Game Winning Catch: (Secret Baby Sports Romance (Pass To Win #5)

by Roxy Sinclaire

  “Oh. I’m not sure.”

  As much as I didn’t want to, I scrambled out of the water and tried to use the blanket to dry off. I hastily got dressed before Chris even got out of the water.

  It was nearly eleven. How could I lose track of time like this?

  “I’m so sorry,” I said. “I really need to get home.”

  “I understand,” he said, pulling his dry clothes on over his wet body.

  As we drove, I tried my best to wring the water out of the ends of my hair.

  “Did you have a good time tonight?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” I said. “Did you?”

  “It was really great. I haven’t spent an evening outside with a girl in a long time. I hope we can do this again.”

  “Same,” I said. I wanted to tell him how good it felt when he touched me, and how I wanted to go further with him. But, I didn’t feel comfortable talking about those kinds of things.

  “I really like hanging out with you, Natalie,” he said as I opened the car door at the library’s parking lot. “I haven’t had fun like this in a while.”

  “Will I see you soon?” I asked.

  He grinned. “Absolutely.”

  I got into my car and drove back to the house, hoping that my dad wouldn’t notice my damp hair. It was almost midnight, and my story was losing credibility the longer I was out. I sped home, and quietly entered the house.

  I nearly screamed when I saw my dad, sitting in the living room, waiting for me to come home.

  “Dad! You scared me.”

  “How was the library,” he asked, knowingly.

  “Fine,” I lied. “I got a lot of work done.”

  “That’s nice,” he sighed, and plodded to his bedroom to go to sleep.

  I’m pretty sure he suspected something, but I wasn’t sure why he didn’t call me out on it. Maybe my dad was becoming more understanding of his adult daughter. Or maybe, he had just given up.

  I crawled into bed and squeezed my eyes shut, imagining that Chris was next to me, wrapping me in his arms. I fell asleep, pretending to be the girlfriend of a big-shot quarterback.

  5

  Chris

  The next week, I got called in to have another practice with the team. When I found out, my first reaction was to call Natalie and tell her the news.

  It seemed odd that my mind would go straight to her, since we had only known each other for a few weeks. I didn’t end up calling her, though. It seemed weird to be sharing big news with a relative stranger.

  Practices were going well. When I wasn’t scheduled to come in, I was spending the rest of my time at the gym, making sure I was in the best shape of my life.

  When I got kicked off of my old team, I was a little upset. I mean, no one likes to get fired from their job, especially when they were making as much money as I was. Now, I was seeing things in a whole new light. I had a chance to start my career over. I could be better than ever before.

  My publicist, Wesley, called to check in on me, and we discussed some possibilities for the upcoming season to make me more marketable. He wanted me to increase my social media presence and make appearances at clubs around the area. He wanted me to get photographed, wasted off my ass one night, and then at a hospital taking pictures with sick kids the next. He wanted to manipulate the media into being both fascinated and in love with me.

  I would leave that all up to him, though. My job was to focus on football and nothing else.

  At practice, the team’s current quarterback and I traded off reps, and I’m pretty sure I embarrassed him. I had twice as many completions as he did, and I didn’t get sacked once. I definitely caught the eye of the coaching staff and the players. If we could work out a deal, I was confident that I would be joining the team.

  They wouldn’t make their decision until a little later though, so I went ahead and set up meetings with other teams. If this deal fell through, I’d need a backup plan. I wanted to stay here, but I wasn’t willing to sit out a season to make it happen. I had to work. Without football, I wouldn’t be relevant, and without relevance, no team would want me.

  I had a few nights left in the city before I had to move on and attend practices with a few other teams. The nightlife here was great, and the women were beautiful, but I had one thing on my mind. If I moved here, those things would always be here.

  I called Natalie after finishing up with my meeting with the coaches. I wanted to see her before I had to go.

  “Hey, Chris,” she said, sounding rushed.

  “Hi, Natalie. What are you doing today? Do you want to meet up?”

  “I’m currently studying for finals and I’m in way over my head.”

  “I remember how that is,” I said. “Well, if you want a study break, I’d love to see you.”

  “Maybe later tonight,” she said. “If I finish writing this paper before it gets too late, I’ll let you know.”

  “Cool,” I said. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  I went back to my hotel room and tried to start packing up my things, but I wasn’t really in the mood. Instead, I flopped down on my bed and ordered a pizza.

  Half a pizza, four beers, and one nap later, I texted Natalie to see what she was up to.

  I’m nearly done with my paper, but I still have more studying to do.

  Ready for a break yet? I asked. I didn’t want to leave the city without seeing her again. I wasn’t sure when or if I’d be back.

  I don’t know. I don’t want my dad to ask questions if he sees me leaving. I can’t keep lying to him.

  You don’t have to leave. I’ll come to you.

  Are you crazy? He’s going to notice if you come waltzing in through the front door.

  That’s why I’ll climb through the window. What’s the easiest way for me to sneak in?

  She didn’t respond immediately. I knew I was pushing my luck. Still, it didn’t hurt to try. Eventually, she answered my question.

