Full Court Press

by J Akridge

  “Don’t be. These things are easy. Just smile and I’ll do all the talking.” He kisses my temple as I slide my phone back into my clutch.

  “Ugh,” Landon groans. I look at him to find him staring out the window at the row of reporters as our car moves so we are next in line.

  “What?” My body moves so I can look out the window beside him.

  “That reporter.” He points to a blonde. Her hair is piled on top of her head and her skirt is far too short to be professional. Her red top is slit in the front and reveals most of her cleavage. Her lips are painted bright red and you can tell her teeth are bleached and fake.

  “Who is she?” I ask, not sure if I’m wanting the answer or not. Landon has had plenty of bedroom partners, I know this from the Google searches Jen has done. Anyone who knows who he is, knows all about his past conquests. But that was in the past and I need to focus on now. Landon has never given me any reason to believe he would be unfaithful.

  “She’s been trying to get me to go out with her since the beginning of my career. She’s a vulture.” I move my eyes back to where she is standing. She’s chatting up a man who is obviously trying to move past her, but she continues to reach out and grab his elbow with more questions. “Every time I turn her down, she prints some bogus story about me. She’s probably going to ask some inappropriate questions, so you have to just ignore her, okay?”

  “Landon, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” He kisses my temple again as the car comes to a slow stop and it’s our turn. The door to the back of the limo opens and the flashes are nearly blinding. One right after another. Landon climbs out and buttons his suit jacket before reaching back into the car, offering me his hand. I place my small hand in his and he squeezes tightly as I climb out to stand near him. He smiles down at me and it takes all my strength to keep my knees from giving out below me. I’m 99.9% sure that would end up on the cover of every tabloid in the city.

  Landon’s arm reaches around my waist as he leans in to whisper in my ear, “You ready?” I smile up at him and give a small nod.

  We slowly move through all of the reporters and work our way down to the main carpet area.

  “Landon, Landon. Over here!” one report yells continuously. Landon stops in front of them and tilts his head to hear him better. “Who are you here with tonight?”

  Landon glances to me and smiles as he says, “My girlfriend.” Other reporters begin asking a million questions at once and I’m unsure how he can even make out one sentence, but he does it effortlessly, never letting go of me. I continue to smile until my cheeks hurt. My eyes roam down the row of reporters and photographers until they meet a set of green ones staring at me. The reporter Landon had mentioned in the car is glaring at me with such an awful expression I’m surprised I haven’t been engulfed in flames already. Her eyes move up and down my body and a disgusted expression breaks across her face. Her lip curls up, revealing more of her fake, white teeth. I smile sweetly at her to piss her off.

  We continue to make our way down the line. Landon attempts to avoid the blonde who, I have no idea what her name is. We are moving along nicely until I hear her shout, “Landon, where’d you find this slut?” Landon whirls around so quickly it startles her. Her shocked expression quickly morphs back to her perfected resting bitch face. I’m curious how she has a job still with this attitude.

  “Don’t fucking talk about my girlfriend like that, Sandra. I’ll ruin your fucking career so fast and you know I will.” Her expression changes but I’m unsure what emotion I’m seeing. She glances past him to me.

  “Have fun while it lasts, sweetheart. Another girl will be on his arm the next time I run into him.” Landon rolls his eyes before ushering me through the open waiting doors of the event.

  I can’t bite my tongue any longer. “Actually, I will have fun. It’s more than what you have had with him.” I smirk when the smile falls from her bitchy face. I turn to face Landon, who is smiling down at me, before tugging my arm to move forward.

  I was afraid I wouldn’t fit in here, but I’m honestly having a great time. Everyone we have encountered so far has been extremely nice and welcoming, except for that reporter, of course. Many of his teammates are here with their wives. They rave about my dress and hair choice. They also mention how they have never seen Landon so enamored with anyone before now. That makes my heart flutter and the butterflies go crazy in my stomach.

