Page 33 of The C*ck Down the Block

And I was not allowing myself to think about all the other things I wanted to do to and with those lips because excusing myself to go jack-off in the bathroom so I didn’t have a hard-on in front of all my teammates and their families today was not an option.

“You’re sure you want to bring me to this for our, you know... practice? Isn’t this a just the team thing?” She tugged at the hem of the number seven jersey I’d given her to wear today. There was something so incredibly hot about seeing her wearing my name and my number that I couldn’t risk seeing her in anyone else’s jersey today.

“It’s team and family, babe. You absolutely belong here with me.” No more pussyfooting around what I said to her. Today was about taking our fake relationship to the real level. I took her hand, pulled her out of the car, and guided her to the backyard of Manniway’s sprawling estate tucked up against the foothills. That’s what sixteen seasons and two championships got you.

While I absolutely expected to not only play as long as he had, I was also going to win more bowl games. Was I cock sure about that? Yep, cockier than Luke Skycocker. But I’d keep my house tucked away in my neighborhood in Thornminster. I liked having my family surrounding me. Like a good offensive line.

Even with everything that had gone public about me dating a local girl, no one, not reporters, not photographers, not even a fan or two, had come knocking on my door or Trixie’s. My company’s security detail made sure of that.

“Are there other people who are going to see us together?” People I wanted to introduce her to. Girlfriends and wives I hoped she could make friends with. “Yeah, sure, but this isn’t public, and there won’t be anybody taking our picture and selling it to the tabloids. You can relax and have fun with me today.”

The Denver Mustangs’ pre-season barbecue before training camp started was an annual tradition hosted by Manniway for the last ten years. Because that’s when he’d married Marie and she’d made his life fucking baller. I’d heard the tales of pizza and beer before the team headed to training camp. This barbecue was a hell of a lot better.

I looked forward to this every year, because it signaled the start to a new season. It was like my New Years. I set intentions for the season, checked in with the teammates I hadn’t seen in the off season, and took one last minute to relax and refresh before my whole life became football once again.

But today’s barbecue was different. This one wasn’t about me and my team. My intentions for this year included one more particularly important factor in my life. Something that was on the verge of make it or break it.

Trixie.

This was my last shot to win her heart before the reunion. I wasn’t going to be able to spend as much time with her this week. She had work and I had to do that car commercial in L.A.

Today’s fake date was my Hail Mary play to be able to show up at the fundraiser, the dance, and her class picnic as her real boyfriend, not her fake one. No fucking way I was headed to training camp in two weeks without knowing she was my girl. Or not.

The more I thought about this whole fake relationship, the more I hated the idea. She was mine. Not in the gross ‘I own her way,’ but at a soul deep level. If this wooing her, trying to get her to fall in love with me too didn’t work... nope that wasn’t the winning attitude and I refused to let myself even think it.

I was setting the intention and making it happen. Trixie belonged with me, and I belonged with her. End of story, happy ever after.

We walked hand in hand, our fingers laced together almost naturally now. The back yard was already filled, with the grill sizzling, balls being tossed around, and a gaggle of kids were splashing in the pool. Trixie looked around with wide eyes, taking in the families, the players, and their wives and girlfriends.

“You good?” I asked.

“Yeah, just preparing myself for the inevitable questions of why you’re here with me, you know?” She smiled, her eyes meeting mine. It felt different, warmer, flirtier.

Before I could dwell on it, Johnston approached, clapping me on the back. “Chris, my man. And you must be the infamous local girl.”

Trixie’s smile widened, and she shook his hand. “Hi, yeah, that’s me, Trixie, local girl extraordinaire. Nice to meet you, Mr. Manniway. Chris speaks highly of you.”

Manniway grabbed his chest as if wounded. “Trixie, Trixie, you’re killing me. Please, Mr.? Call me Johnston or we can’t be friends. Let me introduce you to Marie.”

Manniway waved his wife over. It wasn’t like Trix didn’t know who these people were, but she’d never been introduced. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t ever done this with her before. She’d been to team events with me, but nothing this inner circle.

Marie immediately wrapped Trixie into a big bear hug. “Forgive me, I should have checked to see if you were a hugger first, I’m just so excited he brought you. Christopher, nice to see you again, I’m stealing your girlfriend a little later to introduce her to the other cowgirls. Mostly because you’ve done a shit job of telling me you even had a girlfriend and I want all the details.”

Marie’s and Manniway’s attention was immediately drawn away by some kind of hot dog emergency and that left Trixie giving me an oh-shit-what-did-you-get-me-into look. I bent down and brushed my lips over her ear and whispered, “Just tell her the truth. That we’ve been friends for years, but that I’ve had a crush on you all that time and finally got up the nerve to do something about it.”

I didn’t give her a chance to respond to that, and instead dragged her through the yard to the safety zone of Everett, Hayes, and a couple of our other teammates gathered around the giant barrel of ice filled with drinks. She wouldn’t question what I’d just admitted to her in front of them. I hoped. “Come on, let’s get a drink and you can meet some of the other guys.”

As I introduced her to my teammates and she saw that no one was going to grill us on our relationship, Trixie’s fidgeting calmed down and her regular playfulness came out again. She leaned close and whispered, “Your teammates have cute butts. Do you think they do special workouts?”

I chuckled. Was she actually flirting with me? “Are you trying to make me jealous?”

She looked over at me with wide, innocent, who-me eyes. She was fucking flirting. Hells to the yeah. I loved when a game plan came together.

“I’d love to show you the secret Mustang butt workout later.” I meant to make that sound playful, but my voice had come out a little too husky to be anything besides the invitation I truly meant.

Her cheeks flushed, and she stared up at me with a sparkle in her eyes that had me wanting this barbecue over so I could take her home right now. She swallowed and then pulled one side of her bottom lip between her teeth and smiled at me like she was imagining my ass and what she’d like to do to it.

Fuck. Time to go. Right the hell now.

---