by Krista Lakes
“I'm so sorry, Ollie,” she said, touching the top of his hand. Oliver looked up at her touch, drawing him out of the memory. Her hand was warm and comforting against his.
She meant her words. He could see it in her eyes. It was genuine, just like every other part of her. She continued to prove to Oliver that she was actually a real person, unlike most of the people he was forced to interact with because of his career. She was the real deal and this felt like actual human interaction. He'd forgotten how good it felt.
“How's your brother now?” she asked after a moment. Her voice was soft. “How did things turn out?”
“He's cancer-free.” Ollie smiled at her. “The doctor says that he's basically cured. We caught it early and he's one of the lucky ones.”
“That's so good to hear,” she replied, relief in her voice.
A smile lit up her face and it caused Oliver's heart to skip a beat. Her lips were so beautiful, the thought of kissing her jumped into his head. He quickly shook it off. She was an ineligible receiver and he shouldn't even think of what her kiss might taste like.
“Yeah, I'm really proud of him,” he said, after a moment of pause. “He fought so hard. In fact, he became my inspiration for when things got rough. I dedicated every one of my games to him while he was in the hospital with chemo and radiation.”
“Wow,” she said. That part always impressed the ladies. She smiled at him and adjusted the knob on the machine again. “I'm sure that was a tough time.”
“It was hard,” Ollie admitted, shaking his head. “Michael was so sick. There were complications with everything. The chemo made his hair fall out and the radiation made him puke. He was almost sicker because of the treatments than he was with the cancer.”
He paused. This part of the story was hard.
“It was the beginning of the end for Michael's chance at a career in sports. The chemo affected his bones. I don't remember exactly how the doctor explained it, but something in the medicine had made his bones weak.” Oliver shrugged, trying to move the weight that settled on his shoulders whenever he thought about what his brother had gone through. “He had to stop playing contact sports altogether. His athletic dreams were killed.”
“I'm sorry,” Elsie replied, her words soft and soothing. She squeezed his shoulder with her hand, and somehow it helped. “It sounds like you have a strong little brother, though, to survive all of that. It also sounds like you two are very, very close. It's great you have someone like that.”
“I really think Michael had something to do with me becoming famous,” Ollie said, grunting as he focused back on working his knee. “The game after I found out about his diagnosis was the first game that I got a chance to play. The starting quarterback was injured and so I was put in the game.”
“As a rookie?” she asked, adjusting a knob on the weight machine.
Ollie nodded. “Nobody expected us to be able to win that one. We were fourteen points behind and I hadn't ever played a professional game before. But I said a little prayer, and asked for the same strength that Michael had to go through with his treatments. I went out there that day and played as though I was my brother. I told you he was the better athlete.”
“How'd it work out?” she asked, finally brushing the hair from her face. He loved that she didn't know the story already. It was refreshing to be able to tell it for the first time.
“We won the game.” He still felt the exultation of winning from that game just thinking about it. “And we won the one after that, and the one after that. In fact, we won every game the rest of the season. That's how I became the starting quarterback.”
The story was falling out of him now. He hadn't ever told anybody all these details and it wasn't something anybody could look up on the internet. This was his version of what happened and it was the absolute truth. It felt incredible to be able to share it with someone who actually cared and wasn't going to immediately put it up on social media or sell it for a profit.
Elsie listened intently, her eyes locked with his. He felt so drawn to her, but in such a different way than with other women. Sure, he was physically attracted to her. Who wouldn't be? She had a beautiful body, nice butt and perky breasts. But what he loved about her most is that she was just so real. And “real” was not something that most people were, at least in Ollie's world.
Oliver pumped his leg, pushing himself to the limits of his strength. He hissed as a lightning bolt of pain shot through his knee, forcing him to slow down with his exercise.
“Tell me more about your brother,” Elsie told him, lowering the weight on the machine.
“My dad died when Mike was six. I was seventeen at the time, so I ended up taking on the father role. I felt the need to protect him from everything.” Ollie paused, his voice about to crack with emotion. “I didn't want him to ever feel another ounce of pain in his life, since he had already felt so much at such a young age.”
I can't believe I'm actually telling her all of this, he thought. But she's the first person I've ever wanted to open up to. I don't know why, but I trust her so much.
Elsie touched Ollie's knee. “Okay, take a rest on this leg and do the same thing with the other one so you're even.”
Ollie did as she asked, relieved to be using his good leg once again. It made him feel like he still had strength left in his body.
“That's really nice of you to look out for your brother,” she said, leaning against the machine while facing Oliver. “It's admirable.”
“Not really,” Ollie said, with a sigh. “He's my brother. That's what family does for each other. I'd have given him my right arm if it would have made him better.”
“I feel that same way about my sisters,” Elsie agreed. “Family is everything.”
The way she said it made him look over at her. She smiled and shrugged.
“Has your brother picked a specialty to study in medical school yet?” she asked, bringing the conversation back to his brother.
Ollie nodded. “Oncology, as expected. He wants to help kids that are sick like he once was.”
