by Krista Lakes
As Ollie continued to run plays, Elsie just smiled and watched from her little spot on the bleachers. It didn't even bother her that she was wedged between two overweight guys, one eating hot dogs and the other stuffing nachos in his mouth. Her heart swelled with every minute that passed, as she watched Oliver do his thing on the field. Just knowing that he was close made her feel a little better.
She was also happy to see him moving around so well. He'd run and stop, then spin around to avoid a tackle. It seemed as though he was coming along quite nicely with the final stages of his recovery. In fact, if she hadn't known better, it would be nearly impossible to tell that he was ever injured at all.
It was fun to watch. Over the course of their getting to know each other, Elsie had heard many football stories from Oliver. But getting to actually see him play the game was eye opening. He was good. Really good. He threw the football so hard that it was just a brown blur across her vision, until it stopped into his receiver's hands. He'd put the ball wherever the coach told him to, with the accuracy of a Marine sniper. She was starting to see why he was idolized by so many. There was talent inside of him that was most certainly of the rarest kind.
A half hour went by, but it seemed like only a few seconds. The next thing Elsie knew, coach was blowing his whistle and telling the team to take a break. Her heart jumped up into her throat as the football players took off their helmets and started walking toward the stands. She kept her eyes locked on Ollie, feeling her pulse pounding in her ears as he neared.
A few people in the front row got up and approached Oliver, squealing with excitement. Elsie stood up from her seat and lifted her hand in the air, gently waiving. It was enough to catch Ollie's attention. He glanced up and as soon as he saw Elsie, he dropped his helmet to the ground at his feet. His lips curled into the widest smile she'd ever seen.
“Elsie!” he shouted, pushing through the crowd that surrounded him. “Oh, my God.”
Oliver ran to the stands and then up the stairs. Elsie stepped over the robust man to her right, causing the second half of his hot dog to spill from his hand and to the ground.
“Sorry,” she muttered. “I'll buy you another one. Sorry.”
She didn't even stop to pick it up, she just continued climbing over everyone until she got to the stairs. Ollie skipped three steps at a time, making his way toward her as fast as he could. They nearly collided at the end of the aisle. They gazed at each other for a moment. It was as though Oliver couldn't believe his eyes.
“Elsie,” he said, in the middle of catching his breath.
“Hi,” she replied. “I was in the neighborhood.”
Oliver laughed, then pulled her in for a hug.
“God, I missed you,” he said.
“I missed you, too.” Elsie closed her eyes as he held her close. He hugged her so tightly. It felt like he never wanted to let her go.
“I can't believe you're here right now,” he said. “Am I dreaming? Please don't tell me I'm actually knocked out on the field and this is all some post-concussion illusion.”
Elsie laughed, as she looking up at him. “No, it's real. I found myself missing you so much. I know we said that we'd go our separate ways, but I just couldn't move forward. I've spent the last couple of days pacing around, trying to decide what to do. So, here I am.”
“I've felt the same way. It's taken every bit of energy I have just to focus enough to get through practice.” Ollie cradled her chin in his hand as he looked at her. “I'm so glad you're here right now. I thought I'd never see you again.”
He leaned in and kissed her. Their lips touched, immediately soothing any anxiety she'd been feeling ever since he left. The surrounding crowd cheered and clapped as they embraced. Elsie didn't mind. It made no difference that there were a few hundred people watching. She could have been surrounded by a few thousand and it wouldn't have mattered. The only person who really existed in her world, at least in that moment, was Oliver.
When they finally stopped kissing, Elsie looked around to see that The Bandit's fans had already gotten bored with watching the public display of affection. Most of them were staring down at their cell phones, mindlessly scanning through social media.
Out on the field, Coach began blowing his whistle. Oliver looked over his shoulder and then back to Elsie.
“I guess the break is over already,” he said, his hand still touching her cheek. “I've got another half an hour of practice. Will you wait for me?”
Elsie nodded. “Of course I'll wait for you. I didn't fly all the way out here for just one kiss.”
