Romance: Seducing The Quarterback

by Stacie Duncan

“Guys, guys, guys,” she said to them in her excited state, “Boss needs one of you to write up this story, ASAP! Mike Ferguson has just landed in town and has been seen leaving his plane with Sandra Shaw!”

  “What do you mean?” Megan said at once and snatched the pictures from the intern’s hands. And there it was.

  Sandra Shaw was a popular actress and a solid ten on the hotness scale. Megan looked at the pictures in front of her and saw that Mike had her arms draped around the model as she laughed at something he had said. She felt a stab of hurt.

  “So?” the intern nudged her, bringing her back to reality.

  “Huh?” Megan replied. She had completely missed what the intern had said to her just now.

  “I said, so which one of you is willing to do it?” she asked and expectantly looked between the two of them.

  But Megan was already done with this topic – she wanted no more to think about Mike, much less write up an article speculating about his love life.

  “Annie can have this one,” she said, “I need to go home,” and abruptly left the room.

  * * * *

  Megan felt like she was going around in circles as she incessantly clicked refresh on any new update on the story. She had returned back home and was now mounted in bed in a sad state of blankets and ice cream. It was true – all the gossip tabloids had posted about it. Apparently, on his tour to Canada, Mike had met the actress and they had instantly hit it off. Some sites were even close to suggesting that it was like love at first sight.

  Megan had read through all of the articles and they only thing they managed to do was make her feel bad about the entire scenario.

  She felt stupid - for here she was, waiting on him and wanting him to text her while he had forgotten about her already. He had already moved on to the next arm candy and she was an insignificant part of his life. The thought made her sad and it made her feel foolish.

  Why was it, even though she had grown up now to what she thought was a sensible woman, a boy still had the ability to render her feeling like a foolish teenager?

  “Snap out of it,” she told herself as she suddenly sat up in her bed, “I need to get out of this funk!” she frustratedly exclaimed out loud, even though there was no one in the room apart from her.

  She threw the blanket she had been snuggling in on the floor in front of her and decided that it was effectively time to end her pity party once and for all. Picking up her cellphone that she had thrown on the floor, she decided to call up Annie.

  Three little monotonous rings later, Annie picked up.

  “Annie,” Megan breathed out to her friend, “Is your offer for getting drinks tonight still on?”

  Annie giggled from the other side of the line, “You bet it is. Get your ass here right now.” And then she gave her an address.

  * * * *

  Megan had learned two important survival skills in college. She knew that whenever she was feeling down in the dumps, she had two very effective remedies to cure her from her ails. One was to dress up nicely – do something with her hair and apply her makeup well so that she started to look like a much hotter version of her real life self. And the second remedy was to head out and party, whilst still looking like the hotter version of herself.

  That was what she had planned on doing tonight. She glanced at herself one last time in her compact mirror before heading into the venue where the party was being held. The music was booming loud but the attendance of people was not that much since the party was being held at a private domicile.

  She spotted Annie right now.

  Annie wolf whistled as Megan walked over to her, “Look at you! You look stunning,” she gushed, “I honestly thought you were not going to come out tonight. What happened to your mysterious lover boy?”

  Megan did not want to think about Mike right now – getting him off her mind was precisely the reason she had decided to come out tonight. “There is no lover boy,” she said dismissively, “Where are the cute boys at?”

  Annie grinned, “That’s my girl.”

  Megan was well aware of the looks she had been drawing from the men around her. She scanned their faces but none of them really quite caught her eye until she noticed this cute boy looking at her from the side of the room.

  “Hey there,” she went over to him, “What’s your name?” She was feeling exceptionally bold tonight in her interactions and did not let her anxiety get the best of her.

  “Regan,” he replied back. Megan noticed he was a little shy but right now, she did not care about that or anything. She just wanted a companion and he seemed cute enough.

  “So, Regan,” she said, moving in closer to him, “Want to get out of here?”

  Regan looked like he had just won the lottery as he eyed her up and down and then nodded eagerly. “Yes.”

  Megan smirked and took him by the hand. They walked over to one corner of the room and then, they were making out. But even as they did so, Megan felt weird. His kisses were too sloppy and his grip on her was too rough. Halfway through, she started to realize that this was not a good idea but all her thoughts went flying out the window as he suddenly put his lips against her neck – the sensation felt amazing.

  “Whoa, that feels so good,” she said out loud, “Don’t stop, Mike.”

  Suddenly, he stopped and the both of them realized what she had just said.

  She had just called him using Mike’s name.

  A blush immediately covered her cheeks as she slapped a hand against her lips, “I’m so sorry,” she said apologetically, “I think – I think I need to go.”

  And with that said, she made a beeline towards the door. That was a disaster – when had this person become so important to her that she was saying his name when she should be out there enjoying herself with other people?

  With dread and horror, Megan realized that it was going to take a lot more than a night out to get Mike Ferguson out of her mind.

