Hard & Deep: A Football Romance

by Krista Lakes

  Don't let it concern you, Peter. Oliver Lance can put the football into any player's hands. I don't care if it's Jameson or Frosty the Snowman. Lance has an arm unlike any player in the league. I say don't worry about the rookie receiver. He'll be fine. The Bandit's still have what it takes to make it to the play offs.

  John, I understand that you think Oliver Lance is like Superman. But we both know that he's been dealing with some things off of the field. From what I've heard, he's recently fired his sponsorship manager, Nikki Roberts. I guess this was the same girl he was dating? I don't know. Sounds like a lot of drama to me.

  Well, Peter, let's just hope that the drama doesn't effect his ability to play the game.

  Elsie's eyes widened and she scooted forward on her seat.

  “Hey, did they just say that Oliver Lance fired his sponsorship manager?” Elsie asked the driver.

  He nodded. “Yeah, apparently. It's weird. Two days ago they were dating and now he's fired her. Sometimes I wonder why this sort of thing makes headlines. I think the media should just leave people alone.”

  She sat back in her seat and pulled out her phone. Within seconds, she was online and trying to confirm what the sports announcers had just said. Sure enough, according to every major site that she landed on, Oliver Lance had fired Nikki. Apparently, they had had a personal disagreement that had conflicted with business.

  The announcers on the radio continued to speak and Elsie's ears perked as they began to interview a player of the team.

  We're here with Bandits running back, Logan Whitman. Logan, how do you feel about the upcoming season and today's game?

  Hey Peter. Hey John. Glad to be here. You know, I feel really good about today's game. We've been training hard and we're going to play the best we can out there. We'll give it a hundred and ten percent. Same as last season.

  Do you worry about Lance's injury at the end of last season? We know he had a couple of bumps and bruises. Do you think he's ready?

  Absolutely, he's ready. Physically and in every other way, too. To be honest, ever since he got back from his vacation, he's been happier than ever before. Ollie is a positive guy in general anyway, but this year even more so. I think that will show in the game. If your quarterback is happy, then so is everyone else.

  Elsie nearly dropped her phone onto the floor. Based on what she had just heard, Oliver had been noticeably happier since returning from his “vacation”. She couldn't be sure if that was because of her, but it definitely made her wonder. Still, though, it didn't matter. It didn't matter that he'd apparently just fired Nikki either.

  “What's done is done,” she whispered.

  “I'm sorry, ma'am. What did you say?” The driver looked into the rear view mirror again.

  “Nothing,” she said. “I was talking to myself. Do you mind turning the radio off? I'm sorry, I kind of have a headache.”

  “No problem,” he replied, turning the volume all the way down.

  The car was now quiet, so Elsie closed her eyes and tried to relax. She didn't know long she'd stayed like that, or whether or not she fell asleep. But the next thing she knew, she was awakened to the sensation of the car stopping and the sound of a crowd of people.

  Are we at the airport already? She thought, as she opened her eyes and glanced out the window.

  Elsie expected to be parked at the drop off point at the airport, but looming outside, was a building as wide as a city block. Surrounding it were people wearing jerseys and hats, just like the ones she'd seen outside of her hotel a fifteen minutes before.

  Are we seriously outside of the Bandit's stadium right now? She thought.

  “Sir, what are we doing here?” she asked, looking toward the driver. Anger flared in her stomach. “I told you that I needed to go to the airport. We need to hurry or else I'll miss my flight.”

  The young man unbuckled his safety belt and then grabbed a white envelope from the glove compartment. After that, he turned around in his seat and handed the envelope to Elsie.

  “What is this?” she asked, with a confused expression. “I don't have time for this. We need to go to the airport. Now.”

  “Please, ma'am, let me explain,” he said. “Inside of that envelope are two tickets to today's opening game.”

  “What?” she asked. “I have no clue what you're talking about.”

