Playing Around (7 page)

Back home Jed had finished getting dressed. He was taking the old man's car. Figuring if she wears a dress or a skirt, his Harley wouldn’t do. Picking out what to wear had turned into a nightmare. On one hand a suite would be more conservative. On the other hand a sweater outfit would make the look more intellectual. What he didn’t want for tonight was his usual playboy look. His knee was feeling better now, so maybe his luck was turning for the best.

Jed had settled on a combination of both outfits. Opting for a white collared shirt and a sweater over it. A light jacket completed the look. He even put on a tie that matched his slacks. Regret would come later since his neck was too thick for a tie. It felt like a noose around his neck, but Reina was worth it. That was all that mattered.

When Jed arrived at her house after picking her up some flowers. He did not go with the cliché of red roses. They were white orchid. Reina had told him when they were young that those were her favorite flower. “Here’s to hopping she still likes them.” A finger pressed the doorbell. The door swung open and his breath caught.

She looked stunning and was wearing a gorgeous dress. All he could see were her eyes calling to him. "I brought you these." Jed held the flowers out to her and she graced him with a stunning smile. It almost made his knees give out. “Get a grip man, what the fuck is wrong with you.” He mentally chided himself.

"Oh my goodness, you remembered my favorite flower?" She asked looking hopeful.

"How could I forget?" Jed smiled back feeling all proud of himself. He took her to a roof top restaurant. “I love to come here when I visit.” He said trying so sound normal as he leaned by the rail pulling on the tie. It was driving him nuts.

Reina laughed and walked over to take it off. She also undid the first two buttons of his shirt. "There, that's more your style." The smile made an appearance once again. They were seated and were having a wonderful time. She was just as sweet as he remembered her to be.

While having dinner Jed asked Reina about her experience at Pen State. What she disclosed blew him away. The first two years had been full of playing catch up with work as well as in the field for him. Yet by the third year, things started to turn around. All the credit had to go to the very thing that helped get Jed through his senior year of high school football; a stupid troll doll.

At the start of the football season his senior year of high school. Someone had launched a troll doll at his head, when the team ran onto the field. Jed never knew who did it, but the creepy little thing became his lucky charm. It stayed in the locker all season and the team played their best season ever. Not being one for superstitions, at the end of senior year it was tossed away.

Jed put no correlation to it until his third year at Pen when the same damn thing happened. It angered him at first, yet he once again kept it in the locker. Sure enough, the team had a great year. The following year was also great. Tonight Reina had solved the mystery when she asked if her troll had hurt his eye.

She went on to explain that the first one was thrown in anger. Yet after hearing how bad he played the previous years. Reina had remembered the things she heard in high school about his lucky charm and took a chance.

“Woman, are you for real? It’s because of you that I got scouted. The lucky charm made me a great player.” She laughed and assured the troll had nothing to do with it. Reina also went on to disclose she too had been the one who left all those uplifting notes were he could find them.

When Jed was feeling his lowest or unsure. Somehow he would find a note that told him everything would be ok or that he would do great. All he needed to do was believe in himself. Why had he ever backed off? She made it so easy to fall in love with her then and now.

Back then it was his fear of being left again. Yet he had gotten over the fear of abandonment. Truth be told, Jed saw a therapist for a couple of years. It helped to worked through the issues. He was now ready to move forward. Jed wrapped his arms around her waist and moved her closer. "Are you having a good time?" he asked causing the most delicate blush to stain her cheeks.

It intrigued him. None of the ladies he ever took out blushed. She was so sweet an innocent. She was what, two years younger than him. That put her at 24, maybe it was just the attention he was giving her. The moment he started to bend his head to kiss her. A scream came from in front.

"Jed! Jed Diaz is that really you!" The scream was followed by a flashing light. Damn, he looked up and some blond in a two sizes to small dress ran to him. "I'm your biggest fan Jed Diaz. Can I have an autograph?" she asked just as she lowered her top almost spilling those silicone torpedoes out. He hated this part of fame. One look at Reina showed she was not too pleased.

