Hook Up (A Bad Boy Sports Romance)

by Bella Love-Wins

  I wished Jo could have been here to see it all come together.

  She was the only one missing today.

  My father had pulled out all the stops and flew my whole family out early this morning to see me play. I was so proud to see them up in the stands. They were all wearing my team colors, right down to Chandler in his fleece game day pants set. Pat made it possible for me to make them out in the massive crowd where everyone else seemed to meld together. He was seated in their row with his girls on one side, and my family on the other. I shook my head. Only Pat would do something that crazy.

  The kid was in his all-white three-piece suite, no less, and flying a ridiculously large Texas flag that blocked out half the row when he raised it. It was a good thing the kid could hold his own in the stands. Pat must have had the thing custom made. The white section at the top right-hand side read ‘Don’t Mess with Texas Cornerback Chris’. I was so flattered, right up until he lowered it and raised an identically large Louisiana flag which read ‘Go Tre! Bayou Running Back Pride.’ I reckoned he had a flag done up for each player on our team. That made me smile.

  The announcer got the game underway, and soon we kicked off. As a cornerback, my eyes were honed in on defending against each pass offense and tackling the hell out of our opponents’ defensive line. I had to be quick, strong, flexible and ready for anything. Anticipating Slade was my biggest job, but we had executed so many plays together over our college career, we worked as a unit. He could tilt his head a certain way and I’d know whether he wanted me to disrupt a pass route, execute a block shedding move or cover a different zone. Today was no different. We had a game to win. Nothing would stop each and every one of us from pulling our weight.

  Our opponents were just as ready for us, and had us fighting for every inch we gained on them. We would score, then they would inch up past us, and that would get us hungry to get back in the lead all over again. That’s how it went all the way through. The defense was solid on both sides. That meant we had to dig deep if we wanted to ensure the final score was in our favor.

  The second half was tight. Slade was playing hard, but our opponents were gunning for him. He got sacked three times in a matter of minutes. Damn, it was brutal to watch these massive meatheads pancake him over and over again. We got way too close to the end of the game with the opposing team in the lead. To win, the only chance we had was to make the touchdown plus get an extra point. It wasn’t going to be easy either, not now that every team in the SEC knew to anticipate Slade doing his usual run and gun play.

  That couldn’t cut it this time.

  Our opponents cornered our asses and gave us no room to breathe, let alone to move or make passes. That was when Slade gave me a head nod I wasn’t expecting. He was about to step out of the limelight and pass the ball to Evan. I shook my head. Evan was good, and fast too, but that play was a longshot. When he started going deep, we all knew what we had to do. We were mowing down players, grabbing jerseys, containing the meatheads in our zones, and shutting down the opposing team one by one to give Evan a chance at a touchdown.

  I never saw Evan run so fast. The man was flying, protecting that ball like it was a newborn. He gave it everything he had, and from my vantage point, I could tell when the opposition realized there was no stopping him anymore. Their faces froze in painful winces of despair and defeat when he made a massive ballet-like leap for the touchdown.

  We did it!

  The extra point was executed with ease and the SEC Championship was ours. The deafening shouts from the stadium stands were overwhelming. Then the confetti dropped in our colors and bathed us in a blizzard of victory. We all ran up to Evan and hiked him up on our shoulders to celebrate. Fans, coaches, family, NFL agents and the media swarmed us now.

  Agents from the Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans approached me with their cards. They all mentioned that they hoped to do a meet and greet with me at the regional combines and at Pro Day in the spring. My head was nodding like a bobblehead for sure. It meant I had made an impression with the right people and was on their radar.

  There wasn’t room to escape the madness until the interviews were wrapping up and we finally got to head back to the locker room. We continued the revelry in there as we changed out of our gear and listened to the head coach give his victory speech with grit in his voice and tears in his eyes. It sure felt good to make the man proud after he had worked his ass off to prepare us and get us here.

  Pat and my parents were planning to meet up with us at the celebratory street party planned near the campus, so I got dressed and was planning to drive in Tre’s car with Clive Allen, one of our tight end teammates. Slade seemed like he would sneak off the way he’d done so many times this season, but Tre and Mo saw him, then hollered out to Chad and Evan, and pretty soon the team was around him.

  “This ain’t the night to try and sneak off,” Tre said.

  “We’re not having it,” Mo added. “No, sir. We won as a team and we’re gonna party like a fucking team!”

  We all went crazy again, until Evan raised his hands and shouted, “That’s right. We just won the SEC Championship. It is time to throw down, son.”

  “Dammit all right let’s do this!” Slade shouted, leading the herd.

  “Evan man,” I called out. “I take back everything I used to say about being tired of you making bullshit, half-cocked, hair-brained plays and calling it football.”

  He doubled over laughing. “At least you told me that to my face, Texas.”

  I patted him on the shoulder. “That’s the only way, son.”

  “You ready, man?” Tre asked me before we left. “This party will be huge, son. Pat’s got us all hooked up for afterward too.”

  “As long as we don’t end up at the Blue Bayou, I’m game.”

  “Nah. We can’t actually go back there…”

  I was relieved to hear that, but I had to ask. “Why?”

