Team Player

by Julianna Keyes

  “Honest mistake?” Gwen guessed, trying to look like she meant it. The more she thought about Allison’s sabotage theory, the more she believed it. She’d even confessed it to Ty, who’d been equal parts outraged to think he was collateral damage in someone’s demented plan to take down Allison, and pleased to know he wasn’t the actual target.

  Brandon pulled his drink ticket from his pocket. “Who even knows anymore? I got assigned to PR because they said I wasn’t cut out for the cutthroat world of recruiting, but this department is nuts.”

  “I know,” Chad said. “I tried to quit like, nine times, but my dad says I have to move out of the guest house if I can’t keep a job, so here I am.” He lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Did Allison say anything to you guys? Like, about her private life? Plans for the end of the season?”

  Gwen could tell by Brandon’s wide eyes that he had indeed heard the news.

  “I promised to keep it a secret,” he whispered.

  “Me too,” Chad said.

  They looked at her and Gwen nodded. “Me too.”

  Chad shook his head and handed over his drink ticket, ordering a glass of red wine. “Poor thing,” he said. “She’s under so much stress, and her plans must be making life even harder.”

  Gwen thought Allison’s plans were going to make her life so much simpler, but she knew what Chad meant, and nodded again as she ordered a gin and tonic.

  “Oh my God, they’re here!” someone cried, and the crowd turned as one to see Ty and Keelie Karr stroll in. The late evening sunlight spilled in behind them like the heavens had opened up and poured them into the room. Even in his cheesy bowling shirt and jeans, Ty looked like the star he was, and beside him, Keelie looked like the effervescent angel her marketing team insisted she was. She wore a flowing white dress, her long curls floating behind her, strappy gold sandals winding their way up her calves. She beamed and waved with her free hand, while the other clutched Ty’s fingers.

  If Gwen didn’t know any better, she’d buy the act.

  She gulped her drink.

  She knew better.

  Really.

  Ty’s eyes scanned the crowd as he and Keelie wove their way through, grinning and greeting everyone they passed as they approached the stage in the corner of the venue. It was designed to look like an ethereal park, with draping vines and moss, butterflies and birds dangling from invisible wires. A white baby grand piano dominated the center, and stools were placed discreetly at the back for Keelie’s band members.

  Blanche climbed onto the stage and grabbed the mic, while Ty and Keelie took up spots behind him. They were not at all required to be on the stage at this time, but Allison insisted they make the most of every photo opportunity.

  Gwen laughed and applauded when necessary as she listened to Blanche’s heartfelt speech about how fundraisers like these were what had allowed him to play sports when he was growing up, and it was nice to see the guys off the field and away from the clubhouse, as human beings instead of players. Unfortunately all she could really see was Keelie clutching Ty’s hand and stroking his arm, the young fans at the front zooming in with their camera phones and capturing the moment for all of time and social media.

  Gwen didn’t do jealous, she really didn’t. But she didn’t fare much better with heartbreak, and no matter how many times she reminded herself the charade was fake, it didn’t stop it from stinging in a very real way.

  She finished her drink, cursed Allison for limiting them to just one, and tried to concentrate as Blanche wrapped up his speech.

  “Now, believe it or not,” he said, touching his hand to his chest. “I’m not the only blond goddess scheduled to appear on this stage tonight.”

  The room laughed.

  “Coming up in just a few minutes, we’ve got a performance from none other than country music superstar Keelie Karr that’s guaranteed to blow your bowling shoes off! In the meantime, eat, drink, and bowl, and have a wonderful night. Thank you all for coming!”

  Gwen clapped too hard as the speech ended, as Keelie hugged Ty and he put his arms around her and the cameras captured every second. The room was too crowded and too hot, and even though she was wearing a skirt, the polyester bowling shirt was making her sweat. She needed air, but the venue was packed and she couldn’t even see the exit. What she could see was the neon sign pointing to a hallway with bathrooms, and Gwen shouldered her way through the throng until it thinned out a little bit and she could take a full breath.

