Bush League: New Adult Sports Romance (9 page)

                                                        Quinn

*****

The ad is for a little "family-oriented" restaurant on the edge of town. When I call, the manager asks several times if my "act" is family friendly and I assure him that it is. We set that evening for my audition, a brief set in the main dining room with just me and my guitar. My goal isn't to find a full time gig but to instead get the urge out of my system so I can be done with it and be able to focus on school. I have no intention of 'passing' the audition, I just want to be done with the whole singing thing for now, I tell myself. It must be in secret, to keep my nerves steady and to ensure that the info doesn't even come close to reaching my dad.

Scurrying out to my car, I feel as though this summer has been all about sneaking around and hiding. It's not very becoming and something I hope I'll be able to put an end to soon. After my guitar is placed lovingly in the backseat, I put the key in the ignition and turn, immediately hearing what sounds like a warning. Each time I try to turn the engine over, I get a muddy growl that I don't understand. My knowledge is limited and nothing I do fixes the problem; I'm in great danger of missing my only chance at a real performance.

My father isn't home and even if he was, I certainly couldn't ask him for a ride there. Becca's name is punched into my phone but it just rings and rings. I try a few more times but she's not picking up. I feel as though I may cry, so close to actually making something happen only to have it fall apart. Though I know he's with my dad at a game or practice, I still attempt to call Beau, thankful I had snaked his number from my Dad's office. It had been a few days since that steamy rendezvous in his apartment, I hoped I had left him wanting more.

"Um, hello?" his deep voice surprises me by answering after the first ring.

"Beau, it's Quinn, I need a really, really big favor."

I tell him the basics and he explains that he's actually taken the day off from the team to take care of something. He says he can come get me and drive me no problem. Slightly worried my father will arrive and see him picking me up, I ask Beau to meet me one street over, to come find me hiding in the darkness.

"Well hello there," he says upon finding me between some trees, all alone with just my guitar. I climb into his truck, the one that had previously been the scene of a very hot encounter, and he starts to drive towards where I tell him. I'm so nervous for my upcoming performance that I can't even deal with the dichotomy of our relationship. Beau is respectful of that and lets me mentally prepare my set list, only interrupting when he needs help with the directions.

"Ok, thank you so much!" I tell him as we pull up outside.

"Oh, you don't want me to come in?"

There is no way that I want Beau to witness what may very well be a train-wreck but his puppy-dog eyes tell me that he will be nothing more than support. I inform him that he has to be quiet and respectful, even if I'm terrible, or else I'll regret allowing it. He smiles broadly and parks the truck, the two of us hurrying inside to make it in time.

One step through the door of the restaurant and I quickly learn what "family-oriented" really means. There are kids running wild between tables, yelling and screaming as their parents try and enjoy their food. There's a stool and microphone on one end of the room and it's a wonder that none of the demon children have knocked them over.

"Hi, my name's Quinn. We spoke on the phone?" I say upon finding the man one of the waiters had directed me to. He leads me over to the stool and microphone and I can't hear what he's saying over the screaming of the children. He gestures impatiently to the stool and seems pleased once I sit down and put my guitar on my lap. When he speaks into the microphone, the dining room doesn't quiet even a little bit.

"And for your pleasure, some live music to enjoy with your dinner," he says and scurries away. I feel every set of eyes burning on me and upon looking around, I find where Beau is seated and it makes me feel better to know that he's here. The first song I had chosen isn't exactly exciting but I hope it's pleasant enough for the adults in the room. My nerves are still shaky but I silently acknowledge pride in myself for having gone through with this. Just as I'm about to launch into the chorus, I happen to hear a child whine to their parent about wanting something. Shaking it off and regaining focus, I continue only to hear another child at the beginning of a tantrum. Then another. Then another. The kids are bored and getting restless, parents doing nothing to control them. Before even the bridge of my first song, the room is back to the state it was before I started.

Once my first song ends I pause for applause and am surprised when I actually hear some. Beau is clapping wildly and trying to make it contagious but it's not exactly working. We share a knowing smile that allows me to continue. Another song is met with the same indifferent result but I soldier on. My following song the same. Nobody knows I'm there except for Beau, to everybody else I might as well be a jukebox in the corner they can ignore. Just as I'm about to start my fourth song, my fingers in place, my chin tilted up towards the microphone, I see the manager storming up to the stage. This time I'm able to hear him clearly as he is practically shouting.

"Ok, thank you. That's fine, thank you," he says while pushing the microphone away on its swivel. "Thank you very much, we will call you."

The whole situation would be somewhat embarrassing if anyone were actually paying attention. The parents are occupied with their little ones and the kids couldn't care less. I carry my guitar away from the stool and try to get out of there as fast as I can. There's no way to leave without going through the dining room so I make my way between tables, stepping over kids who are absolutely everywhere; I have to hold my guitar up high as not to bop one of them on the head. I see Beau waiting for me only a couple of feet away and race to him, wanting to let him whisk me away as fast as possible. Suddenly I feel a hand on my arm and turn to see who is holding me.

