“Man, I feel bad for the guy.” Parker looked over at Margo and smiled. “Sorry I’m late, I was on the phone with my agent. How weird is that? I have an agent.”
“You’re all grown up.” Margo said in a teasing tone. “When do you leave?”
“Shortly, I just came in to say bye to you, I can’t stay long.”
Figures, Margo thought. It was all for the best though, she didn’t want to make saying good bye to Parker a long drawn out process. She just wanted to get it over with.
“Well thank you for squeezing me into your busy schedule.” Margo meant for her comment to be a joke but it came off more as a snide remark and Parker picked up on it. He reached across the table and grabbed her hand in his.
“You know I’ll always make time for you. You’re one of my best friends.”
“Alright.” Margo couldn’t look at him or say anything else because she was going to break down if she did.
“You’re like a sister to me, Margo. I could never not make time for you.”
Ouch! Like a dagger to her heart. A sister? Wow, she thought if only he knew the very un-sisterly like thoughts she had about him. That solidified her future with Parker. They were friends and would never be more. Margo didn’t think anything would change between them but she always wondered if there was a possibility but after Parker’s sister comment that squashed all thoughts of being romantically involved with him.
He looked at his watch. “I hate to cut this short but I do have to go. Come give me a hug, kid.”
Margo got up from her seat and settled into Parker’s warm embrace. She laid her head on his chest and reveled in the strong muscles that tickled her cheek. She soaked up every last moment she had with him. This was it, she probably wouldn’t see him again.
He lifted her chin up and made her look him in the eyes. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you too.” She croaked out, holding back her tears.
“Take care and don’t forget to stay in touch.”
“You too!” That was the last thing she said to him as he walked out the door, right out of her life.
***
It had been three months since Jake found out Lexi left the country. He tried contacting her many times through email, phone and text, any possible communication he could think of but he never heard anything back from her. Every day of silence from her was like she was slowly jabbing a knife through his heart, pulling it out and repeating the process. He had never felt so broken and numb in his life. Instead of pining after Lexi and wallowing in his bed he put all his energy toward football.
At least during the days he focused on football, at night all he could think about was Lexi’s soft curves up against his hard body, the way she giggled when he kissed her neck and the way she played crazy seductive tricks by just using her fingers.
He had many sleepless nights with thoughts and images of Lexi running through his head. He started taking some holistic sleeping pills just to get a couple hours of rest. He kept telling himself that the pain would get better, that he wouldn’t feel like his heart was non-existent but it didn’t. Life didn’t get easier. He had many opportunities to move on with other women, especially since Adidas signed him on as their new spokesperson but he wasn’t interested in other women.
Women practically threw themselves at him but he wanted nothing to do with them. He only wanted one girl and ironically she wanted nothing to do with him. She had completely removed him from her life.
His phone chimed as he put on his jersey. He quickly grabbed his phone to look to see if it was Lexi, sure she wouldn’t miss his big day.
Margo: Good luck today, Jake! I will be rooting for you.
Jake stayed in contact with Margo during the summer and she was the only reason why Jake knew Lexi wasn’t dead. Margo would occasionally slip Lexi into their conversations, something Jake appreciated greatly.
Jake: Thanks.
Jake wasn’t really in the mood for conversation so he put his phone down. Margo was the last person besides Lexi he expected a text message from for good luck. Mason, Parker and a couple other guys from the team wished him luck, even a couple of professors. But nothing from Lexi.
It was his first game with the San Diego Thunder and he was able to prove himself all through the summer workouts and training camp to earn the starting quarterback position. He was well respected amongst his teammates and had a good report with his coach. Everything seemed to be going great in his life, besides his love life, which was non-existent.
“You ready, rookie?” Bear, the center asked. The guys all called him Bear because he literally looked and acted like a bear. He was extremely hairy, big and one hell of a center. Jake was easily able to tell the difference between the level of play in the NFL and college.
“More ready than I’ll ever be.”
“That’s what I like to hear. Go get them, kid.”
“Thanks.” Jake really liked his team.
When Jake first came onto the team, he expected to get ridiculed and segregated because there was a lot of hype around him but the team embraced him instead and helped him grow as a player that he never thought he could be. He was at a level of play now that if he did everything right, could easily land himself in the Football Hall of Fame.
Jake grabbed his helmet and walked out of the locker room to go warm up on the field. There were press swarming the hallways as the PR guru for the Thunder approached him.
“Jake, I need you for a pre-game interview. Do you have a moment?” Marci asked.
“Anything for you, Marci.” She was an older lady and had seen her fair share of players walk the hallways but she was still on top of her game for her age. She could diffuse any situation in the matter of minutes.
“Great, we’re going to conduct the interview out on the field.” She guided him out onto the field where there was a camera set up and a woman with blonde hair cut to her shoulders reading over some cue cards. “Ok, this is our new on field correspondent. She will cover interviews before and after the games. Be sure to look for her at all times when we want to get an interview, ok?