  She made it to the women’s bathroom and pushed open the door, startling a group of girls touching up their makeup. The last thing she wanted was another crowded space, so she backed out and glanced around at the other closed doors, spotting one labeled Supplies. She tried the handle and it swung open. Sighing in relief, she slipped inside, letting the heavy door close behind her, dampening the noise from the party. Looking around, she saw it was little more than a broom closet, with boxes of paper towel and hand soap, bottles of bleach and piles of rags. It wasn’t much, but it was good enough.

  Gwen sat on an overturned bucket and buried her face in her hands. She wasn’t showing wear and tear quite the way Allison was, but the demands of the job were catching up to her. She’d been up at dawn and awake until well past midnight, seven days a week, every day since the All-Star break, which now felt like a million years ago. She needed space. She needed time. She needed...

  The door swung open and she yelped, swallowing the sound when the thing she really needed walked in.

  “Ty,” she said, as he spotted her on the bucket and closed the door behind him. “What are you—”

  “I saw you leave. You okay?”

  She stood and swiped at her skirt, like that would convince him she was fine. “Of course. I just needed some air.”

  He made a show of looking around the tiny closet. “Did you find any?”

  Gwen laughed at herself. “No. How is, um, how is everything?”

  “How’s Keelie?”

  “Yeah.” There was no point pretending.

  His chest rose as he inhaled. “She’s a shrewd businesswoman, as you pointed out. And she’s very handsy.”

  “I could see.”

  “I could see you seeing.”

  Gwen made herself smile. “It’s for a good cause.”

  “Not good enough, Gwen. Not if you’re hiding in a supply closet.”

  “I’m—”

  “Not if I’m hiding in them, too. Because fuck, this faux-mance is exhausting.” He plucked his shirt away from his chest. “I’m tired. I’m too old for this.”

  “It’s the bowling shirt. They age everybody. That’s why Blanche made you wear one.”

  Ty laughed and stepped in close. “That jerk.”

  Gwen rose onto her toes and kissed him, and just like that, her stress level dropped, like Ty somehow eased half the load onto his broad shoulders and made the pressure more bearable. He made a sound in his throat and wrapped an arm around her waist, tugging her in more snugly against him and deepening the kiss, his tongue doing all kinds of twisty things to her insides.

  She opened her mouth to say this was not a good idea, but somehow instead her lips found their way to his throat, her tongue trailing along the sensitive spot beneath his jaw, his erection becoming more noticeable against her belly.

  Ty threaded his fingers through her hair and turned her face up so he could kiss her again, and Gwen murmured, “We shouldn’t,” even as her hands went to the button on his jeans, then the zipper, then inside his monogrammed underwear and found him, his hot, hard length filling her palm.

  “Definitely not,” Ty said, shuddering as she stroked him. “But don’t stop.”

  He backed her into the wall, his fingers pulling up handfuls of her skirt until she felt her bare ass meet the wood. He pushed his fingers into her panties and paid her back for the torment, stroking and circling before slipping inside and finding the soft spot that made her squirm. He’d gotten so good at this in recent months—diligent
practice—that he could get her off in minutes now, and Gwen could already feel the tension building low in her stomach.

  She jerked him harder, feeling moisture on her palm, knowing he was close, too.

  “I want more,” Ty said, breaking the kiss and stilling her hand on his cock. He was breathing hard, his labored breaths mingling with hers. He hooked a finger in the top of her panties. “Take these off.”

  Gwen was more than happy to comply, shoving the lace over her hips and stepping out as Ty reached for his wallet to grab a condom.

  “Fuck,” he groaned, coming up empty.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I don’t have any condoms. Keelie’s team didn’t want to risk one falling out of my pocket or something, so I didn’t bring any.”

  Gwen hesitated, the need swirling in her veins battling with logic and common sense. Need won. “You know I’m on birth control,” she said.

  Ty’s eyes darkened as the words sank in. Even without articulating it, the offer was more than an offer of sex. It was trust. It was commitment.

