Hang Em' Up: A Bad Boy Sports Pregnancy Romance

by Ashley Stewart

  “I still love you…” she said slowly, “but I can’t watch you destroy yourself with that…woman. I’ll help you, but after that… I don’t want to see you again,” Danisha finished.

  Hearing her words, I felt like someone was filling my chest with concrete.

  Danisha glanced back at the front door. “Trent…The man that walked me home… He asked me out and I’m going to say yes.”

  Just like that, a wave rippled through me like the precursor to an atom bomb.

  The next thing I knew, I was back at home in Colorado with only vague memories of the last eight hours. I remembered forcing a polite smile on my face after Danisha told me she never wanted to see me again. Then I was in the backseat of my car, pouring a drink on the way to the airport. The stewardess handed me a scotch… Ugh, my head was pounding.

  I looked at my watch. I had to be at the police station in three hours to talk to Sally. I took my time showering and getting ready, taking right up until the last possible second to leave.

  Once at the police station, I quickly secured a room for Sally and I to use.

  “Adrian, it’s so good to see you,” she said happily, moving to hug me. I instinctively stepped back.

  “We’re, um, not supposed to touch,” I explained. I pulled the satellite phone out of my bag. “Do you know what you’re going to say when he answers?” I asked her.

  Sally sat down at the table. “I was wondering about that—what happens if he doesn’t answer? Or if he doesn’t want me to come to the island? They’ll understand, right? I mean, they can’t blame me if I tried.”

  I stared at Sally, amazed. “Yes. They can and they very much will blame you, Sally. Did you somehow misunderstand me when I told you that if Victor isn’t here, you’re taking the fall? I thought I was pretty clear about that,” I admonished her, exasperated.

  “Yeah, but even then—it’ll probably be one of those really nice prisons where you play tennis and you get conjugal visits,” Sally winked at me, “That could be hot.”

  “Have you gone insane?” I asked her. Had Sally always been this deluded and I had never noticed, or had a couple of days in holding already broken her? I honestly didn’t know which one to hope for. “I’m not having sex with you while you’re in prison.”

  She shrugged. “Alright, that was a stretch for me, too.”

  “That’s not what I…you know what? It doesn’t matter. Just make the damn phone call. You had better convince him, Sally,” I warned her.

  She patted her hand in the air, shushing me as she dialed.

  “Victor! Thank God you answered.” She exclaimed into the phone, startling me. She paused briefly.

  “Yes! Please, yes! I’m so sorry, you were right. I made a mistake, please Victor, you’re my only hope, I’ll do anyth-” she broke off into soft, hiccupping sobs, “anything!” There was another pause as Victor spoke on the other line.

  “Thank you, Victor! …Okay… Yes, I can do that…Okay, thank you again… Goodbye.” She hung up the phone and tossed it back to me casually, instantly dry-eyed.

  “Well,” I said quietly. “At least now I don’t feel so bad about being fooled by your act. You should be on Broadway, my dear.”

  Sally at least had the decency to look guilty. It didn’t last long, however. “You’re going to come see me in prison, right, Adrian?” she asked hopefully.

  “No, Sally,” I said sadly. “I don’t think I will be.” I knocked on the door and the officer let me out.

  I left the police station and got into my car, not once looking back. As the driver pulled away from the building, I pulled the handkerchief from my pocket and mourned for the end of my relationship with Sally.

  Chapter Six

  A full day later and I was still fuming about my fight with Adrian. He was supposed to be arriving the next morning for us to enact our plan to capture Victor. At this rate, I didn’t know if it was safe for me to be enclosed in a small area like a plane with him.

  I thumped my fist against my head in frustration. I was supposed to be trying to decide which technology firm I should partner with, but all I could think about was Adrian! The nerve of him to come in here and ask me to help Sally when she had done nothing but sabotage us from the start!

  “Still mad?” Marisol asked. “It’s okay if you are, I’m just checking in,” she said, poking her head out from her bedroom.