  “The tickets are compliments of Mr. Lance,” he explained. “He paid me to pick you up from your hotel and to surprise you with them.”

  Oliver set this up? She thought.

  Elsie opened the envelope and sure enough, there was a club-level ticket inside with a printed ticket price of over a thousand dollars. There was also another slip of paper.

  “What's this?” she asked, pulling it out.

  “That would be a first class plane ticket,” he said, pushing his sunglasses up onto his forehead. “It leaves about an hour after the game ends.”

  “Oliver Lance gave this stuff to you to give to me?” Elsie asked, shaking her head. “How is that possible? How did he know you'd be picking me up?”

  “Mr. Lance has many connections,” the driver said. “It's not difficult when you're famous, you know? He did want me to tell you one thing, though. He said, and I quote, 'Elsie, please come to my game. Even if you don't want to talk to me, you'll still get to finally watch a live football game. And also, you'll get to fly home in first class afterwards. Remember what I said? Anything for my girl'.”

  “He told you to say all that?” Elsie asked, raising her eyebrows.

  “I assure you, ma'am, I couldn't have made that up. Oliver made me repeat it to him several times to make sure that I wouldn't screw it up.”

  Elsie looked out the window once again. A line outside of the stadium was beginning to form as the crowd made their way in. The game would soon be starting.

  Wow, she thought. This is most certainly not what I was expecting.

  She sighed, glancing back toward the driver.

  “Did he say anything else?” she asked.

  “That was it,” he said. “So, what are you going to do?”

  “Why can't I just skip the game and use the first class ticket for later this afternoon?” she asked.

  The driver gently took the envelop and tickets back from her. “Unfortunately, that wasn't part of the deal. Mr. Lance specifically said to only give you the plane tickets if you attend the game.”

  That totally sounds like something he'd do, she thought with a huff.

  Elsie felt torn. For two days, her mind had been set on leaving as quickly as possible and never looking back, but this little surprise from Oliver had reminded her of the side of him that she'd grown to love over their time together.

  Maybe he cares about me more than I realized, she thought. I suppose I could at least watch the game. I don't have to talk to him at all. He'll be playing anyway. All I need to do is relax and watch a football game, root for the other team because I'm still mad at him, and then fly home in the comfort of first class.

  “Fine,” Elsie said, snatching the tickets back from the driver. “I'll go to the game. Thanks for the ride.”

  She grabbed her bags and stepped out of the car. Before she could close the door, the driver said, “Let me know if you need a ride to the airport afterward.”

  “I think I'll be okay,” she said, with a forced smile. “I do appreciate it, but I'd rather find someone who doesn't work in secret for Oliver. By the way, you're not getting a tip.”

  “Fair enough,” he said, with a chuckle. “You have a good day.”

  “You too.” Elsie closed the door and then got in line.

  As Elsie made her way toward the box seats, she expected a number of things. She expected to watch a football game, to see Oliver playing, to get mad about what Oliver had done to her and maybe have a few drinks because of it. She was also pretty certain that she'd leave immediately after the game was over and get on that plane and head back home, where she belonged.

  But when she stepped in
to the club seating, everything that she had been expecting flew straight out of the window as fast as Oliver could throw a football. Elsie stopped in the doorway of the room that overlooked the field and felt her knees turn to jello.

  “Mom? Dad? Uncle Frank? Sis?” she asked, using the door frame to hold herself up as she looked around the room to see familiar faces that she wasn't expecting. “What are you all doing here?”

  They turned to look and her mom jumped up out of her seat in excitement.

  “Elsie! There you are! We thought you were going to miss kick off,” her mom squealed, running over to get a hug. “Isn't this amazing? Check out how good of a view we have of the field!”

  Elsie must have looked like she'd seen a ghost. As her mom pulled her in for a hug, Elsie glanced around the club seats, which were filled only with people she knew. In addition to her uncle and her parents, both of her sisters and all of her nieces and nephews were there. The kids ran over and hugged her legs.

