by Maya Hughes
“You sneak!” Jess gave him a smack on the butt as he went to order his own sundae and pay for them both. It was moments like these that made Aedan’s heart soar. Playful, honest and just enough sexiness to get his blood pumping. Who was he kidding? Jess always got him going. He just hoped he got her going, too, and that it would be enough once he told her the truth. He would tell her tonight, he had no other choice.
But the perfect time for his reveal didn’t present itself. After they got back to Jess’s apartment, a night spent mainly watching some TV and cuddling on the couch followed, with the exception of some light petting. She was wiped from the stress of meeting his family and had a little work to complete that night, so Aedan left her to it and went back to his hotel.
He couldn’t help wishing he was lying next to her, twirling one of her curls around his finger, as she rested comfortably on his chest. That’s how he should go to sleep every night, he thought as he drifted off to sleep.
17
The only thing less welcome than the 6 a.m. knock on Aedan’s door was the person on the other side of it.
“James, what the hell are you doing here?” Aedan demanded, wiping the sleep out of his eyes.
“I’m here to fix your mess,” James groused.
“What mess?”
“I’ll tell you once we’re inside. Aren’t you going to let me in?” James grumbled.
“Why don’t you come on in?” Aedan stepped out of the doorway, held open the door and motioned James into his suite. There was no use in trying to keep him out; he would only bully the poor front desk clerks into giving him the key. Aedan’s hulking security guard, Stephen, stood behind James. Outside the soccer season and, especially when traveling to America, Aedan didn’t really need security. Aedan gave James some well-deserved time off while he was going to be in the US. The fact that he was here now didn’t bode well for the two weeks he was supposed to have left in the States.
“I take it you’re here for a reason, other to badger me about coming back early.” Aedan plopped down in the armchair in the living room.
“Yes, although after I tell you what I have to say, you may think coming back early is the best course of action. It seems that Kate was a lot more determined to stay with you than we thought. And unfortunately, the DC United pictures were put in a few press releases earlier than expected.”
Aedan started to speak, but James held up his hand to stop his tirade.
“Yes, I know what you said about them not coming out until you got back to the UK, but they did it without my say so. This led a couple of paparazzi to wonder what you were doing here in DC. The press release talked about you training with them while you were in town. It piqued the curiosity of a few of them so they put out word looking for more pictures of you around town, thinking maybe there was a trade story or something else in the works.”
“I haven’t been out on a bender since I’ve been here. I’ve been keeping a pretty low profile.”
“Low, but not low enough. There were some pictures taken of you out with some girl not too long ago. Those pics made it to the press, who then started asking questions. Asking questions about who this person was, why she was with you and whether or not you were still with Kate. Kate decided that being broken up from you wouldn’t help her chance at the WaGs show and decided to go on the offensive and tell everyone that you’re still together.”
“She what?” Aedan shot forward in his seat grabbing hold of his head. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I spoke to her last week. I told her not to pull something like this.” Thinking back to his early morning phone call with Kate, Aedan wished he had been more direct that this wasn’t a temporary break—that they were broken up and she couldn’t use his name in the press anymore.
“I wish I was. She’s decided that playing the victim will win her some sympathy that might translate into bigger things for her. So, there’s going to be a contingent of paparazzi descending on this place any minute now.”
“What a conniving little bitch. I should have never gone near her.”
“She did serve a purpose at the time,” James said, trying to placate Aedan.
“And what purpose was that?” Aedan growled.
“She kept you in the spotlight, was some nice arm candy for the award show circuit, and looked great cheering you on from the stands.”
“Well sometimes you need more than that; a lot more. It’s too early for this crap. I need some coffee. You two want some?” Aedan asked pointing between James and Steven.
“I’ll have a double espresso.”
“Seriously? You’ll get a coffee just like the rest of us.”
“Steven?”
“Nothing for me, sir.” He stood with his hands clasped in front of him, feet shoulder-width apart.
“I told you to cut it with that ‘sir’ shite ages ago Steven.”
“Whatever you say, sir,”
Aedan rolled his eyes, picked up the hotel phone and called in a room service order for a large pot of coffee.
Aedan and James spent the next couple of hours going through all the emails from various press outlets asking for comments. They also moved Aedan to a higher, more secure floor. Now that people knew he was there, it was only a matter of time before someone tried to get to him.
The media outlets had pictures from the BrazilFest. Aedan should have known going was a bad idea because the odds of being spotted definitely increased being around Brazilians. After shutting Brazil out in the last friendly with England, there was no question in his mind that they would remember his face. But Jess had been so excited to see some capoeira and to introduce him to her friends that he hadn’t wanted to let her down. Now things were an absolute mess. And the Kate situation wasn’t helping things.
“Shit. Jess,” Aedan said remembering their earlier plans. “She’s on her way now. We’re supposed to go out for breakfast.”