Elsie held her hand up, motioning for Ollie to stop the exercise. “If Michael is anything like his older brother, then cancer is in for a nasty surprise.”
Oliver chuckled and then looked away. He found his throat to be a little tight. He wasn't used to talking about his brother like this.
I've done hundreds of interviews, but this feels different, he thought. This is like telling it for the first time. It's making the memory feel more real than ever.
In an effort to change the subject to keep himself from tearing up, Ollie said, “So you said you have sisters?”
“Yep,” she replied, still leaning against the weight machine. “Two of them. I'm the baby of the family.”
“And they have kids?” Ollie asked.
“My oldest sister has two boys and the middle sister just had a baby girl last year,” Elsie said, with a smile that showed her pride.
“And one of those boys is who you coach football for, right?” Ollie said, slowly turning to put his feet down on the floor once again.
Elsie smiled, seeming pleased that he remembered that she coached little league. “Yeah, Ryan is six and has big dreams of being a professional football player. But he has a backup. He said that if football doesn't work out then he's going to be a garbage truck man.”
“Both good options,” Ollie said, with a playful smirk.
Elsie laughed at the comment, which made Oliver smile even more. He loved the sound of her laugh.
“They're great kids,” she said. “I'm glad that I've been able to grow so close to them. I pretty much spend any free time I have chasing them around in order to give their mom a break. They're my world.”
“It's great you can be around them,” he commented, wiping sweat from his brow. He was glad the workout part of the session was over, but he found himself sad that it meant their time together for the day was almost done.
“I'm so glad I get to be in th
eir lives,” she agreed. “My uncle is my favorite person in the world. He's actually the person that got me into physical therapy medicine and helped make me who I am today. If I can be half as cool an aunt to my nephews and nieces as he was to me, I'd consider myself a success.”
As Ollie listened, he couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Elsie might just be the perfect woman.
She likes football, she's great with kids, he thought. She's smart, funny, sweet, beautiful. She's a unicorn, that's for sure.
Ollie knew that he was too much of a player to ever marry. He loved the playboy lifestyle and all the women that came with it. He wasn't ready to give all that up to settle down with just one woman. At least, that's what he told himself.
Besides, a girl like her wouldn't want anything to do with the football lifestyle. Plus, I would hate to drag her away from her home, which is where her clinic and her family are.
“Okay, exercise is done for the day,” Elsie said, stepping close to Ollie to help him up. “Time for stretching.”
“Oh goodie,” he said, sounding anything but enthusiastic. “My favorite, Doc.”
Oliver chuckled a bit as Elsie's eyes narrowed at the “Doc” comment. He knew that she hated it, but he loved riling her up. It helped to take away from of the professionalism and reveal her human side underneath. That was the side of her like he was finding he liked the most.
“Stretching is good for you,” she said, making her way back to the cushioned mat on the center of the floor.
Ollie followed her and took a seat on the mat. “Yeah, yeah. You just want to torture me some more. Can't we be done for the day? Or maybe do the massage part? I like that part.”
Elsie crouched down on the mat in front of him. “Hey, Ollie, do you know what the difference between a physical therapist and a terrorist is?”
He shook his head.
“You can reason with a terrorist,” she replied, with a smirk.
“Hardy, har, har,” Ollie said, though he did find the joke to be a little bit funny.
“I'm hilarious, I know,” she said, with a laugh. “But I probably shouldn't quit my day job.”
The way she grinned at him made it impossible for Oliver not to smile back. Her good attitude was infectious and he truly wished that she'd stay longer than for just these sessions. She was a bright light and he was enjoying the hell out of working with her.
Right as Oliver was about to begin his leg stretches, his cell phone rang in his pocket. He grabbed the phone and then looked toward her, as if asking permission to answer it.
“Saved by the bell,” she said. “Go ahead and answer it. We'll take a five minute break. I'll go to the bathroom and give you some privacy.”
“Thank you,” Oliver said, as he answered the call. He tried his best not to watch Elsie as she walked away, but her pants hugged her ass to perfection.
“Hey, it's Nikki,” the woman's voice said on the other end of the line, before Oliver could utter a sound.
“Hey, Nikki, what's going on?” Oliver held the phone against his ear with his shoulder as he found a comfortable position for his injured knee.
“Just wanted to check in and see how the therapist was working out,” she said.
“It's working out really well,” Ollie said, watching as Elsie stepped out of the room. “She's amazing.”
“Is she keeping her mouth shut?” Nikki asked. “Is she prying into your business too much? The last thing we need is for her blabbing about her newest patient to her friends.”
“We talk enough to hold a conversation,” Ollie replied, rolling his eyes at Nikki's negativity.
“She really isn't supposed to ask anything about your personal life. That was the reason why I chose her, because she'd never heard of you before,” she said, with a sigh.
“What are we supposed to do, Nikki?” Ollie asked. “You want us to just work in silence and have her call out drills until I'm better?”
“I knew I should have gone with the other guy,” she replied, sounding frustrated. “I knew it.”
