CHANGING THE PLAYER: Charleston Pirates #1

by Chance, Jacob

“I’m happy for you. It’s awesome that you guys make it work so well.” I hear Kendra laughing with my other two friends and I’m glad they’re here.

  “What’s going on with you and Nadia for real?” he asks.

  “Things have been great, but she hasn’t spoken to me since last night.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “When you were fucked up?”

  “Yep.”

  Clancy laughs. “I’m gonna give you some advice. If you love her and can’t live without her, you better start your groveling.”

  “We’re heading back to Charleston tomorrow morning. My first stop will be her office.”

  “Smart. You should send flowers in the morning to warm her up,” he suggests.

  “I can think of something better than flowers.”

  “The more creativity you show, the better. Gift giving is an art form I’m still working on,” Clancy tells me.

  “Anyone want to make any predictions about the rest of the football season?” Owen tosses out the question.

  “Dude, you’re not a rookie. You know better than to make predictions,” Kendra scolds him, and we all laugh.

  Owen holds his hands up in front of him. “Hey, I just asked a simple question. I didn’t say anyone had to answer.”

  I’m not too superstitious in general, but that’s one I follow, as everyone sitting here does. We all learned it back in our Boston Terrier days.

  “Are you guys all in for the Hamptons reunion this summer?” Owen asks.

  “Hell yeah. I can’t wait to win the Trophy again. It’s found a nice home in my office,” Trevor brags.

  Owen scowls. “Fuck that. You won’t see that happening two years in a row.”

  “Boys, it’s a game of beach football. Don’t take it so seriously,” Kendra inserts.

  “It’s more than a game, Kendra. It’s legendary,” Trevor explains before his gaze lands on me. “Flynn, please disabuse your sister of the misconception that our annual football championship is just a game.”

  I look at Kendra and find laughter in her eyes. It’s great to see after the hellish ordeal of the last couple of days. I gesture toward Trevor. “You heard the man.”

  She pushes her sleeves up. “I’ve never seen this so-called ‘annual championship,’ so how would I know?”

  “If that’s your way of finagling an invite, consider yourself invited,” Owen tells her.

  Kendra flashes a toothy smile. “Thank you. I was hoping you’d say that.”

  All too soon it’s time to head back to our folks’ house. We have an early flight in the morning, and these guys all need to get home to their families. Spending time with them and seeing the love they have for their wives has made me miss Nadia even more.

  25

  Flynn

  “Nadia’s still not answering my calls. How can I make things better between us if I’m getting the silent treatment?” I ask Kendra.

  I feel her judgemental gaze burning into the side of my face. “She’s angry with you, and can you blame her?”

  “No, I can’t, but I also can’t explain if she won’t let me.”

  “Maybe that’s the point.” She wears an evil little smirk, like she’s enjoying my pain a little too much.

  “What’s the point?” I’m so confused. The women in my life are all confusing.

  “She’s making you sweat it out, and that’s torturous for you because you don’t know what’s going on. Nadia might be an evil genius under that professional appearance.”

  The driver in the truck behind us lays on his horn, letting us know the traffic light has turned green. “Fuck off, asshole.” Kendra pauses to flash him the finger and make him wait even longer.

  “Kendra, Jesus. Just drive. I don’t need to get in a fist fight on the side of the road defending you from some dickhead.”

  “Aww, you’d get in a fight for me?” she asks.

  “Yes, of course I would. But that doesn’t mean I want to. I’d like to keep my job if I haven’t already lost it.”

  “I think your job’s still secure, but Nadia may be another story,” she casually drops, like it’s no big deal.

  A grunt of annoyance leaves me. “Thanks for the reassurance.”

  “That’s what I’m here for.” She pulls into my driveway and parks, leaving the car running.

  I jump out, peering inside. “Thanks for the ride. Call me if you need anything.”

  “Will do. Good luck with Nadia. You’re gonna need it.” I close the door, blocking her laughter, and grab my suitcase from the trunk. I need a shower, a change of clothes, and to go find the woman I love.

  * * *

  I’m a man on a mission as I enter Legacy Sports Management. Margot isn’t at her desk, so I head down the hallway. Nadia’s office door is open, but when I peer inside, she’s not there.

  Where the hell is everyone?

  I step inside and search for a clue as to where she might be. Her desk seems like the logical choice, but she’s a neat freak and the only thing there besides her laptop is her daily planner. She insists on writing her appointments down as well as scheduling them electronically. I’ve teased her about it in the past and told her to join the twenty-first century like the rest of us. But she never misses appointments, so I guess her system works for her.

  Picking up her planner, I page through it looking for today’s date. I probably shouldn’t be doing this, but I’ve said that same phrase in my lifetime more times than I can count. At least this time my intentions are good.

  I find the page I need and look for where she is now. It says: appointment with Doctor Williams at the Women’s Fertility Clinic.

  Oh fuck. This must be the December appointment she mentioned she had scheduled for the artificial insemination process.

  She said she was going to cancel it.

  Slamming the planner shut, I drop it on her desk and race from her office. Margot is at her desk this time.

  “Flynn, do you need something,” she calls out.

