Kam
I SIT ATthe kitchen counter watching the sun rise over the Hudson River. I have an early flight to Tennessee to prepare for this weekend’s game. I’ve been putting in overtime at the gym and with my offensive coach to hone my concentration and stay in the zone. Miami is going to be a tough team to beat, but there are chinks in their armor that can work to my advantage. I just have to know when and how to use it against them during the game. Football is so much more than just brute strength and speed. For a quarterback, it’s a symphony of passes, fast footwork, lightning-quick hands, and split-second response times.
I plan to be on-point ‘cause nothing is going to take this victory away from me.
My attention settles on the signed Dan Marino football sitting proudly on the bookshelf next to the TV. It’s one of my prized possessions. Second to Laney, of course. He signed it at a benefit, and then auctioned it off for charity. I made sure I was the highest bidder. He joked afterwards that he would have signed a football for me for free. But I didn’t mind paying. Just being in the presence of one of my heroes was enough. Ironically, Miami is who we’re facing in the big game.
My life can be pretty perfect at times. Like right now. I have my health, my girl, and the career I’ve always wanted.
I reflect on all that I’ve been blessed with in the quiet moments that are short lived. I hear Laney’s heels against the hardwood floor before she appears in the kitchen. I’m already smiling.
“Morning,” she chirps as she heads straight for the coffee maker.
“Morning,” I respond, drinking in her lean form. She’s dressed in a white, button-up shirt with ruffles down the front, a skin-tight pencil skirt, and black high heels. She’s professionally hot in my opinion. And let’s be honest, my opinion is the only one that counts.
“Whatcha doin’ here all alone?” Laney sidles up beside me with her coffee cup.
“Nuthin’, just taking in the peace and quiet for a minute.” I slip my arm around her waist and suction cup a kiss to her neck.
She giggles lightly, squirming in my arm.
“Quit that. You’re gonna give me a hickey.”
“And what’s wrong with that? I’m leaving in a few hours. I need to mark what’s mine.”
“You have marked what’s yours. You proposed to me in front of half the free world. I’m locked down and everyone knows it.” She blows on her steaming coffee. The warm, fragrant smell wafting around us.
That statement makes the caveman in me bang his chest. Laney is mine. She always has been, and she always will be.
“Leaving is the worst part of my job.”
“Every job has a downside. Even when you’re a pro football player.” I get very little sympathy from her. “You’ll only be gone a few days. I fly out on Friday,” she reminds me as she sips on her coffee. Her big blue eyes holding mine over the rim of the cup. “I’m sort of looking forward to getting away.”
“If you’re looking for some R and R, I don’t think you’re going to find it in Nashville,” I break the news. “It’s going to be insanity.”
“I’m not looking for R and R; I’m looking to escape.” She chuckles.
“From? Is work stressing you out?”
“Work . . . and my mom,” she mumbles. “I never thought I’d say this, but she’s driving me crazy. Ever since brunch, she has been texting and emailing me nonstop with wedding stuff. Dresses, flowers, cakes.” Laney’s pretty eyes grow wide. “She’s momzilla of the bride.”
I can’t help but laugh. “She’s just excited.”
“I know. But it’s just so unlike her to be so . . . involved.” She bites her lip. “That sounds terrible. But I’m not sure how to feel about this new helicopter side of her.”
I, unfortunately, don’t have much advice to give on this front. “The only thing I can say is it’s a good thing we’re getting married sooner than later.” I go in for another bite on her neck.
“Kam!” Laney squeals. “You’re going to make me spill coffee all over myself!”
“That was my evil plan all along. Get you naked before I leave.”
“Not happening, All-star.” She pushes me away playfully. “I have to get to work, and you have a plane to catch.”
“There are other flights.” I draw her closer to me.
“Lucky for you. Unlucky for me there aren’t other jobs. I have a ton of work to do before I leave. I really want to impress the bosses on this downtown project. I have this redesign I want to pitch, and I’m so nervous. It’s a little out of the box for a conservative building.”
I actually understood that sentence. Usually when Laney talks about work, I’m thrown off a little. Architecture and design are incredibly detailed and technical concentrations. And although I’m not a complete dumb jock, Laney and her career can make me feel like that sometimes. I get her drive, and that’s a common enough language for me.