  He hesitated. I knew it had to be bad. “Uh…I kinda got busted a few weeks ago. The cops let me off with a warning, though, so I won’t have a record.”

  “Holy fuck, man. You’re lucky, or the coaches would be on your ass. You and Pat need to stay the hell away from those places.”

  “Yeah, well I’m not supposed to be within two hundred feet of the Blue Bayou anymore…or any Louisiana strip joint. But it’ll get lifted after I turn twenty-one, I hope.”

  Pursing my lips, I said nothing.

  The bunch of us headed to our cars and drove to the festivities. Tre’s Dodge Avenger was packed by the time I made it there. I rode with Clive so we could all meet in a decent spot. The place was a zoo. There were thousands of people taking up every square foot on each side of the road. Cops came to do crowd control and had cordoned off the main street to the frat house. We ended up having to park a mile up the road and walk in to meet up. After some navigating through the masses, we made it to the rest of the big group. Pat stood out like a sore thumb in his formal wear, which was still white as the driven snow. He hugged Tre and me, then he pulled me aside, saying he wanted to inform me of something. Alarm bells went off instantly. This had to be about Jo in Vegas.

  “What the hell happened, Pat?” I felt a light tap on my shoulder, but was so honed in on Pat’s news that I brushed off the person’s hands, until I heard the voice.

  “Well if it ain’t cornerback Chris, throwing his weight around.”

  I froze for a split second before spinning around.

  “Jo! Christ almighty.” She was up in my arms with her hands around my neck and her legs wrapped tight around my hips. “I had no idea…when did you get back?”

  “You think I’d miss this day for anything? Not a chance, Texas.”

  Everyone around us disappeared just then. She crashed her lips onto mine and my hand was up in her hair, taking her mouth in a kiss that said everything. After who knows how long, she pulled off and dropped her legs back to the ground. Someone put beers into our free hands, then Jo dragged me off s
everal blocks because she wanted to talk.

  We got to a Ford Escape and she stopped beside it, clicking the doors with her remote to unlock it.

  “Get in,” she instructed, hopping into the driver side.

  “Whose car is this?”

  “It’s a rental. Pat got it for me…I still don’t carry credit cards. Come on. Get in.”

  I jumped in on the passenger side, unable to take my eyes off of her as she started the car and pulled out of the parking spot. “Where are we going? When did you get in? How was Vegas? Wow, I can’t believe you’re here. Did you see the game?”

  She moved a hand from the steering wheel and put a finger on my lips. Rightly so, because I wanted to know everything.

  “Shhhhhh Chris. Before we get too far, I kind of need a favor.”

  I was confused, but ready to say yes to anything she asked for that I could do for her. “Of course. Tell me.”

  “Take a look behind you.”

  Unsure what to expect, I turned around slowly. No one was in the back seat and there were no vehicles behind us. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to look for.”

  “Check behind your seat. Look closely.”

  I looked again, twisting my torso to look directly behind the seat. That’s when I saw it all.

  “If that’s what I think it is, let’s get you to my place right now, gingersnap.”

  “It is. And I was thinking the same thing.”

  I ripped off my seat belt. “Pull over.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ll drive. I can get us there faster.”

  She flipped on her signal and slowed down, pulling to the side of the road. “I bet you can, baby.”

  We got out of the SUV and switched places, but before I jumped in, I took a look at the back seat again. All her things she’d left at my parents’ place were there, along with a stack of brand new picture frames and bags of art supplies. Jo was moving back home with me.

  “Little lady, I can’t tell you how happy you’ve made me,” I told her, getting in.

  “I should never have left,” she confessed. “You’re the closest thing I have to family, and you’ve been so good to me, letting me into your life, and in your home, and welcoming me into your family when we went to El Paso. Then I met your mom, and she reminded me how much I missed my own momma, and how she was so full of life. People loved her, and…”

  She blinked back some tears. “Mrs. James told me how proud Momma would be if she were still here with us. I really needed to hear that, you know? Then Pat did something he didn’t have to, and your friend… he’s changed my life forever. Everything good that’s happened to me is because of you. You were right… you shouldn’t have had to say a word when I saw your actions, which spoke way louder…And one more thing. I don’t care if I’m the first one to say this. I love you, Chris.”

  Just when I thought I knew everything about Jo, she found a way to surprise me and remind me why I fell in love with her in the first place. “Josephine Odette Celia Quinn, I have loved you since I first laid eyes on you…and I love you still.”

  “Awwww.”

  “Let’s get you home, little lady. I’ve been craving you for over a week.”

  “I’d go anywhere with you, darling.” She parted her legs and took my hand, placing it between her legs. “All the city cops are back at the street party. I’m sure you can risk running a few red lights to get us there.”

  “Don’t you worry, babe,” I said, speeding off. “Don’t you worry.”

  24

  Epilogue – Chris

  Five Months Later

  This was it. I was finally here. It was the first night of the NFL Drafts, the most epic football player picking event televised live to millions of football fans, and I was praying to hear my name called. I sat with Jo and my family at the awe-inspiring Chicago Auditorium Theatre on what was probably the most important night of my life. All the nearby tables were occupied by my fellow teammates and their families. Slade and Evan were closer to the front as they were expected to be in the top ten overall picks. Mo, Chad and I were near the middle rows. It was more likely that we would end up getting picked another night over the three-day weekend. As far as I was concerned, we were all lucky to be here.

