I shake her hand and then sit back down. “Nice to meet you, Tiffany.”
“What are you doing in New York?”
“I have family here, and the season is over.”
“Ahh, time to relax and party.”
I’ve met women like her hundreds of times. They’re fans looking to add my name to their bedpost, and normally, I’m polite and send them on their way, but I can use the distraction right now.
“Something like that. How about you? Do you live in New York?”
I signal for the bartender to come over.
“Yes, lived here all my life. I’m meeting a client for a drink.”
“What can I get you?” asks the bartender.
“Whiskey, neat,” replies Tiffany.
“Damn, girl! You sure you can handle the heat?” I tease.
Tiffany smiles and pushes her hair off one shoulder. “Nothing like a little liquid courage to sharpen the senses.”
The bartender puts a drink in front of her, and she picks it up.
“To new friends.”
We clink glasses and sip our drinks.
A hand lands on my shoulder, and I turn to find Colt standing there. Instantly, I get off my seat and pull him in for a hug.
“I sure am glad you’re here.”
Colt looks past me to Tiffany. “You sure about that?”
“Colt, this is Tiffany… Tiffany, this is Colt.”
She slides off the bar stool and puts both her hands around Colt’s extended one.
“Well, hell, today’s my lucky day! Not one New England Warrior but two, and the quarterback, no less!”
Colt smiles at her, and I swear she melts on the spot. “Nice to meet you, Tiffany.”
He tries to extract his hand, but she hangs on.
“The pleasure is all mine,” she gushes.
Colt smiles, then looks down at his hand, she blushes, and lets him go.
“Sorry to break this up, but I need to have a sit-down with my friend here. It was nice meeting you,” says Colt to Tiffany.
“Oh! But he hasn’t finished his drink yet,” pouts Tiffany.
“He’ll live,” replies Colt as he leads me away.
Tiffany doesn’t look happy, but she rearranges herself back on the chair, and Colt drags me through the hotel to the elevators.
“What the hell was that?”
“Tiffany,” I reply with a shrug.
“More like a football bunny. You don’t do football bunnies… that’s my area.”
“No, it used to be your area. Now, you’ve got Skye, and you’re all partied out.”
“Hardly. Have you seen how much my woman can drink? And I swear she can eat more than me too. She’s already gone upstairs to check out our room.”
Colt is smiling as he talks about Skye. Until her, he was a manwhore. No nicer way to say it. He fooled around with anything in a skirt. Skye was the first woman who rejected him, and his ego couldn’t handle it, so he chased her like he’s never chased a woman before. By the time he caught her, he was hooked.
The elevator opens, and he walks to his room, opening the door. “So wanna tell me what the issue is?”
“You mean apart from me having a son I didn’t know about?”
Colt flops into a chair and nods. “Yeah, apart from that. What’s he like?”
I sit down on the couch and look at him. “Sick. He’s so small. He weighs nothing.”
“What’s his name again?”
“Dawson. Dee named him after my grandfather. All he does is sleep.”
Skye walks into the room from the bedroom. “Hey, boys.” She kisses Colt on the lips, then sits next to me on the couch.
“How are you doing, Gray?”
“I’m fine,” I automatically reply.
Skye and Colt exchange a glance, then she stands. “I’m going shopping. Can I get either of you anything?”
“I’m good.”
“Do you need money, babe? Take my credit card in my wallet in that bag.” Colt points to a bag near the door to the bedroom.”
“Pfft! As if I need you to buy things for me, Colton Anders. My word.” Skye leans down and kisses him again. “I’ll be an hour. Call me if you need anything.”
“Have you got a room key?”
Skye holds one up as she walks out.
“You got lucky with her.”
“Don’t I know it.” Colt grins at me. “You want a drink?”
“Water?”
Colt stands and opens the mini-refrigerator and throws a bottle at me. I catch it in one hand.
“Show off. Next, you’ll be wanting my position on the team.”
