Devon Drake, Cornerback

by Jean C. Joachim

  “The world won’t stop if there’s one less singer.”

  She wanted to hit him, but couldn’t free her hands.

  “I told you to stop struggling.” He let her go to slap her across the face.

  Emmy gasped. The pain was like the sting of a thousand bees. The humiliation was worse.

  The dog lunged. Stash sidestepped him. “There. Now, stop.” His voice was low and menacing. “Call off the mutt!” He grabbed her wrists.

  Tears slipped silently down her cheeks. “Blitz. Back, boy,” she said, in a shaky voice.

  “If you promise not to hit me, I’ll let you go,” he said.

  She shook her head. Anger erupted inside her like a volcano. She would’ve beaten him with her fists or anything she could get her hands on.

  “Your funeral.” He kept his hands on her.

  “In case you’re still curious, yes, I took Lani with me. We’re living very nicely on your money. Oh, thank you. Sorry. I forgot to say that. We have a beautiful house where you’ll never find us. Servants. The finest food and wine. And all I have to do is watch my money make more money.”

  Emmy stopped sobbing and took a deep breath. “Why did you come here?”

  “To see you.”

  “Why? To rub it in my face?”

  “Maybe. Maybe I felt I owed you an explanation.”

  “You’ve explained. Now, leave.”

  “You shouldn’t be so bitter. After all, you made it on your own anyway, didn’t you?”

  “I didn’t need you. I had friends.”

  “And a rich lover.”

  “My husband now.”

  “He’s a better man than I. He married you.”

  “He’s a wonderful man. We’re very happy.”

  “Fine. That makes my little transgression so much less painful.”

  “For me or you?”

  “Both.”

  “Stash, did you ever care for me?”

  He laughed. “Silly girl. I was insane for you. I loved you from the moment I set eyes on you. But you only had a place in your heart for Buddy.”

  “I didn’t see him for five years.”

  “Didn’t matter. I figured out you couldn’t love me the way I did you.”

  “I never stopped loving Buddy, even when I hated him. Is that why you did it?”

  “I told you why. It was lots of things.”

  “You hurt me so bad. I don’t think I could ever forgive you,” she whispered.

  The look on his face softened. His voice mellowed. “I’m sorry, Emerald. I had to do it. The temptation to strike it rich was too much. I never meant it to hurt you. Always figured you’d bounce right back. And you did.”

  “Hah! That’s what you think. I almost didn’t make it.”

  “You’re strong. I never doubted you’d go on and never miss me.” He leaned down to place a gentle kiss on the spot that was still sore from his slap. “So, now you know. And we’re done. Officially and unofficially. You’re a huge talent, Emmy. You’ll always have an audience. And you’ve proved you don’t need me.”

  “Not now, but I did then.”

  “You got over it.”

  She nodded. “I did.”

  Stash let go of her wrists and stepped back, out of her range. She rubbed her skin.

  “Sorry if I hurt you.”

  She brought her gaze up to meet his. “You can’t hurt me anymore.”

  His head snapped back as if she’d smacked him. “Ouch.”

  “You have it coming.”

  “’Spose so. Then, it’s goodbye.”

  She nodded.

  “One kiss for old times?”

  “After robbing me of every penny and slapping me? You’ve got to be kidding.” She shot a hard look at him.

  “Come on, Emerald.”

  “Drop dead, bastard.”

  “Ah, she still has feelings for me.”

  “Don’t count on it. Get out before I call the cops.”

  Blitz approached Stash. The pug’s fur on the back of his neck stood up, and he growled.

  “Call off your dog.”

  “Blitz, down boy.” She grabbed the canine’s collar. Stash headed for the door, but she stopped him with her hand. “Oh, and thanks.”

  He raised his brows. “Thanks?”

  “For making me hate you.”

  “Hate me?”

  “Yeah. Made it a whole lot easier to move on.”

  Just as she had run out of things to say, Stash disappeared into the darkness. Night had fallen, though it was only five thirty. She stood at the open door, letting the winterish wind cool her while she thought about what he had said and what they had been together.

