Page 7 of Falling for the Quarterback
Chapter Four
JJ
Shedoesn’tcall.Iwait next to my phone the entire night, having the device practically glued to me so I won’t miss her. It drives me crazy, the wait. I should’ve said something like I’d call her, so I wouldn’t have to wait until she finally puts me out of my misery. What is it with this woman, anyhow?
I let my dog out, just as my phone rings. My hopes momentarily skyrocket, only to drop as the team’s PR manager’s name flashes across the screen. I don’t answer, I already know what the call’s about anyhow. Blowing out a long breath, I head around the front of the house to see if anything needs watering. It’s basically all on timers, but I still busy myself with checking. I was raised to hover over the garden, but not to water too much. The words my mother practically lived by when I was growing up, and we relied on the food we grew more than we do now. My house is surrounded by garden beds, even though they sometimes suffer from my hectic schedule. Thankfully, I also have a yard guy who checks on everything when I’m traveling with the team or my schedule has me too busy to be out here as much as I want.
A shiny, sporty sedan pulls to the front, just as I make it around the house. Of course, it’s the team’s PR manager, and now I look like a giant douche for directing the call to voicemail.
“Hey, QB. You ignoring my calls now?” She asks, a grin curlingher lips.
“Parker, hello. Thanks for stopping by. I’d have prepared, but had no idea you were literally in front of my house before it happened.” She’s known for showing up on people out of the blue, so I should’ve suspected, rather than expecting her to catch me in the practice facility.
“Hm, maybe answer your phone next time?”
I huff, crossing my arms. “I doubt you came by to charm me, so what’s this about?” I have a feeling I already know, but I’m hoping it’s about something else.
“I saw a really interesting piece this morning, when not only one article, but multiple came out about howyouhelped a Texas woman escape a would-be kidnapping and trafficking case. I’m just wondering why I wasn’t the first person you called when this happened.”
Dropping the hose, I sigh. My hand goes to my forehead, my palm running over it to eventually move to the back of my neck and squeeze. “It certainly wasn’t planned. It was an accident.”
“An accident? Care to elaborate?”
“I met this woman,” I begin, and her brows skyrocket. Her eyes gleam with my admission, considering it’s rare for the public to hear about me being seen with a woman outside of the occasional date for mandatory events. “It’s not like that. I mean, not yet.”
“But you want it to be,” she rationalizes out loud.
I carry on, not acknowledging her comment, whether it’s true or not. I’ve learned in these situations not saying anything at all is usually for the best. “I saw her leaving the store, and her car had been compromised. I stepped in to stop her from becoming a victim.”
“You sound like you’re an FBI agent, not a quarterback. The local police are positively smitten with you, according to the interviews and the articles conducted, so good jobthere. I just wish you’d have come to me first so we could’ve used it to highlight the team. You know, brainstorm the best angles.”
Shaking my head, I glance around, looking for my dog. He must be running around out back still. He’s usually good about handling his business, then coming to find me, but apparently, even he doesn’t want to deal with PR. “You know that’s not the type of guy I am. I’d rather no one know.”
“And, that’s the problem, QB. The world loves you, and they’d adore you even more if they knew that you’re genuineandkind-hearted. Take this occasion, for example, you just became America’s heartthrob hero. One who not only respects women but also protects them. Do you have any idea what this image could do for your future contracts? You’ll make the team so muchmoremoney because women are in love with you.”
I groan. “No. They’re not in love with me, just the image they see on television. It’s not real.”
“More than that, they’ll be flocking to the stands in hopes of seeing you in person, too. Increased ticket sales because of you alone are huge for the dynasty. You already know this, and I shouldn’t even be mentioning it.”
I turn away from her again, not having any of this make-believe story she’s no doubt cooking up in her mind to generate more income for the team. I refuse to allow someone’s scary situation to become a profitable moment for me or anyone else if I can help it. This is exactly why I don’t typically date. The vultures are everywhere when you’re a professional football player, even if it’s someone connected to you.
“Who is this woman, anyhow? I should meet her. We could have her come into the offices and do a few photo ops. Maybe get the owner in to meet her and reassure her that any of his players would do the same for a woman in need. God, this could be so good. Huge.”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, Parker, but I don’t know who the woman is. Besides, I would never put her in that position. The only thing the team should be doing is looking into spreading awareness about kidnapping and trafficking. Maybe shine a light on some charities that help these people.”
“I love that too! We can do it all.”
“Nope. Like I said, I don’t know who she is.”
“I’ll contact the station.” She promises, like she’s doing me a favor or something. I’d be worried if I thought she could get any info out of the local police department, but it’ll be a dead end. They’ll want to protect everyone involved, I’m sure. I would hope, anyway. “If she contacts you, or anything else happens, be sure to call me. I need to spin this,” she claims, opening her car door. “Great job, by the way. Keep saving damsels-in-distress, you’re a goldmine, QB.”
A growl rumbles in my chest as she drives away, and my dog finally decides to make his presence known. “Too late to bark now, she’s already leaving.”
He barks anyway.
Damn. What am I going to do? I value my privacy, as I’ve discovered it’s difficult to have any in this profession. I know if they find out who the woman attacked was, they’ll turn it into a nightmare, and I still haven’t had the chance to take her out. Who knows if she’ll even speak to me when she catches wind of all this.
My phone ringing again, stirs me from my thoughts. This time, it’s my closest friend and fellow teammate, Dawson.