  Jo leaned over to me and squeezed my hand as the host introduced the NFL Commissioner. She looked stunning tonight. Her hair was pulled back and her eyes shone bright in contrast to the black knee-length cocktail dress she had picked out. I could kiss her right now.

  “I’m so excited for you, babe. You worked so hard. I’m sure you got this.”

  I nodded. I was nervous as hell.

  The truth was that every player in this room deserved to be here, but there were only so many picks. Management for all the teams had already begun the game of trades for existing NFL players so they’d be in the best position to get what they wanted tonight. Nothing was for certain, and at the end of the three-day event, all that mattered was whether my teammates and I would all leave with a draft cap on our heads and a team tee in our hands. On top of that, I had the another life-altering thing to do tonight.

  Ma and Pops gave me a thumbs up, and Connor had one arm extended, mimicking the driving motion of turning a steering wheel, just so I’d keep my promise in mind if I got drafted. He shifted Chandler from one knee to the other, bouncing our youngest family member slightly to keep him entertained for as much time as possible. Toddlers could only sit still for so long. The twins had been warned—and bribed—to be on their best behavior. Ma promised she and Pops would take them to the Lincoln Park Zoo tomorrow. They didn’t know she’d already bought them tickets, which were back at the adjoining two-family hotel suite where we all stayed. So far they were holding up their end of the bargain. Back at the hotel, my bags were packed. The season officially started tonight, and some teams would fly their draft picks directly to camp as early as tonight or in the morning. We all had to be ready for anything.

  After the Commish gave a signal to someone side stage, the event intro music faded in, and the audience quieted down.

  “Good evening. I’m so excited to welcome you all to this year’s NFL Draft. This is a memorable night for our teams, our players, and especially for our fans. If you’ve been watching our earlier coverage, you know there’s been some historic moves made as teams begin the balancing act to come out strong by the end of the weekend. Let’s kick it off by officially opening Round One of the NFL Draft. On the clock with the first draft pick for this season is the Rams, who will have a new home in Los Angeles this year. As many of you know, this year teams will have ten minutes to make a choice instead of fifteen. Let’s wait and see who the Rams will choose.”

  He left the stage while the Rams management deliberated from somewhere backstage, where they were probably fielding last-minute trade offers from other teams. The audience was near silent, with players like me practically holding our breaths to hear the news. The announcement of every new draftee had a way of affecting every team’s decision after it.

  “It looks like the pick is in, ladies and gentlemen,” the Commissioner said when he returned to the podium. Someone from the stage crew brought over the card with the lucky draftee’s name. “Let’s find out who will make history tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, for the first pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, the soon to be Los Angeles Rams select…Slade Clark, quarterback, Louisiana State!”

  Everyone at Slade’s table excitedly got to their feet and surrounded him and his girlfriend, Cassidy, throwing their arms around him. Mo, Evan, Chad and I were over there to congratulate him to before they dragged him away to get up on stage. I was so proud to have played with that guy, and though we were all most likely going our separate ways after tonight, our bond and the memories we made would last a lifetime.

  The next two or so hours went by with its usual stops and starts as each team with a pick tonight got their chance to choose or trade. The excitement waned a bit at a time, and those of us not selected knew logically we still h
ad a chance over the next two days, but it was still demoralizing to not have gotten chosen.

  The Commissioner was back up there, waiting to make the final pick announcements of the evening. “Let’s see what these remaining selections look like.” He took the card and checked the name. “The seventeenth draftee for round one, ladies and gentlemen, the Denver Broncos have chosen… Chris James, cornerback, Louisiana State.”

  Hearing my name tonight was unexpected but fantastic. Everything after that was a blur, from the hugs and handshakes from friends and family, planting a kiss on Jo’s lips, to getting up on that stage. All I could think of was I needed to play my ass off at training camp. It was a total shocker. Denver had never approached me formally, except for a few informal hellos during the combine. After I got off the stage—with my Broncos draft cap, I might add—someone from the team came over to shake my hand. “Congratulations, Chris. You’re a Denver Bronco, son.”

  “I'm a Denver Bronco!”

  “We’re making a few more picks this weekend, so a car will collect you tomorrow morning and fly you to Denver. Can you swing that?”

  “Yes sir, I sure can.”

  “Great. Give your hotel details to Joseph Mackie, the athletic coordinator over there.” He shook my hand again. “Welcome aboard, son.”

  “Thank you, sir!”

  It took a while to get back to my seat with all the back stage photos and media requests for sound bites. When I finally made it back, I told my parents and Jo the news about having to leave tomorrow. I wanted to have a quick chat with Jo, so we stepped out of the auditorium.

  “It’s what we were expecting, babe,” she told me. “Don’t you worry. I’ll get help to pack our things at the apartment and can meet you in Denver in a few weeks. After that, I’ll take care of the house hunting while you’re at training.”

  “No.”