Oliver grinned. “How about we go out on a nice date tonight? Something special?”
“That would be amazing,” she agreed before forcing her face into a frown. “But there's one problem.”
Ollie's smile faded. “What's that?”
“Johnny's tractor is back in Iowa. What are you going to pick me up in?” Elsie giggled as she asked the question.
“Well shoot, little lady,” Ollie replied, in his fake cowboy accent. “I reckon I'll have to pick you up in my four-wheeled driving machine, that some refer to as a 'car'.”
“I reckon that'll do just fine,” Elsie said, patting his chest pads.
The coach continued to blow the whistle impatiently in the background.
“You better go, before Coach gets even more mad.” Elsie stood on her tip toes and kissed Oliver one more time, just a quick peck on the lips.
“Okay, I'll meet you right here after practice,” Ollie said, as he turned around and began jogging down the stairs. He looked back when he got to the bottom. “Promise you'll wait.”
“I promise!” Elsie called back.
As Oliver ran onto the field to meet his teammates, something caught Elsie's eye. A woman, standing on the grass near the edge of the field. Her blonde hair was nearly fluorescent as the bright sun reflected on it. It contrasted her black suit skirt. How she hadn't noticed her before, she couldn't be sure.
Maybe the woman had just arrived or maybe it the scowl she wore on her face that finally garnered Elsie's attention. But there, standing with her arms crossed and looking straight up at Elsie, was Nikki. As soon as their eyes met, Nikki turned away. She didn't wave, or smile, or anything. She just turned away, obviously pissed.
Uh oh, Elsie thought. I'm guessing that kiss with Oliver just now didn't go over so well with her.
She hadn't even considered the fact that Nikki would likely be there at training. It wasn't that Elsie had done anything wrong by kissing Ollie, but she was well aware of the fact that he and Nikki did have some kind of history. But, she believed Ollie when he said it was long over and that Nikki and he only had a professional relationship.
Still, though, she had traveled hundreds of miles to see the man who had her heart. She couldn't allow a jealous ex-girlfriend of his to make her feel uncomfortable about things.
I just hope that she's not as crazy as Ollie has led me to believe, she thought. The last thing I need is to get caught up in some kind of public drama.
After buying her neighboring stranger another hot dog to replace the one she'd ruined, Elsie took her seat. It was a few plays before Nikki caught her attention again. With a walk that should have dislocated her hips, Nikki sashayed over to where Ollie was standing getting some water.
Nikki said something to him that Elsie couldn't hear. Ollie tipped his head back and laughed, a full body laugh that made his eyes sparkle. Nikki grinned and touched his arm, standing intimately close to him. She grabbed a towel from the bench and wiped some grass from his cheek. The gesture was incredibly friendly, almost romantic, but Ollie didn't react at all.
Elsie tried not to worry. Ollie had told her that they'd had a thing in the past, but he swore it was in the past. Even though that little cheek-wipe didn't look very past-ish. She thought of all the images she'd seen when she looked him up that one time. He always had a beautiful lady on his arm. It had always been someone with beauty like Nikki, not like her.
&n
bsp; Her lip was between her teeth before Elsie realized it, as she chewed on it nervously. Was Ollie really happy to see her? Or was he back to his old ways and his old girl now that he was back home? Would he decide that their attraction was just because she was the only female he'd seen for three months?
Elsie suddenly wasn't so sure that this was the best idea. Maybe she should have just left things where they were in her memory: happy and perfect. Being here, there was now a chance that those beautiful memories would turn into something much more painful.
Oliver looked over at her and waved and she did her best to smile and wave back.
“Don't doubt him,” she said to herself. “He's a good guy and he really is into you.”
The stranger sitting next to her gave her an odd look, but didn't say anything. Elsie took a deep breath in and tried her best to ignore Nikki and how she was making Ollie smile.
