Love Unmatched (Unexpected)

by Leigh, Anne

  I laughed. Zander didn’t have to say that he was not single in front of the camera. He did not talk about his personal business during interviews. I had a feeling he did that to deter Inna’s advances. Plus, he wanted to reassure me that he was mine.

  The rest of the interview went by smoothly. Samantha did not broach the topic of Inna and Zander’s love life again. They talked about the charity, the upcoming games, and the Minnesota Fox.

  Once the interview was done, Kieran and I planned out his stay in New York. We were going to visit the 9/11 Tribute Center, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and Harry Potter: The Exhibit at Discovery Times Square. Kieran and I loved Harry Potter. It was the only book in common that we both loved; Kieran was more into classical works of literature and I read more of the scientific journals and publications.

  Just as I was drying the plates over the sink the door of my apartment opened.

  My roommate Brynn entered. I met her at New York State University Hospital during the first day of general orientation. She graduated nursing from Nevada State College. We bonded over lunch that day, and when she mentioned that she was looking for a place to stay, I offered up my place without hesitation. I had been on the hunt for a roommate since I wanted to have someone with me in this city. Zander and I were sharing the costs for the apartment. It was pretty hefty, but once my internship was up we were thinking of keeping the place since I had really grown to love it. Zander said that it could be our New York hideaway.

  “Sedona, I have some of your favorite cupcakes!” she exclaimed. Her cheeks were pink, her blue eyes twinkled, and her long, golden blonde locks hung loose around her face. She was so pretty. She had a classic patrician face. Initially, I had thought she was snobbish because of her looks, but she was the most down-to-earth person in the world.

  She was holding the pink, polka-dotted carton of my favorite Sugar Time Cupcakes when her steps halted. “Oh, you have a visitor.”

  How rude of me! As soon as I heard her say cupcakes I had forgotten about Kieran, who was now back to sitting on the couch, watching sports on TV.

  Kieran stretched his legs, stood, and walked towards us.

  I said, “Brynn, this is my best friend Kieran. And Kieran, this is my roommate Brynn.” Brynn held out her hand to Kieran, setting the cupcakes on the dining table.

  Kieran shook her hand and smiled at her, the kind of smile that meant he was checking a girl out.

  He was definitely interested in my roommate.

  Brynn grinned. “So you’re the famous Kieran?”

  “Yeah,” Kieran said mischievously. “Whatever Ace told you, I’m ten times better than that.” I had mentioned to Brynn that Kieran called me Ace, and that he was a snobbish, arrogant guy when he wanted to be. He only showed his true self when he was comfortable with the people around him.

  “Don’t mind him, Brynn,” I muttered. “It’s the after effects of constant sun and chlorine exposure that deteriorated his brain cells, causing him to have an overinflated ego.”

  “Oh, I get it. Trust me, I do,” she laughed. “My brother’s a swimmer too, and he’s definitely like that. As a matter of fact, you probably know him. I think he’s the top qualifier for the 200-free in Omaha.”

  Kieran’s brows rose. “Oh yeah? What’s your brother’s name?”

  Brynn slowly took out two of the cupcakes from the package. Oh my, my mouth was already watering.

  She said matter-of-factly, “My brother’s Milo Tanner. Do you know him?”

  I lifted my gaze from the cupcakes just in time to see Kieran’s smile wiped from his face at her words. He nodded and said coldly, “Nice to meet you, Brynn.” With that he walked towards the couch.

  Who was this Milo Tanner? Kieran’s mood was definitely off after that. He managed to avoid Brynn at every turn during the length of his stay. Since I had a two bedroom apartment with a loft, Kieran slept in the loft area on the sofa with a pullout bed.

  I knew he was trying to avoid Brynn because he made sure that she was already out before he came out of the loft at any time. Brynn seemed to have noticed Kieran’s aloofness. She did not talk about it, and she did not hang out with me as often as she did during his stay.

  We were walking through the Harry Potter Exhibit when I asked Kieran about what was bugging him. He looked at me strangely. “I have no problems.”

  “Come on, you clearly have issues with Brynn or her brother.” I arched my eyebrows at him.

  “You went all sour on her after she said Milo Tanner was her brother.”

  He was quiet for a minute, and then he said, “Milo Tanner is an asshole of the first order.”

  Kieran didn’t usually describe guys as assholes. For him to say that, this guy must have had really done something to irk him. It was hard to believe that Brynn, my sweet, gentle roommate would be related to someone that Kieran obviously disliked.

  I wanted to ask more, but Kieran changed the topic, showing that he did not want to talk about it any further. I kept my mouth shut, but the question lingered in me.

  Chapter Eleven

  “My faith in you is like an ember – the hotter it gets, the longer it burns.”

  Sedona

  Some girls have Johnny Depp.

  Some have Tom Cruise.

  I had Aaron Miller.

  I remembered the first time I saw him on TV. My dad had been sitting on the couch and had asked me if I wanted to watch football with him. It looked like he had been wanting some company, so I had said, 'Sure, why not?' He explained to me the mechanics of the game. I had been busy eating my popcorn, trying to learn about sacks, fumbles, and field goals, when the camera spanned to Aaron Miller's face.

