Romance: Seducing The Quarterback (8 page)

“Did she publish it yet?” Mike asked Cameron the next day.
Cameron nodded.

“It’s been doing well,” he said with a impressed face,
“Somehow; she made you look like a good person again.”

“These writer types man,” Mike mused, shaking his head, “I
tell you – they have the ability to contort reality to their liking.”

“That’s true and that is why you should keep people like
that in your good books,” Cameron advised with a knowing raise of the eyebrow.

“Well, you know how it goes,” Mike shrugged and then a smile
plastered his lips, “She was definitely interesting though.”

“Stay away from her,” Cameron warned him, “There can be no
good in trying to pursue a woman who has the ability to alter your image with
one stroke of her pen.”

But Mike just grinned in that way that he always did when he
was up to no good. “Hey I never said anything about pursuing her,” he said in
his own defense.

“The implication was enough for me to understand what that
mind of yours is working up to,” Cameron replied. He knew Mike too well – they
had practically grown up together.

“You really need to relax,” he said but in his mind, the
gears had already started to roll.

It was not that Mike was interested in pursuing Megan. Hell,
he was a lover of beauty and always appreciated a pretty face whenever it came
his way but there was something different about Megan. She was interesting – as
in, her mind had many ideas that Mike wanted to explore. Also, I only helped
that she was also pretty easy on the eyes with her brunette hair and oval face.

Mike shook his head to remove all thoughts of her from his
head. Cameron was right – he should not be thinking of pursuing her but then
again, the knowledge of what is right and what is wrong has never stopped Mike
Ferguson before.

* * * *

In the journalism world, reach was everything. Numbers,
statistics, how many shares your article got – that was the new religion. It
was a cruel system but right now, it had been forgiving to Megan. The numbers
had granted her enough notoriety to be considered relevant enough to be invited
out to parties. There was an opening at a nightclub whose invitation she had
accepted and brought Annie along.

“This place looks fancy,” Annie noted as they walked in.
Megan nodded – she had access to the VIP area and she knew that place would be
crawling with big names.

Megan nodded. “You’re right.”

Megan was smart in her social interactions. She knew that in
order for her to climb the stairs of success, she had to go out and make
connections in parties like these.

“I heard Mike is going to be here,” Annie commented, “He
better come up to you with an elaborate thank you,” she laughed.

Megan shook her head, “Please – that is never going to
happen.”

Megan was aware that Mike was one of the VIP guests in the
list tonight. If she was being honest, he was one of the reasons she had
decided to come tonight but she was never going to admit that out loud. Truth
was, Megan was fascinated by Mike. Not from his fame or his lifestyle – she had
never been the sort of person to get dazed or stars truck but she felt as
though there was more to him than what was revealed on the surface.

Years of studying journalism had instilled an acute sense of
curiosity within her and when she saw someone like Mike, she was intrigued.

The evening progressed on and while there was no sign of
Mike, Megan had for sure made the evening worth her while.

“We need to get you over to the dance floor,” Annie nudged
her. Her sequined dress shone under the dim club lights. “Like, right now.”

Megan was pushed over to the middle of the dance floor
before she even had the opportunity to respond. But once there, she felt
herself immediately fall at ease. The steady mellow of the music relaxed her,
along with the alcohol that was now swimming in her system.

Megan danced with whoever she could find willing, letting
her body sway to the beat of the music. A guy came up to her and put his hands
around her shoulders and she decided to vibe with him for the remainder of the
song.

“What’s your name?” she slurred out to him, keeping her
mouth close to the stranger’s ear so he could hear her over the loud blare of
the music.

“Fred,” he replied back with a cheeky grin. Fred was about
to suggest that they ditch the club all together and head over somewhere where
they could talk in private when Megan felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey, what gives?” Fred shouted, annoyed at the stranger who
was stealing his girl but his words fell silent as he saw the person who had
interrupted them.