“I’m on it,” ever a man of few words, Steven headed down to the lobby.
“Thanks Steven, I owe you.”
“Just doing my job, sir.” The door closed behind him and Aedan had a feeling that this was not going to be the relaxing day he and Jess had been looking forward to.
“Who is this girl, Aedan?” James demanded, rounding on Aedan.
“She's a great person, who is not going to be ready for the shit show that is about to descend on her,” Aedan said shaking his head.
“Why didn't you tell me about her? What's her background? Where is she from?” James pushed.
“I didn't tell you about her because I knew you would react like this. Her background and where she's from aren't things you need to worry about. I should have gone down there and gotten her,” Aedan said as he began pacing.
“No, you shouldn't have gone down there. It will be a mob scene and you being there will be like sharks smelling blood in the water. The fact that you've even thought of it makes me question what this girl has done to you.”
“She's not a girl, she's a woman and all she's done is given me something real after all this fake shite I've been dealing with. You need to go before she gets back.”
“I don’t think I should go. I can help explain things to her, there are a few documents I’ll need her to sign—” Aedan interrupted before James could utter another word.
“There are no documents for her to sign. Under no uncertain terms are you to give her an NDA and you will not explain anything to her. I’m the one that needs to explain. James, you need to leave now.”
James continued trying to convince him, but he had his eyes fixed on the door. He stood up, finally sick of his crap, and pushed James out of his room, pushing the door closed behind him. Once James was out of the room, Aedan began pacing again, thinking of the shit storm he’d just brought into Jess’s life.
18
“Jessica! Jessica!” Jess’s head whipped around at the sea of people outside of the doors of the hotel. She thought there was a crowd there for a reason, and it seems that reason had something
to do with her, since they knew her name. Flashes and cameras were coming at her from all angles. She tried to back up, but the crowd had her completely surrounded.
“How does it feel to have broken up football’s royal couple?”
“How long have you been sleeping with Aedan?” “Are you moving to Chelsea?” “How did you meet?”
Before she could even comprehend what was going on, a hulking man that looked like he was half American football player and half special forces pushed his way through the crowd.
“Ms. Stewart, I’m Steven. Please come with me, Mr. McConnell sent me.”
The crush of the crowd became unbearable and the Goliath became her best option of escape. Jess gave him a quick nod and he wrapped his arm around her and pushed their way through the crowd. People were grabbing onto her and it was really freaking her out. They finally made their way to the door of the hotel and practically burst through the doors with the crush of the crowd behind them.
The lobby of the hotel seemed to have been completely cleared. There wasn’t a soul in sight except for the staff behind the front desk. Her escort headed toward the elevators and the doors opened immediately.
Goliath inserted a key card and pressed one of four buttons in the elevator.
Of course, because this wasn’t already weird enough.
The ride up to the room was silent as Jess tried to process what the hell just happened.
Why so many questions about her and Aedan? Broke up what couple? Was Aedan involved with someone else? Why was he in a different room?
Her thoughts were interrupted as they reached their destination. Just as they approached the doors, a man of average height with salt-and-pepper hair came storming out of the room at the far end of the hallway, brushing past Jess and made his way to the elevator. Following the colossus to the door the other man had just left, Jess took a deep breath as he slid the key card into the set of double doors. The doors opened into the room.
Aedan was staring out the living area window, running his hands through his hair. He turned toward her as she entered and it was obvious to her that something was wrong. Her heart raced. She was used to Aedan looking at her with such affection in his eyes, but right now all she was anxiety and sadness.
“Jess.” When he spoke her name, the spell that had frozen her was suddenly broken.
“What the hell is going on? Why are all those people outside with cameras, calling my name and asking me crazy things?”
Aedan crossed the elegant suite to stand in front of her, then took her hands in his and led her to the couch.
“I had hoped I would have been able to protect you from all of this. I meant to tell you earlier.”
“Tell me what?”
“At first I thought you knew who I was, but were just playing it cool, but then I realized you really didn’t know.”
“Protect me from what? Who the hell are you, then? What am I missing?” she said getting antsier by the minute. It seemed like this was probably not going to end the way she wanted.
“I’m a professional football … err … soccer player.”
“OK, we have soccer players here, but they can usually go out without that kind of mob scene. I feel like there’s more to this.” Kicking herself for not Googling him before, Jess was starting to get really worried.
“It’s awkward to say this kind of thing about myself, but ... well I’m kind of a bid deal in the football world.”
“What do you mean ‘a big deal?’” Jess asked. The uneasiness in her stomach grew with each passing moment.
“As in, I’m the captain of the Chelsea Football Club in the English Premier League, and we’re favorites to win the Premier League Championship this season.”
“I take it all of this is supposed to mean something to me and is a really big deal?”
Aedan gave her an uneasy shrug. “A lot of people would say it is a big deal.”
“So, you’re not a struggling soccer player?”