  He should be asleep by now. I’ll unlock the back gate. Go through the backyard and climb up the porch swing. Be quiet when you walk on the roof. My bedroom is the one with the light on.

  I grinned, wondering if my behaviors were rubbing off on Natalie. From what I could tell, she had never broken a rule in her life. Now, she was giving me instructions on how to break into her house. It gave me such a rush.

  I waited another hour to make sure she had her paper done, and then I left for her house. I parked a block away and walked through the dark street. Per her instructions, I crept through the backyard, slowly latching the gate, climbed up the metal frame of the swing, and tiptoed up the roof.

  When I got to her window, she had her back turned toward me. She was frantically flipping through a textbook, and I immediately felt a twinge of guilt for taking her away from her studies. I lightly tapped on her window, and she spun around in surprise.

  Natalie opened the window for me, and I carefully climbed in, making sure I didn’t make too much noise.

  “Am I disrupting you?” I asked.

  “Shh,” she scolded. I watched as she grabbed a white noise machine and placed it in front of her bedroom door. Suddenly, the sound of static filled the air.

  “Okay,” she said in a low voice. “That should help.”

  “Let me know if you want me to leave so you can get back to your studying,” I said. “I don’t want to be in your way.”

  “It’s fine,” she said. “I’m glad to have some human interaction. I can talk and study.”

  “Cool. What all do you have left to do?”

  “I have a test tomorrow morning, and then my last three tests are next week.”

  “So the worst is nearly over,” I said, trying to encourage her.

  “Hardly,” she said. “I’ve hardly applied for any jobs. I’ll be spending most of the summer filling out applications and hopefully going on interviews.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you’ll easily be able to find a job. Who wouldn’t want to hire you? I’m sure your dad knows a lot o
f people in the business.”

  “I know, but I’d like to do this on my own. I don’t want to go through life being handed everything. If I make it, I want to know that it was because I was good enough, you know?”

  “Yeah, I get that. What kinds of jobs are you applying for?”

  “Basically anything that I’m qualified to do in the front office of any kind of team. If worst comes to worst, I think I’d even take an internship. I have minors in Public Relations and Marketing, so that might help.”

  “Oh, you sound more than qualified.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Do you want to stay in LA?” I asked.

  “I definitely like it here,” she said. “I’m sure my dad would like that, too. I guess I’ll just have to see where I can find work.”

  “So your summer will be pretty busy, then?”

  “Most likely. If I’m not flying all over the country going on job interviews, then I’ll probably do some traveling.”

  “Where to?” I asked.

  “I’m not entirely sure yet. I might just road trip across the country with my friends. I’ve also always wanted to travel through Europe.”

  “Wow, that would be cool.”

  “We’ll see,” she said. “Plans can change in an instant.”

  “You don’t have to tell me that,” I laughed.

  “That reminds me,” she said delicately, “I did a little research on you.”

  I froze. I knew exactly what she meant.

  “And what did you find?”

  “I know why you left Florida,” she said.

  I groaned. “Did you have me come here so you could tell me why we can’t see each other again?”

  She smiled. “No. I’m not going to judge you about that. It’s pretty shocking, but it’s not a big deal to me.”

  “Really?” I asked, not sure if I believed her. “You’re probably the most well-behaved girl I’ve ever hung out with.”

  “That may be, but it’s mostly because I’ve been under a microscope for much of my life. I really care what people have to say about me. I don’t want a little misunderstanding to define me for the rest of my life.”

  “I don’t either,” I responded.

  “But you don’t have to worry about that. It only makes people more interested in you.”

  “I guess.” I wondered if we could make this work between us, even if we did manage to work in the same city. We were just two very different people with very different expectations for how we should behave.

  “I have to tell you something,” I said. “I’m leaving tomorrow evening to go to Washington. I have a meeting with their coaching staff.”

  “Congrats,” she said earnestly. “Have you heard a decision from Los Angeles?”

  “Not yet. I probably won’t for a month or so. I have a few tryouts lined up in the meantime.”

  “So is this the last I’ll see of you?” she asked. “I mean, if you don’t come back to play here and I don’t stay here for work?”

  “Maybe.”

  “That really sucks,” she said, dropping her book on the bed. “I was really starting to like you.”

  My eyes lit up. “Yeah?”

  She nodded. “And it really sucks because there are so few guys that I’ve ever been interested in.”

  “Now I feel like I can’t leave,” I said. “For once, I’ve found a girl that doesn’t want to use me for my fame—or should I say, infamy.”

  She laughed. “I guess the timing wasn’t quite right.”

  “What if, by the end of the summer, we both find ourselves in L.A. and single?” I asked. “If we’re still into each other then, do you want to give this a shot?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I think we could make it work.”

  I leaned into her, kissing her as I ran my hands through her hair. Natalie shoved her books and papers off of the bed and pushed me on my back. I don’t know how long we were making out for, but we both froze when we heard a noise coming from downstairs.

  “Oh, shit,” she whispered. “I think my dad’s up. You better go.”