  The song playing slowly changes into Dan and Shay’s Speechless. It’s one of my favorites. Landon appears in front of me and has an open hand waiting, inviting me for a dance. I follow him onto the dance floor and place one hand on the top of his shoulder as his moves to the small of my back. He pulls me close before grabbing my other hand and holding it between us. Our noses are touching as we sway to the song and the entire room around me fades away until all I see are his blue-gray eyes. They are mesmerizing and I can’t look away from him. We sway to the song and he quietly sings in my ears. All the words seem like so much more coming out of his mouth.

  Once the song ends, a loud applause stretches across the room. Everyone is staring at us, causing me to blush from all the attention. Landon chuckles and kisses my temple again. I absolutely adore when he does that, it’s so intimate. My eyes collide with Sandra’s, who is standing by the bar, staring at us.

  “Come with me,” Landon whispers and I follow him off the dance floor and into a hall.

  “This way.” He walks quickly and I struggle keeping up with him in these heels.

  “What are we doing?” I giggle as his speed picks up the more I struggle.

  He looks both ways before pushing open a door to an abandoned room. The lights are off, and he doesn’t bother turning them on as he slams the door behind him. His hands immediately roam over my body as his lips collide with mine and I’m thankful I brought the lipstick Francesca left for me earlier.

  His hands pull the straps from my shoulders and the dress drops to my feet, leaving me in nothing but the lace thong. I quickly step out of my dress and yank his jacket off as he begins unbuttoning his dress shirt. I move to his slacks and quickly pull them loose.

  Once his underwear is pulled down and he is revealed to me, I drop to my knees and wrap my hands around him. I glance at him through my lashes and he’s smirking at me with dark eyes. My tongue darts out, running across the top of his head. He groans and his head falls back as I take him all the way in my mouth. My tongue swirls around his dick as my hands squeeze at the base. I continue my assault until Landon yanks me to my feet quickly. He spins me around and leans me over a conference table that I hadn’t noticed was here before. He pulls my thong down and I step out with one leg as he nudges my feet apart. His hand roams from my neck down my spine. I’m so turned on right now I literally can’t wait much longer, so I push my ass toward him, which earns me a swift smack. I groan as his hand collides against my cheek again.

  His body leans over mine as he lines himself up with my entrance. He thrusts in quickly, causing me to gasp and collapse against the cool surface below me. He doesn’t stop, instead he continues to pound into me from behind and my body tenses with every thrust.

  “Let go, baby,” he says as his orgasm rips through him, sending my body into my own spiral of pleasure. He collapses against me as we both come down from our orgasm high. We lay there a few more moments before he pulls away from me. He slides my underwear back up before helping me step into my dress. I secure the straps around my shoulders again as he moves to get dressed.

  Shortly after, we decide to say our goodbyes at the event and have the limo drop us at Landon’s house. We spend the rest of the night curled up in the sheets.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I wake to the smell of Landon. His arm is heavily draped across my mid-section. I’m on my side and his body is pressed tightly against my back. He snores lightly in my ear and I smile.

  Moving his arm, I slowly move out of the bed so I can head to the bathroom. Before I’m able to stand fully, I’m pull
ed back down to the mattress. A chuckle releases from him. I turn to look at him and his eyes are closed and he’s laying down, holding me beside him.

  “Where are you going?” his sleepy voice asks, and I decide I cannot get enough of that sound.

  “I’m just going to use the bathroom.”

  He groans but holds his arm up so I can slide out before it flops back down onto the bed. I tiptoe to his bathroom. It was dark when we came in last night and the only thing we were focused on was getting to the bedroom. I didn’t bother looking around then, but now as I flip the bathroom light on I take in the huge master bath before me.