  “My woman,” I shout over my shoulder before I shove the door open. I run down the street to my truck, and once I’m seated inside, I look up the address for the clinic she’s at. It’s only a few miles away.

  In my haste to get there, I recklessly weave in and out of lanes to get ahead of the slower vehicles. With both hands clenched on the wheel, the tension in my shoulders, along with my stress level, increases to a painful degree. I feel like something’s going to pop from the pressure. Most likely it’ll be my head.

  Scanning the numbers on the buildings as I drive past, I look for the appropriate one. Noticing it up ahead, I put my blinker on and turn in to the parking lot. I have to take a ticket and wait for the arm to go up and let me through. My teeth are gnashing by the time it does. I find the first available space and ease my truck in. It’s a little tight, but I can’t be bothered worrying about my truck when Nadia may be getting inseminated with someone else's sperm. #Fuckingpriorities.

  I jump out of my truck, pocketing my keys, and then I’m off like a rocket. I’ve never been so thankful for all the sprints Coach makes us do.

  I stop in the main lobby to check which floor the clinic is on and the guide says the fifth. I push the button to call the elevator and wait. And wait. And wait some more.

  Are you fucking kidding me?

  I don’t even see the lights moving above the door signalling it’s moving. I notice a staircase down the hall and bolt forward. Racing up five floors of stairs is harder than I thought, but when I want to pause, I remind myself that Nadia is here and I need to get to her.

  I reach the fifth floor and tear the door open. The sign for the clinic is right across the hall, so I rush toward there without wasting a second.

  Stopping in front of the window, I try to catch my breath before I have to speak.

  The receptionist slides the window open. “Can I help you?”

  “My wife, Nadia Patel, is here. I’m supposed to be with her now.”

  The phone rings. “Why don’t y
ou take a seat and someone will be right with you.” I open my mouth to protest and she closes the window again. Motherfucker. This is not going well.

  I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands. This is probably a bad idea… but fuck it. I open the side door that leads to the exam rooms and walk down the hall. They’re all open and empty except for two. One on the right and one on the left. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Fuck. Which one is she in?

  Standing in the middle of the hall between both of them, I close my eyes and focus, trying to get a feeling drawing me one way or the other. But I feel nothing but panic because I need to fucking find her. Left or right? I’m right handed. I like to be right. Oh for fuck’s sake, just choose. My brain is tired of my own convoluted logic. I take a fortifying breath and open the door. Nadia lies on the exam table and there’s a male doctor doing something between her legs. “Get your sperm away from her,” I shout, rushing toward him. He holds his glove-covered hands up.

  “Flynn?” Nadia calls my name, but I’m busy watching the doctor. “Flynn Shaughnessy.” She raises her voice, and I glance at her. “What are you doing here?”

  Rushing to her side, I take her hand. “I’m stopping you from making a huge mistake. I love you, Nadia. If you’re going to have a baby, I want it to be ours.”

  “You love me?” she whispers, her brown eyes are glassy with tears.

  Raising her hand to my lips, I kiss her knuckles. “Yes, so much.”

  “You want babies with me?”

  I nod. “I do. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon.”

  “It takes nine months to make one.” She laughs.

  “We can get right on that anytime.” I wiggle my eyebrows.

  “Like when we get home?”

  “Works for me.”

  The doctor clears his throat. “Shall we get back to finishing up?”

  Releasing Nadia’s hand, I straighten up and glare at the doctor. “Fuck no. Didn’t you hear a word I just said?”

  “Flynn, what’s wrong?” Nadia asks.

  “What’s wrong?” Has the whole world gone mad but me? “How can you even think of continuing with the insemination after I just confessed how much I love you?”

  “Huh?” Nadia’s eyes snap wide open and she snorts. “You think I’m getting inseminated now?”

  “Yeah. Aren’t you?” Isn’t she?

  “I’m having my yearly physical, not getting inseminated.” Nadia laughs. Even the doctor chuckles. Leaning forward, I put my hands on my knees and catch my breath for the first time since I left her office.

  “I think you two need to talk. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” The doctor winks, walking by us, exiting the room.

  Once we’re alone, I pull Nadia up to a sitting position and crush her in my embrace. She shifts her legs on the table so I can sit in front of her. “I was so scared you were going ahead with the procedure.”

  “Why would you think I’d do something like that when I told you I wouldn’t?”

  “I went to your office first and saw the appointment in your planner. I remembered you said something about having an appointment here and put two and two together.”

  “You put two and two together and got five.” She rolls her eyes.

  “I panicked when you didn’t return any of my calls or texts. And then Kendra showed me a picture that was posted on some gossip site and has been shared all over social media. I was worried you’d seen it assumed the worst.”

  She presses her lips together like she’s not pleased. “You mean the one with you and the redhead?”

  “Yeah. Are you mad?” Please don’t be mad.

  “Do I have a reason to be?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  She smiles. “I figured as much. When your sister picked you up from the bar she texted me and said you hadn’t gotten into any trouble.”

  She did? Nice of Kendra to fill me in.

  “Then why have you been ignoring my phone calls?”

  “I wanted to let you sweat it out a little. How would you feel if I was photographed with some guy under the same circumstances?”