  I scrambled off the bed, stuffing my feet back into my shoes. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” I whispered, before climbing back out the window.

  I ran down the block, light on my feet, until I was back at my car. Talking with Natalie had made me realize that I couldn’t let good opportunities pass me by. More than anything, I wanted the chance to make things happen between us. She would be the perfect balance between my crazy lifestyle and how I wanted to be when I was alone. She knew the business and would understand my life. She was perfect.

  I wanted to get her something so she would remember me while we were apart. Since it was nearly two in the morning, it would have to wait. I would have just enough time to go shopping and stop by her house before I had to leave for the airport. I was pretty impressed with myself for thinking up such a romantic gesture.

  I fell asleep in my hotel room, thinking about what life in L.A. could be like with Natalie by my side. It would be nice to have someone to come home to every night. As much as I loved to have fun and go out, I needed a little stability in my life. And, as excited as I was about having multiple job prospects, I couldn’t wait until I heard back from the teams. I was ready to start my new life.

  6

  Natalie

  “Natalie! Get up!” my father yelled, charging into my room. “Don’t you have a test in thirty minutes?”

  “Oh, shit!” I said, running to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror. I desperately needed a shower, but there was no time. I splashed my face with cold water and pulled my hair into a ponytail.

  “What do you want for breakfast?” my dad called from the kitchen.

  “No time,” I replied, searching for clean clothes. I settled on a t-shirt and pair of jeans.

  “I’ll make you some toast,” he decided. “You need to eat.”

  I wasn’t about to argue with him. Even if my brain were functioning without food, the growling of my stomach would be a distraction. I stuffed my books and notes in my backpack and zipped it shut.

  “Finding parking is going to be a nightmare,” I said between gulps of coffee.

  “I’ll drop you off,” Dad said.

  “Thanks,” I said, my mouth full of bread.

  “How did you manage to sleep through your alarm?” he asked as we got into his car.

  “I don’t know. I guess I was really tired from studying.”

  He looked skeptical. “You need to get better sleep.”

  “I know.”

  We were silent for the rest of the drive, besides my muttering to remember the points I needed to include in my essay.”

  “What time do you want me to pick you up?” he asked.

  “How about eleven?”

  “I’ll be here. We can go out for lunch afterwards.”

  “Sounds good,” I said, hopping out of his car.

  By the time I got to the testing room, I was a little more awake. I knew I should have studied more, or gotten more sleep, but I didn’t care. If I could go back in time, I would still choose to spend those hours talking with Chris. It was worth it.

  My eyes started to droop during the essay portion of the test, but I managed to finish it before time ran out. I felt like I didn’t do as well as I could have, but at least it was over. I could spend my remaining time as a student to study for my last few tests and look for a job.

  My dad was parked right outside of the building when I left. I got in quickly before anyone noticed who was driving the car.

  “How was it?” my dad asked.

  “Okay,” I said. I was going to explain, but I got distracted by a text.

  Hey, Natalie. I hope your test went well. Can we meet up before I have to leave?

  “Who was that?” my dad asked.

  I quickly thought of a lie. “Oh, just a girl in my class. She was asking how I thought the test went.”

  “And?”

  “It was pretty tough,”
I said as I typed a response to Chris. “But I think I passed.”

  I told Chris that I was having lunch with my dad, and that I’d call him when I was finished.

  “Do I need to be worried, Natalie?” my dad asked.

  “Worried? Why?”

  “It just seems like there’s something going on with you lately. Does it have anything to do with this Chris guy?”

  “No, there’s nothing really going on there,” I lied. Well, maybe it wasn’t completely a lie. I wasn’t actually sure what was going on.

  “You need to watch out for those kinds of men,” he continued. “Guys like that only want one thing out of women.”

  “You don’t know that,” I said. “You haven’t even met him.”

  “Natalie,” he said gently. “I’ve followed his story. He’s known for his poor behavior off the field. And believe me, I’ve known plenty of guys just like him. He will only hurt you.”

  “It doesn’t even matter,” I said. “I’m not even seeing him. He’s leaving town today anyway.”

  He nodded in approval. Either he believed me, or he was just tired of talking about it. He changed the subject to my job hunt and we talked about different prospects for the rest of the afternoon.

  I was thankful that my dad wanted to take me out to lunch and spend time with me, but I couldn’t help but check the time the entire afternoon. Even if I could only spend an hour with Chris, I wanted to see him before he left. When we finally paid the bill at the restaurant, I raced to the car, and we headed home.

  When we were close, I texted Chris and told him that I could meet up, and asked where I should go to see him.

  Bad news, he responded, my flight got cancelled. I had to switch to an earlier flight to get to Washington before my meeting. I’m so sorry. I was really looking forward to seeing you before I left. I’ll hit you up the next time I’m in town.

  My heart dropped into my stomach. Just like that, my last chance to see him was gone. I wanted to tell him how much I liked him. How I wanted to take our relationship to the next level. Even if we had to have a long distance relationship, I wanted to give it a shot.