Page 15 of Making the Call
Luke
I wantto rip my hair out by the stupidity of some of my players. Yes, they’re rich. Yes, they’re famous. They should know better than to make spectacles of themselves in the eyes of the public. If they think they can have a weekend adventure that ends in a quickie trip to Vegas, with an impromptu marriage and the world won’t know about it, they deserve every ounce of pressure the press puts on them.
Thank God for Tanya, the head of the Rainier Renegades’ PR. She’s already ahead of the story and found the dipshit who decided this week was the time to spring an elopement with his girlfriend into the mix was a fabulous idea. It wouldn’t have been a big deal. Except he happened to be drunk off his ass and now thinks heregretshis decision. Don’t you think you should know these thingsbeforegetting married? Campbell Beck has been around this game long enough to know better.
According to Tanya, Beck’s new wife, Hillary, appears to be the epitome of a Jersey Chaser and is in their relationship for her fifteen minutes of fame. Her first post on social media this evening after tying the knot was a picture of the two of them in a rather precarious position, which left little to the imagination of what they were up to. The caption read, “Look who’s officially off the market.” The next photo was of a wedding ring.
Regretfully, this situation forced me to leave Dani, so I could get to a computer where I have access to social media. I refuse to have it on my phone, since it would light up like the Fourth of July, on a minute-by-minute basis. By the time I’m brought up to speed and give my two cents for what should happen from the team’s standpoint, forty minutes have passed. I’ll meet with Beck, his agent, and lawyer first thing Monday morning, when we return from our scheduled break. I can’t believe the shit show Beck’s created. If he weren’t one of my star players and a man I genuinely respect, I’d call him right now and rip him a new one.
For now, as I hang up the phone, all I can do is shake my head in disbelief. Closing down my computer, I take a moment to put things into perspective. I can’t imagine getting so involved with a woman that I’d run off to Vegas and wind up married before the night’s through. Beck usually has a good head on his shoulders, and his sponsors for endorsements are typically wholesome.What the hell was he thinking?
Hopefully, by the time we meet, he’ll have his shit together, and I won’t have to pull his head out of his ass for him. We have a season to win, and distractions aren’t something we can afford. The Rainier Renegades have tremendous talent. I hope to bring us another record-breaking season.
I make my way out to the living room and find it’s now dark. The sun’s completely set, and I wonder where Dani might be. Christ. I hope she hasn’t taken it upon herself to walk home. There isn’t much traffic on the island, but the thought of her walking home alone in the dark puts me on edge. I need to find her and make sure she’s safe.
I frantically walk to the kitchen, flip on the lights, and look for my keys I’d placed on the counter. I swipe them up in a split second and turn to leave out the back door. Just as I’m walking out, I sense movement from the couch, stopping me in my tracks.
I slowly turn to face whatever caught my attention. My senses are on overload and my nerves frazzled. A mixture of emotions hit me at once. My stomach drops as my heart races. I’m stuck in place, yet I’m drawn in that direction. I take in a deep breath and slowly release it, as relief washes over me. I can’t believe the sight before my eyes.
There, nestled on my couch, is the sexiest woman I’ve ever laid my eyes on. She’s absolutely adorable lying there fast asleep, curled into the cushions, completely content. The notebook she’s holding teeters on the edge of falling off the couch as she sleeps soundly, unaware of my presence.
I walk to the couch and pick up the notebook. Glancing down, it’s obvious she’s made use of her time while I was on the phone. She’s further into plotting her story and now has possible names and events she wants to incorporate into her new book. I can’t help but be impressed by her process.
Not wanting to completely invade her privacy, I place the notebook on the coffee table and turn to look at Dani. She’s so peaceful and from the looks of it, in need of some rest. The bandages on her elbows and knees remind me of the events from this morning. Not only that, but she worked for quite a while on her latest book as well. She must be exhausted to have fallen asleep so soundly.
