Page 93 of Fumbling for Perfection

“Don’t you have football stuff to do today?”

“This afternoon. I’m only here for the morning session and to see the runners off. I’ll have to head out soon after.”

“Thank you,” she says softly, stroking my chest with her fingers.

“You’re welcome. We figured you could use the muscle.” Dec worms his way into our tight cocoon and drapes his arms over our shoulders.

Riley smiles up at him. “You brought friends?” she asks me.

“The little runt followed me here. He’s like a rash you can’t get rid of.”

Dec snorts and lowers his head between us, bringing us into a huddle of three. “Just trying to stay out of the spotlight like Papa Bear suggested.”

“As if. You live for the spotlight.”

He looks over his shoulder and squeezes his eyes shut. “Tell me when she’s gone.”

Riley looks past him and frowns. “That’s Rebecca Smart from Channel 8. She’s super sweet and is covering the event today.”

“Yeah. Well, uh, your man here said it’s best for us to fly under the radar.”

Dec’s the last guy who wants to fly under the radar. If he’s not the center of attention, he has no problem doing or saying something foolish to get himself there. He thrives on media attention but has a way of not making it all about him. Yeah, he’s a cocky son of a bitch, but most young athletes in the limelight are.

I glance at the reporter. A little older than Dec, she’s pretty. Petite, blonde, spunky. And then it clicks.

“You little shit. You hooked up with her, didn’t you? Number one rookie rule is never hook up with the media.”

“Seriously?That’syour number one rule for rookies?” Riley snorts.

“It’s not like we list them out, but it’s up there.” I shake my head and break our huddle, keeping one hand around Riley’s waist.

“I was young and stupid.”

“You still are young and stupid.”

Dec does a quick look over his shoulder and relaxes when he sees she’s gone. “Come on, man. I was backup and got zero ball touches. Had to get my two-hand touch somewhere else. To be fair, I didn’t know she was in the media. We met at a bar. It was a mutual one-night stand. Don’t tell me you’ve never had one of those before.”

Riley clears her throat and steps away from me. “I appreciate your help today, guys. I have a ton I need to do and people I need to check in with before we open for registration.” She gives me a soft smile before spinning on her heel and taking off toward the registration area.

“Didn’t know your brothel ladies were so dignified.” Dec sniggers a laugh and jogs away from me.

“Bastard.” If I really thought he was insulting Riley, I would have chased him down and ripped his throwing arm from its socket, but it’s not her he’s poking fun of. It’s me. And I’m actually okay with it.

Joking around means I’m fitting in. And I plan on sticking around for the long haul.

After another hour of doing the “muscle” jobs, as the volunteer coordinators have dubbed them, Dec and I are welcoming the kids and signing autographs. Not what we signed up for, but when an eight-year-old girl noticed Dec, he went full speed ahead with his charm and entertained a growing group of kids.

It’s not like I could say no to fans either, so I got down to kid level and tossed a few balls around. I don’t mind the adult fans, but I’d rather spend time with the kids. They’re less judgmental and more innocent with their requests.

When the race is about to start, Rebecca Smart and her Channel 8 team take the stage off to the side of the starting line. Riley and her team stand to their right, and when I expect Smart to talk about Boston Strong, she instead calls attention to Dec and me. With an emphasis on Dec. There’s no doubt she wants a repeat of whatever happened between them back when he was a sideline backup.

Dec, however, doesn’t seem remotely interested. I’d laugh at how he tries to hide behind me, but I get it. Sort of. Not exactly.

“Thank you to star of the Boston Revolutions, quarterback Dec Anderson for being here today and signing autographs.”

I don’t hide my cough. “Star? Rook, your dick is not made of gold. What kind of promises did you fill her with?”

“The only thing I filled her with was my c—”

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