I shake my head and put my elbows on my knees and lean forward. “Dawson needs a kidney transplant. His odds of surviving are…” I search for the right words, then shrug as nothing comes. “He’ll die if he doesn’t get one.”
“Are you a match?”
“Did Dee tell you?”
“Dee said he was sick and that you were the only one who might be able to help him, so I figured it was something like that.”
“I’m a match.”
Colt frowns at me. “That’s a good thing, right? You can give him one of yours?”
I nod, open the bottle, and take a swig of water.
“Brother, what’s going on?”
“It’s messed up. Did you know Tyson Reed helped Dee move here? She lives in his apartment.”
“The owner of our team, Tyson Reed?”
“Yeah, the one and the very same.”
“Why would he do that?”
I shrug. It’s another thing I’ve been avoiding. “I don’t know, I haven’t asked him.”
Colt looks thoughtful. “Are you going to give Dawson one of your kidneys?”
“Yes.” Then I shake my head. “No.” I sigh. “I don’t know.”
Colt quirks an eyebrow. “What’s going on.”
Leaning back, I put one arm out over the top of the couch. “If I go through with it, I won’t be able to play football anymore. Apparently, there’s too much risk of getting hurt with only one kidney.”
Colt’s mouth drops open, and he makes a strange noise. “You won’t be able to play?”
I shake my head. “I’ve probably only got three more years in me. But I was hoping to solidify some sponsorship deals in the meantime.”
Colt nods. “I’m about the same. My shoulder kills me, now.” Subconsciously, he touches his shoulder and rubs. “You beat the average. Did you know the average life span for a football linebacker is three and a half years and quarterbacks only last three?”
“Yeah, but then you’ve got guys like Brett Favre who lasted forever. You might be like him.”
Colt shakes his head. “I’ve done well these past three years, but my body is hurting. We both know that most quarterbacks start to get down-traded at the four-year mark as our injuries catch up with us.”
Both of us are silent as we think about our career paths.
Colt clears his throat. “What are you going to do?”
“I’ve got deals in the fire, but I needed to last at least two more years.” Colt locks eyes with me. “I love the game. It’s earned me a lot of money. Not as much as you, Mr. Quarterback.”
Colt smiles. “Yeah, but you were always better with money than me.”
“And if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have gotten a Nike or Gatorade sponsorship deal.”
“You forgot Calvin Klein,” teases Colt. “Seriously, though, you always said you’d go into sports medicine and work for one of the teams.”
“I know, I just thought I had more time.”
“What does Diandra say?”
I put my hands in my lap. “I haven’t spoken to her about it.”
“Why not?”
“It’s hard to be in the same room as her. I’m angry and hurt. Worse, I’m a complete bastard to her.”
Colt frowns. “That’s not like you, brother.”
“She’s the only woman I’ve ever loved
. The way she left, it gutted me.”
Colt tilts his head to the side. “I have an idea.”
His eyes sparkle at his newfound plan. Colt’s ideas always involve women and drinking, so I groan at him and shake my head.
“No.”
“Hear me out.”
“No,” I repeat.
Colt waves a hand at me, pulls out his cell phone, and texts someone. “I have a friend in town. Lochlan MacKenny. He’s a model with one of the bigger agencies here in New York. He’s only got his hand in a lot of real estate deals. We’re going to meet up with him tonight, so bring Dee. We can make a night of it. It’ll give you a chance to escape the complexities of your situation, and you can both relax in an easy-going I’m-here-to-have-fun kind of way.”
“I don’t know.”
“When was the last time you let your hair down?”
“The night we won the Super Bowl.”
“That doesn’t count.”
Looking up at the ceiling, I shake my head. “I don’t remember.”
“Exactly! All you do is train. When was the last time you had fun?”
“I don’t think Dee will come.”
“I’ll ask her.” Colt types away on his cell phone again. “Done.”
“How do you have Dee’s number?”
“I asked her for it.”
“Right. Of course, you did.”
