Playing For Keeps (11 page)

Various vulgar comments were made to the other reporter.

“Good one,” said Bradley looking at her with respect.

Samantha smiled. She could always play with the big boys.

***

Jake watched his good friend score another touchdown - his lying good friend. Ryan must’ve been with Jameson, because Jake kept the blonde occupied al night. Normal y he wouldn’t have taken Ryan’s cast offs, but Jake needed to get Hannah out of his head. Why the hel did he feel guilty about it? She was the one who wouldn’t return his cal s.

Al during the date he fantasized about getting her into bed. Hel , he dreamed of her long before that. Her Victoria Secret catalog pictures made him hotter than any of the Playboy spreads of other women.

But when she asked him up to her apartment he’d froze. Not only intimidated by her beauty, but also by the string of successful men she’d dated and dumped. Bil ionaires brought her expensive gifts, famous actors tempted her with scripts, and musicians wrote songs about her. He was afraid he wouldn’t measure up.

Groupies, like the blonde, treated him like a God. Hannah would treat him like a slave.

“Come on.” Ryan smacked Jake’s shoulder pads.

He looked up and saw the team heading for the locker room. The halftime whistle blew and he hadn’t realized it. He had a lot of nerve getting on Terel ’s case about letting a woman into his head when Hannah was running a marathon inside of his. Jake feared he was already ensnared.

***

As the game clock ticked down, Samantha read the first draft of her story. She groaned. Terel this and Terel that. She even let a Ryan slip in – a big no-no. Sounding like a love struck teenager, she might as wel have donned that cheerleader outfit and broken out the pom-poms. Though he was having the game of his life, if she let the story run as is, anyone who read it would suspect her true feelings. Samantha snapped the cover shut on her netbook. She’d rewrite it later after the locker room interviews.

Gathering up her other stuff, she wondered how she would react in the locker room. She couldn’t hide behind a mask of indifference anymore. He knew the score.

Would the sportswriters and his teammates see right through her? Maybe, if she waited around, he’d already be dressed and she could avoid the awkward moment. No problem.

Except that it was. She had a job to do. Going in after the players were talked out meant missing out on the best quotes. She made her way to the elevator and began to channel Katharine Hepburn for inspiration.

The locker room buzzed with energy. Seeing no sign of Ryan, she tracked down Jake. “Hey, Mil er, where’s the MVP?”

“He’s getting a double cheese.”

“Terel is eating?”

“Rookies.” Bradley shook his head in mock exasperation. “Double cheese is code for an ice bag and ace bandage for each knee.”

She hoped he hadn’t aggravated some former injury by kneeling at her feet last night. Was it selfish of her not to feel a bit guilty? She asked Jake a couple of question, then turned her attention to Burner, whose 3 catches paled in comparison to Ryan’s ten for ten, 3 touchdown day.

“Cue the super-hero music,” said Burner.

Samantha turned around to see Ryan walking toward the crowd of reporters waiting by his locker. Ful y dressed.
Thank the Good Lord
.

The other writers fawned al over him. She couldn’t do that and struggled for a question to ask him.
WWHD?
As in, What Would Hepburn Do?

Wel , she wouldn’t flatter a man, not when he was on top. No, she’d knock him down. Inspiration struck. “Terel , last season was your worst as a pro, yet so far this season you’re playing what some say is the best of your career. What do you attribute that to?”

Ryan shook his head. “Can’t I have one day, just one day, to enjoy this without bringing up last season?”

“Not even an hour,” Samantha joked and laughs surrounded her making her feel like she belonged.

“No, no,” Bradley picked up the questioning, “that’s a valid question.”

“Last season was no doubt disappointing and I considered retirement. But footbal is a lot like life.” His gaze now on Samantha, he continued.

“Ups and downs. It’s a matter of how hungry you are and I have a very big appetite.”

Samantha’s face flamed as Ryan’s secret message registered loud and clear. His hunger wasn’t just for wins on the footbal field.

Bradley fol owed up with, “A big appetite? You played like a man starved and let loose on an al you can eat buffet. What was different about today?”

“I don’t know. It might’ve been the extra workout I got in last night. Or maybe I got lucky.”

Samantha wanted to die right then and there, but kept her composure.
Don’t fail me now, Kate
. “What if the luck dries up?”

“I don’t know, Jameson. Seems to me Lady Luck is hot for me.”

Laughter broke out. Samantha might be able to play with the big boys, but Ryan wasn’t a boy - he was al man. “But--”

Jake interjected. “Terel , you should know by now a woman can’t let a guy have a moment of happiness.”

A bunch of ooo’s sounded.

“Just trying to keep him grounded, guys,” Samantha said. Did Jake suspect?

Samantha turned away, hoping to make a grand escape. Walking to the door, she began rewriting the story in her head, when she heard footsteps behind. “I don’t have time Terel . I have a story to file.”

“It’s Jake.”

She turned around, folding her arms together. “Have something else to say?” She wasn’t too pleased with him right now. She was trying to fit in and his comment hurt rather than helped.

“Hannah, hasn’t returned my cal s. Did she say anything to you?”

Samantha made a great show of looking at her surroundings. “Excuse me, did I walk into a high school locker room?”

“Come on, give me break,” pleaded Jake.

Samantha narrowed her eyes. “I could’ve used a break back there.”

