“Who knows?” I said, pouring the mixture into the pan. “Do you want toast?”
“Cinnamon toast,” he said. “Do you like Chris?” he asked, nonchalantly.
“I told you that we were friends,” I said, surprised. “Why do you ask?”
“Grandpa said that you were mad at him.”
“Grandpa has a big mouth,” I scoffed. “What else did he tell you?”
“Nothing. Do you like, like Chris?”
“You are just full of questions today,” I said, hoping he’d forget the question.
“Is he going to be your boyfriend?”
I sighed and knelt down so we were at the same level. “I don’t know, Michael. I like him, but he hurt my feelings.”
“Oh,” he said, his eyes wide. “So he’s not going to be my new dad?”
“What?” I squawked. “Where did you get that idea?”
“A girl in my class got a new dad.”
I laughed, ruffling his hair. “Sometimes I wonder where you learn these things.”
Once we were both ready, I drove to my dad’s house to pick him up so we could go to the stadium. We decided to get there a little early and watch the players warm up.
My dad had been acting strange from the moment he got in the car. He was quieter than usual, and extra chipper when he spoke to me. I didn’t know what was going on, but it made me feel uneasy.
“You look nice,” he said, like he knew the reason why I had spent a little extra time getting ready.
“Thanks,” I said dryly. For all I knew, I had curled my hair and wore extra makeup for nothing. I wore the same Tigers t-shirt that I’d bought for the game that reunited Chris and I. It was fitted and maybe a little too low cut for the mom of a young child, but when I looked at myself in the mirror, I knew that I still had it. I was a mom now, but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t still turn a few heads.
When we parked the car, my dad turned around and said directly to Michael, “What do you think about going to the press conference after the game?”
“What’s a press conference?” he asked.
“Are you sure we need to?” I asked. It was one thing to be in the same stadium as Chris. It was another to be in the same small room as him. As the quarterback, there was always a good chance that he’d be questioned.
My dad ignored me. “You know when the players talk after the game, and the reporters ask questions? That’s a press conference.”
“We can go?” Michael exclaimed.
“Sure. Why not?”
“Yes!” Michael said, punching the air.
“If you don’t want to go,” my dad said with a smirk, “you can tell him yourself.”
He had trapped me. I couldn’t say no to Michael. He would be devastated. “Fine,” I said moodily.
We got out of the car and made our way to the press box. Inside, Michael marveled at the comfortable seats and all the snacks he could ever want.
“Take it easy,” I said to Michael as he eyed a pan full of hotdogs. “We’ll be here all afternoon.”
“This is great, Mom,” he said looking out over the entire stadium. “Thanks for taking us.”
“You can thank Chris for the tickets,” my dad said. “He was the one who sent them.”
“Can we talk to him after the game?” he asked.
“Yeah, if he’s not too busy,” I said, finally giving in. My dad looked satisfied.
We took our seats at the front of the box so Michael could see the field. When the players took the field, I scanned the field for Chris. I found him throwing some warm up passes to the quarterback coach.
Chris looked amazing in his uniform. I loved the way the tight pants showed his ass. I couldn’t help but think about all the women in the crowd who were checking Chris out at this very moment. I felt a small sense of accomplishment that I had gotten to see him naked twice in my life.
Even though I was still mad at him, if he asked me to sleep with him at this very moment, I would probably say yes. You’d think that from all of the years I’d spent around the sport, I would be over the sight of tall, lean men in tight clothing and pads. But, I still had a thing for a big, strong, handsome man. If he was a skilled player, it only made him more desirable.
Before I knew it, the first quarter was already over. There wasn’t a lot of stoppage time for anything other than commercial breaks, so the game went quickly.
During one timeout, I left the box to use the bathroom and saw a familiar face touching up her lipstick in the mirror. I don’t think she recognized me, but I definitely knew who she was.
I should have been surprised when Alexa Meyer walked into the press box a few minutes after me. I was thankful that neither my young son, nor my middle-aged father knew who she was.
When my family walked into the box, people smiled and nodded at us. Some even said a few words to my dad. When Alexa Meyer walked into the room, people flocked to her. I did happen to notice that she rejected all of the alcoholic drinks offered to her, and instead stuck to a diet soda.
After everything that went down, I was truly surprised to see her at the game. Celebrities got free tickets and came to different sporting events all the time. Part of my job included hooking famous people up with the best tickets to the sold out games. But, I didn’t know she was a Tigers fan, and as far as I knew, Chris was the only player she had been publicly involved with in the last few months or so. I couldn’t help but suspect that she was here because of Chris, and I didn’t like it.
The game started to get interesting in the second quarter. The teams were evenly matched and had each scored a touchdown. Chris was playing pretty well, but the opposing team had a strong offensive line. At one point, I thought he was going to get sacked, but he managed to scramble out of it for a gain of two yards.
The Tigers needed to do a little better if they wanted to win. Every time the center snapped the ball to Chris, I was so nervous that I held my breath. He was completing all of his passes and didn’t have any turnovers, but he was playing safe. If he wanted the lead, he would have to be a little gutsier.