  Peace settled into her heart. She had closure. Somehow, it didn’t matter anymore. She didn’t need him, realized she had never needed him. What she’d needed was herself. Now, she was there, taking charge of her life.

  Blitz hopped on the sofa and curled up.

  Emmy skimmed her hand over her belly, wondering if a child was being formed there yet. She had Buddy. Solid Buddy, who had loved her for so many years, was hers forever. She grinned. Stash got the money, but I got Buddy. Think I got the better end of that deal. The sound of the key in the lock alerted Blitz, who ran to the door and barked.

  She turned to greet her husband, who was bending over to pet the pooch. “How’s practice?”

  “Okay. You good?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Your face is flushed.”

  “Oh. I had a visitor.”

  “Anyone I know?” He flipped through the mail on the front hall table.

  “Stash Mullins.”

  At the mention of that name, Buddy put down the envelopes and stared. “Where is he? I’ll tear him apart.”

  “He’s gone now, baby,” she said, cozying up to him.

  “Too bad.” Buddy made a fist and pounded it into his other hand.

  “I know. But it’s all good. We made peace, I guess. He sort of apologized.”

  “He should, that lowlife, scum, rat bastard, fucking asshole.”

  Emmy laughed. “Guess you could say that.”

  Buddy wagged his finger in her face. “Don’t you go trusting him now.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that. Besides, I have a feeling he’s gone forever.”

  “Good riddance,” Buddy muttered, his gaze moved to her lips. “You all right?”

  “I am, now that you’re here. Hey, handsome, how about dinner?”

  Blitz barked.

  “You, too,” she said to the tiny canine. “Gert made meat loaf.”

  “Why didn’t you say so? I’m starved.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Buddy preceded her to the kitchen. She hesitated for a moment to glance at the glass door. For a second, she thought she saw him. But it was only a shadow that disappeared when the wind gusted, bending a tree branch in a different direction. She smiled to herself, happy to have that chapter in her life put to bed.

  Chapter Four

  There wasn’t a whole lotta chatter on the flight to Miami for the Super Bowl. This was the big game. Money, prestige, and reputations were riding on the outcome. Griff Montgomery played cards with Buddy Carruthers. Trunk Mahoney, Robbie Anthony, the kicker, and Marquel Johnson, running back, played games on their phones. Johnson was on the disabled list most of the season with a broken leg. Coach Bass didn’t intend to play him, but wanted him along for the experience.

  A handful of spouses had scored seats on the plane. Most with children at home didn’t attend. But Emmy Carruthers and Lauren Montgomery were there. Samantha Drake had come along to work with Jo Parker, as well as root for the team.

  Coach Bass sat with his two assistant coaches, discussing plays, until he broke to call Devon and Bull over. “Your weight is down a little. How’s your time this week?”

  “I’m getting back to where I was.”

  “Not there yet?”

  “Another 15 pounds, and I will be.”

 
; “This is a tight game. Lucas and Boyer are gonna be gunning for you.”

  “My former teammates. I’ve got their number.”

  “Do you?”

  Devon smiled. “That’s one thing I’m sure of. I could outrun those animals if I weighed fifty pounds more.”

  Two stewardesses delivered lunches to the men and women.

  Devon and Bull sat together since they had special, high protein, low fat meals. Stormy had volunteered to help plan their food while traveling. Devon had already seen a loss of five pounds and Bull, eight, from her help.

  Coach Bass stopped by. “You guys are doing pretty good. You need to drop a few more. Have you considered hiring that little girl to take over your cooking on a regular basis?”

  “She’s for hire? She’s hot. I’ve got a few exercises we could do.” Bull snickered.

  “Lay off her,” Devon put in.

  “Wait a minute. First, you want me to leave your sister alone, and now this chick? No way. I’ve got rights too. And it’s a free country. The girls can make their own choices.”

  “Put one finger on my sister, and I’ll chop it off.”

  “Guys. Take it easy. Let’s talk about food,” Coach Bass interrupted.

