straightened it and by the time we left the apartment I felt good about not only how I looked but I’d stopped worrying about Brett and I was just excited to see my brother and have a good time with my friends.
The bar was packed when we walked in but I didn’t see my giant brother. As the girls and I found a high top table and ordered our beers I text him,
“Here yet?”
“Almost, traffic sucked.”
“Be safe.”
“Yes Mom. Stop texting.”
“You stop texting me.” I laughed and put the phone away. The waitress brought our beer quickly and as I sipped mine I looked around the bar. I didn’t see any of the Rogue football players and I was happy about that. Jenny on the other hand looked disappointed. We sat there and talked and laughed and fended off several attempts by smooth-talking drunks to buy us drinks before we saw the first two walk in. I recognized the biggest one as Mike Henderson. He was one of the more famous linebackers and I’d just done a deep tissue massage on him last week because of some pain he was having in his hip. I didn’t recognize the guy with him but he was built like a mac truck so it was a safe bet that he was a football player too. Mike recognized me and smiled and waved. I waved back and within seconds both of the guys were at our table.
“Erica. Look. At. You.” Mike made an “Mm mm” noise and I laughed. I found out during his massage that he was a terrible flirt, but he seemed harmless enough.
“You’re looking pretty good yourself Mike. This is my friend Jenny and my cousin Adele.” He winked at Jenny and then looked at Adele and said, “Damn, that family of yours has some good genes!” His friend cleared his throat. Mike rolled his eyes and said, “Ladies this is my teammate Trenton Shaw. Please remember that his statements tonight and his behaviors do not represent the opinions of myself or the rest of the team. I saw Trenton gesture his middle finger at Mike before turning to us with a brilliant smile and saying, “I am so pleased to meet you ladies. Erica, I’ve heard so many good things about you that I’m almost hoping for an injury.”
I laughed and Mike told him, “I’m going to injure you right now if you don’t go get that beer you promised me.” Trenton made a face at him but he left and went toward the bar. Turning back to us Mike said, “Ladies how would you like to join us at our private table in back?”
I looked at the girls. Jenny seemed excited about it and Adele just shrugged. I really needed to get her to tell me what happened with Josh. She hadn’t been herself since that damned barbecue.
“Sure, thanks,” I told him. We took our drinks and Mike led us through the bar, stopping to shake hands, bump chests or hit shoulders with several people on the way. We’d just sat down when Colin and another player named Seth Brady showed up. Jenny lit up like a firefly and being a practiced player, I’m sure Colin
picked up on it right away. He took the seat next to hers and the rest of us disappeared as Jenny fell into his sexy green eyes. I mentally shook my head. I hope he doesn’t hurt her. It feels like shit to be played. The noise level at the table was getting louder and Trenton had come back with the beer for Mike and a waitress in tow that took all of our orders.
Trenton and Mike started a game of darts and Adele and I joined them. It was probably half an hour later when I noticed him. At some point Brett had come in with Josh. They were at the table and Josh was embroiled in conversation with Seth. Brett seemed to be sitting quietly sipping his drink, but his eyes were on me. I could almost feel the heat from them from five feet away and I was honestly ready to call it a night. Just before I settled on that decision I heard my name.
“Erica Stanley!” I smiled before I even saw my brother. He was halfway across the bar and calling out my name like he was looking for me. I had to laugh. He’s such a dork. As I made my way over to him I didn’t miss two things, one, Brett was still watching me and two, every female eye in the room was either checking out my brother or giving me a dirty look for being the lucky girl he called out to. When I made it to him he opened his arms and wrapped me up in a giant hug. He squeezed the life out of me and then sat me down on my feet and bent to kiss my cheek as he said, “You are always the prettiest girl in the room.”
“Hey!” Startled by the voice and the tone, Jordan and I looked up at the same time. “Get your hands off of her.”
“Excuse me? Who the fuck do you think you are?” My brother took a step toward him. I put my hand on his chest. He stopped, but if he decided he wanted to keep going there was no way I’d be able to stop him.
“I’m Brett Kinney.” Brett must have started drinking before he got here. His speech was already slightly slurred and he was saying stupid things like what came out of his mouth next. “She’s my girl, get the fuck off of her.”
Jordan gave me a “what the fuck?” look. He didn’t give me a chance to answer to it before looking back at Brett and saying, “I know who you are. I’ve whooped your ass on the football field more than once. As far as my sister goes…”
“Your sister? What the fuck does your sister have to do with this?” Jordan looked at me again.
“He’s drunk Jordy. I’ll handle it okay?”
“I’m not leaving you alone with this asshole.”
“Who the fuck are you calling an asshole?” Brett lunged toward Jordan. My brother was standing his ground. All I could do was put my body between the two of them. It was like a Volkswagen trying to stop the collision of two Mac trucks, I got squished before they could pound their chests together like cavemen.
“Stop it! Both of you stop! Brett, I am not your girl and I think maybe Ana would have a problem with you calling me that. This,” I said with my hand on Jordan’s chest, “Is my brother Jordan Stanley.”
Brett looked confused. I had my other hand on his chest and I felt him relax slightly. He narrowed his eyes and said, “Jordan Stanley? I know you.”
“You’re just used to being flat on your back in the grass when you see me. Don’t worry, I can change your viewpoint right now.”
“Jordan please.” Brett looked at me again like he’d forgotten I was there.
“Ana? What did you say about Ana?”
I looked at my brother with pleading eyes and said, “Adele is right there, see her? Go talk to her and let me handle this, please.”
“Erica…”
“Jordan, I’m not a little girl.”
