Boss Me

by Lacey Black

  Say what? “Nick. First off, who I date is none of your concern. I don’t ask about your girlfriends and I could care less who you date. I trust that you would make decisions based on what is best for him. With that said, Zach is always – and I do mean always – the first person I think about, no matter what the situation. Will and I are friends. And even if we were more, it is none of your business. He is a nice guy who is nothing but pleasant towards our son, and I promise you that if that wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t be around. Now, is there anything else you want? I have a very busy afternoon ahead of me and a meeting in a few minutes,” I told him.

  “If something more is between you two, I want to know. I know you’re going to date, Carmen. You’re a beautiful woman with needs. I just think that as Zach’s father, you owe me the courtesy of letting me know when a man is going to be around our son.”

  “Fine. Will is a friend. He’s going to be around our son. Like it or not, I don’t care, Nick. If something further progresses between Will or any other man, I will let you know. Not as a favor to you, but to Zach.”

  “Fair enough,” he mumbled. “I have a conference call with a client. I need to go.”

  After quick, terse goodbyes, I hung up fuming. What right does he have to question me like that?

  But the more I thought about it that afternoon, I realized that Nick had a valid point. While his approach was slightly lacking, as Zach’s father, he does have a right to know who is in his life. I would probably want the same courtesy if the shoe were on the other foot, right? It was a bitter pill to swallow, but I eventually saw Nick’s side of the coin.

  Will called that night after Zach went to bed, and I ran through the conversation with Nick and my realizations. Will seemed somewhat quiet when I got to the part about us being mere friends, but I tried not to dwell on it too much. We are friends, right? I mean, we can’t be more than that right now with our jobs. Even if I am in love with him. But the way he got quiet, it’s as if he – maybe – wants more? Or thought we were more?

  The conversation eventually led to Will teasing me about phone sex. The next thing I knew, I had my nightgown up around my hips and my hand between my legs while Will talked dirty to me, instructing me every step of the way over the phone. The thought of him on the other side of the line, stroking himself, was enough to push me over the edge and soaring into another world. We had joint orgasms from two miles away. We talked for another hour, and while it wasn’t nearly as fulfilling as having him in bed beside me, it was a close second.

  The front door flies open, bringing me out of my daydream. Will isn’t even out of his car yet, but that doesn’t stop my son from standing there with the door open. The cold January evening blows in, but for some reason, I imagine yelling at Zach to shut the front door will only fall on deaf ears.

  Will follows Zach into the house a few moments later. Underneath his winter coat, he’s wearing the same Belters jersey that Zach is wearing. It falls over dark denim that hangs deliciously over his hips. His glasses are fogged up from the onslaught of heat, but he doesn’t seem to mind as Zach jumps right in and starts talking to him about playing basketball this afternoon.

  “Ready to go?” Will asks when Zach stops to take a breath.

  “Yep,” I reply and walk towards the closet to grab my coat. Zach meets me there and throws his coat on in record time. As soon as his shoes are secured to his feet, he sprints out the front door and jumps into Will’s waiting car.

  “So, he’s excited,” Will says as a statement, not a question.

  “Just a little,” I reply with a laugh as I pull my hair out of my collar.

  “That shirt looks hot on you,” he says as he pulls me into his arms and against his firm chest. Heaven.

  “Someone left me a present at work yesterday.”

  “Must be someone who knew you were going to the game.”

  “Could be. It’s a good thing I picked up a little surprise of my own earlier today,” I say as his lips slowly lower towards mine.

  “What kind of surprise?” he asks as those delicious lips hover oh so close to mine. I feel like I’m already panting with anticipation and excitement for what’s to come.

  “If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?”

  “Torturing me, Ms. Brady?”

  “Is it working, Mr. Stevens?”

  “You tell me,” he says as he pulls me flush against his erection.

  “Oh, I’d say you’re definitely excited for the surprise,” I whisper before I extend my lips upward and brush them against his warm mouth.