  “I’d rather talk about chicks.”

  “You need to revamp the way you eat,” Coach repeated.

  “I know,” Bull said. “Maybe she can do that.”

  “She’s looking for work,” Devon admitted.

  “Fine. Gimme her number.”

  “I’ll talk to her and get back to you,” Devon replied.

  “Protective asshole. I’m not gonna do anything bad. Just want to take her out.”

  “Keep away from her.”

  “Hey, you’ve got a chick.”

  Coach Bass checked his watch. “Get her cooking, and you’ll lose that gut.” He pushed to his feet and went to confer with other players.

  “I’ll ask Stormy, see how much she’d charge, and let you know.”

  “Stormy? That’s her name. Shit, man. That’s sexy.” Bull smiled.

  Devon’s mood darkened. Let her go out with Bull. What do I care? She’s not my girl, just a buddy, a friend. And maybe my cook. But the idea of Bull and Stormy didn’t rest well with Devon. He fell into a light sleep for the rest of the short flight, but didn’t wake feeling rested.

  After the plane landed, buses took the team to the Miami Imperial, the best hotel in town. Devon took a hot bath, hoping that would relax him. He climbed into bed after saying a prayer that his weight would be down and his running speed up the following day.

  The next morning, Drake joined his team for breakfast. The men dug into gargantuan mounds of eggs, sausage, and bacon before they loaded onto the bus to the practice field. The temperature was a comfortable seventy degrees, so the men shed their jackets when they hit the locker room.

  Devon tried to keep his mind on the game. He and Bull did two laps. Coach lined them up to run plays, and Devon practiced breaking up Griff’s passes to Buddy, who was one of the best wide receivers in the league.

  At the end of the afternoon, everyone went back to the hotel for dinner. Devon met Samantha and saw Stormy with her. Stormy stared at her shoes and blushed when he expressed surprise at her being there.

  “I asked Lyle if I could bring her. I know she wants to see the game. Doesn’t cost anything for her to take the other bed in my room,” his sister explained.

  “I didn’t see you on the plane.”

  “I helped in the galley with the food. All those strangers…” She shivered. “Not for me. When I found you, you were asleep. I didn’t want to wake you.”

  There was a moment of silence.

  “I need all the cheering I can get,” Devon said, giving the auburn-haired young woman’s shoulders a squeeze. If Jackie can’t be here, at least I’ve got Stormy.

  She smiled up at him and something inside him flipped. “You’re the best. I know you’ll do well,” she said.

  “Wish I shared your optimism.”

  The three sat together at dinner and talked about anything but the big game. The rest of the team and spouses chattered about vacation plans and school choices for their children.

  Devon sat across from Coach Bass who sat back and sipped his coffee. A slow smile spread across his face. His fiancée, Jo Parker, was at his side. The cornerback honed in on their conversation.

  “You’re pretty smiley before the big game,” she said.

  “Look at these guys. If they can’t win, who can?”

  She chuckled. “You’re right about that. Love your confidence.”

  “We’ve done everything we can. Now, it’s up to God and the Fates.”

  “Fingers crossed, babe.”

  He leaned over to kiss her and all talking stopped. Looking down the table at his team and their families, staring at him, he blushed.

  The men laughed. Devon’s phone rang. Jackie. He pushed to his feet to answer it in the hall.

  “Hi, Dev.”

  “Hey, honey, how you doing?”

  “Things here are good. Great, in fact.”

  Devon frowned.

  “I called to wish you luck before the game. Wish I could be there to screw your brains out.”

  He chuckled. “So do I. When are you coming back?”

  Silence greeted him for a moment. “Not sure.”

  “What’s going on? Are you breaking up with me?”

  “I’m not, but we need to talk. But maybe not tonight.”

  His stomach clenched. “Look, Jackie, I’m not some little kid. Give it to me straight.”

  “Okay. I didn’t want to talk about this now. Don’t want to jinx your game or anything, but this is pretty hard. I mean, we’re apart more than together.”

  “I don’t like it either.”