  Chapter 7

  Megan did not get the best night’s sleep and she was predictably cranky when she woke up in the morning. Her phone buzzed from underneath her pillow and she groggily pulled it out and strained her eyes to read the text message on the screen.

  Mike: I need to see you.

  Meet me.

  I am back in town.

  ;)

  Megan reread the series of text message a myriad of times and almost typed up a reply before she had to physically stop herself from doing so. What was she doing? This guy had gone MIA on her for a week and now that he was back in town, he just conveniently wanted to meet her? She had to remind herself that this was exactly what she had been wanting for the past couple of days but the revelation she had gotten last night had changed everything.

  She threw her phone to one side and decided not to respond. For she had more important things to worry about than a boy who kept giving her mixed signals. After all, what did he want from her now anyway? Hadn’t he moved on with another girl?

  It was a Sunday afternoon and Megan decided to keep herself busy so no intrusive thoughts about Mike bugged her. It was a sunny day and while she wanted to go out, she did not think it would be a good idea to do so. She needed time to recuperate and do it alone.

  So she decided to do the next best thing. She popped on her earphones, blasted her music at full volume and hit the gym in her apartment building. She needed that exercise session – all her pent up frustrations about Mike needed to be released somehow.

  By the time she was done, it was now several hours later and she was feeling much better. She realized that she had left her phone and decided to check. Mike had messaged her again.

  Where are you?

  Are you busy?

  Can I call you.

  Megan was surprised at his eagerness but she knew not to be a fool enough to be happy about it. Knowing Mike, he would treat her amazing one day and then disappear for days on end without any communication. And frankly, she just did not need that sort of vibe in her life at the moment. She d
ecided to respond.

  Megan: I am busy. Cannot meet. Please leave me alone.

  She reread the text several times before finally pressing send. She knew that it came off as a bit rude but she did not care. Perhaps it would make him not text her at all and perhaps that would be the end of it. It made her a little sad to see them end things like that but she had to remind herself that this is the smart thing to do.

  His reply came through almost instantly.

  Mike: whoa are you mad about something?

  Megan pursed her lips. Was he really that delusional that he had to ask her that question?

  Megan: That part should be obvious. Anyway, can’t talk. Gtg.

  She knew that she was being dismissive of him but quite frankly, this was just her way of releasing her pent up anger and hurt.

  Mike opened up her text message from the other side of the city and stared at it blankly. He had thought things were going good with this girl and so it baffled him to see that her responses were so cold. He was not used to this – usually, women plated themselves up for him and he got them without minimum effort but this time, she was showing so much resistance.

  They had such a good time the last time they saw each other, Mike was left confused as to what might have went wrong.

  And then it hit him. He knew that he had to go see her as soon as possible.

  * * * *

  The door to Megan’s apartment rang. She had been sitting in front of the TV watching a movie that she was not really interested in.

  “Who is it?” she called out before she could look through the peephole.

  “It’s Mike,” the voice answered back, “Open the door.”

  Megan’s heartbeat accelerated at once and her thoughts went scattering all over the place. What was he doing here? He was not supposed to be here. Hadn’t she just told him off, so what business did he have showing up at her door like that?

  Still, she decided to open the door anyway. “What are you doing here?” she asked him. She decided she would keep firm in her interactions with him and not be charmed into his ways again. But as he stood before her, she felt herself swooning a little. She had forgot how handsome he was.

  You were mad at me,” he said and walked inside without being invited, “I came here to fix it.”

  Megan huffed, “Well – I ever said that I was mad at you.”

  “But you are,” he said bluntly, “Now can we please talk about it? I wasn’t done vibing with you yet.”

  That part made Megan a little angry and she walked over to him, “Oh really? Cause it sure does not seem like it.”

  “What do you even mean?” he asked, looking confused but Megan saw it all as an act.

  “Do you forget what I do for a living? I am a sports journalist – and as a sports journalist, I have information about who you have been spending time with,” she admitted with her hands still crossed out in front of her chest.

  “Oh god,” Mike replied, “You actually believed that? Is that why you’re mad?”

  Megan was confused by his reaction. She expected an apology at best but did not expect him to turn on her instead. “What do you mean?”

  Mike shook his head, laughing now, “There’s this thing called PR and sometimes, I have to make appearances for that.”

  Megan raised an eyebrow, “What are you implying?”

  “Sandra – that’s what you’re mad about right?” he asked her, point blank and she nodded. “Yeah, no – she has a movie coming out so my PR team had me hang out with her for the paparazzi. All publicity is good publicity and all that jazz. I wasn’t going around with other girls.”

  Megan felt relieved to hear the words from his mouth and felt her anger towards him dissipate but she was did not want to be played. “Why should I believe you?”

  Suddenly, Mike moved in closer to her, “Because you were the one I was thinking about the entire time I was away. It’s bizarre but you were on my mind,” he said and she felt his cool breath fan over the side of her face.

