Page 18 of The Long Game

Lexi:I wish you were here.

Tucker:Wish I was there with you.

Tucker: Don’t have too much fun. You need to ace this one, remember? Back to business young lady.

Lexi: So bossy. In the bedroom and out.

Tucker: Fuck. You're killing me.

Lexi: I’m sorry.

Lexi:Come out. I need to see you.

Tucker:Please let me fly out to see you. I’m dying over here. Fuck it. I’m in love with you, do you hear me? I’m in love with you.

One-Fucking-Year Later…

Tucker

We’re in the playoffs again! I feel blessed to have gotten to stay with the same team that got me to the Super Bowl last time. I wasn’t traded even though there were a lot of teams willing to give Seattle some incredible players to get me.

This is a surreal moment. I’m on my way to my second Super Bowl one year after winning my first, even after our QB retiring. We have three more games to win against some outstanding teams before we’re home free but it’s within sight.

I wasn’t expecting us to win this game tonight; New Orleans was tough. We’ve put in so much work as a team but I can’t deny that the other team could have won just as easily. They had a bad night. Sometimes, that’s just the luck of it.

Luca reached out last week to let me know he was coming out to watch the playoff game.

His franchise had lost their game two weeks ago and were out of the championship running. He was disappointed, but with Brielle finally conceiving after years of trying, he was happy to be able to be by her side now that she was well into her third trimester.

After the win tonight, the guys all shower and head down to the after party set up for us at a bar not far from where we’re staying. Luca had texted earlier to let me know that he and Brielle would meet me at the bar. Tom and Sheila had been in town and waited for me to emerge from the team lockers to give me a hug and congratulate me before getting back on a plane and heading home.

I texted Lexi a few days ago. After only exchanging texts all last year for birthdays and holidays, I had a moment of weakness, which she quickly squashed.

Tucker: I have a day off before our playoff game. I’m booking a ticket to come see you.

Lexi: No, don’t.

Tucker: I miss you, Lex.

Lexi: Just wait okay?

Tucker: How much longer?

No response. Ghosted again…

This love shit is exhausting. My original plan in high school to never have a girlfriend has started making sense. Maybe I was smart beyond my years.

I just walked up the bar to order a beer when a gorgeous blonde who had asked me to sign her shoulder earlier today at a meet and greet walks up.

"Hi again." She smiles.

"Hey." I smile back.

"You played a great game out there."

"Thanks. The team played well."

"Can I buy you a beer?" she asks, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

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