Melody
“He gave you his number!” Lindsey is high stepping around the duplex doing jazz hands. “He wants you to call him first and talk to him about his game… This is huge! It’s unbelievable!”
“Unbelievable is right.” I don’t share her enthusiasm.
I don’t like how my insides are all shaky, like I’ve just gone through a hurricane, because he showed up on my doorstep demanding answers.
I’ve been around him before. I drove him to the airport, and having him here, standing in front of me, looking down on me with those gorgeous eyes, that silky dark hair, a curl falling over his brow like Superman, those muscles straining against his shirt…
It was the moment I’d been dreading and anticipating, the million-dollar question that jet-fueled my comeback.I have a feeling you’re still angry with me, and you’re taking it out on me on your show.
I was ready to spit nails that he’d put it that way. As if to imply he’s above reproach, and the only reason I might possibly critique his game would be because of some ridiculous beef.
He read me like a book. I was mad at him, otherwise I’d never have said those things in front of a live audience. I definitely thought them, they were all true, but if he hadn’t embarrassed and humiliated me the way he did, it would only have lived inside my mind.
How dare he be right?
At least I pulled it together enough to tell him how I really felt about his game.
“I don’t understand why you’re not more excited about this. You have a direct line to the horse’s mouth.” She leans into me, jabbing my ribs with her elbow. “And what a horse that is. I wouldn’t mind taking him for a ride, amirite?”
“Don’t be gross, Lindsey.”
“There is nothing gross about Knox Bradford. He is quite literally perfect.”
“You’ve never had him in the back of your car shouting at you.” I walk over to my desk. “That’s an experience I’ll gladly never revisit. He clearly has anger-management issues.”
“I don’t think so.” Lindsey shakes her head. “I’ve never seen any signs of it on the field, and he’s had lots of opportunities to lose his shit out there.”
“So you’re saying I bring it out in him?” I tilt my head, batting my eyes at her.
She harks a laugh, walking over to give me a hug. “If that’s true, it would absolutely be a first. I’ve never met a person who didn’t love you.”
“Thanks, bestie.” I lift my hand, giving her arm a squeeze. “I don’t believe you, but you know if I were to use that number to discuss his game play with him, I could never sleep with him. It would be the height of unprofessionalism.”
“So you’re thinking about it.”
“No.” Good thing I’m not as bad a liar as she is, or she’d see right through that bald-faced lie.How could I not be thinking about it?
“Hey, I won’t tell anybody if you do,” she teases.
Shaking my head, I place my phone face down on the desk.
“I guess he thinks he can just come over here and apologize, and that’ll be the end of our show. No more commentary. He’s off the hook.”
Lindsey leans back on the sofa, smiling excitedly. “I’m guessing he’d be wrong to think such a thing.”
“Dead wrong.” I sit in my chair, waking up my computer. “Let’s see how he does against Seattle, and we’ll take it from there. Baby steps.”
* * *
K-Brad
Any thoughts for me heading into the game?
It’s Monday afternoon,and I’m making an early dinner, which involves reheating leftovers. His words on my phone summon up all the feelings I’d experienced confronting him in person. Just like that, I’m standing on my porch in the face of all his sexy, dominating glory.
I take a few deep, calming breaths, plant my feet, and reply rationally.