Should I wake her? Or let her sleep? There’s a blanket draped on the corner of the couch I could cover her with. I reach to get it but stop myself.How the fuck did you get yourself into this mess, Leighton?And why are you so indecisive? You make a thousand decisions every day, why the hell can’t you make this one? Stress from my earlier conversation with Tanya comes pouring out. As I look at Dani once more, I realize this is nowhere near a fucking mess. It’s simply a beautiful woman sleeping on my couch.
Somehow, Dani’s presence alone calms me. Without another second of hesitation, I reach over and cover her with a blanket. Maybe she’ll wake up from the movement? Nope. She hunkers down and snuggles further into the couch, with the cutest little sigh I’ve ever heard. I can’t help the audible breath that releases from me at the same time.
I walk to my kitchen and hesitate. What the hell should I do now? I can’t sit in the same room and watch her like a creeper, but I don’t want to leave her alone either. An idea pops into my head with the perfect solution as I quickly retreat to my office.
I pull out my laptop, grab a notebook, and return to the living room, to watch game footage, on mute. I’d been meaning to work on this today but got distracted by my Mustang… And let’s face it. Dani might’ve had something to do with it. I bring everything to the living room and make myself comfortable on the other side of the sectional.
It takes a few minutes to get settled. Dani’s sunken deeper into the couch in my absence. As she takes a deep breath and releases it in a breathy sigh, I can’t help but smile.IfI had time for dating, she’d be the exact girl I’d choose. She’s smart, sexy, and easy to hang out with. She doesn’t have any pretenses, and I’ll admit, it’s a perk she doesn’t have a clue as to who I am, other than just being Luke. God… it’s refreshing to meet someone who just wants to get to know me, for me. When’s the last time someone wanted to get to know me, without wanting something from my career? Hell. I can’t even remember.
When she moves her hand to curl the blanket under her chin, I force myself to look away and get to work. She’s beautiful, but I’ve creeped long enough, and I don’t want to give her the wrong impression, should she wake up.
Before I know it, I’ve managed to watch an entire game—with no commercials. As I watch, I’m impressed by some of our plays. I manage to come up with a few new ones for our offensive line in our upcoming game against Carolina. I take note that our defensive ends left a gap between themselves and our corner back a few times, causing their fullback to break through our line. This can’t happen again. I’ll address this before we play them again.
I’m deep into the footage when I hear, “Ohmigod. What the hell’s wrong with me?” burst out of Dani as she bolts off the couch, scaring the shit out of me. My heart races and instantly, I jump into action.
“What’s wrong?” I dump my laptop on the couch as I stand to assist her. “What do you need?” The words fly out of my mouth before she can turn to look at me.
She freezes, mid-rant, her back to me. I swear I hear, “Fuck. This cannot be happening…” My instinct is to reach out and console her, but before I can move, Dani whispers, “Please tell me he’s not standing right behind me.”
“Who don’t you want it to be?” I ask, unsure of what to do.
Dani lets out a strong huff. Slowly, she turns to face me. Her face flushed, and a cringe stretches across her features, as if she couldn’t be more mortified. Her eyes flit everywhere but at me. What the hell is wrong with her?
“Dani? Are you okay?” Still no eye contact. “Dani?” I ask again to get her attention on me.
“I’m the worstfuckinghouse guest… Ever. I fall asleep, then freak the fuck out when I wake up. I swear, things like this only happen in the books I write, not real life. I need to get out more, if this is how I behave when it finally happens. Or… Maybe it’s best I just stay a hermit and stuck in my books. I’m not fit for company… I certainly don’t have the social graces to even stay awake…” She looks to my couch, as if it’s the scene of her apparent crime, and sighs. Then her eyes bore into me as she juts out her chin with resolve. “It’s not my fault. Really. You have the most comfortable couch I’ve ever been on, and I entirely blameit,for making me fall asleep.”
“If you say so…” comes out as a strangled laugh. I know I shouldn’t make fun of her, so I attempt to contain it to a smile. She’s adorable as she rants. Her wild curly hair flops, and her ocean-blue eyes darken. I’m fairly certain, this outburst is more from embarrassment than her actual personality.
“Ohmigod… You… You…” she mutters as I take a step toward her.
“Dani…” I plead to calm her down. She has nothing to be this upset over.