At halftime, we were down by three points. I knew it was too early to get nervous, but I couldn’t help it. Watching the game was different when you knew someone on the team and you had a reason to root for them.
During halftime, Michael was excitedly discussing the first half with my dad when a couple of men in suits approached him. I didn’t recognize them, but my dad seemed to know who they were. I pulled Michael on my lap and listened in on their conversation.
“How’s retirement treating you, Russell?” the first man asked.
“Pretty good, I’d say. Apart from flying out to make appearances at different games here and there, I get to spend a lot of time at home. My grandson keeps me pretty busy.”
“You know, Russ,” the other man said, “the network is looking for someone to do commentary for the Monday night games. If you’re interested, I think they’d have you on in a heartbeat.”
“That sounds great,” my dad said, “but I don’t think I’ll have the time. I babysit Michael on weekday afternoons.”
“He’ll be starting school next fall,” I interjected. “And I’m usually home during the weekends anyway. Especially on Sunday.”
“You never know what you’ll be doing in a year from now,” my dad said quietly. “You know what?” he said to the men, “I’ll take a few days to think about it and I’ll get back to you soon with a decision.”
“Sounds good, Russell,” they said, shaking his hand. “We look forward to hearing from you.”
“Dad,” I whispered once the men were out of earshot. “That’s an incredible offer.”
“I know, and it would be something to do, but I want to be around for you and Michael. And who knows, maybe I’ll find more reasons to stay close to here.”
“I don’t see why you would. If you moved, Michael and I would visit constantly.”
He patted me on the knee, without saying another word on the
subject.
During the third quarter, Chris started heating up. He was throwing more daring passes and seeing open players on the field better. He threw two touchdowns and ran for one in that single quarter.
With a few minutes to go in the third, his offensive linemen missed a block and a big linebacker was charging toward him. He managed to get the ball out, but was tackled a millisecond later.
“Ouch,” my dad said. “That looked like it hurt.”
Chris was down and didn’t get up right away. I stood from my chair to get a better look.
Thankfully, he sat up a minute later, but the trainers were checking him out. They got him up off the ground and took him to the sideline for evaluation.
“What happened?” Michael asked.
“Chris is hurt,” I breathed.
“Is he going to be okay?”
I looked toward my dad. He shrugged.
From what I could tell, he was clutching his left arm. Luckily, it wasn’t his throwing arm, but I couldn’t tell if the injury was bad enough to take him out for the rest of the game. Or worse, the rest of the season.
If Chris couldn’t play football, I didn’t know what he would do. Sometimes, when players got hurt, they spent their time off with physical trainers and spent more time at home with their families. Other times, they couldn’t cope with the free time and turned to parties and girls to occupy their time. I didn’t know how Chris could deal with not playing every week.
I hardly even watched the backup quarterback play in the rest of the quarter. I was too focused on Chris and how he was doing. I tried listening to the other people in the press box to see if they knew, but no one seemed to know Chris’s condition.
The other team has the possession at the start of the fourth quarter, so I still didn’t know if Chris would be in. The backup quarterback wasn’t that great, and after the opposing team scored again, I wasn’t sure if they could keep their lead without Chris.
I was really worried about Chris, and not just because I wanted them to win. The thought of him being in pain made me want to cry. Chris was tough, so if he had to be helped off the field, I knew it was pretty bad. I wanted to be some sort of comfort to him, but up in the box, I was so far away.
“He’ll be all right,” my dad said, noticing my concern.
The other team punted and our punt returner took it all the way to the fifty-yard line. Without thinking, I stood up again, wanting to see who would come in as quarterback.
An involuntary squeal escaped my lips when I saw Chris running out into the huddle. I was so happy to know that he was okay and could play. I saw my dad smile out of the corner of my eye.
He was a little stiff for the first few plays. It’s not uncommon for injured players to want to protect their body a little more after a hard hit. But during the next possession, he looked as good as new. He completed six more passes, and even ran for a few yards. With seconds to go, at the ten-yard line, he faked a hand off and ran it in for a touchdown.
He emerged from the pile with a gigantic grin on his face and the crowd erupted into cheers. He had played one of the best games of his career, all with an injury. I had to turn away from my dad and son to blink the tears back. I was just so proud of Chris.
After one last round of celebratory snacks and drinks, we made our way down to the press conference. The best thing about going to football games with my dad was that no one ever asked for our credentials. Crowds parted for him.
“We have to be very quiet during the press conference,” I explained to Michael. “Then if Chris can talk afterwards, we’ll tell him he had a good game, okay?”
“Okay,” Michael said. He was in awe of everything going on around us.
We found a spot along the wall toward the back of the room so we could be out of the reporters’ way. My dad hoisted Michael up on his shoulders so he could see.
Behind us, I saw Alexa Meyer slink in through the door, a baseball cap pulled down low so her eyes were barely noticeable. If I hadn’t seen her just minutes before, I probably wouldn’t have recognized her.