  The result is a moan just before his mouth plunges down and claims mine fully. The kiss is intense and passionate, and it’s full of need. But the honking of the horn pulls us out of our private moment.

  “I guess he’s tired of waiting,” Will says against my lips with a chuckle.

  “We better go before he decides to drive himself to the game,” I add before turning around and grabbing my purse as we head out into the frigid night.

  *****

  I wasn’t expecting much out of my first professional basketball game, but this place is electric. Combined with Zach and Will’s excitement, this experience is one not to be topped anytime soon. Fans everywhere are decked out in their Belters’ gear. I’ve seen painted faces and large foam fingers. I couldn’t even tear my eyes away – in that train wreck sort of way - from a grown man wearing nothing but a Belters diaper.

  When we get to the stadium, we head straight to the food line. There’s a vendor every ten feet and our choices seem almost endless. Apparently though, Zach and Will decided earlier while playing basketball at the rec center that dinner tonight must be hotdogs and cheese fries. When we finally get to the front of this particular line, Will takes the liberty of placing our order.

  “Six Belters dogs, three cheese fries, and 3 bottles of water, please,” he tells the vendor as he pulls out his wallet.

  “I can get our dinner,” I try to tell him, but he won’t have it.

  “I don’t think so. This is part of the present. If you want to get some sugary snacks later, that’s fine. But this one’s on me,” he says sternly as he puts his hand on top of mine.

  “Okay,” I concede, putting my wallet back in my purse.

  “Come on, buddy. Let’s go to our seats and watch the players warm up,” Will says as he grabs the box filled with our food.

  I follow closely behind as we make our way down into the heart of the arena. Will didn’t exaggerate when he said they were courtside seats. These seats are right off of the court. Like I could stick out my foot and trip a player kind of close.

  We find our seats easy enough and have a seat to watch the players warm up. Will hands us each a hotdog and a tray of cheese fries while Zach’s eyes remain glued to the players as he shoves half a hotdog into his mouth. I can’t help but smile at the pure joy and excitement on his face. If I’m being honest with myself right now, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this happy before. So carefree. Pure bliss.

  “How’s your dog?” Will asks from the seat next to me.

  “Really good,” I reply before taking another bite. “What’s this stuff on top?” I ask as I examine the creaming white and green concoction.

  Will just smiles that million-dollar smile. “Coleslaw.”

  Uh, did he just say coleslaw? “Coleslaw?” I ask with my mouth full.

  “Yep,” he adds with a wink.

  So, apparently, I like hotdogs with coleslaw. Who knew? And Zach doesn’t seem to mind even though I rarely get him to eat coleslaw any other time. He’s already starting on his second Belters Dog.

  Thirty minutes later, we stand up for the Star Spangled Banner, which is immediately followed by the starting lineup for both teams. Will and Zach both excitedly yell at each other around me.

  “Why don’t we trade places,” I say to Will as the players take the court for tipoff.

  “Why?” he asks curiously as I step around him.

  “
So you and Zach can talk to each other easier than yelling around me,” I tell him, giving him the middle seat.

  Zach and Will immediately start talking team strategy and possible power plays. Who knew these boys could get into basketball so much? I’ve watched Zach develop a taste for the game, but it seems his love for the sport runs deep. Deep enough that I might start to encourage him a bit more to consider playing next fall.

  After the first few minutes of the game, the crowd around us gradually starts to sit down in their seats, which only makes me happy to know we don’t have to stand for the entire game. The seats down here are incredibly padded and inviting. Courtside is pretty sweet.

  “Having a good time?” Will leans over and whispers in my ear in the middle of the first quarter.

  “Actually, I am. I’m not completely sure what’s happening all the time, but it’s pretty action packed. Watching it from here is definitely better than on television,” I say.