"Sure" he said while signing over her breasts. She started chatting and Jed gave her a smiled. "I’m sorry honey, but I'm here with my wife, can we please enjoy our night" Her jaw hit the floor as she glared at Reina and walked away.

"Holy shit, why did you go say that for!?" Reina asked all freaked out.

Jed smirked thinking. “I'm going to marry you! You just don't know it yet.” What he did was point over her shoulder. "Turn to your right, did you want all those women coming and being all over your man?" Her head whipped around and sure enough. It seemed like silicone Barbie had called all her friends. There they were now steaming mad.

To Jed’s surprise Reina just started to laugh hysterically. It took her a while to calm down as he looked on thinking how perfect she was. Even with the mascara running down her eyes. He smiled when she finished and gave her a napkin so she could dab her eyes. “I must admit Diaz, this is one date I’ll never forget.”

He stuck his tongue out and they continued to catch up until he drove her home. It was their first date so there was no need to push for more. What he did expect was at least a kiss goodnight. Once at the door, his head lowered slowly towards hers and stopped half way. Jed held his breath wondering if she would close the space between them. Just as their lips were going to meet, the door opened and Reina was yanked back.

"That’s what you get for wanting to us me.” The words were screamed by a very angry Rose. Who once again was glaring? "What did I ever fucking do to you?” Jed had no clue why she was so upset, until Rose swung the door completely open. There he saw Sergio grinning like the cat that swallowed the canary.

“Now get the fuck out of my house and take this piece of crap with you.” Rose said as she pushed Sergio out of the door. Jed saw the way her hand caressed the back of his brothers’ neck.

“What the hell’s going on?” He demanded, but Reina just smile and said bye before the door closed in his face.

"Damn bro, that was harsh. You got no good night kiss." Sergio taunted before Jed turned and punched him in the face.

Chapter Seven

“What the fuck man?” Sergio yelled as he tried to hold his nose which at the moment, was gushing blood. Their screaming brought the girls back out.  Reina fawned over him as she asked what happened. “Jed punched me because you didn’t kiss him.” Sergio said in a nasally voice.

Jed smiled when Rose took of the sweater she wore and held it to catch Sergio’s blood. He didn’t mean to chuckle but the sight of a still angry Rose helping her brother was too much. The sound made her turn to look at him.

“If you ever hit him again. I’ll be forced to kick your ass.” She growled. The thought of her thinking she could take him on spurred his laughter even more. It didn’t surprise him to see her walk his way and he expected her to try and take a swing at him. What Jed didn’t expect, was the lights going out.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Rose, what did you just do?” Reina screamed as she ran to catch Jed. She tried to hold him up. Just as she too was going down with him, Sergio came and grabbed him.

“Damn Rose, you know you can’t do impulsive things like that.” Sergio scolded Rose who shot him a look before walking back into the house. Reina was left with Sergio and Jed who was still passed out.

“Bring him in the house.” Reina urged and Sergio refuses and picked his brother up like he weighed nothing. Reina was not happy when Sergio basically tossed Jed into his back seat. Yet after Jed’s car drove away Reina was left worrying for a different reason. “Who the hell did you get here without a car Sergio?” She wondered and dashed home to find out.

When Reina walked in the house, Rose was in the kitchen icing her hand. “Ok spill. I want to know what the hell is going on.” Her question made Rose look so vulnerable. What the hell was going on?

~*~*~*~*~

While Reina worried about Rose, Sergio was worried about how mad his mother would be when he walked in with a passed out Jed. The thought made him laugh. Damn, but that Rose sure did have a wicked right hook. Poor Jed didn’t even see it coming.

He pulled up to the house just as Roger was pulling into their driveway. “Man am I happy to see you. Help me get this jerk into the house.” Sergio had been dreading having to pick Jed up again. The fucker was heavy.