I didn’t know what she was up to, but I didn’t like it. She had caused enough trouble between Chris and I. Deep down, I knew that it wasn’t really all her fault, but the sight of her still made me feel insecure. I didn’t want Chris to feel like he had better options waiting for him.
I was starting to feel claustrophobic in that room. It seemed like there were even more photographers and reporters than usual. Even my dad seemed confused as to why there were so many people there.
The flashbulbs going off in the room were almost blinding. The coach entered with Chris and one other running back. The coach spoke first, talking about how well his team played. I didn’t even remember what else was said because I was so focused on Chris. The lights were so bright, I wasn’t sure if he could even see us in the back.
Quincy Thompson spoke next, briefly answering questions about how the offense was adjusting to tough defensive teams. As he spoke, I could see Alexa worming her way closer to the side of the room. I saw some guy whisper something in her ear that made her smile. I wanted to know what they were talking about.
Finally, it was Chris’s turn to speak. He approached the podium and nearly every reporter in the room shot their hand up.
“Chris,” a reporter near the front said, “can you give us any details about your injury during the third half?”
“Yeah, I came down hard on my left shoulder and it’s a little sore, but it shouldn’t have any affect on my game.”
“Chris, can you confirm reports in the news that you’re dating actress Alexa Meyer?”
There was a lot of murmuring happening in the crowd. Apparently, there were more than just sports reporters here.
“Let’s keep the questions pertinent to the game,” the team’s PR manager announced.
“No, it’s okay,” Chris said. “I don’t mind taking this question. I’m guessing a lot of you want to know about this, so this is a good time to clear things up,” he said as the crowd laughed nervously.
“I want to take this time to make an announcement regarding my relationship with Alexa Meyer,” he said.
Suddenly, I felt like the room was spinning. Was he going to announce to the world that he in fact had something going on with Alexa? I had convinced myself that maybe he brought me here to try to make things up to me.
My dad, sensing my imminent panic attack, poked me hard in the shoulder. When I looked at him, he rolled his eyes and smiled at me.
“We are not in a relationship,” Chris said, with a smile. “In fact, if everyone could forget this little PR mix up, we would both appreciate that.
The crowd laughed.
“But,” he continued. “If we have time, I’d like to say a few words about someone very important to me.”
23
Chris
I looked to the team’s PR guy. He looked a little skeptical, but nodded. This was it.
“As many of you might know,” I started. “I haven’t always had the best reputation in the league.”
That statement got a few chuckles.
“While my lifestyle has afforded me much fun and debauchery over the years, there comes a time in a man’s life when his priorities change. When I realized that my carefree attitude came at the expense of others, I knew that it was time to evaluate what I wanted out of life. Behaving badly had brought me a lot of money in sponsorships, but there are things more important than money. Like, family, for instance.”
I looked around the crowd to see if Natalie had come. There were things I wanted to say, regardless, but I wanted to speak directly to her. I squinted through the bright lights and saw Michael’s head peeking above the crowd. She was here.
“Someone very special to me came back into my life recently. I’ve made a lot of stupid mistakes, so first; I want to say that I’m sorry. I can’t promise that I’ll never do anything stupid again, but I can promise that I’ll never hurt you.”
By now, I c
ould see reporters whispering to each other, probably wondering who I was talking about.
“Recently, I also learned that I am the father of a young child. I know that the story would leak at some point, so I’m getting it all out now. I would like to ask for the media’s respect and privacy while I’m with my son and his mother. It’s one thing to discover you have a son you didn’t know about, but another to find out that he’s your biggest fan. It’s been a shock, but I couldn’t be happier to have him in my life.”
By now, the reporters were furiously typing away on their phones. Word traveled quickly in this day and age.
“Finally, I want to speak directly to the person who has changed my life for the better,” I said, smiling. “Natalie?” I asked into the crowd. “Will you come up here?”
By this point, a thin layer of sweat had formed on my brow. I wiped it away with a shaky hand.
For a second, I was afraid that Natalie had bolted. There was no sign of her. I could still see Michael, so she couldn’t have gone far.
Then, the crowd parted slightly and a confused and nervous looking Natalie came toward the podium.
“What are you doing?” she whispered to me.
I smiled in return. I was terrified of her rejection, but seeing her made me feel a little more courageous. Even if I lost everything, it would still be worth it.
“Natalie,” I said, turning directly to her and grabbing her hands. “I love you. I cannot live another day without you in my life. I would do anything to be with you and Michael. Will you allow me to come back into your life?”
She smiled and gave a soft “Yes”.
I took a deep breath and looked around the room. Everyone’s eyes and cameras were on us.
“I know things haven’t always been great between us,” I said softly, “but I want you by my side for the rest of my life. “We haven’t been together for long, but I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”
Her eyes were welling up with tears. I felt my vision go a bit blurry too.
Game Winning Catch: (Secret Baby Sports Romance (Pass To Win #5) Page 14