“No, I’m not. My last signing bonus was about £10,000,000.”
“Oh crap, I think I need to sit down,” Jess plopped down on the couch. Aedan moved closer to sit on the coffee table in front of the couch. He grabbed both her hands and brought them to his lips. He kissed them as he spoke, “I thought it would take longer for people to recognize me. But with news of a trade on my team and working out with the DC team, things got a bit crazy and it seems the press wanted to know what I was doing in the States. I didn’t know it would happen so quickly, I thought I would have more time to let you know who I was and what that might mean to your life.”
It suddenly dawned on her, “the circus downstairs. They knew my name. How did they know my name? They said I broke up football’s royal couple,” she pulled her hands out of his and leaned back, “are you in a relationship with someone?”
“No, not at all. I would have never started up with you if I was seeing someone else.”
“Then why did they say that?”
“I was seeing someone. We were together for a while,” tensing, Jess started to get up, Aedan captured her hands before she could, and took her chin gently in hand so that he could look her in the eyes. “But I broke it off before coming to the States.”
“So why did they say I broke you up?”
“Well I hadn’t really made it publically known that we broke up, but I decided that we shouldn’t see each other anymore and told her privately. It wasn’t like I wanted to send out a press release about it. Now she’s trying to say that I never broke up with her.” Jess’s eyes snapped to his, filled with suspicion.
“What do you mean she’s saying you never broke up?” Doubts were creeping into Jess’s mind. What if they hadn’t broken up? Her hands started the sweat as flashbacks from college began to race through her mind.
“I sent her a text; she seemed fine with it. Now there’s a chance that the fact that we’re broken up might mean that she doesn’t get a role she’s been wanting for a while. She’s playing the victim to try to get some sympathy and the spot on a reality TV show.”
“Well why don’t you just tell the press the truth?”
“It’s not that easy Jess. It’s “he said, she said,” and pushing this into the press can end up making this a bigger story.”
“Right now, everyone thinks I’m some home-wrecking, man-stealer.”
“I will find a way to clear this up, I promise you. I’ll talk to Kate and figure out where her head is right now. I didn’t think this would turn into such a circus. The DC team shots were only supposed to be used for promotion of their new season after I was already gone. And I didn’t think it would have people searching the city for me.”
“How did they find out about me? Have they been following us?”
“I don’t think they’ve been tracking us, per se, but I think they made it known that if people got pics of me out somewhere, that the press would make it worth their while. When we went to the BrazilFest there were people there that recognized me.”
“Is that why you were hesitant to go?”
He nodded. “A little, I knew there was a greater chance of me being recognized if we were surrounded by international soccer fans.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me? If you had been honest with me from the beginning, this would have never happened. We didn’t have to go or I didn’t have to go with you.”
“I know, trust me, I know. But I knew how much you wanted to go and I wanted to meet your friends. I knew it meant a lot to you.” Jess swooned a bit at that.
“I was a complete idiot. I was worried how you would react when you found out and was putting it off for as long as I could. I liked being just Aedan with you, but in doing that, I ended up having this all come out in what is probably the worst possible way.”
“I liked being with just Aedan as well. Did you think it would change how I felt about you if you told me who you really were?”
“Truthfully?”
“Yes, please, at this point I think we ne
ed as much truth as possible. The whole truth, always.”
“I did.” Jess’s heart sunk and sat back pulling her hands from his. Maybe the connection she thought she felt was all just make believe.
“I’m glad you had so much faith in me Aedan.” Reaching out to her Aedan held her hands in his hands.
“Jess, please understand. I’ve been Aedan, the footballer, pretty much as far back as I can remember. I started in the junior leagues when I was thirteen. But I’ve been getting attention as a football player since I started kicking my first ball.
It’s always changed things—always. If people didn’t recognize me in the beginning, once they heard my name or learned more about me, that was it. Was it wrong to assume that it would be the same with you? Yes, but please understand it wasn’t because of anything you’ve done. Not at all.”
Taking her hands, he held them to the side of his face and closed his eyes. Aedan opened his eyes and his expression almost melted her.
“Jess, I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I really care about you. I’m so sorry—have I said that already? I kept thinking I could put off the impossible and try to be a regular person. And now it’s ended up biting not only me in the ass, but you too.”
“Aedan, I care about you too. I’ve never felt like this before either. I’m scared,” she said truthfully and her voice wobbled. “I’m not used to all of this attention.”
“I know. We’ll work together and sort this out.” He pulled her against his chest and tucked her head under his chin. “We’ll figure it out together.” Jess suddenly jerked in his arms.
“Oh god, what is work going to think? This is going to be so bad. Are they publishing things online? In print?” Jess held her head, running her fingers through her hair and causing it to stick up at odd angles.
“I don’t know yet. I’ll get James on it and get him to do all of the damage control he can.” Smoothing out her hair, he brought her back into the circle of his arms. She peered up at him.