“Mike!” Megan called out, seeming surprised at his sudden
apparition.

“Oh, so it is actually you!” Mike called out and nodded to
the side, “I thought I saw a glimpse of you – came here especially to check.
What are you doing here?”

Megan shrugged, “You know – you and me run in the same
circles now. You were bound to run into me one of these days,” she laughed. She
decided to keep the part where she only accepted this invite because she knew
he was going to be there to herself.

“Well, I am glad it was sooner than later,” he said and held
out his hand for her, “Care to dance?”

She grinned and took his hand in hers, “Who am I to refuse?”

The song playing in the background did not match the dance
they were performing but it did not seem to matter to the either of them. They
both belted out their ridiculous moves and laughed.

“That was really fun,” Megan told him as she stumbled
forward in front of him. He promptly slipped an arm around her waist to help
steady her and grinned.

“We both really don’t know how to dance, do we?”

“I don’t care – I’m too drunk,” she grinned back.

Suddenly, an idea popped up in Mike’s head and he grabbed
her tighter by the waist. “Hey, you want to leave this place and go for a drive
with me?”

Megan was nodding before she even considered thinking about
it properly. “I would love to!”

They slid past through the backdoor and avoided the rush of
people on the front. He opened the door for her and she slid into his car.

He started to drive. “I’m so glad we are out of there,” Mike
admitted, keeping his eyes on the road.

Megan laughed, “Me too. I don’t know if it’s just a case of
me getting older or what, but the club scene just loses its charm after a
little while.”

“Mhm, but a good party is essential every now and then,”
Mike remarked casually as he took a turn. “Where do you want to go?”

Megan shrugged, “Honestly, I don’t really care. Can we just
cruise?”

“I like that idea,” Mike grinned, “So that new article you
wrote – it’s been getting a lot of traction.”

“So you’ve been keeping up,” Megan replied, “I thought I
remembered you telling me that you do not pay attention to what’s been
published about you.”

“I don’t – but I guess you can say I liked the last one,” he
shot her a look but she did not catch it in the darkness of the car in the
night time. Street lights blurred past besides them.

“I’m so validated,” her reply came out sounding more
sarcastically than she had imagined.

“No I am being honest,” he said suddenly, “I have given a
lot of interviews over the course of my career but that one had to be one of
the better ones. I think people are seeing that, too. You are one of the most
capable journalists out there right now, if I do say so myself.”

“Well, thanks,” Megan replied. She did not feel tongue-tied
but she also did not know what the appropriate response would be. Modesty was a
virtue.

Mike noticed the sudden comfortableness, “Hey, it’s a
compliment and you definitely deserve it.”

Megan laughed at her own awkwardness, “I know – no, thank
you. I’m just not really used to getting feedback like this from big sport
celebrities like you. I need a moment to sink it in.”

Mike laughed in response, “But hey – how come you never even
asked me one of the most common questions?”

“What?” Megan was suddenly racking her brain for what she
had possibly missed.

“The infamous ‘are you single?’” 

“Well, are you?” Megan asked him, turning over to face him
properly and raising her eyebrow ever so slightly.

“Depends on who’s asking,” he replied coyly, “Is this for
the interview again?”

“A follow up edit? Maybe,” she replied, “But no – would that
change your answer?”

He shrugged, “Perhaps. But to answer your question – that
would be an affirmative. I’m pretty damn single, alright.”

Surprise registered on Megan’s face as she heard the words.
She had done her research on him before conducting the interview and according
to popular media reports, he was definitely not. Mike caught up on that, seeing
as he had kept one eye on her this entire time to gauge her reaction.

“You seem really surprised to hear that,” he commented.

“I mean, sort of. I was under the impression you were dating
that model.” Megan was referring to one of the latest women that he had been
spotted partying it up with.

“My work requires me to work long and hard days,” he
shrugged, “So I like to cut loose whenever I get the chance, you know?”

