Mercy: Second Chance Military Romance (52 page)

I decided to go see Coach Tom and ask if he would pull some strings to get me back in the game before the playoffs. When I got to his office at the stadium, he frowned as I walked in. This set a bad tone for the rest of the meeting, but I had to carry forward.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his worn baseball cap pulled down tightly on his bald head.

“Is that the way to greet your stay player?”

I sat down across from his desk, my hands resting on my legs. He stared at me, shaking his head.

“You’re my biggest pain in the ass player. The league is wanting me to make an example out of you.”

“I didn’t hit a woman or anything, Coach. It was just a friendly fight between teammates.”

“That’s just it, Tony. Teammates aren’t supposed to be fighting. The fact you did it in public during a game makes it even worse. You don’t even see what you did wrong, do you?”

“I do,” I said. “That’s why I’m here. I need to get back in the game. It’s not even about the money.”

“You’re lucky the fines weren’t even higher.”

“I’m damn lucky, Coach. You know how hard I work.”

“I can’t help you this time, Tony. You need to learn how to control your anger.”

“Fuck,” I muttered, clenching my fists as rage raced through me.

“See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about. You’re a grown man. Why do you feel the need to throw a tantrum when things don’t go your way?”

“The team needs me, Coach.”

“They do, but I can’t help you this time.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

“Anything else? I need to get back to work.”

“You and me both,” I said as I stood up.

“Watch that attitude, Tony. It’s going to get you in even deeper trouble one of these days.”

“Thanks for the advice, Coach.” I raised a hand in the air. “I’ll see you around.”

“Hopefully,” he said.

Instead of leaving right away, I went to talk to James, who worked as a security guard for the stadium after hours. I found him in his office down the hall from Coach Tom. He looked up from his desk as I knocked on the open door.

“If it ain’t the devil’s son himself,” he said with a smile.

I walked in and glanced around.

“Don’t you ever do any work in here?”

“I do more than my fair share,” he said. “And I don’t get suspended either.”

“Funny man.”

“What the hell you thinking, anyway?”

He shook his head while stroking his long, white beard which contrasted with his dark skin.

“I wasn’t thinking.”

“Damn straight you weren’t. It’s a shame you’re wasting your talent.”

“I need a favor,” I said, changing the subject.

“Here we go. What hussy you trying to impress now?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Oh?” He tilted his head to the side as he peered at me. “No?”

“Well, it’s a woman, but she’s different.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ve heard you say that before.”

“It’s true this time.”

“Uh huh. I expect you’ll want the usual.”

“Just the dinner. I don’t think we need the skybox.”

“Good. Last time…”

“I know,” I interrupted. “I’m sorry. Did you get your apology gift?”

A smile spread over his face.

“I did. It’s a beautiful car.”

“It’s the least I could do,” I said. “You’ve been a good friend.”

“I don’t know about us being friends, but if you keep scratching my back, I’ll keep scratching yours.”

“Fair enough. Is tonight okay, then?”

“You’re not giving me much time, are you?”

“It’s important, James.”

“Alright. You don’t need to turn that super-charm on me.”

I smiled.

“You’re a good man, James. I can’t thank you enough.”

He raised a hand and nodded his head at me.

“The gate will be open at the usual time, and I’ll contact the catering crew to let them know.”

“The best,” I said, pointing at him then tapping my heart. “I have to go, but…”

“You don’t need to give me any reasons. Have a good time tonight.”

“I plan on it. Maybe I’ll introduce you to her.”

“We’ll see how long this one sticks around.”

“That was the old me. I’m a new man.”

“Uh huh,” he said as if he weren’t impressed in the least.

“See you later, James.”

After a last wave, I left his office and returned to the parking lot. The cold winter air wasn’t enough to chill my mood. Instead of calling Andrea, I decided to stop by the newspaper office, thinking it might be fun to see where she worked.

The energy coursing through my body made me stomp down on the gas pedal as soon as I jumped on the freeway to get across the city. I loved the feeling of power and control I had when driving the Maserati. Jumped up on adrenaline and excitement, I pushed the car a bit faster.

When Andrea popped into my thoughts suddenly, I remembered her freaking out about me driving so fast. Without even thinking about it too much, I let off the gas and slowed down just in time. A huge land-cruiser Cadillac from the late 20th century swerved into the left lane.

If I had not slowed down, I would have slammed into the back of the vehicle. Unable to wait any longer, I tapped the touchscreen in my dash a few times and called Andrea on her call phone. She answered after the second ring.

“Hey,” I said into the air.

“Hey…” she echoed, her voice coming through my speakers.

“I’m on my way to see you, but I had to call.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I almost got into an accident, but I remembered you lecturing me about my lead foot, and I slowed down just in time.”

“Good for you,” she said curtly.

“Everything okay? You sound down.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t sound like nothing. What are you doing tonight?”

“No plans, really. Why?”

“Come to dinner with me.”

“I don’t feel like going out in public.”

