by B. B. Hamel
Sunday afternoon. The sun was shining and the weather was gorgeous as the team stepped onto our home field. I wasn’t dressed to play, so I was stuck over on the sidelines with the coaches and the support staff.
I hated being benched. I knew it was only to let my knee heal, but I still couldn’t stand it. I watched Kennings warm up, and he looked pretty good. He had never been a starter and had bounced around between teams for years, but he was a solid performer. He wasn’t a young guy anymore, though.
Still, guys had breakout years all the time. All they needed was one opportunity and one good game to really get out there and do something. Just because he’d never done it before didn’t mean he wasn’t going to make something happen now.
And there I was on the sidelines, totally helpless. It was an awful fucking feeling. My career was at stake, and a lot of money was riding on my team’s performance, and I was as useful as any other asshole sitting in the stands and getting wasted.
The team took the field for the first drive, having opted to receive the ball first. They pushed down the field, with Kennings taking a few decent runs, and ended up kicking a long field goal.
The rest of the first quarter was surprisingly boring. I had thought it was going to be a blowout for us, but the Browns were putting up a fight. Kennings was running okay, not great, and although that made me feel safe in my job, it made me worry about my fucking money.
In the second quarter, Kennings broke out a big run. It was a delayed handoff from shotgun, and he managed to pick his way between the defenders to run for thirty yards. That play put my team in position to score on a quick slant passing play over the middle.
Halftime rolled around, and we headed into the locker room winning ten to nothing. Coach gave some speech about playing tight on defense, about finishing tackles, and about winning close games, but I wasn’t listening.
I was too busy imagining what would happen if Kennings came out and broke a few more big runs.
Maybe I was being selfish. Maybe I should have just been excited for my team to win.
But fuck that. This was my job. If I lost my spot, I may never regain it again.
The team cleared out of the locker room, and I found myself alone. I could hear the roar of the crowd as I leaned back against a locker, staring up at the ceiling. I didn’t want to go back out there, but I knew I couldn’t just hide like a fucking baby.
“Hey.”
I looked up. “Hey.”
Taylor smiled at me. “Can I sit?”
“Sure.”
She sat down next to me. “I bet this is hard.”
“Yeah.”
“Not fun watching someone else do your job.”
“No, it’s not.”
“He sucks, though.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “He’s playing fine.”
“No, he’s not. He hasn’t broken a single tackle all game. That one lucky run aside, he’s basically grinding for three yards per carry. His stats aren’t good.”
“That’s a good point.”
“He doesn’t look like you do on the field, either.”
“What do you mean?”
“You just look . . .” She trailed off, trying to find the words.
“Handsome? Sexy?”
“In control.”
“I’d prefer handsome, but I’ll take that.”
“Kennings looks like a lost little kid trying his best. You look like you belong on that field.”
I nodded at her. “Thanks.”
“I mean it. I’m not just saying it because, you know.”
“I know what?”
“Because we’re doing whatever it is we’re doing.”
I laughed again, shaking my head. “What are we doing, Taylor?”
“I don’t know.”
“One second you want me to take you, and the next you’re holding me at a distance.”
She looked away. “I’m just scared.”
“I know you are. But what are you scared of?”
“The mafia.”
“I don’t think that’s it.”
She stood up. “No? So it’s totally unreasonable for me to be afraid of the mafia?”
“I didn’t say that. I just don’t think the mafia is the real issue.”
“Go ahead and tell me then, Owen, since you know me so well.”
“Okay.” I stood up and stepped toward her. “I think you’re afraid of me.”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“I think you are. Or maybe you’re afraid of yourself when you’re around me. I’m not sure there’s a difference.”
“You think I’m out of control around you?”
“You think that.”
“No. You’re so damn arrogant.”
“Maybe, but I’m right.”
“Listen to me, Owen,” Taylor said, looking back at me angrily. “You don’t know everything. Things between us are so messed up.”
“So why are you here then?”
“Because . . .” She shook her head. “I don’t even know.”
“Because you can’t help yourself. You want to be around me.”
“Asshole.”
I stood up and walked toward her. She looked away, and I could tell she was nearly shaking with rage.
Or maybe it was desire. I couldn’t tell the difference when it came to her.
“There’s something about me that you want. We both feel it.”
“We should get back out there.”
“Maybe. Admit that you can’t stay away.”
She looked at me and sighed. “Fine. Will that make you stop?”
“No, but it’ll help.”
She cracked a small smile. “Come on, asshole.”
I smiled as I followed her back down the long hall and out onto the field. The next half hadn’t started yet, but it was coming. We headed over to the sideline, and she went to rejoin the training staff. She gave me a quick nod as I stood next to the running back coach.
I felt like I understood her, but she was constantly changing her mind. One second I had her, and the next she was drifting away. I knew things wouldn’t be this complicated if we didn’t work together and if she had never found out about the mafia, but there was no changing reality. This was the situation we were in, and we needed to figure it out.