  “Things are working out for me in L.A. I don’t plan to leave. I like you, I really do, and I don’t want to end it, but trying to be exclusive is becoming a problem.”

  “You want to screw other guys?”

  “That’s a crude way of putting it.”

  “But it’s the truth, right?”

  “I want to date. Don’t you? Aren’t you lonely?”

  “You might say that.”

  “Then, maybe we should change things between us. We don’t have to stop dating, just not be exclusive.”

  “Dating? We haven’t dated in a couple of months.”

  “I know, Dev, and I’m sorry. But these opportunities won’t come back again.”

  “I get it. So, we’re just done?”

  Silence. “Don’t put it like that. Can we see each other when I come back to New York?”

  “Maybe. Sure. Why not? I’ve got nothing else going on.”

  “Okay. Until then. I hope you find someone.”

  “Thanks, so do I.” Am I relieved or sad?

  “And good luck on the field.”

  “Yeah.” He hung up. A heaviness settled near his heart as he returned to the private dining room. One glance at his sister and anger bubbled up inside him. She was talking to Brodsky. He moved toward them, listening as he went.

  “You’re Samantha, Drake’s sister, right?”

  She nodded.

  Bull extended his hand. “I’m Sylvester Brodsky. My friends call me Sly.”

  “Sly? I thought they called you Bullhorn?”

  “Nah. Just my teammates.”

  “I like Sly better. Nice to meet you.”

  Devon jerked his chair out from the table and sank down heavily on the seat. “Bull, I told you—”

  “Free country. Besides, I’m only talking to her.”

  “What did he tell you?”

  “He told me to stay away from you.”

  Two spots of color appeared in Sam’s cheeks. Her eyes flashed. “Devon, how dare you? Keep out of my life. Stop telling me what to do and who to date. It’s none of your business. I’m twenty-eight years old. Not a baby.” She pushed back and thrust up to her feet. With one glare at her brother, she exi
ted the room.

  “Nice going, asshole,” Bullhorn muttered, as he followed her.

  People started leaving. It was eight o’clock and time to get ready to bed down for the night. Loneliness engulfed Devon. He rode up in the elevator with Stormy. Their rooms were on the same floor.

  “Jackie broke up with me.”

  “On the phone? Tonight?” Her eyes were wide.

  He nodded.

  “Crap. Dev, I’m so sorry.”

  “I’m not. Long distance sucks. Besides, I don’t think we have much in common anymore.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “She’s after fame. Not me. I love football, but when I’m not playing or practicing, I like to be at home, not at some nightclub. Jackie’s not ready to settle down.”

  “And you?”

  “Hell, I’m thirty. I’ve been thinking a lot about it. I see Griff with his kid. He seems so happy.”

  “You want kids?”

  “Yeah. I don’t think kids are in Jackie’s future. Besides, can’t be much of a mother if you’re away all the time.”

  She nodded. The way she seemed to understand, the sympathy in her eyes, drew Devon’s gaze. The bruises were gone, and her skin glowed. As he spoke, a slight flush stole into her cheeks, adding to her appeal.

  “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t hate her or anything. We had a lot of fun. But now, I’ve got to focus on football. I don’t have time for star stuff.”

  Stormy closed her fingers around his forearm and squeezed. “I’m sorry.”

  He tried to ignore the tightness in his chest. “No time to think about it. I’ve got to get my head in the game.”

  People disappeared into their rooms, bringing silence to the hallway. Devon took a hot shower and slipped between the sheets, but his mind was restless. He tossed for fifteen minutes then got up and went to the window. When he opened it, the rhythm of the crashing waves enticed him. His overlooked the beach. There was a full moon shining on the water.

  He loved the ocean. Swimming, salt water, will knock me out. He put on his bathing suit, grabbed his robe, and headed for the elevator.

  * * * *

  Stormy walked along the beach for half an hour, trying to forget what Devon had told her. Sure, he’d broken up with Jackie, but that didn’t mean he’d be interested in her. He was way out of her league, and it was about time she accepted that fact. She shook her head and sighed.