by S. J. Bishop
He reached out and grabbed my hand in his, giving it a squeeze. “But if you let me, Sarah, I want to try anyway. Can I take you out tonight? Wherever you want to go? We can start over and put this whole comedy of errors behind us. ”
Warmth began to build within me, joy spreading like a sunrise through my chest. His eyes, so brilliantly blue, gazed intently into mine - as if the world hung on my answer. I realized that last night wasn’t a fluke. To Burke, I wasn’t delicious and forgettable. I wasn’t just some supermodel’s assistant. And maybe, if I’d had enough confidence in the beginning, I wouldn’t have pushed him at Yvette.
“It’s not entirely your fault,” I said. “I let you look past me. I knew I wanted you, and I thought I didn’t deserve you. But I do. And I would love nothing more than to go out to dinner with you. Start over. Prove that you should have chosen me from the beginning.”
Burke laughed - a hearty, full-throated laughed that seemed to echo off of the ceiling of the hotel room. “Baby,” he said, “I’ve never been more excited to be proven wrong.” He reached out and grabbed my hips, pulling up until I straddled him. “Go ahead,” he growled. “Show me exactly what I’ve been missing.”
24
Sarah
Epilogue
“When’s the due date, honey?” asked Becca Barnes, wandering over from where she’d been watching the game with some of the other player wives. It was halftime, and the New England Patriots were up 10 – 0 against the New York Jets.
Becca Barnes had all the grace of a gazelle, she was tall, and stunningly beautiful. At one point in time, she was one of the highest paid models in the world. Between her and her husband Dash, and their combined endorsement deals, they're said to be one of the wealthiest celebrity couples in the United States. Because of my former relationship with Yvette, Becca and I had known each other to say “hi” to before I met Burke. But I hadn’t seen her in a while. In fact, this was the first time I’d ever been invited up into the players box.
“I thought the box was only for wives,” I’d argued, when Burke had given me the invitation.
Burke had shrugged that off with a grin. “What can I say? I’m important.”
“I’m due in November,” I said, grunting as I tried to lever myself out of the seat. Becca shifted her wine glass from her right hand to her left and offered me her slim, elegantly manicured hand. She’s stronger than she looks, and I was on my feet in a second. The baby squirmed inside, and I pressed my hand to my stomach as if that might calm it.
“How exciting,” murmured Becca. I’m not sure if she meant it. Burke had told me that Becca didn’t want to have kids and that the issue was a source of tension between her and Dash.
“I suppose,” I said. In fact, I was a bit apprehensive about labor, though I was excited to be finished with the pregnancy. My body didn’t belong to just me, and sharing it had been a strange (if incredible) journey.
“So,” said Becca, taking a sip of her wine, “I’ve been reading your blog.”
“I’m flattered!” I said.
Becca smiled, a cool, professional thing that didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Don’t be,” she said. “It’s really interesting. I’ve been to almost every single location you write about. You do a terrific job not only capturing the beauty of the place – but also the character. Your writing is just…” She shrugged. “I really liked the piece you did about Costa Rica.”
“Thank you,” I said. Roz had been correct. I don’t know if it was the publicity of Burke’s breakup with Yvette, or the subsequent announcement of my pregnancy, but the moment I’d monetized the blog, money had come pouring in. I had an incredibly robust readership that was attracted to the photos and the write-ups of my travels almost as much as they were captivated by the posts about my relationship with Burke.
“Have you ever been to Patagonia?” asked Becca.
“Never,” I said, yearning ripping through me. I’ve always wanted to go.
“I do a series with the Discovery Channel, Mother Earth, have you ever seen it?”
I shook my head, but I knew the show she was talking about.
“We go to the world’s most naturally beautiful places and try to raise awareness about natural beauty versus man-made pollution. I have an idea that I’m pitching to my producers, if you’re on board. Your blog and your Instagram account have over a million readers combined. Add that to mine – the show could get great publicity. You could be a guest, write about Patagonia and take photos of the behind the scenes. It would create hype for the episode. Would you be interested?”