As I stood there and watched the second half kickoff, I knew that I was going to make it work. Maybe she was going to keep running from me, but I’d catch her eventually. It helped that she was drawn to me and couldn’t stop herself, even when she wanted to.
The second half started a lot like the first one. We stopped the Browns on four plays, and then we got the ball back. We slowly drove down the field and made it within twenty yards of the end zone.
It was a routine play. The QB was under center and Kennings was lined up behind him. The QB took the snap, dropped back, and handed it off to Kennings.
But something went wrong. Kennings didn’t get a good hold of the ball for whatever reason, and when the defensive linebacker burst through the line and tackled Kennings hard, he knocked the ball free.
For a short moment, anyone could have gotten it. Guys scrambled for the ball, trying to grab it. But in the end, one of the defensive lineman for the Browns fell on it, and it was officially ruled a turnover.
Kennings had fumbled the ball in the red zone. We were still winning ten to nothing, but we had just missed out on a huge opportunity.
I looked over at him as he came over to the sidelines. He looked pissed, angrier than I’d ever seen him. Part of me was rejoicing in this moment, but I knew I had to do something.
I pushed through the crowd of guys and grabbed onto his shoulder pads. “Kennings,” I said.
“What, Owen?”
“Don’t be a fucking pussy, man.”
“What?” He seemed shocked.
“Use this anger. You’re running hard. Run fucking harder. Get back on that field and make those fucking pussies pay for what they did.”
He stared at me for a second and then nodded. “Thanks.”
I slapped his helmet and then walked off.
In a lot of ways, Kennings was my competition, but I couldn’t let him lose this game. Even if I hadn’t had money on it, I would have given him a pep talk. He needed it, and I knew it would have more weight coming from someone who didn’t really want him to succeed.
As I got back in my spot on the sidelines, I knew that the game was still hanging in the balance. Anything could happen, and it could go either way.
I looked back toward the stands, and for a second, I could have sworn I saw Tony standing there, grinning at me. My heart started beating hard, and I had the urge to climb up there and beat the fuck out of him.
But it wasn’t him. It was just some drunk fan who looked like him.
I turned back toward the field, my stomach a knotted mess.
25
Taylor
I could feel the palpable energy of the crowd behind me as the next half progressed. I could feel the crowd’s energy, and it reminded me of why I loved the game.
There was something magical about so many people packed together to watch a sport. It was almost beautiful in its frenzy of motion and excitement. I could smell the turf and practically taste the grass and the wind as I stood down on the sidelines.
The Eagles were poised to score. It seemed like nothing could stop them as they drove down the field and ended up in the red zone, on the cusp of putting it away.
And when Kennings fumbled, it felt like something was sucked out of the stadium. The crowd was deflated, shocked, and angry. It was hard not to feel the same way as thousands of people shouted angry insults down at Kennings as he came off the field.
I glanced over at Owen, and I knew he was probably happy with that outcome. He wanted the team to win, but he wanted Kennings to play lousy. That was the only way he could guarantee that his starting spot was still waiting for him.
But as Kennings came off the field, I saw something change in Owen. He didn’t look happy or like he was gloating. Instead, he walked right over to Kennings, got in his face, and gave him a pep talk.
I couldn’t believe it.
Owen could have ignored him. If he had just done nothing, nobody would have batted an eye or thought about it for a second. But instead, he went over there and tried to do something to help the guy. I didn’t hear exactly what he said, of course, but I could tell that he was intense. And afterward, Kennings looked more sure of himself.
I shook my head, amazed. Owen kept surprising me over and over again. I thought he would just do what anyone else would do, and that was step aside and let things play out. He had no reason to get involved.
Instead, he did something better. He tried to help his teammate when he didn’t have to. He had no reason to try to get Kennings going, but he did it anyway, and that was so impressive.
It said a lot about Owen as a man. You could tell a lot about a person based on what they did when they didn’t have to do anything, and in this instance, Owen did a good thing that benefitted his team but didn’t directly benefit him.
He was willing to sacrifice. I felt something inside myself, and I smiled.
Out on the field, the Eagles defense played well. They forced a three-and-out, and the offense was back on the field. I caught Owen giving Kennings a little nod as he headed back into the huddle.
I had to admit that I was a little nervous as the playing progressed. Kennings touched the ball less as they drove down the field, and the passing game wasn’t doing that well.
They made it to about midfield, and Coach decided to call a running play. It was another delayed handoff in shotgun, and Kennings burst up through the middle.
He broke a tackle, and then he was off. He blew past the safety, and the crowd went insane as they realized what was happening.
Kennings scored. It came out of nowhere, but he broke out an absolutely enormous run, showing off his impressive speed. The sideline was going crazy, and I couldn’t help but notice that Owen was smiling, but he wasn’t cheering.