  “Aunt Elsie!” they squealed in unison.

  “What is happening right now?” Elsie asked her mom. “I'm so confused.”

  Her mother pulled away and looked her in the eyes, unable to contain her excitement. “Your boyfriend, Oliver, flew us out here. He paid for everything, including airfare and our hotel. We haven't officially met him yet, but we did talk on the phone. I'd say you found yourself a keeper, Elsie.”

  Elsie took a few breaths, letting the surroundings soak in. “Oh.”

  Ollie did this? She thought. For my family and me? Okay, this is a whole new level of kissing butt to get out of the dog house.

  “Come on, honey,” her mom said, leading her toward the seats. “Everyone is here. Oliver said this was supposed to be a surprise for you. You have no idea how hard it was not to call you!”

  Elsie approached her uncle, giving him a hug.

  “Uncle Frank, how are you?” she asked, taking a seat next to him.

  “I'm doing well, all things considered. My surgery is in a couple of days, but I'm feeling good about it now.” He cleared his throat. “I'm happy to be here, though. The weather is perfect. It'll be a nice little vacation before surgery. You okay?”

  “I'm in shock right now,” she replied. “I had no idea Oliver was going to do this.”

  “He's a very nice guy,” Frank said. “I see now why you like him so much.”

  Elsie parted her lips to tell him that she didn't actually like Oliver any more and that she wasn't even dating him, but decided against it. Her family was around her and they were as happy as could be. There was no point in ruining the beautiful moment by telling them the news about their breakup. To say she was surprised would have been an understatement. It almost felt like she'd walked into an episode of the Twilight Zone.

  Is it possible that Oliver is actually as good of a man as I thought he was initially? She asked herself. Was I the one in the wrong by not letting him explain himself and that picture of he and Nikki?

  These kind of questions flooded her mind and were only interrupted when the stadium began to cheer. She got up and looked out of the Plexiglas to the perfect view of the field. The Bandit's players jogged out onto the grass and the crowd went insane. Leading the group, was Oliver. He had his helmet tucked under his arm and his blonde hair bounced over his forehead as he ran.

  Even from way up in the club seats, Elsie could see his smile. Her heart reached for him. It was strange and confusing. A few minutes before she had hated the guy and now, after seeing what he'd done for her and her family, she began to love him again. It was an uncomfortable and odd combination of emotions.

  I can't cry here, she thought. Not in front of my family. For all they know, everything between Ollie and I is going really well.

  She breathed in and exhaled slowly, releasing her tension. When she glanced to her side, she saw that her two nephews had their faces pressed against the glass. They were watching with wide eyes and admiration. The two little league players were seeing their first real game and from the best seats in the entire stadium.

  “Are you guys excited?” Elsie asked them.

  They both looked over and nodded eagerly. The youngest one spoke up. “This is so awesome, Aunt Elsie!”

  “Who do you think is going to win?” Elsie asked.

  He shrugged. “The Bandits, of course. Nobody can beat Oliver Lance.”

  She couldn't help but to smile in response. The kid was probably right. Nobody could beat the great Oliver Lance. When Elsie looked back out toward the field, she saw a young man in a suit step out onto the grass to begin singing the national anthem.

  Ollie was standing on the sidelines with his team, holding his helmet over his heart. He kept his head down for most of the song, except the part when the girl began to sing “...and the rocket's red glare.” It was then that he glanced up toward the club seats, or at least that was where he appeared to be looking. It was difficult to tell, because he was quite a distance away, but Elsie thought she could feel his gaze. She took a step back from the glass and resumed her seat next to her uncle.

  I don't want him to know I'm here, she thought. I'm still mad at him.

  “Everything okay, Elsie?” Uncle Frank asked, patting her knee.

  “Yeah, Uncle Frank. Everything is fine. I'm just still getting over the shock of this,” she said. “Who are you rooting for?”