“What the hell happened to your face?” Roger asked as he held his chin then turned his face side to side. His jaw was hurting but the smile came anyway.

“Jed punched me.” He told Roger as they bent to pick Jed up. The anticipation of Roger’s next question had him ready to burst.

“Damn Sergio. So you hit him enough to knock him out. That’s just wrong.” Roger shot him a glare and Sergio finally lost it almost dropping Jed in the process.

“Well if you think that’s wrong. Wait till you hear what happened.” He said trying to catch his breath. Then proceeded to tell him in great detail who it was that took their brother out. They got Jed in the house then thanked the powers that be, for the fact that one else was around. Once in his room, they stripped him of everything but his tighty whites.

They allowed themselves one last chuckle before closing the door. Sergio turned to Roger and asked the million dollar question. “Where were you today?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Jed finally woke, his jaw was in pain. “What the hell, she freaking literally punched my lights out.” He got up and practically ran to Sergio’s room. The little shit was gone already. Yet it seems there was a witness to his humiliation. Upon entering the kitchen Roger broke out in snorts of laughter.

“In the words of Chris Tucker from the FRIDAY movie. You got knocked the fuck out. Worst part is, the person who did it was a girl.” Roger said in what Jed could only guess was his imitation of Chris Tucker.

Jed roll his eyes and was getting ready to throw a punch when the phone rang. What do you want?” He barked out. To his surprise, it was the coach from the Chicago Bears wanting to schedule a meeting. How did they know he was in Chicago? After hanging up, he turned to look at Roger.

“Who was it?” The concern in his voice was palpable.

“It was the coach from the Chicago Bears; he wants me to go in for a meeting. Said I should bring my gear along. What the hell is going on? How did they know I was here?” Jed asked him and Roger shrugged his shoulders. That was when his mother burst through the door and practically ran into the kitchen. She was followed by his father who was holding one of those dreaded tabloid magazines.

“Hijo de la chingada. Como que to fuiestes a casar y no dices nada?” she screams and Jed had to hold up his hands to fend off her slaps.

“Relax old lady or you’re going to blow a gasket. What do you mean why did I get married and not tell you?” The situation was getting more confusing by the minute.

“This is what your mother means.” His father says tossing the junk of a gossip tabloid at his chest. There he was, smiling while looking down at Reina. She was in his arms looking back at him with a dreamy smile.  Ok, so he made up the dreamy part, but he still smiled remembering what she felt like in his arms.

The sting of the slap that landed on his arm brought him back to the now. “Explain,” his mother demanded. So he went on to tell them the story about bimbo Barbie

“That’s my good boy,” His mother said and embraced him. She then took the magazine and admired the picture. “Damn, but you guys make such a striking couple.” He whole heartedly agreed. After talking for another little while, he went to his room and got ready for the meeting.

To Jed’s surprise, they offered a position on the team. It seemed they had been keeping an eye on him for a while. Yet the party boy he portrayed in the papers made them think he would party, more then play. Yet the news of his marriage relayed he had finally settled down. “Holy crap, how was he getting out of this mess?

Jed decided to wait and let it all play out. Only then would he decide what to do. So after changing into the gear, he made his way to the field. The try out went fabulous, until he and his wife were invited for dinner that night. “Holy shit, I’m in for it now.” Those wore the only words rolling around in his head.

When he went back home, there was a stack of notes letting him know the agent had called and that she was mad. The first words out of her mouth when she picked up were. “What the hell did you do? I got a tabloid handed to me where it says and I quote.” Jed could practically picture the stem coming out of her ears. “Sex symbol and registered bad boy sinner. Jed Diaz has been taken off the marked by an unknown beauty. Seems a leopard can change his spots.” Deidra screamed.

After removing the receiver from his ear. Jed sighed. “Listen, guess where I just came from? The coach from the Bears offered me a position.”