As Kennings came off the field, Owens congratulated him. I could see the worry in his eyes, but I wasn’t sure anyone else could or would even understand. They were still losing, and people might misinterpret his feelings.
But I knew better. He was worried that Coach had seen what had just happened and would give Kennings another shot.
The Eagles defense got back onto the field. I was barely paying attention when, on the very first play, our linebacker burst through the defensive line and tackled the QB, forcing the ball onto the ground. One of the linemen jumped on it, and the stadium went insane.
After that turnover, the game was all but over. The Eagles drove down the field thanks to some decent running from Kennings and scored again. They forced another turnover, scored a field goal, and won the game with seconds to spare.
The stadium was going mad as the team jogged off the field and headed into the locker room. The guys were excited, and everyone was celebrating. It was a huge win against one of the better teams in the league, and nobody had thought it was going to happen.
It was all because of Kennings. Because of that huge run, the momentum of the game completely shifted and he was able to turn things around. With just one run, he had saved the team from certain defeat.
I stuck with the other training staff as we began to help the guys cool down, but I was thinking about Owen the whole time. I was sure he was pretty torn up about this, and I wanted to see how he was doing, but I was busy with the other guys.
The place cleared out after an hour, with most of the guys either heading home or heading out to party. The guys who played the whole time were probably just going right to sleep, because it took a person’s body a few days to recover from a real professional football game.
I found Owen sitting by his locker, staring up at the ceiling.
“I figured you’d still be here,” I said.
He nodded. “Don’t feel like going home and don’t feel like celebrating.”
“We won.”
“Yeah, we did.”
“I think you’re partially to blame for that.”
He laughed. “I was standing on the sideline the whole time.”
“You inspired Kennings,” I said. “It was after your little pep talk that he broke out that big run.”
He shook his head. “No way that helped. It was just coincidence.”
“It wasn’t. He needed to hear something in that moment, and whatever you said was perfect.”
“Doesn’t matter. He played good either way.”
“Not that good.”
He grinned at me. “So did you come over here to give me a little post-game rub down?”
“No,” I said, smiling despite myself. “I came over to make sure you weren’t upset.”
“I’m fine.” He shrugged again. “Nothing I can do but heal.”
“That’s true. How’s it feel, by the way?”
“I’d say I’m seventy percent right now.”
“That’s better than we thought you’d be.”
“Damn right. It’s hard to hold me back.”
“You’ll be practicing on Wednesday, and you’ll have your starting spot back. You’ll see.”
He gave me a look for a second and then smiled and stood up. “Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
He just started walking and didn’t say a word. We headed down a side hall and past the training room. He finally stopped at an unmarked door.
“What’s this?”
He pushed it open and pulled me inside.
It was the janitor’s closet.
He smirked at me. I shook my head. “Why are we here?”
He pulled me against him. “You know why.”
“We can’t. People are still here.”
He turned the lock and it clicked shut. “Now quit complaining.”
I gave in to his kiss instantly. I wasn’t going to f
ight back, knew I couldn’t fight back. It was the same thing every time. As soon as his lips touched mine, I knew I was completely done for.
He kissed me and pushed me up against the back wall. He kissed me hard, furious and intense, and I felt his hands wander along my body. Shivers ran down my spine as he lifted my shirt in the front, caressing my stomach before slowly sliding down beneath my panties.
I felt him smirk against my neck. “Wet,” he said. “Soaking wet.”
“Owen,” I gasped as he began to slowly rub my clit in maddening circles. “We shouldn’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“This. We’ll get caught.”
“Good. I want them to see.”
I moaned as he pressed his fingers inside me. Desire was ringing through me like a bell, clear and insistent.
He began to slide his fingers deep into my sex, sliding them in and out of my soaking pussy, rolling around my clit, and then pushing back in again. He kissed my neck and my lips, his strong, huge body pinning me back against the wall.
He pulled his hand back out and quickly yanked my pants down around my ankles, dropping to his knees in front of me. He pulled my panties down and began to lick my pussy ravenously, like a starving man.
I let out soft moans, and he reached upward, his hand finding my mouth. He pressed his palm against my lips, quieting my moans as he kept licking my pussy. He was so much bigger than me and in total control, and I couldn’t believe how incredible it felt as he sucked and licked at my pussy. His tongue pressed inside me, rolling in sweet circles and then sliding back out.
I wrapped my fingers through his hair, biting down onto his fingers as he worked me with his mouth. I rolled my hips, getting every inch of him against my pussy, feeling his tongue against my clit. Pleasure rocketed through me, filling my every inch. His hand pressed harder against my mouth, pushing me back, and I groaned. I loved feeling him working him and holding me, controlling me, dominating me.
He stood up and pinned me against the wall, his fingers sliding along my slick pussy. His hand over my mouth slid down to tip my chin back as he fucked my pussy with his fingers, being rough.