“No, she's great, Nikki,” he said, slowly laying back on the mat and looking at the ceiling. “There aren't any problems and I trust her. She isn't going to tell anybody that I'm here. I promise.”
“Good. But remember, Oliver, don't get attached,” Nikki said, in that condescending tone of hers. “As soon as she clears you to once-a-week sessions, you're out of that hell hole. We're losing millions in advertising promotions right now, so we need to get you back home as soon as possible.”
Ollie stared blankly at the ceiling, listening to the same old spiel from Nikki that he had heard a hundred times since the accident. It was always about the money for her. Nothing else mattered. Not happiness, or passion, or joy. It was all about dollar bills for that woman.
But despite her urgency to get him back in the limelight, he was finding that he didn't care so much about that. He was rather enjoying his time in this so-called “hell hole” and was in no hurry to stop his training with Elsie.
Right then, an idea hit him upside the head. It was one that hadn't crossed his mind before now.
“Nikki, speaking of heading home, will you ask Bob if there's a PT opening with the team?” he asked, suddenly feeling energized by his new idea.
“For back country girl?” Nikki asked, and Ollie visualized her putting a hand on her hip and cocking her body to the side as she spoke. “Are you serious?”
“Be nice, Nikki,” he said, abruptly. “And yes, I'm very serious. I'm ahead of where Addison Lamone was at this stage and it's all because of what Elsie has done for me.”
“Elsie? I thought her name was Elizabeth.”
“It is, but she also goes by Elsie,” he replied.
“Sounds like you guys have become pretty chummy,” she said, with a jealous sigh. He could practically see the pout through the phone.
“Hey, either you ask Bob if there's a PT opening or I do,” he said. “It's your choice.”
Nikki let out another sigh. “Fine, I'll do it. Bob likes me better anyway.”
“Thank you, Nikki.”
“You owe me,” she said, and Oliver was willing to agree. According to Nikki, he always owed her. But this was one of the few times that he actually agreed that he did.
“Anything else?” he asked.
“That's all. Just keep getting better,” she replied. There was a few seconds of pause before she spoke again. “I miss you.”
Her comment took him off guard. He was surprised to hear that from her. In fact, he hadn't heard anything like that since before they had broken up, over a year before.
“Um, okay,” he said, unable to think of a proper response.
“I'm buying a ticket to come out and see you,” she said, giggling with excitement.
“You really don't have to do that, Nikki,” he said, sitting up a little straighter.
“But I do,” she insisted. “I don't like you being out there all by yourself.”
“I'm not by myself, though,” he said. “I've got Elsie here.”
“Right, right,” she said, her tone dropping. “That's just what I want to hear, Oliver. You're not alone because you have a woman there with you. Great. Just great.”
“Are you feeling okay?” Ollie asked. “You sound a little jealous or something. You remember that we broke up, right? We aren't together any more.”
“Of course I remember. I'm not stupid, Oliver.” She spoke with a combination of anger, jealousy and insecurity. “I have to go. Keeping healing.”
She hung up the phone before Ollie could say goodbye. He tossed his cell to the side and stared at the ceiling for a minute.
I pray that Nikki doesn't want to get back together with me, he thought. If so, then I'd have to fire her and she is the best at what she does. I can't have our past personal relationship affecting our business one.
Right then, Elsie popped her head back into the doorway. “Am I safe to come in? I don't want to overhear anything I'm not supposed to.”
Ollie sat up and smiled at her concern. “Yeah, you're safe. I'm all done. Thanks.”
“Don't thank me yet,” she said, walking toward where he was seated. “We're aren't done with the session yet. You're probably going to want to curse me in a few minutes.”
I highly doubt that, he thought, smiling to himself.
Chapter 7
Elsie
“Good news, Ollie,” Elsie said, as soon as he had finished his stretches for the day. “We're going to finish this session off with an upper body massage.”
Ollie smiled with relief and let out an appreciate groan. “That sounds incredible. I didn't know that was part of the treatment, but I'm not going to argue.”
“Why do you think all of my patients love me so much?” she replied, taking Ollie's arm and helping him walk toward the massage table that was in the far corner of the room. He was getting stronger every day. Soon, he wouldn't need her help. “Also, massage helps you to relax which is good for promoting healing. The human body is an interconnected machine. Right now, you're compensating for your knee with every other muscle in your body. So we're going to give all of those muscles a little love so that they can keep up the good work.”
“Again, you aren't going to get any argument from me, Doc.”
They approached the massage table and Elsie turned to face Oliver. “Go ahead and take off your shirt and lay down face first on the table.”
Oliver didn't hesitate. He grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt and peeled it up over his head. Elsie's eyes widened as soon as she saw his muscular torso. She looked away quickly, though. She didn't want to stare, or else she might get caught drooling.
Oh my God, she thought, as Oliver crawled onto the table. She caught another glance of him before he laid down. This man is physically flawless, she thought, swallowing down her deepest urges.
He was muscular, tan, and his skin was shiny with sweat. He was sex on legs. She'd known he was in good shape, but never imagined he looked this good. In an effort to distract herself, she began digging through her bag to get her massage oil.