  She knew that she had to be strong and not be lured in by his charm but that was getting increasingly hard the closer he got to her. “If that was the case, why did you not bother texting or calling?”

  He sat up, “It tends to get really busy when I am away. Plus I did not want to come off as a creep to you,” he said, “but believe me, I missed you.”

  Megan felt herself melt against his words. Right now, she did not care if he was telling the truth or not. All she cared about was him and how much she wanted to be with him. Her resolve had effectively crumbled.

  “I missed you, too,” she said, turning around and connecting her lips against his. His response was immediate as he immersed himself in her and deepened the kiss. The first two times they had been together like this, it had been slow but right now, the desperation that they were displaying, it was bound to be anything but slow.

  Her hands started to work at the top of his shirt, fumbling with the buttons to finally pulled it over him. He obliged and got to work on her as soon as his shirt hit the floor. Soon, they were both devoid of all clothing and making out fiercely, with Megan having wrapped her legs around Mike’s waist.

  “I had been thinking about this all week,” Mike whispered in her ear as he carried her over to her bed. He put her down and then collapsed on top of her.

  “You drive me wild,” he said to her.

  “Hurry up,” she whimpered. Her patience had run out and she was not sure if she could wait any longer. He nodded. Within moments, he had slipped inside of her and gotten to work. She closed her eyes. She felt like she could be with him like this forever.

  Chapter 8

  Mike was in town for the next few days and the two of them met almost regularly. It was a case of constant contact – for if they were not together with each other, they were probably texting or on the phone. It was a whirlwind that was moving entirely too fast for Megan but she was enjoying every minute of it.

  It was difficult being in a scenario like this with a well-known face. They had to be secretive, or else the news of their hooking up would be front page headlines tomorrow. But so far, they had managed to keep it under wraps and not even Annie was fully aware of the scenario.

  Megan walked into her office. It was another work day and Megan wanted to get it over with as soon as she could. Mike had invited her over tonight – he wanted to cook her some dinner and Megan could hardly wait. She had only experienced the joy of eating his cooking the first morning when he had made her breakfast and she had been curious to try more ever since.

  “Megan,” Annie told her before she could reach her cubicle, “I do not want to spoil the surprise but girl, oh my god.”

  Megan crinkled her nose at her, “What are you on about?” she asked the blonde.

  Annie just giggled and clapped her hands together. “I think you should go to your cubicle right now.”

  Megan was confused why Annie was being so excited so early in the morning but she nodded anyway. However, she had not been expecting to see what was in front of her as she walked in. A gasp escaped her lips.

  Her entire cubicle had been decked out with flowers – red and pink, her favorite colors. She walked over and saw that a note had been left for her on her desk.

  So your workspace could look just as lovely as you are.

  Megan read the note and felt her heart swoon.

  “Is this from that same mysterious lover man?” Annie nudged her, still grinning. Megan thought it was cute that she was getting so excited about something that did not even affect her.

  Megan nodded, not disclosing any names even though she was sure Annie was dying to know the identity of the person who sent the flowers. “Yeah, the same guy.”

  Megan felt a burst of emotions – she typed up a text message to thank him but also found herself sitting by the edge of her desk, with one of the flowers in her hands.

  The two of them had not sat down to talk about what exactly their relationship was but Megan suddenly
started seeing potential. He was an amazing guy that kept her so happy – could they ever work out as a couple? She smiled at the thought and then looked at the flowers again – she felt incredibly lucky.

  Chapter 9

  Megan sat on Mike’s apartment floor – she had a bowl of food in her hands as they sat together in front of the TV.

  “I actually love your cooking so much,” she remarked as she took another mouthful, “Please – can you not stop cooking for me, ever?”

  Mike chuckled, “I’ll try.”

  They had been spending a lot of time together lately and this had become somewhat of a routine for them. Megan had definitely gotten to know him a lot better now and she felt herself falling for him.

  “Anyway, one of the reason I invited you over today was because I wanted to tell you something,” he said to her, suddenly getting serious.

  She raised an eyebrow up at him, “What is it?” A myriad of possibilities started to run through her mind – she always assumed the worst when someone said something like this to her and this time was no exception.

  “Hey, you don’t need to look so bummed – I am not leaving you,” he laughed and then turned serious, “but I need to go away to Florida for a few days.”

  Megan felt her face fall immediately. She could not help it – for she remembered what had happened the last time that he had gone away. She could not help herself but think that the same would happen this time around.

  “Oh,” she let out and it came out sounding a lot sadder than she had expected. But Mike was at her side at once, grasping both of her hands in his.

  “Hey, no, don’t be so sad about it. I actually had to ask you something as well,” he said, carefully studying her expressions.

  “What is it?” she replied.

  “Well I know this is sort of sudden but, would you like to come along?” he asked and eagerly waited for her answer.

  Megan was taken aback. Of course, this was too soon for her. But somehow, she could not refuse. “Of course!” she replied.