  “Yes, I’m still mad. But now I’ve reached the level where I’m mad that I’m mad,” I replied, my head lolling against the back of the futon. “Why do I care so much about a man who clearly doesn’t care about me—or himself!—enough to leave a horrible woman to her own horrible problems?” I lamented.

  “Love is strange,” Marisol said.

  “Thank you, oh wise one,” I rolled my eyes. “Very helpful advice.”

  “Hey, I’m just saying don’t search for answers where there are none. You feel how you feel. Accept it, do this crazy scheme, and move on with your life. Go out with Trent,” Marisol suggested.

  I nodded. “Alright…Thank you, for real. You’re right. I need to let things go with Adrian.” I went to bed that night grateful for the new strength Marisol had given me for tomorrow’s ordeal. I knew I was going to need it.

  The next day I woke early to get ready for the flight to Victor’s island. I was supposed to disguise myself to look like Sally, but it was a long trip and I didn’t want to look like her any longer than I had to.

  My hair was in its natural condition, a short, well-oiled afro, but Sally had straight caramel colored extensions that came down almost to her waist. Adrian had purchased me a wig, which I carefully packed in my bag. Adrian arrived just as I was finishing pinning my hair down so I could easily put the wig on when the time came.

  “Are you ready?” Adrian asked quietly. He seemed as reluctant to discuss our last conversation as I was.

  I nodded and we were on our way. We took his private plane all the way to Fiji where Adrian rented a seaplane to take us to Victor’s private island. Adrian and I went to the restroom to change. I put on my wig and a pair of large sunglasses and a tan long-sleeved shirt. My skin was several shades darker than Sally’s, so I hoped it would be enough to fool Victor from a distance.

  Adrian came out with a shaved head.

  I couldn’t help myself. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I burst out laughing.

  “Victor’s going to be suspicious it’s me no matter what; this was the only thing I could think of to trick him into believing otherwise,” he said sheepishly. “Is it really bad?” Adrian asked.

  He sounded so insecure, I laughed even harder, feeling terrible about myself. The funniest part was that it wasn’t bad. At all. Without his hair, Adrian’s jawline looked sharp and defined, and his eyes seemed brighter—more alive.

  “Excuse me,” I said, wiping my eyes. “In all seriousness, you look good. If you ever start to lose your hair, this is a real option for you.”

  Adrian seemed to perk up after that and we piled into the small aircraft.

  As the minutes passed and we closed the distance to Victor’s island, I felt my stomach churn. I knew I didn’t have a huge part in this, but I was still terrified for Adrian.

  My heart dropped when I saw the island on the horizon. Adrenaline rushed through my veins causing my skin to tingle in anticipation. The plane drew close to the island and begun to circle it, making its descent.

  There was a small speck on the beach. It was Victor, waving his arms in greeting. The plane descended lower and lower until it skimmed the water, coasting towards the beach across the waves.

  I had bought a large hat when Adrian and I stopped to change. I pulled it low across my face as the plane’s floaters scrunched against the sand of the beach. We needed to delay Victor’s realization for as long as possible if we wanted the upper-hand.

  Victor stood on the beach, motioning for me to get out and follow him. He turned and began to walk towards the staircase that led to the back entrance of the house.<
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  “Hurry!” I whispered to Adrian. “You can’t let him get inside!”

  Adrian opened the side door of the plane and jumped out, splashing in the shallow water. He patted his lower back, ensuring the handgun he brought was concealed, yet accessible. Adrian jogged up the beach, trying to catch up before Victor turned around and recognized him.

  Victor was heading up the steps, now. The stairs curved slightly, and an overhanging palm tree blocked him from view. Adrian started up the stairs after him.

  My stomach was churning harder than ever. This was bad—something was wrong. I was just about to jump out of the plane myself when I saw Adrian coming back down the steps. I had a second to breathe a sigh of relief when Victor appeared behind him, holding a rifle trained on Adrian’s back. Adrian’s gun was nowhere in sight.

  “Get out of the plane, Danisha!” Victor yelled.