“We won’t be in public. It’s at the stadium. I want to treat you to a candlelight dinner on the field.”

“Because you were almost in an accident? I don’t understand.”

“I had the idea before I almost wrecked, but avoiding the accident made me think of you.”

Am I telling her too much?
I wondered as I found myself unable to stop talking.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“On my story? This can be part of it.”

She sighed.

“Okay…”

“Don’t sound too excited,” I said then laughed.

“When do you want to do this?”

“How about tonight?”

“Tonight doesn’t work for me.”

“Oh…” I said, surprised she was turning me down, something that had never happened before.

“How about tomorrow night?”

“That’s great,” I said. “I’ll pick you up around five. That work for you?”

“Yeah. I have to go, Tony. Good to hear from you.”

“You too,” I said.

She ended the call.

With nothing else to do that day, I drove back to the stadium to let James know I needed my favor the next night. He wouldn’t care, but I thought it better to tell him in person. I respected the hell out of the old timer.

TWELVE

Tony

When I got back to the stadium, I ran into Keith Alderman in the hallway. He stopped and glared at me. Kicking his ass on the field had been worth the suspension – at least I had thought so at the time. I wasn’t so sure anymore.

“What the fuck you doing here?” he asked.

“Settle down. I’m not here to kick your ass again.”

“You did not kick my ass. It was a sucker-punch.”

“Bullshit,” I said, stepping forward.

We stood, chest to chest, eyeing each other.

“I’ll fucking take you out right now. Make a move.”

As a defensive lineman, he was huge, but I would have no problem taking him down.

“You make a move,” I said, hoping to claim the self-defense card.

His bottom lip quivered as I stared into his eyes. The tension in the hall was off the charts. I stepped back, trying to think of Andrea to help control my anger.

“That’s right, punk. Step the fuck back.”

I reached my arm back, ready to deck him when the door to the locker room opened. Coach Tom came out scowling.

“What the hell are you doing back here, Tony?”

“I forgot something.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie.

“Get in back, Keith.”

I lowered my arm. He gave me one last dirty look then turned and walked away.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Coach asked me. “I told you to stay away.”

“I needed to talk to James about something.”

“You’re not still bringing women into the stadium at night, are you?”

“Of course not, Coach,” I lied.

The look on his face told me he didn’t believe me.

“If I catch you doing it again, you’re going to get your suspension extended and not be able to play in the playoffs.”

“You mean you’re going to let me back in early so I can play?”

“We have a good shot of going all the way this year,” he said. “And I need you on the field. You’re the best I’ve got at the moment.”

I grinned, feeling even better.

“You’re the best, Coach.”

“Don’t get all emotional on me,” he said. “You players these days.”

After patting him on the back, I headed down the hall to talk with James anyway. When I walked in his office again, he looked up at me.

“Uh oh. I know that look. What do you need now?”

“Come on, James. I’m not that bad, am I?”

“You helped my father, Tony. I’m going to help you.”

“It wasn’t anything. Sometimes I think I have too much money.”

“Ain’t no such thing,” he said then laughed. “What do you need?”

“Can we switch the dinner on the field to tomorrow night? Is it too late?”

He looked at the watch on his wrist, a gold affair from the mid-20th century, not one of those modern ones. I watched his face closely, noticing the frown.
Fuck
.

“I’ll pay the catering staff for tonight and tomorrow night, but everyone can go home tonight. How does that sound.”

“Now we’re talking,” he said, his smile easing my conscience.

“Great. You need the money now? I don’t have my checkbook.”

“I trust you, Tony, but cash would be best. This operation is under the table.”

“Not a problem,” I said, nodding. “I gotta go, but thanks again. I’ll call you tomorrow night around six or so.”

“This must be some special lady friend,” he said, leaning back with a grin on his face.

I nodded my head slowly.

“She’s special in a lot of ways,” I said.

“Uh huh.”

I waved then turned and left his office. If Coach was going to let me play during the playoffs, I had to start working out and training. A sexy and romantic late night dinner on the 50-yard line would be a great reward for a night and morning full of exercise.

As I headed to my mansion, I decided to kick out the entourage for at least a day or two. With them gone, I would be able to think and plan out the playoffs and how to make Andrea my wife. The thought hit me like a hailstone falling from the sky on a clear day with no clouds.

What the hell? Where did that come from?
I had no answers, but the idea didn’t frighten me as it had at one time in my life when I was younger.
Am I growing up? Is she the one?
The woman who walked into the locker room and saw me naked?
I smiled. The idea pleased me.

THIRTEEN

Andrea

Tony arrived at my house in his Maserati, which looked so out of place in the neighborhood. I stood up from the porch where I’d been waiting for him and walked toward the driveway. He got out of the car and came over, meeting me half way.

“Let me get the door for you,” he said.

“What a gentleman,” I teased. “You going to tell me where we’re going?”

“It’s a surprise. You’ll like it, but you have to promise me you won’t use it in your story.”