  “Good,” he responds before I feel his warm hand grab my own. He pulls it up and places a tender kiss on my knuckles, which results in a little blush from me. The fact that he did it while turned slightly towards me so that Zach doesn’t see only makes me appreciate this man so much more. He knows and respects my boundaries where Zach is concerned.

  At halftime, everyone around us stands up and stretches or leaves, to get more refreshments, or use the restroom. I excused myself – amidst a little good-natured teasing – and used the restroom in the middle of the second quarter, while Zach and Will both have vowed to wait until the game was completely over so they didn’t miss anything.

  Now, the Lady Belters are entertaining the crowd with a pompom routine. It’s high energy and full of gymnastics, and reminds me of my days of cheerleading in high school.

  “And now, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for two lucky fans to come out to center court and try their luck at a half-court shot!” the public service announcer states, getting the crowd excited and up on their feet.

  “This is awesome, Mom! They’re gonna call two seat numbers out and they get to shoot a basket from half-court!”

  “Really?”

  “It’s actually pretty cool. If you sink your shot, you win five grand,” Will adds from next to me with a shoulder shrug.

  “And the lucky two shooters are section thirty, row six, seat fifteen. And section fourteen, row one, seat six. Come on down to the center court!” the announcer directs.

  We watch as the spotlight shoots high into the stands straight across the court from us until it stops on a fan in section thirty. I lose track of the winner as he makes his way down the stairs because I’m instantly blinded from a bright light. I also can’t hear over the screaming around me. I look over at Will to see what is going on, but Zach is jumping up and down which draws my attention.

  “That’s me, Mom!” Zach says as Will steps out onto the court with him.

  An older gentleman in a suit approaches us and asks Zach to go with him to center court. He turns around and pins me with excitement filled brown eyes as if confirming that he can go out on the court. I don’t say anything – hell, he wouldn’t hear me over the crowd, anyway – but just nod my head in encouragement. The smile on my face could blind someone, I’m sure.

  “I can’t believe they called his seat,” I say to Will as we watch Zach and another fan gather on the big painted basketball at half-court and receive instructions.

  “I’m afraid we may never get him to leave now,” Will says as he pulls me snug into his arms. It’s so natural. So right.

  I laugh knowing that he’s probably correct. “We’ll probably never get his head in your car tonight,” I add with a laugh.

  We both watch as the older gentleman goes first. The crowd is silent as he dribbles the ball awkwardly before stopping and taking his position. He lifts his arms and fires. His shot is short by several feet, falling and bouncing to the ground. The crowd shouts their collective ‘Awwww’s’ in disappointment. If that grown man didn’t get close to the basket, how is my twelve-year-old going to do it?

  Will pulls me tighter into his embrace as Zach is handed a basketball. I can practically feel Will’s heart pounding in his chest as he grabs my hand tightly. Or maybe that’s my heart. Not sure right now. Not sure I’m breathing much either.

  We watch with bated breath as Zach bounces the ball naturally. He appears to be studying the distance between his position and the little hoop. Just as he stops bouncing, he turns his attention to Will and me, giving us both huge grins. Then, he takes his position. Zach brings the ball tight against his chest as he zeros in on the target. Then, he bends at the knees and does a little hop as he thrusts the ball at the basket.

  “Come on, come on, come on,” I say as we all watch the ball sail towards the hoop.

  “He’s got the distance,” Will says. “Come on, buddy!”

  The ball hits the rim and bounces straight up. It falls and catches the rim again, sending it back a little and off the backboard. What happens next is something I’ll never, ever forget.

  The ball drops through the hoop.

  The entire stadium erupts into cheer. We’re talking eardrum-shattering levels that make you instantly want to put your fingers in your ears to dim the noise. But, I don’t. Instead, I start jumping up and down and screaming at the top of my lungs! I don’t even realize what’s happening as my legs carry me weightlessly while Will pulls me out towards center court. Zach meets us halfway, launching himself into Will’s arms, throwing his free arm around my shoulder and pulling me into a three-person hug.