Chapter 20
Ollie
Oliver sat at the table across from Elsie. He adjusted his blue tie, loosening it a bit around his neck so that he didn't feel like he was choking. He wore suits for games and as part of his duties as a professional spokesman for the team, but he tried to avoid wearing a tie. Ties felt too formal and fancy for him.
But tonight was different. His girl was in town and he'd taken her to finest restaurant within fifty miles, a place called The Ruse. It was located on the beach, just a few hundred feet from the San Francisco Bay. Ollie had never been there, but when he asked his teammates where to take the most beautiful girl in the world to dinner, this was the place that they'd unanimously agreed on.
The interior was beautiful. From the tables, to the chairs, to the art work on the wall. Everything was crafted with perfection. He hoped the food would be just as good. Even if it wasn't, he'd still consider it to be a great night, though, because the girl of his dreams was there with him.
I'd probably be just as happy at a McDonald's right now. As long as she was with me, he thought, as he gazed across the table to his date. God, she looks beautiful. She always does, but tonight...wow.
Elsie had worn a tight fitting black dress. It hugged her body perfectly, accentuating her womanly curves in all the right places. He'd never seen her wearing anything like it before, but hoped that he'd get the chance to many more times in the future.
“You look beautiful,” Ollie said, unable to take his eyes off of her. “I know I've already told you that at least ten times since I picked you up from the hotel room. But seriously, Elsie. You look like a model.”
“You're too sweet, Ollie. I have to admit that I feel a little weird wearing this dress, though,” Elsie said, as she played with the pearl bracelet that hung loosely on her wrist. “But I'm flattered that you like it.”
“Please wear it every single time I see you,” he joked. “It's either that, or the green scrubs. You can choose.”
Elsie chuckled as she swirled the red wine in her glass. She may have been a country girl from a small farm town in the middle of nowhere, but she sure as hell knew how to look and act classy.
“Tell you what, I'll wear this dress every time you wear your suit,” she said, before taking a sip of her wine.
“I have to wear a suit for all my away games,” he replied. “You'll just have to come to all of them.”
She grinned. “Don't tempt me.”
A surge of hope filled him as he taking a sip of his whiskey and ginger ale. He didn't want to hope for things he couldn't have. He cleared his throat.
“Still, I still can't believe I'm sitting across the table from you right now,” he said with a smile. “Seeing you today at practice was honestly the best surprise I've ever had in my entire life.”
Elsie smiled, which of course made Oliver's heart melt like butter.
“To be honest, I wasn't sure how you were going to react when I showed up.” She shrugged, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “A part of me worried that you'd be mad.”
“Mad? Not a chance,” Oliver said, shaking his head. “I'd never be mad at you. The reason I thought it was best that we move forward, was because I didn't want to hurt you. I thought that if we started something more serious, then it would distract you from the life that you've built in Iowa. I didn't want that. But the fact that you flew all the way out here to see me says so much about you. I can't let you go again. Even if I have to fly out to Iowa every week, I will. I'll do whatever it takes.”
Oliver had never said anything like that to a woman before. He'd never felt that way about anyone. Not even Nikki. But he realized that Elsie was worth fighting for. She was worth sacrificing whatever he had to in order to be with her. For years, he'd been looking for his “why”. Why does he work so hard at his career? Why does he wake up every morning and give the day one hundred and ten percent? Why does he keep going, even when everything seems lost?
Maybe she's my reason, he thought. Maybe she's who I've been looking for my entire life, but didn't even realize it.
“I wouldn't expect you to fly out to Iowa every week,” Elsie said. “That would be insane. I'm not saying that a long distance relationship couldn't work, though. To be honest, I didn't come out here to etch anything in stone. I just needed to see you again. I don't know what the future holds, all I know is that I was pretty damn miserable without you around.”
“Me too,” Ollie said. He reached out across the table and took her hand. “I wish that you never had to go back.”
He paused after speaking.
The job, he thought. Oh my God, the physical therapist opening!
“Elsie, did you get my email from the other day?” he asked. “I'd sent you something important.”