  “I’d be pissed, and I don’t know that I’d be as understanding as you are,” I confess.

  “You can’t assume the worst from the jump. Especially if I’ve never given you a reason to mistrust me,” she says.

  “So I’m learning.”

  “You are, and it’s really sweet how you came charging in here to stop my phantom artificial insemination.” She giggles.

  I shrug my shoulders. “Hey, I’m a meathead. What can I say?”

  “You are not. Well, maybe sometimes, but I love that about you.”

  The doctor knocks on the door before opening it. “Are we all set now?”

  “I owe you an apology, doc. I misunderstood the situation. I’m sorry.”

  “No harm done.”

  I press a kiss to Nadia’s lips. “I’ll see you when you’re done.”

  * * *

  “There’s a surprise waiting inside for you,” Nadia tells me as I’m about to unlock the door.

  “Really?” I ask, flattered. No one ever surprises me with things. It’s usually me doing all the surprising.

  “Yes. Why don’t you let me go first, so I can watch your reaction,” she suggests. I let her pass in front of me as we step inside and she hurries off.

  “Where’d you go?” I laugh.

  “I’m here,” she calls out.

  When I step inside my kitchen, I freeze in place and glance around. The walls have been painted a light gray, and colorful, quirky artwork has been hung on one of the walls. “This doesn’t even look like the same room.”

  “Do you like it?” She sounds unsure.

  “I love it. I can’t believe you did this for me.”

  “There’s more.” She takes my hand, leading me through the dining room, which has been painted the same color as the kitchen since they’re open to one another.

  “This looks great.”

  “Not the surprise,” she replies, and when we step down into my large living room, she stops. “This is the big surprise.”

  Scanning the room, my eyes keep noticing new things. The walls are painted the same gray, but my bookcases are now navy blue. My books are all organized and she also placed some of my favorite things that I never knew what to do with on the shelves. She even added a picture of the two of us from the mini golf event in a small silver frame. The pictures she hung on the wall are a mixture of my college football days and my professional ones.

  “Nadia, this is amazing. You made it feel like a home. Come sit on the couch with me. I want to take everything in some more.” I plop down and draw her over to me, placing my arm around her shoulders.

  She looks up at me. “Are you sure you like it?”

  “I’m positive. It’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” Eliminating the distance between us, I close my mouth over hers and we say the proper hello we didn’t get to at the doctor’s office.

  “I missed you,” she breathes out.

  “I missed you more. As hard as the last few days have been, they made me realize how much we belong together.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah. You don’t agree?” I frown.

  “I didn’t say that. I think you’re just catching up to where I’ve been for a while.”

  “I fell hard for you when you held me down and kissed me that first time.” I smile.

  “I didn’t hold you down.”

  “You were like an octopus, all arms and legs. I couldn’t keep up.”

  “That’s not how it happened.”

  “That’s the story I’m going to tell anyone when they ask how we fell in love.”

  “That is more plausible than the actual truth.” She laughs.

  “Oh, my parents want to get together with us sometime.”

  “They do?”

  “Yep. We had a long talk and worked out a lot of our issues. Things aren’t perfect, but it’s a start.”

&n
bsp; “What’s perfect anyway?” Nadia asks.

  “You are.” I press a kiss to her nose, her lips, her neck, and…

  26

  Flynn

  “Boys, this is what we’ve been waiting for. It’s been a year of endless, backbreaking work and fighting through the playoffs to get to this point. And goddamn, we deserve this win. We’ve got less than one minute left on the clock and victory can be ours. Play smart and grind hard.” Darren pumps us up.

  My gaze flies up to the seating where I know Nadia is watching from. I can’t see her, but just knowing she’s there gives me an extra boost of reassurance. We can do this. I can do this.

  We line up, and the crowd roars inside the Texas stadium. As soon as the ball is snapped, everything around me fades away. It’s just me and Darren on the field playing catch. I run my designated route and barely come into contact with any defenders. Our quarterback puts the ball perfectly in my hands. The pass was a thing of beauty. I get tackled around the five yard line and jump to my feet smiling, even though it was painful as hell.

  We huddle up around Darren once more. “Okay. This can be the last play of the game, the one that makes us Super Bowl champs. We’ve got to be smart about it.” He looks to Levi, our running back. “Are you ready?”

  “You bet,” Levi replies confidently.

  “Stick with your assignments,” Darren reminds us, glancing at each of us individually. We have to make our blocks if we’re going to win. “Let’s do this.” We give a single clap of our hands before separating.

  Ambling over to take my position, I think about my gramps and how much I wish he could be here. He is here, I remind myself.

  Waiting for the snap is the worst part for me. My heart gallops wildly inside my chest, and I have to quiet all the noise from outside forces and also the ones in my head. It’s easy to let negative thoughts be distracting.

  The ball is snapped and handed off to Levi. I’m chest to chest with one of our opponent’s defensive linemen, digging deep to make my block so Levi has a chance to score. Focusing on my task, I hear wild cheering, but I’m not sure if it’s for us or the defense. I see Darren pump his fist and run toward the end zone, and I know—we just won the fucking Super Bowl. We’re Super Bowl Champions.