"You have a lovely voice," a kind woman says to me as her children throw bread in the air. I thank her but am not able to completely profess how much I appreciate her words.

"Bravo! Encore! Encore!" Beau calls out once I'm close. He's clapping and treating me as though the whole event had been much more successful than it actually was.

"Can we get out of here please? Quickly?" I beg and he's quick to understand. We leave in a hurry, not even saying goodbye to the manager or his false promise to call me. We had never even exchanged numbers and even if he were to somehow call, I never wanted to step foot inside this restaurant again.

Once we're inside of Beau's truck, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Though the cab of his truck is much smaller than the large room of the restaurant, it's way less crowded so I immediately lose the sense of claustrophobia.

"You..." he says as he guides the truck onto the highway, "You are really talented." He turns to look at me and his smile almost makes me melt. "I mean seriously..."

"Thanks Beau."

"No really. You're like really, really good. Better than anyone I've ever heard on the radio, I swear."

"Too bad nobody else thought so," I say.

"They wouldn't know talent if they heard it. They were too busy with all those stupid kids."

We both laugh.

"Well that's it for a long time. I have a pretty big test coming up and if I don't ace it, I'm screwed," I tell him.

"Well then we better make sure you ace it," he says. "But you're gonna get screwed no matter what."

His innuendo causes a warmth to run from my head to my toes, a yearning deep inside of me awoken yet again. Classes, tests and even singing means way less to me than my desire to ride this stud all night long.

"Well, what about you?" I speak in a bashful stutter past cheeks glowing red. "How's the team? You guys win again?"

Beau is initially silent, clearly trying to think of the right words to say. "Ha. Funny story. I had to tend to some things  and your father was less than pleased. Banned me from practice and the game today. Took me right out of the rotation. I don't know if I'll ever get to pitch for that team again."

Certainly sounds like my father, shunning the best player on the team no matter how much it hurts the greater good. He's a man of principals, whether of not they make sense.

"I'm sure he'll come around," I tell Beau. "He just needs to cool down."

"Well, it's got to be sooner rather than later, the championship is could be over as soon as next week."

I don't have any retort because he's right. Though my father needs Beau to keep his job, he may already sense that he's lost him.

We pull onto my street and my spirits are dampened upon seeing my father's SUV parked in the driveway. The second he hears a car pulling up he's going to look out the window and figure out everything I've been trying to keep from him. Beau notices my disappointment and figures it out for himself.

"What do you want to do?" he asks while stopped a few houses down.

"Well I can't go in there with him home," I explain the obvious.

"I'm sure he'll come around," Beau says with the smug smile I've come to recognize. "He just needs some time to come down."

"Har har funny guy," I say to buy some time and think through how I'm going to fix this. My impulsive side demands to be heard and takes over instead. "You know what? After everything that has happened tonight, I just can't deal. Can we go to your place?" I think Beau may have pinched himself to prove he wasn't dreaming. He eyes me suspiciously but I don't change my mind.

"Ab-so-lutely," he agrees and we set off towards the one apartment I'm definitely not supposed to be at.

*****

Our trip inside Beau's apartment is a lot different this time. He's surprised none of his roommates are around and the fact that they're gone gives me a little relief. Beau provides a quick tour of the sparsely furnished living room and the disorganized kitchen before I tell him I'm tired and can we go rest?

"I don't think we're going to be doing much resting," he says while turning to me, pulling me close to his body in a scandalous embrace. "Seeing you on stage turned me on so much."  Though only a moment before I was thinking of sleep, now my hands wander all over his hard body and my attention turns to what I want even more than sleep.

"Maybe you can make us a couple of drinks while I get settled?" I ask to buy some time and Beau agrees. I head upstairs and need to find something familiar to confirm which room is actually his as my memory is a little hazy. Luckily there's a jersey with "TILLMAN" draped on a chair. I pick that jersey up and inhale, the scent of Beau barely detectable over dominating clean. I admire that his bed is made and pull my top off, folding it neatly and placing it on his chair. My shoes are kicked off and my pants come down next. I'm so wildly turned on at the thought that soon Beau will arrive and find me just in my sexiest underwear. Laying practically naked on his made bed, I can't help but writhe a little as I await his arrival.

"Oh my," he says from the doorway upon seeing me there. He starts to unbutton his shirt but I object.

"Let me do that."

Beau doesn't complain and lands on the bed at my side, his arms wrap around my body and he presses on my back to bring me further into him. My naked thigh drapes over his body and places his bulge at the exact right spot between my legs. The thought of the cock that lies just underneath makes my head feel light as my eager flower grinds against Beau's hardness. I'm so concentrated on the radiating heat and energy between my legs I barely notice when Beau skillfully unclasps my bra from behind.

"You're a pro at that," I tell him as I wriggle free of the straps. He kisses my neck at my collarbone as his two hands aim to feel all of my bare breasts. I can feel my nipples harden to an impossible point underneath his skin, aching for more attention than he could ever give. As Beau begins to kiss and nuzzle my chest, I am able to reach down and undo his belt, the boy free of his pants in record time. My fingers wrap around his thick, throbbing cock and all I can do is think of it sliding deep inside of me.