  I stared in horror at the gun pointed at Adrian. I was frozen with fear.

  Victor cruelly slammed the butt of the rifle between Adrian’s shoulder blades, knocking him to his knees. Victor pointed the gun at the back of Adrian’s head. “Get out of the fucking plane!” he screamed.

  I jumped, bashing my knuckles against the door handle in my haste to open the door. I slid out of the plane into the water. The waves sloshed against my knees as I trudged to shore.

  “Hands up, my dear,” Victor said as I came to stand next to Adrian. His head came up to my chest. I obeyed, interlocking my fingers behind my head. Victor came around to face the both of us. He slung the strap over his shoulder and held it at his side. The muzzle’s aim swung between Adrian and me with every step Victor took.

  “So… What do we have here?” he said, grinning widely. “You wound me, Adrian!” he shouted jovially to the sky. “Did you think you were going to be able to sneak up on me again? Fool me once, shame on you… Unlike some people, I learn from my mistakes,” Victor said smugly.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Adrian asked.

  “It means that by now you should have learned not to mess with me.” Victor was breathing heavily, like he had just run a long race. “You should have left things alone, Adrian! And now, your girlfriend is going to die while you watch,” he finished.

  Victor turned towards me, the rifle hanging from his hip. I looked down the barrel of the gun, the dark hole swallowing my vision. From the corner of my eye in the quickly-enclosing blackness, I saw Adrian rise to one knee and launch himself towards me.

  The sharp retort of the gun sounded and I felt a solid warmth hit my body.

  Chapter Seven

  “…I think she’s waking up…” a voice said above me.

  “Danisha?” I heard another voice say.

  My head felt like a ton of bricks had been dropped on it, and every beat of my heart was another brick falling.

  “Ughhh…” I moaned. My eyes fluttered open, but the harsh light stabbed at my head.

  “Sorry!” the first voice said. The light instantly dimmed. I tried opening them again and had better success this time.

  I was in my bed back at MIT. Adrian, Jackson, and Marisol were all sitting in my room with me. They had obviously been waiting some time for me to wake up.

  I suddenly remembered the sound of a gun being fired. I raised my hands up to feel my head. It was thickly bandaged.

  “What happened to the plan?” I asked, struggling to sit up.

  “Oh, it went off without a hitch, actually,” Adrian said. “Almost exactly as I planned it.”

  I gingerly touched my head again. “Then why…?”

  “Er…well…” Adrian cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Jack had a clear shot from where he was hiding in the back of the plane, and he managed to hit Victor with the tranquilizer darts just fine, it’s just…when I dove to save you from the bullet, your head hit a rock and you were knocked unconscious. You might have a concussion,” he said regretfully.

  “You got him, though?” I asked, staring right at Jackson.

  He nodded. “Yep. He was still passed out when the cops came and got him a few hours ago. I imagine he’ll be pretty pissed when he wakes up,” Jackson chuckled.

  “Good,” I said savagely, settling back into my pillows.

  “Everything’s over now,” Marisol said. “At least you can finally relax.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Psht! Yeah, right. I still have to find a technology firm and next semester starts in a week!”

  Adrian cleared his throat again. “I…could help you with picking a firm, if you want Danisha. I know a few of them and could draw up a contract for you,” he offered.

  Everyone did their best to pretend that this was a completely normal offer, but the room crackled with tension.

  “That…would be fine, I think,” I finally said. I heard Jackson let out a small sigh. “If you wouldn’t mind bringing me some water, we could go over them now,” I said to Adrian.

  “Now? You should rest, Danisha…” he protested.

  I stared at him evenly. “Would you?”

  “…No.” he said after a few moments. “I’ll go get that water for you.”

  Jackson and Marisol murmured good wishes and followed Adrian out of my bedroom and into the living room.

  A couple of minutes later Adrian came back. I greedily gulped the water down. After I finished drinking, I pulled out my folders and set them on the edge of the bed.

  “These are the few I have it narrowed down to, so if you have any extra information about them that you think could help me decide I’d really appreciate it.” I looked over to see Adrian staring intensely at me.