Elsie shook her head, shaking the strand of hair out from behind her ear. “I've been a little busy and have a million emails to answer right now. Was it important?”
“This would be one worth reading,” he said, leaning toward her. “There's a job opening on the team. It's for a physical therapist. Full time, with benefits and a nice salary.”
Elsie nearly dropped her glass of wine from surprise. She set it to the side and Ollie watched as her eyes widened. “Are you serious? The Bandits are looking for a sports therapist?”
Oliver nodded slowly. “The general manager sent an email to everyone two nights ago. I forwarded it to you, thinking you might be interested in it. What do you say? You'd be perfect for it, Elsie.”
“Wow.” Elsie pushed her hair back over her ear. “I don't know what to say. I mean I guess I could apply.”
“If I vouch for you, which of course I will, they'd hire you.” Ollie squeezed her hand in his. “You're exactly what they're looking for and I'm walking proof of that. If you want the job, you'll get it. Trust me.”
“That's a lot to think about,” she said, still smiling. “But Uncle Frank did say yesterday that I didn't need to worry about the clinic any more if I didn't want to. I guess he's got someone who can run it if I'm not there.”
“There you go,” Ollie said, gently squeezing her hands. “It's meant to be.”
“I don't want to say 'yes' without thinking it over. I have to think about my nephews and my uncle,” she said, with a sigh. “It does sound like an amazing opportunity, though. Ever since I graduated college, all I wanted to do was work with sports injuries. Plus, the added bonus, is that I'd get to see you every day.”
“How awesome would that be?” Oliver asked, with a wink. “Look, I'm not usually one who believes in the aligning of the stars or any of that mystical mumbo jumbo. But everything seems to be lining up. First, that job opening. Then you show up. Things do happen for a reason.”
Elsie nodded and Ollie could see in her eyes that she was legitimately considering it. The idea of getting to spend time with her every day sounded like heaven to him. It would almost be too perfect of a situation. He hoped she'd take it, but only if it was something she truly wanted to do.
“Okay,” she said, after a moment of silence. “I'll apply for it and we'll go from there. How does that sou
nd?”
Oliver couldn't have smiled wider if he'd tried. “That sounds like cause for celebration. Waiter, another glass of Cabernet for my beautiful date and a glass of your finest Irish whiskey for me, on the rocks.”
The suited waiter was standing nearby and spun around when he'd heard Oliver's requests. “Of course, sir,” he said. “I'll return momentarily with your drinks. And your food will be here shortly.”
“Perfect,” Oliver said. “Thank you.”
“You're quite welcome, sir,” the waiter replied, before swiftly making his way toward the bar to get the drinks.
Oliver felt like he'd been wearing a goofy smile since they'd sat down, and maybe he had. But he was suddenly so overwhelmingly happy that he couldn't help himself. The aching in his heart that had started when he left Iowa had finally subsided. Just the idea of Elsie living in California with him eased the pain.
The waiter returned with the drinks. He set the on the table and shuffled off to tend to the other patrons. Oliver took his drink and held it in the air. Elsie did the same.
“To us,” he said. “In whatever shape or form our relationship ends up being, may it make us both happy and content.”
“I like that,” Elsie said, clinking her glass against his. “Cheers.”
They sipped their drinks and not more than a minute later, their food arrived. Ollie had ordered the filet mignon, cooked medium rare, with a side of potatoes and asparagus. Elsie went with the teriyaki salmon, with brown rice and broccoli. The plates looked amazing. Perfectly portioned and cooked.
“It's been a long time since I've eaten anything this fancy,” Elsie said, picking up her fork. “It looks so good.”
They dug in. The food was incredible, but all Ollie could think about was Elsie and how badly he wanted her. He wanted to peel that dress off of her and kiss her from head to toe. He wanted to taste her, every inch of her. He wanted to feel her once again in the most intimate of ways. The meal was good, sure, but nothing compared to her.
“So is this a better date than the one where I picked you up on a tractor?” he asked, with a chuckle.