His phone chimes, and he smiles as he reads the text. “Lochlan is a yes, except he’ll be flying solo. That’s kinda weird for him.” Colt’s phone chimes again, and he grins as he waves the screen in my direction. “A-ha! She said yes. I’ve booked a restaurant for six, all I need to do is let them know there’s now five of us, and we’re all set.”
I look at the clock on the wall. “It’s five now.”
“Well, you better get going. I’ll text you the address.”
“Colt, I’m not so sure this is a good idea.”
“It’s a great idea. You can meet Lochlan and see if he has any connections in the modeling arena, and you can see if he has any deals going in his real estate business. He’s making a killing at the moment. Well, he says he is, so we can pump him for information.” Colt nods to himself as he stands and walks toward the bedroom.
“I guess I’ll go?”
Colt stops and looks at me. “Yep. Wear something nice. Maybe get Dee some flowers?”
I stand and shake my head. “This isn’t a date.”
“Sure it is.” He laughs. “And Gray?”
I stop and turn around. “Yes?”
“We both know you aren’t going to let Dawson die. You need to get right with it up here.” Colt taps the side of his head.
I know he’s right, but I still have plans for myself where football is concerned.
Can I really give it up and go in another direction?
But Colt is right, I can’t let my son die.
DIANDRA
I’m in my bedroom getting ready. It doesn’t leave me much time to primp and preen with only an hour to get to the restaurant. It surprised me to get the invitation from Colton. When I left Gray, I left him too. He was a lot of fun to hang out with, but he was Gray’s best friend, so I knew I couldn’t continue our friendship. It would’ve been impossible. Sitting on the end of my bed, I’m slipping on heels when there’s a knock on my door. Looking up, Tyson is there.
“Do I need to wave a white flag?” He pulls a sock out of his pocket and waves it in front of himself.
Laughing, I wave a hand at him. “I hope that’s clean.”
He sniffs it and chokes. “Yep.” He coughs a couple of times and puts it back in his pocket. “You look nice. Are you going out?”
Tyson comes and sits next to me on the bed.
“Colton Anders is in town with his girlfriend, and they’ve invited me to dinner.”
Tyson raises his eyebrows. “Okay. Same girlfriend he has in Boston?”
Understanding his meaning, I nod. “Yes. He’s changed a lot, hasn’t he?”
“I’ll say. I’ve been waiting for the lawsuits with that one. So many women. I’m surprised he doesn’t have paternity suits piled up to his ears.” Tyson closes his eyes and shakes his head. “Sorry, that was thoughtless. Sometimes I forget.”
Patting his leg, I stand and walk over to my dressing table and put on a pair of earrings. “It’s fine, I knew you didn’t mean anything by it.” I stare at him in the mirror. “I’ve known Colt a long time, and I remember what he was like.”
“Dr. Otto told me the good news.”
Turning around, I smile at him. “It is good news.”
“You look happy. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that smile, and it’s good that you’re going out. Although, I did notice you put Minerva in charge of Dawson. You could’ve asked me. I would have stayed with him.”
“Minerva is family.” Tyson’s face falls, and I shake my head. “Sorry, that’s not what I meant.”
Tyson stands and walks toward the door. “It’s fine. Have an enjoyable night, you deserve it.”
I jog to catch up with him in the hallway, grabbing him by the arm. “Tyson, please don’t be upset. I simply meant she’s his grandmother. You are family, you’re Dawson’s godfather, and he loves you. I love you.”
“But you’re not in love with me, are you?” He reaches up to touch my face, and his expression looks pained.
“No. You know I’d do anything for you. But I think of you as a brother, not that way.”
Tyson nods and smiles down at me. “Yeah. You’re still hung up on Grayson, aren’t you?”
I shake my head. “I thought I was. But he’s not the man I fell in love with. Something is missing in his personality now. Gray was never cold or distant. I don’t think he’s spent any time alone with Dawson. He’s just here because he thinks he has to be. Gray is doing what he believes is right. Now that he knows Dawson is his, he’s only fulfilling his fatherly duties.”