  “Hello?” I waved my hand at him. “Did you look at the folders?” I said pointing to the pile I had laid out in front of him.

  “No, I didn’t. I’m sorry,” he said as he continued to gaze at me.

  “Okay, well… Do you think you could do that now?” I asked slowly, watching him. Adrian was behaving oddly. I began to wonder if perhaps he was the one who had suffered a concussion.

  “It’s just…” he began as he looked deep within my eyes, “I don’t know how I never noticed…”

  “Noticed…?” I had no idea where Adrian was going with this.

  “How much you and I are alike… You’re utterly devoted to your work, Danisha. I can respect that. You’re incredibly talented and smart…” Adrian looked down. “You knew about Sally before I ever…” He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

  Having no idea what to say, I remained silent.

  “I’m through with Sally,” he said. “I found her another lawyer. I never saw it before, but you were right—she’s no good—at least, she’s no good for me.” He looked back up at me. “She never understood my devotion to my work. Not like you, Danisha…”

  I was completely frozen. I had been waiting for Adrian to say these words to me for weeks, and now it was finally happening.

  He tentatively stretched a hand towards me, barely touching my pinkie finger. I slowly entwined it with his.

  “I’m so sorry, Danisha. Please, I’m begging you. I’ve lived a full life, yes, but still I have never loved a woman like you…like this…and I never will again. Don’t throw this away, Danisha. What we have…it should be fought for and protected. Fight with me, Danisha.” He brought my hand to his lips. “Let’s fight,” he whispered against my skin.

  My heart began to melt and warm my chest as I took several long, slow breaths. Heat rushed up from my breast into my face and hot, happy tears spilled out.

  Adrian moved to sit next to my side, wiping my face with his thumbs. Cupping my face in his hands, he gently brought his lips to mine. I never tired of tasting his sweet breath.

  “Adrian…” I sighed against him.

  Adrian’s warm hands moved beneath me and he set me in his lap, stroking my back and kissing my neck. “I love you, Danisha. More than anything in this world…”

  I opened my eyes, looking down to meet his gaze. “And I love you.”

  His hands continued to ply
my body with teasing caresses, his fingers never remaining in one spot for too long.

  “Please,” I moaned. I was the one who was begging now.

  He wrapped an arm around my waist, rolling to pin me underneath him, and soon we began to move as one.

  That night was the first true night’s sleep I had gotten in several months, and it had never felt better.

  Chapter Eight

  Two months later, I stepped out of a limo to dozens of flashing lights in a floor-length glittering black dress. Tonight was the night of the much-anticipated re-release of the EyeRead.

  Much to Trent’s dismay, I had decided to go with a different technology firm. Adrian pointed out to me that Trent’s firm did very little with sealants, which was a large part of the technology we would be designing. I suspected Adrian had ulterior motives for steering me away from Trent’s firms, but I was willing to let it slide.

  The choice turned out to be an excellent one either way. Moton’s, the firm I partnered with, had gone above and beyond my expectations. I hadn’t even graduated college yet, and already I was making my first million.

  I placed my hand in the crook of Adrian’s elbow and he led me down the red carpet. A large red ribbon with a big bow in the middle was strung across the newly-built manufacturing plant where all future EyeReads would be assembled and shipped. It was the first opening of many.

  An aide handed me the giant scissors I would be cutting the ceremonial ribbon with. I turned back to pose for the cameras and saw Adrian on one knee before me.

  “Oh my god…” I said, completely shocked. “What are you doing?”

  “Danisha Carter,” Adrian said, reaching into the inner jacket pocket of his tuxedo. “You are the most intelligent, daring, wonderful woman I have ever met. You have worked your whole life to make this night happen, and I know it must be the happiest night of your life.” He pulled out a small box, opening it to reveal an amazing ring. It twinkled and shone with every camera flash. “If you would do me the honor of becoming my wife, you would make tonight the happiest night of my life, too.” Taking the ring from the box, he held it up for me.