  “You know the Bandit's aren't exactly my team, but I'm rooting for them because if it wasn't for Oliver, I wouldn't be sitting here right now,” he said, with a smile.

  “Fair enough.” Elsie smiled back. It was nice to see her uncle happy. “They do have a pretty good quarterback. From what I hear anyway.”

  Frank laughed and pulled her in for a one-armed hug. “It's nice to see you again, Elsie. I missed you. I know you've only been gone for a few days but it has been strange not having you around.”

  “I missed you, too, Uncle Frank,” she said, with a sigh.

  “Aunt Elsie! Aunt Elsie! The game is starting!” Her nephews squealed. “They're about to kick off!”

  I guess it's time to find out how well his recovery actually went by how well he plays today, she thought, bringing her attention forward. And time for me to figure out what the hell I'm going to do about my relationship with him.

  Chapter 26

  Elsie

  Although Elsie had made the decision to cheer for the other team, she couldn't stick to it for very long. Her family had instantly become Bandit's biggest fans and the entire room became a riot of celebration with every completed pass that Oliver threw. By the time the second half had started, Elsie was cheering right along with them, rooting for Ollie and his team.

  He was playing well, besides the fact that he did seem kind of nervous. Even the commentators had taken notice of it. They'd said several times that he appeared to be distracted and they'd caught him looking up toward the box seats on more than one occasion.

  Is he looking for me? She'd asked herself each time they mentioned it. He must be, right?

  The game clock continued on and by the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, it was clear that the Bandit's were going to win. With a fourteen point lead, they weren't going to be caught. As the game drew to a close, Elsie was forced to make a decision. She could either head back to Iowa or she could stay there and give Oliver a chance to explain himself.

  I'm so torn, she thought wishing that the big clock on the screen would just stop counting down.

  Her family and everyone in the stadium in the stadium but her cheered as the game clock went to zero. Ollie had just won the first game of the season, and the first game since his accident. Elsie's nephews ran up to her, each one wrapping their arms around one of her legs.

  “They won, Aunt Elsie!” they squealed. “Told you Oliver couldn't be beat.”

  “Yeah, you were right.” She ruffled up their hair, chuckling to herself. “I guess he's pretty good, isn't he?”

  The door to the club seating opened up behind her and she glanced back to
see a man in a black suit. He was wearing a white dress shirt with a narrow blue tie.

  “Good afternoon, everyone,” he said, after clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. “I hope you all enjoyed the game. I work for the Bandit's. Oliver Lance has invited all of you down to the locker room for a tour. If you'd please follow me.”

  Elsie froze. This was the moment of truth. This was where she had to make her decision.

  “Come on, Aunt Elsie,” her youngest nephew said, tugging on her hand as he attempted to drag her toward the door. “We get to meet the team!”

  It seems my decision has just been made, she thought, automatically following her nephew.

  Elsie glanced back to the rest of her family. “Are you guys coming?”

  Her mom's eyes lit up and she nodded her head. “Of course we are! We need to meet this boyfriend of yours!”

  Elsie sighed, forcing her lips to curl into a smile. “Okay. Let's do it.”

  The group followed the suited man out of the door. As they made their way downstairs toward the locker room, Elsie became nervous but also excited. She found herself actually looking forward to seeing Oliver again after all he had done for her and her family that day.

  At the very least, maybe I can thank him for all of this before I go home, she thought, justifying it to herself.

  “Alright, everyone, we're here,” the man said, as he held open the door of the locker room. “The players are just getting off of the field, so give them a little space. Oliver is in there and waiting for you guys. He'll show you around.”

  Elsie and her family stepped into the locker room, led by her nephews. She hadn't seen those two boys so excited in their entire lives. Even on Christmas mornings, their smiles were never as wide as when they walked into a room full of their heroes.

  They passed through a group of football players, who all stood at least a foot and a half taller than Elsie. They were still wearing their pads, too, which made them seem even larger. Her heart was beating in her chest as she scanned the room for Oliver.