  “And you know I’m clean,” he said. “We have a physical every year.”

  Her heart was pounding so hard she could barely hear. “So...”

  He arched a brow. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  He smiled and stepped into her again, and Gwen wrapped her arms around his neck and felt him lift her, her legs sliding around his waist as his cock found her center, wet and wanting. He guided himself inside, the heat and nearness so intense she had to close her eyes, burying her forehead in his shoulder, absorbing it all.

  “You all right?” he murmured, his breath slipping through the loose strands of her hair.

  “I’m perfect. This is perfect.”

  “Agreed.”

  Ty started to move, slow, deep strokes, like this wasn’t a broom closet, like they were the only two people in the world and they had time for everything. She felt him all over, from her kiss-swollen lips to the tips of her curling toes. She clutched his hair, his shoulders, squeezed her legs around his hips, her body clenching around his cock, trying to keep him there, as deep as possible.

  The orgasm welled up, so powerful Gwen’s fingers scrabbled for purchase in Ty’s back, her knees locking like they could climb him, climb away from the intensity, climb higher into the pleasure. She dropped her head back against the wall and bit her lip as the orgasm crashed over her, release and stress and love all mingling together and releasing in one relentless wave.

  Ty was right there, too. She felt his fingers gripping her ass as he started to come, thrusting hard before he buried himself deep and stayed there, his forehead pressed against the wall beside her cheek. He was trembling from the exertion, and his contented moan wrapped itself around her like a blanket.

  “Gwen,” he mumbled. “I’m so in—”

  A shrill voice from outside penetrated their sex-happy fog. “Where is he? He’s supposed to be in the front row!”

  “Relax, we’ll find him. He has to be here somewhere.”

  “He should be out there! Not somewhere! There!”

  Footsteps grew louder and Gwen’s eyes widened in panic as Ty reached for the door handle. It locked with a key from the outside, and if anyone came in now, he’d literally be caught balls deep in another woman while his “girlfriend” waited to play her set.

  Ty gripped the handle so tightly his knuckles glowed white in the dim light, and when the person outside turned the knob, it moved just a millimeter, eliciting a curse from the other side of the door. A familiar voice muttered, “Locked. Where the hell is he?” before the footsteps moved away.

  “Oh my God,” Gwen whispered, trying not to laugh at how close she had just come to contributing to the PR nightmare she was supposed to be resolving. “Oh my God. I can’t believe that just happened. I can’t believe we just did that.”

  Ty pressed a kiss to her temple before pulling out and helping her regain her footing. “Totally worth it.”

  She laughed, fear and relief making her giddy. “Totally. But seriously.”

  Ty grabbed a package of tissues from the shelf and they turned their backs as they tidied up, Gwen uttering a quick thank you to whoever had insisted she wear bowling shoes tonight instead of her usual heels. There was no way her weak legs would have been able to support her after that encounter.

  “How do I look?” Ty asked. When she turned back his hair was sticking up on one side and he had her lipstick smudged on his mouth and neck.

  “Thoroughly ravaged,” she said, wiping his face with a tissue. “Absolutely taken advantage of.”

  “Happily so.”

  “And incredibly handsome.” Gwen smoothed his hair and stepped back. “As good as new.” She tried to smile, but it was hard. Maybe it was the hormones or the fact that she’d just tidied him up to support his “real” girlfriend, but she was finding it hard to let him go. She busied herself pulling a compact from her purse so she could fix her hair and reapply her lipstick, then adjusted her skirt, which was now backwards.

  Ty looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he just tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “You look beautiful,” he said. “Best part of my night.”

  Gwen blinked back the emotions threatening to spill over. “Mine too.”

  He tugged open the door and peeked out. “Coast is clear. Let’s get out there.”

  They stepped into the hall, but when Ty headed for the bowling alley, Gwen nodded to the bathroom. “I’ll be out in a second,” she said.

  “Okay. I’ll be in the front row, singing along to ‘Mama’s Got Her Prayer Shoes On.’”