  I had literally blocked out what my dad was saying and stared at the screen.

  He had been wearing a helmet at that time, but his gorgeous profile shone through. He reminded me of a Roman Sun God - facial features all chiseled to perfection, and he had those deep, penetrating green eyes. We were learning about Ancient Religions in A.P. History at that time, so that was where the comparison came in. I stayed up way past my scheduled bedtime that night, hoping to catch his interview after the game.

  He was even more glorious out of his football gear. His hair had been perfectly groomed, none of that sticky, sweaty look that the other athletes had, and he had dimples. That night, Aaron Miller had become the centerfold of my teenage dreams.

  "He said he wanted to meet with us after the game. Is that okay with you?" Zander asked. "I just don't want you to be too tired."

  Minutes ago I overheard him speaking to Aaron Miller. The Minnesota Fox was playing against New York Liberty, and Aaron had been NYL’s franchise quarterback for more than six years.

  Zander and Aaron Miller were high school buddies. As a matter of fact, Aaron has played a significant role in our love story. If it wasn't for Kieran blurting out my undying crush for Aaron that night a year ago, we would never had known if Zander would have brought me home, and that was when he gave me all those hiccup cures. My heart fluttered at the memory.

  "Umm, yes, it's okay," I managed to say in a calm voice. I continued folding my clothes on the bed, not meeting Zander's eyes. He looked comfortable, with his head propped against the headboard.

  Meeting Aaron Miller? Gah, I wanted to scream in excitement. Zander was looking at me curiously; he knew about my unhealthy obsession for Aaron.

  He gently called out and asked me to sit on his lap and I complied. Zander's lap was one of my favorite places in the world. It was where I could freely explore his rippled chest and back while gazing into his sexy eyes.

  He had a game in a few hours though. "Hmm," he hummed as he tucked a loose strand of hair into my ear. "You don't sound so excited. I thought that you'd show more of a reaction. Aaron’s face was only your screensaver throughout your senior year, according to Kieran. And, if I'm quoting you correctly, you said that he had the 'backside of a God and the face of hotness.'"

  "I am excited!" I was jumping for joy inside my
chest. "I'm just not a teenager anymore." I so was!

  Zander smiled, his blue-green gaze all-knowing. "Come on, babe. Tell me how you really feel about meeting Aaron."

  I took a deep breath, and against his chest I gushed, "Omigosh Zander! I don't even know what to wear!"

  He shifted me on his lap and looked at me, his jaw muscle ticking slightly. "I feel like I should be jealous. I mean, you're squealing about my buddy, and he's not a bad-looking dude."

  I weaved my hands through his hair and kneaded his scalp, and his eyes slowly fluttering closed.

  "Ah, that feels good," he moaned contentedly. "You sure know how to make me feel relaxed."

  I continued massaging his scalp. "How are you feeling for tonight's game?"

  His eyes were still closed as he answered, "I feel good. We're ready. New York pulls out a lot of blitzes, but I think we got it down."

  I rocked my hips against his and his eyes slowly opened. "Babe, if I didn’t have a game tonight, you would be getting what you're working towards right now."

  Zander didn’t have a lot of rules. Well, not like me. But the one rule that he followed religiously was no sex before a game. He said that he needed all that tension flowing through his body to get pumped up for the game, but after the game he was no holds-barred. There was one night, when we hadn’t seen each other for a week, right after his interview, when he started pawing at me in the car. The minute that we got into our townhouse he couldn't wait until we reached the bedroom — he had taken me behind the sofa, standing up.

  I kissed his eyelids and whispered, "After the game...if you guys win, I'll match the touchdowns that you throw to the number of kneel-downs I do on you."

  His eyes opened right away. "So if I throw ten touchdowns you'll do ten kneel-downs?"

  I nodded. It wasn't like he needed any more incentives. But the fact that he was so nice and cool about me meeting Aaron Miller…that was not going to go unrewarded.

  *****

  Zander

  We won the game against New York.

  I threw four touchdowns.

  My woman owed me four kneel-downs.

  It wasn't like it was a chore for her. Sedona loved it as much as I did, considering that most of the time she was the one asking for it.

  After the game, we had time to meet up with Aaron and his girlfriend at Cabernet's.

  Sedona's excitement reverberated through her. Her violet eyes were dewy and she was all smiles.

  I had to be honest. Of course, I was a bit— okay, maybe a lot— jealous of her crush on Aaron. From what Kieran had divulged to everyone before, she had worshipped Aaron like the world tilted on his well-styled hair. I also knew that Sedona loved me like no other, and that Aaron Miller was a good friend. So, as much as I wanted for them not to meet, what right did I have to not give her something that she had obviously pined for in high school? Plus, it was because of her crush on him that she learned about the NFA.

  I saw Aaron approach our table, and walking beside him was a tall blonde woman.