“I’ve seen the way he stares at you. The man still has feelings for you.”
I purse my lips together and shake my head. “We can agree to disagree on that one.”
“Do you need a lift?”
“Yes, please. I’m going to be a bit late.”
I run back into my room, pick up my clutch, and jog back to him. “How do I look?”
“Stunning, as always.”
Tyson walks out into the foyer and holds out his arm. I giggle, link my arm with his, and we go down in the elevator to the garage.
GRAYSON
Like a peeping tom, I listened to Diandra and Tyson Reed outside my bedroom door. Part of me believed they were a couple, but after that exchange, I know they aren’t. I wait until I hear the elevator descend before leaving my room. She’s not in love with him, but he’s my son’s godfather. Something else I didn’t know.
I pull my cell phone out of my pocket and dial Colt. He answers on the third ring.
“Where are you? Still doing your hair?”
“You know you think you’re funny, but you are not, and my hair is perfect,” I quip. Colton barks out a laugh. “I’m going to be a little late. And I noticed the restaurant is the one in your hotel. You could’ve told me.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise.” Laughs Colt.
“I could have just stayed there and walked downstairs.”
“Yeah, you could have, but I wanted you to look nice for Diandra.”
“The Diandra who doesn’t know I’m coming tonight… that Diandra?”
Colt goes quiet.
“Colt?”
“She wouldn’t have come if she’d known you were. This is my way of trying to fix things. Get your ass over here.” He hangs up, and I shake my head at my cell phone. So like him to try to make things better for me.
The elevator comes back up, and I get in and go down to the lobby. Fred, the doorman, is there.
“Hello, Fred.”
“Hello, Mr. Moore. How are things?”
“Good, Fred. Do you think you could hail
me a cab?”
“Sure can. Where are you off to?”
“The Langham Hotel.”
“You leaving us?”
I shake my head. “No, I’m going there for dinner with friends. Colton Anders.”
“You two are always as thick as thieves in the tabloids. Are any more of your teammates going to be there?”
“No. Just us.”
“Well, you have a good night.”
Fred walks out onto the sidewalk with me following him. He hails the cab and lets the cabbie know where we’re going. I wave him goodnight, and thankfully, the cab driver gets me there with minimal conversation.
If I weren’t strapped for time, I’d have walked. It should take about fifty minutes to walk there but only twelve minutes by cab. Well, depending on traffic. Thankfully, the cabbie gets me to the hotel at six seventeen. I pay him and jog inside. The restaurant is on the second floor.
As I walk in, Dee is sitting next to Skye, and on her other side must be Lochlan MacKenny. He has his arm on the back of Dee’s chair, and he’s leaning in as he talks to the ladies. Colt looks a little uncomfortable, and his demeanor worsens when his eyes land on me.
I approach the table, and Dee glances up and then does a double-take as I stand in front of them all. Colt immediately stands and holds out his hand.
“Gray! So good to see you.”
I shake his hand and smile. It obvious he still hasn’t told Dee I’m joining them.
“Hey, Colt, Skye, imagine you two being here?” I fake a smile and raise my eyebrows at Dee.
“Please, join us,” gushes Skye.
“Don’t mind if I do.” I sit opposite Dee.
“Hello, I’m Lochlan, and this is Dee.”
I shake his hand and laugh. “Hey, Lochlan, and yes, I know Dee, she’s the mother of my child.”
Lochlan’s smile falters, and he looks directly at Colt. “Right. Sorry, shall we trade places?”
Dee reaches out and touches Lochlan’s upper arm. “It was a long time ago. We aren’t together anymore.”
Lochlan lets go of my hand and smiles at her. “Good to know.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Dee, it wasn’t that long ago,” interjects Colt.
Dee looks shocked for a moment, then regains her composure. “Well, the point is we aren’t together anymore.” She looks at me. “Are we, Gray?”
Tackling Life: A Sports Romance (Tackling Romance Series Book 2) Page 10