  Wood tile flooring runs throughout, a large Jacuzzi tub sits in the far corner, and a massive shower with clear glass doors is on the other side. The vanities are white with a cream-colored marble counter. It looks like it came directly from a magazine. I run my hands across the vanity as I make my way to the toilet, stopping when I see his cologne sitting near the mirror on one side. Cedar Magnolia. It’s a woodsy, spice smell and it’s my favorite thing.

  I quickly use the restroom then wash my hands. I see a T-shirt hanging from the back of the door; I grab it and quickly toss it on.

  When I step back into the bedroom, Landon is leaned over the side of the bed. His phone is in one hand while his other is against in forehead in a fist. He’s still dressed in only his underwear. I crawl onto the bed behind him and wrap my arms around him. His body is stiff, and he doesn’t react to me the way he normally does.

  “Landon? What’s wrong?” I ask, unsure if I want the answer he’s about to give me. He turns his head toward me and I can see the pain across his expression.

  “Baby, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I never meant for this to happen.” His voice cracks halfway through.

  “What are you talking about?” He looks back down at his phone then hands it to me. I take his black iPhone and open the screen to see what he’s been looking at. It’s a rag magazine that always posts the skimpiest photos and articles. The article titled Prince Gets Kinky in Conference Room At Red Carpet Event.

  My heart drops. The first thing I notice is the name, Sandra O’Neal. The same bitch from the party last night. I scroll down to get more of the story. She doesn’t normally write for this magazine, at least not according to what Landon said last night. I skip through the reading and get stopped on the images that pull up. Image after image of me, my body covered with Landon pressed up against me from behind. The expressions on my face make me look slutty as he presses me to the table.

  My mind goes crazy and I try to figure out where the images could have been taken from, but then I realize it had to have been from the door. That would be the only angle that would have worked to get these shots. I never saw any flashes so they were discreet.

  “I’ll fucking bury her.” Landon stands as I scroll through the rest of the images. Tears are falling from my face now. He yanks on a pair of sweats and a shirt and kneels before me. The pad of his thumb brushes the tears, but they’re falling too quickly for him to catch them all. These images are out on the web for everyone to see. Granted, the images of my breasts are blurred but you can clearly see my face and know who it is. Especially since my name is in bold letters in the writing. It even mentions Carson by name and I have no clue how she could have found out about him.

  “Baby, please talk to me.” I look at Landon and I can’t form words in this moment. I’m humiliated and I feel sick.

  “I need to go.” Standing, I hand the phone back to him and go get dressed in the clothes I brought with me. He’s leaned against his dresser, his eyes watching my every move as I change and pack up my things. My cell phone is the last thing I grab. I have forty-three missed called and sixty-two text messages. I pull up my Uber app before opening any of the messages and request a car to my location.

  “Let me drive you home, don’t leave like this.” He steps in front of me as I try to move for the door.

  “I just need time, Landon.” He nods and steps out of my way. I reach up and press a kiss to his lips before walking through his door.

  Chapter Seventeen

  It’s been a week since I’ve seen or talked to Landon. The tabloids are still posting images from that night at the red carpet. I’ve had to pull Carson out of school for the week because he was getting harassed by other kids about the situation. I took a week of vacation, but the school board would like to meet with me when I return tomorrow morning. I’m pretty sure I know what this meeting will consist of.

  “Mommy?” Carson’s little voice says above the TV. “When will we see Landon again?”

  “I’m not sure, bud. Soon,” I say, not sure what is truly going on with our relationship. Landon calls and texts every day but I can’t bring myself to return them yet. I know I’m being selfish and he didn’t cause this to happen, but the truth is none of these would be happening if I’d just kept my distance and followed my gut.

  Carson’s attention returns to the show he’s watching and I’m thankful for the silence I’m greeted with, if only for a few minutes. The doorbell rings twice before I notice what the sound is. I get up from the couch and toss the blanket I had across my legs over the back of the chase lounger.

  When I get to the door and open it, I’m shocked to see a uniformed officer.

  “Are you Kelsi Fran?” I nod.