  He shook my hand as soon as he reached us. "Good game, Z. It's too bad we lost. That freakin' defense of yours got us good."

  I grinned at the compliment. "Yeah."

  "Since you guys won, I'm definitely not paying the tab tonight," he joked. "By the way, this is Mikaela. Mikaela, this is my buddy, Zander, the one who kicked our sorry team tonight."

  His date was smiling at us, and she had friendly hazel eyes. She shook my hand as I said to her, "Nice to meet you. This is my fiancé, Sedona.”

  Sedona smiled at Mikaela. "Hello Mikaela."

  Then she turned red, like fire engine red. Breathlessly she said, "Hello Aaron."

  The only time I've seen Sedona blush was when she was shy about something or when I was touching her, and I could tell that she was definitely shy around Aaron. Let me say this; it took all of my self-control to not toss her over my shoulder and say, 'You know what? I’ve changed my mind. I don't want to have dinner with your teenage crush.'

  Aaron, clueless about my girl's deep regard for him, said, "Wow, fiancé huh? Where have you been hiding this gorgeous lady from me?"

  Sedona giggled. Damn, she was turning into mush. I was the only one who did that to her. At least, I thought I was. Now I was getting ticked off.

  "Well, we haven't talked to each in such a long time, so I wasn't hiding anything. It just didn't come up the last time we talked.” I had to keep my rising temper in check.

  We all sat down and I felt her hand on mine. She was holding me reassuringly. I glanced at her to see that her face was still red. But her eyes, light purple right now, were looking straight into mine, communicating with me, and telling me that she loved me.

  I took a deep breath and said, "Alright, tab's on me. So, how's everything?"

  The night went by quickly. The conversation on our table flowed freely, and we were all having a great time. Aaron and I caught up on old times while Sedona and Mikaela found common ground on their love for books. They liked each other so much that they ended up exchanging phone numbers.

  At the end of the night I asked Aaron to write his signature on a napkin. He wondered, "What for?"

  I simply said, "I guess you have a fan or two out there, and they asked for your autograph." He didn't comment and signed it. I tucked it in my right pocket.

  Sedona had asked me to get his autograph. She had told herself that one day, if she ever met him, she'd have him sign her chest. Well, that was definitely not happening. The closest thing that she was ever going to get Aaron's signature on was a napkin.

  When we got out of the restaurant the waiting paparazzi took pictures of us. Paparazzi were constant fixtures in the lives of athletes and celebrities. They were there all the time. Some had even started camping out at our NY apartment. After I declared my non-single status during an interview, the curiosity as to who my girlfriend was became Yahoo’s trending topic for five consecutive days according to Tanya and John. My agent had to field hundreds of calls from the press.

  I refused to talk about my personal life. Sedona hated Chatty Pepper in college, but she was more than prepared to deal with the spotlight on her because of what we had to go through before. Surprisingly, out of the two of us, Sedona was the one who was now more relaxed about the paparazzi. I was the one who got all flustered about it. A big part of my worry came from the fact that, most of the time, Sedona was alone when she dealt with them. She tried to ease my concern by saying that they maintained a safe distance when they took pictures of her, and as long as they didn’t get too close to her I was willing to let it go.

  Aaron and I shielded the women from the blinding lights of the cameras as we hopped into separate cars. We talked about meeting up again one of these days when we were both in the same state. He was a good friend, and it was good to see him again.

  Later that night in bed, I was curious as to how Sedona felt about meeting Aaron, so I asked her, "How did you feel about meeting him?" Did he turn her on? I mean, she giggled like there was no tomorrow, and she blushed like something lit her red dress on fire.

  She calmly said, "I felt like I was a teen again. Like I was in a movie scene, where my mind's all aflutter, waiting for my crush to notice me, and finally he does. And when he does, there is nothing there, because that's just it; a crush. The man that I love was sitting right next to me, and he was the one who made everything possible."

  Just like that she had turned the tables on me.

  Sedona loved me. I would always be jealous when other guys checked her out or when she checked them out. From the beginning she had never pretended to make me jealous on purpose. She had never been a petty woman like that. When she said she loved me, she meant it. She never strayed from me, instead always reassuring me that I was hers and she was mine.

  I tucked her body close to mine. "Is he still your number one crush?"

  I felt her smile against my chest as she replied, "Teenage Sedona will say yes. Present Sedona will say Z, and it's the forev
er kind of crush."

  With that out of the way, we cuddled close to each other and fell asleep talking about our childhood and celebrity idols. Bringing back memories of how fun it was to be children. Because often times, we forgot how young we were. We haven't even reached a quarter of a century, yet the things we've gone through sure made it feel like we've lived half of it.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Happiness is subjective. This, I know, my happiness is dependent on yours.”

  Sedona

  “Honey, that is one hunk of a man you got there,” Mrs. Maggie Kendrick said while watching the football game on TV.

  I gave her a small smile and looked at the TV screen. What she said was true— Zander was my hunk of perfection. In his dark purple and white uniform, Zander looked smoking hot; his butt was tight, and his long, sinewy legs were showcased in his football gear.