  I can’t even tell what the announcer is saying. All I know is that this moment is one of the best of my life. The smiles on Will and Zach’s faces are priceless and pull tautly at my heart causing it to flip and flop wildly in my chest like a fish out of water.

  “You did it,” I exclaim as I place a kiss on his forehead.

  The man in the suit approaches with a big smile on his face. He pulls Zach back to center court, Will and I follow discreetly behind him. Zach’s smile never falters. The man, who introduces himself as Roy Duncan, presents Zach with a check for five thousand dollars. In addition to the cash, they give him several pieces of fan paraphernalia and two vouchers for a future Belters basketball game. Someone snaps pictures and I make a mental note to ask around about getting copies. When the rigmarole is finally winding down, we are escorted back to our courtside seats, as the players return to the court to warm-up for the second half.

  Zach and Will each examine the loot he received, commenting and showing it off to the fans around us. I’m dizzy with the excitement, but more importantly, dizzy from the feelings I have towards the two next to me. The two men I love most in this world are together – laughing and carrying on as if they’ve been friends forever. Or more accurately, like they’ve been father and son forever.

  I would never put Nick down as a father. He has always provided for Zach – and me while we were married. I have no intention of ever replacing Nick as Zach’s father, but to see the bond that Zach and Will have formed just about knocks me on my ass. I just hope that if a relationship progresses between Will and me, that Nick doesn’t look at him as a threat. He will never replace Nick. But maybe there’s room for more.

  We sit back down in our seats as the third period begins. My mouth is parched from all of the yelling and screaming during the halftime extravaganza, so I politely excuse myself to grab more snacks and use the restroom again.

  “Can I get you boys anything?” I ask before vacating my seat.

  “Can I have another coke? And maybe one of those long licorice ropes?” Zach asks with sparkling eyes.

  “How about a Sprite?” I ask, resulting in a head nod from my son.

  “And you, sir?” I ask Will.

  “How about one of those Elephant Ears that we’ve seen?” Will asks with a lopsided boyish grin. I laugh and get up, stepping around them and heading towards the aisle.

  After using the restroom, I get in line with
about a dozen other fans. It takes about fifteen minutes before I’m finally at the front of the line and order two Miller Lites, a Sprite, an Elephant Ear, and a licorice rope. Twenty-nine dollars. Sheesh!

  Loaded up with our snacks, I head back towards my stadium entrance. You know how you have those feelings of being watched? Well, I have that feeling. Now. I turn around and glance at the faces amongst the masses, but none register as familiar. So, I eventually turn back around and make my way to our seats.

  Will stands up and starts to relieve my arms and hands of our goodies. He doesn’t say a word as he pulls off a big chunk of the elephant ear and hands it to Zach. Zach, who never takes his eyes off the game, shoves it in his mouth, leaving behind a trail of cinnamon and sugar all over one cheek and his lips.

  “Thank you,” Will mumbles as he places a kiss on my cheek. I long to turn and let him plant the next one square on my lips.

  I look over at the man sitting next to me. His elbows rest comfortably on his long, lean legs as he watches the game. I catch reflections of the shiny hardwood floor in his glasses as he follows the ball from one end of the court to the other. His blue eyes are intense, yet so happy and carefree. While dominating, bad boy Will is a favorite amongst his different personas, casual and content Will might be my favorite.

  As if feeling my eyes on him, Will turns and catches me staring. He cracks that half smile where the sexy corner of his lips rises, causing his eyes to wrinkle with laughter. It’s a panty-wetting smile. In fact, I’m probably soaking his surprise as we speak.

  Without saying a word, Will leans forward and places a kiss on my lips. We don’t even close our eyes. We just stare at each other for those two amazing seconds before he reluctantly pulls away. But it’s the look in his eyes that has my attention. His eyes reflect adoration. And love. I can see it. I’ve seen that look in the eyes of a man years ago. And it is right here, right now that I want to say it. I want to tell him that I love him.