He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then he turned to Brett again and said, “If you so much as slobber on her…”
“Jordy.” He bent down and did what he was planning to do before Brett interrupted us, he kissed me on the cheek. Glaring once more at Brett he moved around me and went toward Adele. Everyone at that table had been watching the exchange and were on their feet ready to step in or assist, whatever the case might be. I shook my head at the adolescence of it all and grabbed Brett’s hand. He looked surprised but when I pulled on it, he followed me. I led him through the crowd in the bar and out to the parking lot where I immediately spun around, got on my tiptoes and as close to in his face as possible and said, “What the fuck was that?”
He at least had the decency to look slightly embarrassed as he said, “I didn’t know he was your brother.”
“So what? What if he wasn’t my brother? Does that give you the right to puff out your chest and run off anyone that talks to me?”
“He was touching you.”
“You have no right to decide who touches me and who doesn’t. Who the fuck do you think you are?”
“Erica listen to me, please. I don’t know why you’re mad at me…again. That night we came here and then spent together, it was the best night I’ve had in five years. Please tell me why you’re upset.”
“You didn’t get it when I mentioned your real girlfriend inside?”
“My real girlfriend? You’re talking in riddles.” I wondered if he was just too drunk to process what I was saying or if he was trying to play dumb.
“Ana, the girl you had lunch plans with the day after you fucked me.”
His face completely changed. He looked shocked. “Ana?” He started laughing. I was about to walk away when he said, “Ana is my niece.”
“Your what?”
“She’s my niece. She’s eight years old.”
“Wow, there is no limit to your lies is there?”
“I’m not lying Erica and frankly I’m getting tired of you calling me a liar. You have issues with jealousy and until you work those out you won’t be able to have a relationship with me or anyone else. Ana is my niece. She’s eight years old. My sister Crystal had her when she was nineteen.”
“Crystal? That’s the sister no one has seen or heard of for year’s right? Convenient lie. I can’t believe you’d use your family…”
“Stop it! Fucking stop right now!” He was suddenly yelling at me and I could see the veins popping out in his neck. I stopped talking and saw that the security officers at the door had even taken notice and were watching us. Once again I started to walk away. Brett didn’t try to stop me, but the last thing he yelled at me was, “Crystal is dead. That’s why no one has seen her in years. She died almost four years ago. Ana lives with my parents and I see her every chance I get. I’ve never lied to you, Erica yet you accuse me of it at every turn so fuck this!” I had stopped walking when he said, “dead.” I knew that even Brett wouldn’t take a lie that far. I turned back toward him and saw that he was hailing a cab. His eyes locked into mine for just a second. What I saw there was disappointment and maybe disgust. I suddenly realized that I deserved it. If that text really was from his niece…his dead sister’s daughter, I was the biggest bitch on the planet.
Chapter 15
BRETT
I was fighting mad when I left the bar. I shouldn’t have attacked Erica’s brother like that but this jealousy shit of hers had gone so much further. First of all I didn’t see her for five years because she jumped to conclusions and now once again she’s accusing me of lying after obviously snooping around and reading my text messages. I was beginning to re-think the high opinion I had of her. She is gorgeous and smart and funny, but she’s also insanely jealous and a guy in my position that has women throwing themselves at him right and left cannot have a relationship with a woman that’s not going to trust him.
That word surprised me, “relationship.” I’d never even considered a relationship with a woman before. I was content to casually date and to have a woman like Tatiana that was willing to sleep with me with no strings attached in the past. Maybe spending so much time with Ana was what was driving me, but suddenly I was thinking about things I’d never considered before, like maybe having a family someday soon. When I looked at Erica I saw more than just a beautiful woman that I wanted to fuck, I saw my future. But tonight I’d also seen how miserable that future woul
d be if she didn’t learn to trust me.
When I got home I stripped out of my clothes on the way to my bedroom and flopped down on the bed. I drank too fucking much…again. I’d spent the week hoping Erica would come to her senses or at least tell me what she was pissed about. Today was my day off from therapy so I’d started drinking at two o’clock and by the time I got to the bar I was already pretty far gone. That explained but didn’t excuse me attacking Jordan. I can’t fucking believe I had no idea that Jordan Stanley was her brother. I’ve looked up to that guy for years. He’s one of the quarterbacks that I modeled my own game after. Shit.
My head was pounding and I laid there wishing that I would just pass out. I have dinner with Ana tomorrow night and the hangover is going to be bad enough if I don’t get some sleep. I suddenly remembered yelling across the parking lot about Crystal. Fuck! I hadn’t meant to do either. But the fact that she was calling me a liar about having a niece, and then making a snarky comment about how “convenient” it was that no one had seen Crystal in years just pissed me off even more than I was. I got that old familiar pain in my chest when I thought about my sister and tonight I was transferring the blame for that on Erica.
I fell asleep at last and thankfully slept hard and without dreams. It was noon before I woke up the next day. I took my time waking up and showering and by the time my parents dropped Ana off at four I felt alive.
“Uncle Brett!” She ran up and hugged me like she hadn’t just seen me less than a week ago. Her unconditional love fed my spirit. I believe things happen for a reason and as hard as Crystal’s life had been before she died, and as hard as she’d made things for all of us, Ana was the reason. We were all so much richer for having her in our lives.
“Hey squirt!”
“Don’t call me that. I’m four feet already.”
I sat her down and put my hand on top of her head. “Four feet huh? Oh dang, where did Ana go? I lost her! Ana! Where are you?”
She giggled. “Stop it. I’m not that short.”
I picked her up and hugged her again. I love the way her pretty blonde hair always smells like strawberries. She pulled back and I looked at her face that looked so much like my sisters. I felt a lump in my throat all of a sudden and fought it down. Ana didn’t need to see me all emotional. “No baby, you’re not that short. What did you bring for me to make for dinner tonight?” She wiggled out of my grasp and opened the bag she’d brought.