I was speechless for a moment before I found my tongue. “Absolutely!”
Becca nodded. “We’d film in February, so that would give you four months to recover from having the baby. Do you think you’ll be able to do it?”
“I think so.”
Becca nodded. “Good. Then I will pitch to my producers and will let you know.”
“Ms. Forte?” Someone spoke behind me, and I glanced over my shoulder to see one of the Patriot’s office personnel. He looked like he’d just come off the field. He wore a patriot’s warm-up jacket and a set of headphones with a mic attached. “Mr. Tyler sent me up to see if you’d like to see some of the game from the sidelines.”
“Is that safe?” I asked, protecting my stomach with my hand. I’d seen quite a few players tumble into the sidelines at full tilt.
“We’ll keep you out of the way of the play, ma’am,” said the man.
“Go,” said Becca, smiling a small, almost secretive smile. “It’s fun to watch down there. They don’t let me because I draw too many cameras.” And with that she sauntered back to the front window.
I checked my watch. There were still about five minutes left of half-time. I shrugged and followed the man into the hallway. It might be fun to watch the game from the sidelines!
I was moving slowly, but we finally made it down to the field, where the players had just come out of the locker room and were gathering to discuss plays. I looked around for Burke. He was usually pretty easy to spot, especially without his helmet. But I couldn’t see him.
LADIES AND GENTLEMAN. All of a sudden the announcer’s voice boomed across the stadium, gathering the attention of both the crowd and the players. PLEASE DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE CENTER OF THE FIELD.
All about me, people began shuffling, moving so that they could see. Stuck behind a series of over-six-feet-tall football players, I couldn’t tell what was happening and craned my neck to look around.
Suddenly music burst from the speakers: the beautiful strings and oboe of Edith’s Piaf’s La Vie en Rose.
“Des yeux qui font baisser les miens…” Piaf’s voice rang out, emotional and rich, across Gillette Stadium.
And then the bodies before me parted, allowing me a glimpse of the field. Striding across the center of it: Burke.
I felt hands at my elbows and realized that everyone was staring at me, that I was frozen in place. I glanced to my right and left, and realized that Cassidy Woods and Dash Barnes himself were escorting me out onto the field.
The noise of the crowd was deafening, nearly drowning out Piaf song. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Burke, who was grinning ear to ear as he dropped to one knee.
I couldn’t help it. I burst into tears.
Caz and Dash didn’t let go until I was standing in the center of the football field, right in front of Burke. Each offered me a kiss on the cheek and then abandoned me.
“Sarah.” I could barely hear Burke through the roaring of the crowd. “Love of my life.” Burke continued. I couldn’t stop crying. “Mother of my child.” My nose was running and I covered it with my hand, tears streaming over my fingers.
“These last months with you have been the happiest of my life.” I realized that he wasn’t wearing a microphone. People could see us, but these words were just for me.
“I want to make a promise to you, in front of as many witnesses as I could gather,” he said. His eyes burned into min
e and he reached up, snagging my hand and drawing me closer to him. “I promise to love you for the rest of my days. To make all your dreams come true. I don’t want to spend another moment of my life without you by my side.”
And suddenly he was holding a box in his free hand. The world blurred at the edges.
“Sarah Forte, will you marry me?”
Words failed me. About us, the crowd and the music swelled and I could only hang onto Burke’s hand as I nodded. Burke’s smile was blinding. Then he leapt to his feet and pulled me as close as my belly would allow, kissing me for all he was worth. I felt him take my hand, slide the ring onto my finger, but I couldn’t even look down. I couldn’t look at anything but Burke.
“I can’t wait to marry you,” I choked out.
Burke pressed his forehead against mine. “I love, Sarah,” he said. Then he laughed and straightened up. “Now – coach is going to kill me if I pull this big stunt and then go and lose us the game.”