  “Here you go, ma’am.” I thank him and close the door as he walks away. The large yellow envelope in my hand causes my heart rate to speed up.

  “Who was that, momma?” Carson asks. He’s leaned over the back of the couch.

  “No one, baby. They were dropping something off, that’s all.” I smile at him.

  I glance down at the envelope and run my hand across the top. The return address is an attorney I haven’t heard of. I rip open the top of the envelope and let the papers fall to the dining room table.

  Kyle.

  That fucking douchebag is taking me to court for custody of Carson. Tears immediately flow and I begin to panic at the thought of having to tell Carson any of this. I pick up my phone and shoot a quick text to my parents and Chrissy. They all reply that they are on their way.

  When they arrive, I’m still at the same seat I was when I texted them. I haven’t looked away from the papers. My dad takes Carson to the park down the street so he doesn’t overhear any of this.

  Chrissy takes the papers and reads through them quickly. She slams them down with a loud “mother fucker” then my mother does the same. My heart is shattering and for a second all I want to do is call Landon, but I’m too hurt and embarrassed right now give myself what I need.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kyle

  Motherfucker, that hurt like a bitch. My hand moves to my ribcage, I'm sure something is broken. I roll to my side in the alley I was just tossed in. Dumpsters line one side and trash the other. I’m lucky to be alive, I wasn’t thinking clearly when I attempted to count cards in the poker game tonight. I just needed some quick cash, and I'm usually good at hiding my counting, but tonight didn’t go my way.

  I’m twenty-thousand dollars in the hole now and I have no idea where i’m going to get that kind of cash. My life wasn’t always this screwed up, I wasn’t always a worthless son of a bitch. Drugs can change a person. Mix that with alcohol and the need to gamble away everything I own and you end up with someone like me. Worthless. I roll my eyes and attempt to raise myself off the cold ground. There’s no telling what kind of nasty shit is smeared all over me now.

  It takes me a minute to stand fully, my ribs are sore and I'm pretty sure my brow is busted open. I haven’t had my ass kicked like that in a while. It’s nearly two in the morning, so the streets are starting to calm down, which means less people are likely to ask me what the hell just happened to me.

  As I'm walking past one of the benches just outside of the alley entrance, I notice a magazine tossed on the ground. Normally, these types of things wouldn’t catch my attention, but what does catch my attention is the woman on th
e cover. Nearly naked, with her head to the sky. And i’d recognize those tits anywhere, it was one of the only things that kept me interested for as long as I was.

  Kelsi didn’t strike me as the type to end up on a magazine cover, especially not in this type of detail. When I read through the article, I realize she is with Landon Prince, a player for the Atlanta Hawks. Big money. I roll my eyes, some people just have it and I'm not one of them. Glad I'm not having to deal with that bitch anymore. The day she told me she was pregnant, oh was I jumping with joy. I laugh, that was a damn lie. I was being tied down and I fucking hated it, not to mention having to deal with her parents for the rest of my damn life. Fuck that.

  Then the bitch wanted me to turn the game off and drive her to the hospital, yeah okay. Now she’s living the best life, with the kid. Access to all that goddamn money.

  I pause. Money.

  That’s exactly what I need. I smile to myself, my luck is finally about to start looking up.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Monday morning approaches quickly. Carson stayed with my parents last night and is skipping school once again. I’m looking into possible homeschool options for now and my mom has agreed to do it, so I’ll still be able to work.

  I make my way to the board room in our elementary school. It’s located inside the office building. When I enter, the principal, vice principal, and all the school board members are all seated. When I realize they are all here, I know that this is the moment I will be fired from the job I have wanted for years. Our school has always had a united front, and when anyone is fired or hired, the entire school board collaborates on the decision. None of them smile as I step through the doors; several avoid making eye contact with me. I move to sit in an empty seat at the end of the table. All eyes shift toward mine then. I slowly ease myself into the chair and cross my arms on the desk in front of me.