“So, no girlfriend?”

“Nope,” Mike grinned, “Is this still for the interview?”

Megan laughed, “I am not sure.”

“So what about you then?” he asked her. Megan knew that it
was coming all along.

Usually, Megan had a pre-prepared script that she used
whenever she was asked a question along these lines. It was always the same
thing – yes, she had a boyfriend. They had been together for a long time and
were working long distance right now. Yes, she was happy and no, she would not
go out for drinks just to see what she was missing.

It was the classic excuse she used to ward men off. Even
though, the boyfriend she spoke of did not exist.

But right now, as Mike asked her the same question, somehow,
she did not want to use the script.

“I mean, sure. I’m pretty single, too,” she replied. This
had been the first time in months that she had answered that question with full
honestly.

Megan might have been imagining things but she swore that
she saw Mike’s eye light up for a second as she said the words. “Interesting,”
he replied.

“And why do you say that?” Megan crinkled her nose in
confusion.

“You know, I’m just surprised at how no one has snatched up
a pretty girl like you up yet,” he said without his voice wavering.

Megan felt at a loss of words again. Was he flirting with
her? Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that she would be sat in a
car with Mike Ferguson trying to charm her.

“I’m… flattered,” she replied after a moment of regaining
herself.

Mike grinned, “Let’s get some ice cream,” he changed the
topic, not wanting to her even more flustered.

They proceeded to get ice-cream and then get even more
progressively drunk with the hidden bottle of liquor stashed in Mike’s trunk.
At the end of it, they found themselves parked outside Megan’s apartment.

“So I guess it’s time for me to go,” she told him standing
outside her door. He had walked her up to her floor.

“Sure,” Mike replied coyly with his hands thrust into the
pocket of his jeans, “if that’s what you want,” he added as an afterthought.

Megan looked back at him. She had just had a tremendous
evening with this guy and the chemistry between them was amazing. Normally, if
this was a date, there would be no question whether she would invite him inside
at the end of the evening but this time, she felt hesitant. This was not a
regular date – the man standing before her was a well-known public figure who
she, before today, had a strictly work relationship with.

She toyed with the tassled free ends of her hair, “So,” she
lengthened out the word and then made a decision, “Do you want to come in?”

It seemed that Mike had been waiting for her to say those
exact words and nearly jumped at the opportunity. “Honestly, I was beginning to
think you were never going to ask.”

That was the thing about Mike – he somehow so effortlessly
made any situation lighthearted and relaxed. Suddenly, all of Megan’s nerves
disappeared and along with her apprehensions of Mike being a famous guy.
Because right now, all that did not matter. The person standing before her was
not some famous guy – he was just a guy she had vibed with and then decided to
bring him back home. What was to happen afterwards, well, that was still
undecided.

Megan walked over to her kitchen cabinet with a certain
bounce in her step. She felt completely at ease. “Let me pop open some wine for
you,” she announced as she struggled to reach the top shelf where the bottle
sat, “I feel like we deserve some after-party drinks, don’t you?”

Mike chuckled, “Always!” He had begun to make himself more
comfortable as he took off his shoes and jacket and sank back down on her
couch.

Megan walked back in with the bottle in her hand. Mike
raised an eyebrow at her, “No glasses?”

“Eh, I figured we could just wing it,” she grinned and took
a swig out of the bottle before handing it back to him.

They sat and drank until the last remaining drops had been
consumed from the bottle.

“It’s probably some sort of a violation to go back driving
while I’m this drunk,” he commented with the occasional slur slipping in
between his words.

“Hey – I’m a journalist. I can make you look good in the
article that they eventually publish your DUI,” Megan joked.

“Here’s hoping I don’t get one then,” he joked back and then
glanced at his wall, “But damn, it’s actually quite late. Perhaps I should get
going.”

Megan looked back at him and bit down on her lip, “Well –
you’re too drunk to be driving safely on your own.”