“Go,” I said, sniffling. “Go win.”
“Cheer for me, baby?” He asked.
“For the rest of my life,” I answered.
Dirty Quarterback
BLITZ - BOOK 1
PREVIEW
Prologue
I watched Carter from a distance and nudged Hannah. "Your brother looks..." I was about to say "good" or maybe even "amazing," but then I realized how that would probably sound and settled for "healthy," which just sounded lame. Luckily, Hannah was too preoccupied with our graduation to notice my cheeks flush.
"Hey guys," Carter said when he’d finally zigzagged his way through the crowd. "Congrats, little sister. You’re a free woman." He beamed at us and kissed Hannah’s cheek. After a pause, he leaned in and kissed mine too. No one thought anything of it, not even our parents. Hannah and I had grown up together. Carter had always been like the big brother that I never had.But when he kissed me, me cheeks burned a bright red. The spot where his lips had touched me was on fire.
"You’re coming to the party later, right?" Hannah asked. Carter nodded. Phil Baxter’s graduation party had been the talk of Dover Chase High for the last six months. He’d gone all out. A band, caterers, the whole nine yards.
"Good," Hannah exclaimed, then wrapped her arm around me, yanking me away. "Come on," she said, "we’ve gotta get ready."
"The party’s not till six." Hannah looked confused. "It’s only noon," I told her.
"Yeah," Hannah said. "But there’s hair and makeup and I need to check your dress. Did you get that blue one I told you to?"
I nodded and sighed. I should have known better. Between the two of us, Hannah had always been the one who cared about the girly stuff. I would have preferred to spend the next few hours lounging on my parents’ patio and going through the stuff Harvard had sent me. Three months from now, I’d officially be a student at Harvard Medical School, and my dreams would be on their way to becoming a reality.
"What are you thinking about?" Hannah asked. She knew me too well not to recognize I was a million miles away.
"Just about where we’re going. I can’t believe you and I are splitting up."
"I know. Boston and Los Angeles... we couldn’t get any further apart, could we?"
I felt my eyes tear up then Hannah couldn’t stop hers from tearing up too. "It doesn’t matter," Hannah said. "I’ll call you every day. And soon I’ll be a famous actress with tons of money and I can come visit you whenever you have time to spare for me."
"I’ll always have time to spare for you."
"Tell me that again in five months when you’re in the middle of dissecting a human body or whatever it is you freaky med students do."
I laughed as Hannah steered us towards her house.
Hours later, we emerged from Hannah’s room looking like we’d just stepped out of the pages of a magazine. I had to admit—I’d never felt so glamorous. As we walked down the stairs, I felt Carter’s eyes fall on me.
"Wow," he said. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.
"Pick your jaw up," Hannah said, pinching her brother. She was beaming though. She’d gone to a lot of trouble to make sure I—who normally preferred to wear comfy clothes and flats—looked like a supermodel.
"You guys ready?" Carter asked, and I saw he was blushing too.
"Any time you are," Hannah replied.
The three of us got into his car and drove to Phil Baxter’s house. It was already filled with people by the time we got there. "Oh! I see Bobby!” Hannah exclaimed. “I’ve gotta go talk to him. I might never see him again after tonight!" She ran off, leaving me alone with Carter.
He glanced at me sideways. I kept my eyes trained to the ground, afraid to make eye contact, knowing that one look would betray my desire. I must just be imagining that Carter was looking at me. But my heart began to palpitate anyways. Why did he smell so good?
"Want a drink?" he asked.
"Sure."
I just couldn’t understand why my heart was pounding like this. I’d known Carter forever. Yet somehow, tonight, his golden hair and tanned skin seemed to sizzle whenever I got near him.
He got us both some punch and I inhaled it and realized it was spiked. I’d never had any alcohol and my head was light in seconds. I started giggling.
"That’s good. Can I have another?" I handed my cup to Carter, who promptly refilled it.