“You better not have gone and talked to them without me. They need to pay the big bucks. If this thing about your marriage is true you better get an annulment. I want you to be the bad boy. You will get more that way then as a good guy. Trust me, I know what sell.” Deidra says still irritated. That sparked his anger.

“Listen, it was my so called marriage that landed me the tryout in the first place.  So it seems you don’t always know what sells.”

“I don’t care what you want. I worked too hard getting you that sinful reputation. For you to throw it away on some bitch.” That was as far as Jed let her get.

“You’re fired Deidra. Do you hear me or should I spell it.” He didn’t even let her answer and just slammed the receiver. Surprisingly, he felt a load lifted off his shoulders.

“Wow, everything seems to be falling into place.” Jed said rubbing his pals together. “Now, time to go get my wife.”

As Jed rode to Reina’s shop all that came to mind was how happy his mother would be. He would be moving back to Chicago and Victor for sure would be too. That meant he wouldn’t be have to put up with the old lady fussing around so much. “Now, if only I can convince the wife to Play along.” The smirk on Jed’s face said it all.

For the first time in his life, Jed felt unburdened and free. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He hadn’t realized that the tryout was done with no pain. At a stop light, he stretched his leg. It wasn’t swollen anymore. Jed made a mental note to call the Doctor so she can check it out.

The knee felt good, maybe the fact that there he was able to stay off the leg might have helped. Back home, he would have still been pushing himself to practice. Once at the shop, he walked in to find her putting things up on a shelf. Reina looked good enough to eat. She had no make-up on and Jed liked her that way. When he caught her workers eye, he gestured her to keep quiet.

After slowly creeping up, he spun Reina around after gripping her waist and finally planted a kiss on her. She tried to fight at first, but when she saw it was him; she melted into the kiss. Perfect, her fit was utterly perfect in his arms. Those were the last thoughts in his head before getting lost in the kiss. “Good after noon my dear wife.”

“Jed, what’s this all about?” Came here breathless question.

“I missed my opportunity to kiss you, the day you slapped me. Then twice yesterday I didn’t get to kiss you. Figure I would just take it today before you had a chance to react.” He nuzzled her neck and inhaling her scent.

Reina stiffens in his arms. “Your seat is ready, in case you wanted to look for that girl you wanted.” Her words came out strangled.

“You are the girl I wanted. That’s why the seat had to be what you liked and what felt comfortable for you. I don’t need a girlfriend anymore. What I want is a wife.” The words made her tremble.

Jed pull back and look her in the eyes. “I need to seriously talk to you and explain a few things about me. Some things are true, some not.” After getting things handled by her worker she followed him out.

Jed drove them to his parents’ house. He thanked the powers that be that no one was home. After walking them through the he house. He led her to his trusted willow tree. Jed automatically put his arm over her shoulder and she cuddled in. “Grady was right.”

“Ok here goes, I want to start my explanations from the beginning. Back when we had our special time here. I was falling for you, but it scared the hell out of me. At the time, my main worry was that the people I loved, always left. Grady had us all on edge. We were constantly worrying about messing up and mom and dad sending us away. That didn’t help things.”

Jed sighed deeply. “I’m in no way blaming Grady, far from it. He helped keep us feeling secure. Once I started to fall for you, I backed off. I’m sorry for that.” He told her and rubbed a thumb down her face.

“A therapist helped, so I’m better now. The playboy you read about is not me. It was just an act. My agent was a real card, but she was canned today. Now here is the important thing. I love you. It happened when we were young. We should get married when you’re ready. After we’ve gotten to know each other all over again. There’s more, I want to tell you about what happened this morning.” Jed explained about the coach calling and so on.

“My wanting to marry you, has nothing to do with that. Before leaving I told them I was not really married. Yet if all went well today, I would be engaged.” Jed said all this as he got up. Then went down on one knee.