Jake nodded his head and walked up to the girl whose back was to him. She turned around and whipped off her sun glasses. Jake felt like his heart exploded into a thousand pieces.
Lexi was standing in front of him, with a new haircut, tight skirt, blazer and her make-up was camera ready. Jake felt like he swallowed his tongue, he couldn’t find any words to speak.
Marci grabbed Lexi and brought her over. “Jake, this is Lexi Knox our new on-field correspondent. She will be at every home game and maybe some away games so you two will get to know each other pretty well.” Lexi just smiled up at him with that gorgeous smile of hers. Her eyes were bluer than he remembered and sparked with delight. She didn’t look shocked at all or uncomfortable probably because she knew where Jake was all this time.
“Lexi, I have to take off. Can you handle this?” Marci asked.
“Of course.” Lexi said with a smile. The sound of her voice was like music to his ears. Lexi watched Marci walk away but Jake kept his eyes on Lexi the whole time.
Now that she was in front of him he didn’t want to lose track of her again. He must be dreaming because there was no way she was standing in front of him, let alone working for the same team that he was playing for.
“Lexi?” Jake asked as more of a question to see if he was living in real life or if he was in one of his fantasy lands.
“Hello, Jake.” She still smiled at him but turned her head.
“What, why, I mean…what are you doing here?”
Lexi twisted her hair, that nervous tic she had which made Jake want to grab her and run off to the locker room to show her how much he missed her.
“I, uh, hope this is ok…you know that I’m working here. Professor Lyon helped me land the job and I couldn’t refuse.”
“Of course it’s ok.” Jake ran his hand over his hair and just stared in disbelief. “I thought you
were out of the country.”
Lexi looked at her watch and frowned. “I’m sorry Jake. I would love to catch up but I really have to get this sound bite from you before the game.”
Jake shook his head and went back into starting quarterback mode. Now was not the time to get caught up in his emotions and personal life.
“Of course. Where do you want me to stand?”
Lexi shifted him so he was standing in front of the camera then she talked to the cameraman about her questions. Occasionally she would look up at Jake and smile. Those little glances were slowly taping his heart back together. Jake knew at that moment, that everything was going to be ok. Things between him and Lexi were going to be ok.
Jake cruised through the interview with Lexi and treated her like any other reporter and she did the same with him. It proved that they could still do their jobs even though they had a past and even hopefully a future. Jake thanked Lexi for the interview and before he put his helmet on to jog out to the field she grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Good luck, big guy. Make me proud.”
Jake did just that, he went through all four quarters of his first game as a professional football player, making Lexi proud. Jake had a great game. He led his team to their first victory of the season and couldn’t wait to celebrate. There was one person he wanted to celebrate with and he was looking for her after the game but she was nowhere to be found. He thought Lexi was supposed to do the after the game interviews as well but he couldn’t find her. Marci came up to him and started directing him toward the press conference.
“Uh, we aren’t doing any on field interviews?” Jake asked trying to sound casual and not like he was wishing he could get another glimpse of the hot new on field correspondent.
“We usually do but we’re going straight to the press conference this time since it’s the first game. Follow me.”
Jake was able to stop off in the locker room quickly to change into a clean shirt and made sure to grab his phone before he entered the conference. He wanted to see if Lexi tried to contact him. When he looked at his phone there was nothing, except congratulations from everyone else. Jake’s heart dropped once again. Maybe his mind was playing tricks with him. Maybe Lexi was just trying to be nice earlier and she didn’t really want anything to do with him.
Still he needed to know so he sent her a text message before he went into the press conference.
Jake: Hey, where are you? I want to see you again. I have a press conference so I will call you after.
Jake sat through what seemed like a million questions about his transition into the NFL, the win and how he was adjusting to his new receivers which he proved today that he was adjusting quite nicely. It felt weird not passing to Mason out on the field but he was able to form a new bond with the guys on his team. Half an hour later, Jake was heading out of the room with a bottle of water. He called Lexi but still no answer.
Damn it, he thought. He went back to the locker room and took a hot shower. What should be one of the most amazing nights of his life was turning into another night of anger and disappointment. When was he ever going to learn to let her go?
All the guys invited him out to dinner but he turned them down saying he was tired and just wanted to get some rest. He was called a few pansy names but then left alone. Jake threw on a pair of nice jeans and a button up shirt. Thankfully the dress code after games wasn’t strict so he could walk out of the locker room feeling like a normal human and not like a suit.
He grabbed his keys and headed out to the parking lot. He was checking his phone when he heard someone clear their throat. He looked up and saw his blonde goddess leaning up against a pole. She was still wearing her sexy interviewer outfit and he just realized she was sporting some of the sexiest heels he had ever seen. His mouth watered from the sight of her but he kept his distance. He didn’t know how to react. She ignored him so many times, he didn’t know if he could take one last rejection.