"Wanna take a walk?" I asked. Carter nodded. We strolled into the night. Phil’s house was near the edge of the Allegheny River. We walked to its shore and sat under a giant tree that seemed to engulf us in darkness. I sighed and leaned back against Carter’s chest, feeling braver thanks to the punch. I could feel his breath quicken.
"Ava," he said. I turned to him and realized how close we were. Our lips were almost touching. I didn’t know who was responsible for what happened next—did I kiss him first or did he kiss me? —but suddenly our mouths were pressed together and our bodies were entwined.
I’d never done anything like this before. My heart thudded in my chest as I ripped away Carter’s clothes. I didn’t know whether it was the night itself or the excitement of graduation, but when our bodies fit together as one, I knew magic was real, and it was right here in Dover Chase.
1
Ava - 3 Years Later
I leaned back against the kitchen wall and closed my eyes. My head was throbbing.
"Don’t let Mr. Brewster see you do that," Terri warned.
I opened my eyes again and started moving.
"You okay?" Terri asked.
"Fine," I said. "Just tired. I pulled a double last night at Y-Mart."
Terri shook her head sympathetically. "I don’t know how you do it. I can barely handle one job, let alone two."
"Hey, Ava!" Johnny called from the back. "Order’s up."
"Thanks," I said, grabbing the food and setting it on the tray. I walked over to my table and smiled as a five-year-old from hell sucked up a straw full of soda and spit it at me. His parents, no doubt the cause of this monster, apologized but clearly thought it was funny. I wanted to smack the kid and the parents, but laughed along with them. I really needed a good tip. As soon as I could, I all but ran to the back to wash the child’s spit-laced soda off of my face. But I couldn’t do much about the stain forming on my uniform.
I took a deep breath and checked my watch. My shift at Piccadilly’s was almost over, and I was actually looking forward to going to Y-Mart. Well, that may have been an overstatement. What I was looking forward to was the lack of people who came into Y-Mart during the night shift. At least I wouldn’t have to contend with children spitting at me. I didn’t understand parents like that either. Lily was only three, but if she had done anything like that while I was out with her, I would have been mortified.
"Hi, Ava," I heard a man’s voice behind me.
"Oh, hi, Myron." He beamed at me and I darted back into the kitchen. Myron was nice enough, but sometimes it was frustrating the way he was always following me around. It was like he was always scheduled
the same days as me. I would have told him to knock it off long ago, but I felt kind of badly for him. He just moved to Dover Chase a year or two ago and didn’t seem to have any friends.
"What are you doing later?" Myron asked me. I tried to busy myself by refilling some salt shakers.
"Working at Y-Mart."
"Oh. That’s nice."
I shot a glance at him. "Nice" was not typically the word people used to describe Y-Mart or those who worked there. Pathetic might have been better suited to the situation.
"Well I was just wondering if, you know, on another night when you’re not working—"
I cut him off right there, knowing where he was going with this and wishing he wouldn’t. "I’m always working, Myron. If somehow I’m not, then I’m with Lily."
"Lily could come with," Myron said. His eyes pleaded with me. I almost felt bad for the guy but not bad enough to go out with him.
"I’ve gotta..." I looked around searching for some means of escape. "Take out the trash." I grabbed a garbage bag that was beginning to overflow and hurried outside, tossing the trash into the dumpster. I stood there a second, hoping it was enough time for Myron to move along and find something else to do.
My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out. My breath caught in my throat. The test scores were in. I hesitated, but then opened my email and my stomach dropped. Forty-eight percent. An F. I’d never gotten an F in my life. I closed my phone, fighting back the tears.
"I guess it’s a good thing I’m not at Harvard. They’d have thrown me out in the first three months." But deep down I knew that wasn’t true. If I hadn’t gotten pregnant right after graduation, I never would have bombed such a simple test. The fact that I couldn’t even pass some stupid online course made me feel worse than the fact I still had to go to my other job when I left this one.