“Reina will you marry me? I fell in love with you here, under this very tree. It was only right that here, Jed Diaz would apologize and pour his heart out once again to you; only you. I want to strengthen and renew that love.” Jed held his breath as an array of emotions flash through her eyes.

“Yes Jed, I’ve always loved only you. Thank you for being honest with me.” He planted another kiss on her lips after pulling her up. His head was spinning and when he looked up. Jed spotted his whole family standing on the porch. His smile widened as he waved them over.

His mother of course was the first to arrive. “She said yes.” They received a round of hugs and congratulations from everyone. He then turned to his mother again. “I have more good news for you old lady. I’m getting signed by the Chicago Bears. So I’m moving back to Chicago. The move would have happened regardless. Since the person that completes my heart lives here.” His mother’s water works started and his father had to calm her down. Jed would have expected nothing less than hysterics from his mom.

“Now let’s go call your mom, future Mrs. Diaz.” That made his mother cry all over again. After calling Reina’s mom, who had the same reaction his mom had. Jed drove her home to change and was rewarded with a warm thank you kiss before Reina sent him on his way.

On the ride home, Jed was on cloud nine. This was the first time he had ever gotten ready so fast. All he wanted to do was pick up his girl. So there he was once gain back at her house in less than one hour. Yet he did not go in. The mood around was happy and another meeting with Rose may bring it down. It hadn’t help that the lower part of his jaw had turned a shade of blue.

Reina walked out of her house looking stunning. Jed felt his heart race, she truly was a very special woman. It had dawned while waiting that he could have lost her. He met her half way and once again stole a kiss. “You look outstanding baby.” Her cheeks flushed once more.

“Thank you Jed. By the way, did you remember to make the doctor’s appointment?”

“I have an appointment with her tomorrow morning. Do you want to go with me?” Jed asked hoping she would say yes, which she did. They then drove to the restaurant and Reina mentioned they would be having brunch with her mom tomorrow.

The time went by very quickly and before they realized, the restaurant was before them. Jed loved that Reina was so sure of herself and not nervous in the least. He too was doing well until he introduced his fiancé. Just the word made his head swim, but in a good way.

They talked about his future with the team and then they talked to Reina about all the charities that the team wives support and volunteer for. She gave them a list of organizations she was currently supporting through her business already. That earned him a nod and the approval of the owner of the team. Then Reina even managed to get his boss to commit to support one of her charities.

To Jed’s surprise, one of the places she contributes to; was the orphanage he used to live in. Had he not been head over heels for her already, that would have done it.

~*~*~*~*~*~

While Jed was busy with his new boss. Reina was feeling a bit over whelmed. Yet she held her own. That is until the guys stepped out for a smoke and she was left with the other wives. “You’re gorgeous,” one of them commented.

“We are putting together a calendar for one of our charities. All the proceeds will go to the organization. We’re all going to be featured in it. I want you for the cover. Will you please do it?” The woman batted her fake lashes.

Reina didn’t know what to say to a thing like that. The men came back and the woman turned to the owner. “I’ve asked Reina to please join the calendar shoot. I want her for the cover. If we feature her, the calendars will definitely sell. Don’t you think?” The man looked at her and smiled.

“I think, that it is a splendid idea. Only if you feel comfortable with it my dear. We would never make you feel obligated to do anything you don’t want to do.” His words made Reina feel better. Jed turned and looked so proud of her. How the hell did she say no now? So she mustered up her guts and agreed.

“Oh shit, what did I just get myself into?” Reina asked trying not to hyperventilate on the ride home. She didn’t even know what they expected. What kind of pictures would they be? So many questions were popping up.

“Baby, you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.” Jed reassured her. It help to ease the worry. They agreed that she would go to the photo shoot tomorrow. If it didn’t feel right. They would bail. Once again, Jed kissed her goodnight and she sent him on his way.

~*~*~*~

When Jed got home, everyone was waiting for him. “Spill it man. What did they say?” Victor asked seeming as excited as he was.