***
Lexi stared at Jake and was mentally kicking herself in the ass. How long did she deny herself of him when she could have had him all along? She wasn’t going to wait for him after the game but after receiving his text message, she decided to wait. She watched the entire game with a knot in her stomach because all she wanted was for Jake to do well. She watched him from a distance all summer. She only traveled for a couple of weeks but then went back home. It didn’t feel right to explore the world alone. She didn’t want to do it alone.
When she got back to San Diego, she contacted Professor Lyon and he told her about the job with the Thunder, apparently he kept her video resume they did in his class and gave it to his friend that worked for the Thunder. They liked her so much they hired her. Lexi couldn’t believe it. It was like fate was telling her she belonged in San Diego and she belonged with Jake, cheering him on like he always wanted but also while she did her own thing. She spent the whole summer working with Professor Lyon honing in on her interview skills and feeling more comfortable in front of the camera. The executives loved her so much that she was instantly put on the field for the first game. All they did was change her clothing and hair and she was good to go.
She didn’t expect her first interview to be Jake but she was glad it was, it felt right. She made sure to tell her boss about her relationship with Jake and he didn’t seem to care, he said as long as she did her job and didn’t show any bias then she was fine. That was easy enough Lexi thought because there were plenty of times where she had put Jake in his place.
Speaking of Jake, he looked so mouth wateringly good in his jeans and button up shirt. His smile was big enough where she got a great view of his dimples and she couldn’t help but melt into a puddle. She missed him. She missed him so damn much.
“Good game, big guy.” She said, breaking the tension that was forming between them.
She knew she was the one who put the tension there but she had to in order to get to where she was today. The only reason she was able to be as good as she was right now at her job was because she set Jake aside and really focused on her skill. Lexi also thought that was the reason why Jake improved to a status no other rookie quarterback could reach. They put their relationship on hold and both focused on themselves.
“Thanks.” He walked toward her but she could tell he was hesitant, she didn‘t blame him. She didn’t have a proven track record lately of staying around. “Uh, what are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you.” His smile got even bigger. Lexi held back the I-love-you sigh that wanted so desperately to come out of her mouth.
“For me?” He said while pointing at his chest and moving closer to her. They were only about a foot apart now and Lexi could smell the soap he used in the shower mixed with his cologne. The scents sent her desire for him sky rocketing. “You waited for little, old me?”
Lexi looked him up and down and said, “There is nothing little about you, Jake Taylor.”
“You would know, babe.” He closed the distance between them even more and rested his hands on her hips.
She looked down at his hands and then back at his face. “What are you up to, Taylor?”
Jake looked down at their hips that were touching now and he thought about her question for a second. “I would say about eight to nine inches.”
Lexi laughed and swatted him. “God, you haven’t changed.”
He chuckled and started making a circular pattern on her hips with his thumbs. Her mouth went dry as her knees started to wobble.
“I’ve missed you.” He said very quietly. Lexi’s heart broke in half. She couldn’t believe Jake still wanted to talk to her after the way she treated him. She didn’t deserve him but she was a selfish woman and didn’t feel like giving him up, not now.
“I’ve missed you too, Jake. I don’t deserve your kindness or affection. I’ve been awful to you the past couple of months. You should be walking away right now and telling me to go to hell.”
Jake shook his head. “Never. I told y
ou I was going to wait and I did. The question is, are you going to stay this time or keep running?”
Lexi knew the answer instantly. “I’m staying.”
Jake lifted her chin so she had to look him in the eyes. “I’m proud of you, baby. You made a name for yourself. It was hell on me but I understand why you did it and I’m glad I gave you the time to think about what you wanted to do because you were amazing today. All the guys kept talking about the new on-field correspondent and it took all my energy to not knock their heads into a wall.”
Lexi giggled. “Glad to see your temper hasn’t changed.
“When it comes to you, nothing has changed. In my heart you are still mine and I’m going to make sure it stays that way. I told you I was going to wait and I did. I need you to tell me if I can stop waiting.”
Lexi hooked her arms around Jake’s neck and pulled him down so their foreheads were touching. His arms were wrapped around her waist and he pulled her in tighter.
“No more waiting Jake. I’m here and I want to be with you. I can’t live another day not being held by you, touched by you or kissed by you. I’m so sorry I put us through hell but I’m not sorry about the growth we both made.” She lightly kissed him on the lips and then looked into his eyes again. “I love you and I want to be with you, now and forever.”
Jake let out a breath he must have been holding in since he asked her if he still needed to wait. “Baby, you have no idea how amazing that sounds to me. God, I love you.”
He pushed her up against the pole and linked their hands together as he took over her mouth with his. She felt all her limbs go numb from the pleasure he was shooting through her body. She missed this man, the man who taught her to love and who gave her the time to find herself in the messed up world she was living in.
They pulled apart and both looked at each other. “Where you headed?” He asked.
Fair Catch (Love and Sports Series) Page 31