  Gwen laughed as she went into the bathroom. The girls from before were gone, but two of the stalls were occupied, so she couldn’t linger the way she wanted to. She used the time to wash her hands, letting the water run cold, then pressing her icy fingers to her cheeks. When she felt calmer, she squared her shoulders and returned to the party.

  Keelie’s set was in full swing, and she looked at home on the stage, singing and dancing, the crowd fully engaged. Ty stood in the front row, swaying to the beat, but no matter how convincing he tried to be, anyone who really knew him would have a hard time believing this was how he wanted to spend his time.

  Gwen spent the rest of the night stationed in the photo corner, where fans posed with their favorite players in a variety of silly costumes. Reed wore Mardi Gras beads and a feather headband with a young player in a superhero cape, and Ibanez wore a chef’s hat and held a whisk with an older male fan who wore a cowboy hat and clenched a rose in his teeth.

  Despite the issues with the venue and the caterer and Ty’s faux-mance, there was no denying that the night was a huge success, and when Keelie’s performance ended, the room exploded in enthusiastic applause. Gwen clapped too, though she’d rather not.

  Keelie and Ty approached the photo corner with their respective escorts. Allison flanked Ty, and next to Keelie was a tall, skinny guy who looked so much like Keelie he had to be her brother.

  “Pose as yourselves, or choose a costume!” Gwen said, her cheeks sore from fake smiling.

  Ty reached for the prop box but Keelie stopped him.

  “No costumes for us,” she said. “We’re not hiding anything.”

  Her beatific smile made Gwen’s teeth ache.

  Even Allison rolled her eyes.

  Keelie and Ty posed for a couple of photos, then the reporters swooped in. “Keelie!” they called. “Great show tonight!”

  “Ty, you’ve been so supportive,” someone said. “What did you think of Keelie’s performance?”

  “It was marvelous,” he replied. “Truly amazing.”

  “You guys have been photographed together a lot lately. Is the relationship serious? Is it love?”

  Gwen concentrated on packing up the prop boxes. She picked up a fake sword and considered stabbing herself with it.

  Keelie beamed. “Well, actually,” she began.

  “Actually,” Ty interrup
ted loudly. “Keelie’s fantastic. I love her like a sister. Like a little sister. You heard her up there—she deserves her success. So go to her concert!”

  “What the ever-loving fuck?” Allison breathed.

  Keelie was gaping at him, and her brother’s expression was the same. But then, like the businesswoman she was, she regrouped and smiled for the camera. “I’m performing September third at the Convention Center! Tickets are still available! Be there!”

  The reporters pushed forward. “But Ty, aren’t you two—”

  “I’ll be there, too!” Reed said, stepping into the frame and effectively shoving Ty out of the shot. “With my daughter. You won’t want to miss it! Are you all part of Reed’s Readers?”

  Ibanez shuffled up behind Gwen. “Wait,” he said. “Are we all supposed to go to the concert? Is this another team bonding thing? Are there free tickets?”

  “No,” Gwen said, as she watched Ty seize the opportunity to escape out the front door and avoid anymore prying questions. “It’s not a team thing. You can do whatever you want to do.”

  “No,” Allison interjected under her breath. “Do what I want you to do. You’d be the first person on this team to actually listen.”

  The reporters were circling Keelie like a pack of vultures, her brother looking panicked in the spotlight. Allison stepped in, her smile sharp and effective.

  “Allison,” someone called. “Ty and Keelie have been seen—”

  “Ty and Keelie are friends,” she replied smoothly. “Always have been, always will be. Ty has spent his life working as part of a team, and this is no different. He’s here to show support for his teammate, Stan Blanchard, and his friend, Keelie Karr, both of whom were fantastic tonight. Let’s keep the focus where it belongs, shall we? We’re still accepting donations.”

  “But Ty had flowers sent—”

  “I don’t comment on the players’ personal lives. But Ty’s position on relationships has been public for a long time. His first love is baseball, his second love is baseball. He’s a player. What you see is what you get.”