Jake shrugged his shoulders. “You’re too hard on him. You weren’t here last season when everything went to shit for him.”

“Just doing my job,” she defended even as her heart clenched in pain for Ryan.

“I told Ryan you were nothing but a cold-hearted reporter and I can see I was right.”

Samantha visibly flinched at the dig as Jake walked away but it didn’t stop her from striking back. “She thinks you’re gay.”

Jake paused for a moment and looked back with an angry expression. “Hannah thinks what?”

Samantha wasn’t proud of stooping to their level. Before she said anything else childish she left. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for this gig.

Chapter 8

Ryan settled back into the plush seat of the team’s private jet. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jake’s fidgeting that bordered on agitation.

What was he so upset about? The team won. Life was good. Ryan became concerned as Jake began mumbling to himself. He reached over and smacked the back of Jake’s seat. “What’s up?”

Jake looked up in surprise, then switched to the empty seat across from Ryan. He leaned across the aisle. “Would Samantha play a joke on me?”

“On you? What the hel are you talking about?” Ryan resisted the urge to grab Jake by the col ar and shake the answer out of his friend, who seemed to be struggling with some inner demon. He remembered seeing them talking in the locker room. Ryan assumed it’d been about the game. Was something going on between them? What was he thinking? Jake would never betray him and Samantha had al that credibility crap she espoused to anyone who would listen. Though it didn’t stop her from making love to him. But, Jake said something about a joke. He real y needed to get a handle on this whole jealousy thing. The woman had him thinking crazy. “Wel , out with it.”

In a low, embarrassed tone, Jake explained the date with Hannah and then Samantha’s parting shot from the locker room.

Ryan let out a low whistle in a combination of relief and surprise. “Let me get this straight. You had the chance to sleep with Hannah Hahn and you turned her down?”

Jake bowed his head in mock shame.

“Man, you are gay,” said Ryan. “What happened to the guy who told me not to put a woman up on a pedestal?”

“Hannah’s different.”

“And Samantha isn’t?”

“She’s a reporter.”

“Who gave you Hannah’s phone number?”

Jake tilted his head back. “Remember you asked for it. Sami did warn me.”

“I don’t see what the problem is.”

“You warned me too, remember? You said that she was a ‘man eater’.”

“So?”

Jake looked back down avoiding Ryan’s eyes. “If we do it, then I’m history.”

“You’ve done the same thing to dozens of girls.” So had he. An unfamiliar feeling of shame stabbed at his gut.

“I’m going to hel .”

“If that were true, most of the male population would be joining you.”
Including me.
Except, Ryan had no plans on going to hel , not after being in heaven in Samantha’s arms.

“Do you think Hannah said that?”

“I don’t think Sami would lie to you. The question is whether Hannah said it jokingly.”

“What is up with you and Jameson anyway? Something happened in the elevator, didn’t it?”

Ryan thought about tel ing Jake. He needed some advice on where to go from here, but he couldn’t break Samantha’s confidence. Instead, he admitted, “She beat me at Go Fish.”

“You expect me to believe that was the only game you two played? No tonsil hockey?”

Ryan shifted in his seat. His rep as a ladies’ man was in serious jeopardy, but he promised Samantha. “What can I say? The woman is immune to my charming personality.”

“God, we are pathetic losers,” bit out Jake.

Ryan stared ahead and began to play with the tray that hung from the seat. Loser described him perfectly. It didn’t matter how many games he won, or how much money he made, or how many women adored him, he stil felt like that foster kid who wouldn’t amount to anything. Money and success didn’t change where he’d come from or who he was. “Sami’s brother thinks so.”

“Whoa, he actual y said that?”

“No, but he told me ‘hands off’.”

“Jeez, Ryan, he
is
her brother. No guy is good enough for their sister, except maybe a eunuch. No, not even them.”

He hoped Jake was right because after being with Samantha he didn’t think he could go back to being a family friend.

“Wel , at least you and the Blonde had some fun.” Jake gave him a sideways glance.

Ryan panicked. “What’s that look for?”

“Nothing.”

Did Jake suspect something? He was certainly acting like it.

“What was she like?”

“What the hel do you mean what was she like? Like a hundred others.”

“Don’t get so defensive. Just wanted to compare notes,” Jake said.

“What? You’ve been with her before?”

“Yeah, in fact, last night, after you. Seems like you’re losing your touch, my friend.”

“What about Hannah?”

“Thought it would make me forget her, at least for a while. Cool my libido, al that shit.”

A pil ow flew across the way and hit Jake’s shoulder. “Can you end the pissing contest so we al can get some sleep,” said Burner.

Embarrassed, both men settled back in their seats. Ryan closed his eyes and feigned sleep while his mind raced.
Did Jake know the truth
?

***

Jake crashed on his couch in exhaustion. Normal y he slept like a baby on the flights back home, but not this time. He couldn’t keep his mind off Hannah. Gay? Him?

His body cried out for rest and his battered pride needed to recover, but his mind demanded answers. To cal or not to cal ? He succeeded in pushing down his pride long enough for him to dial her number.

“Hel o, Jake.”

Hannah’s husky voice soothed his ego. “Hi, babe. Did you watch the game?”

“Parts of it.”

“Just parts of it?”

“Okay, I saw al of it. You had a great game. There, is that what you wanted to hear?”

Jake smiled to himself. “That and also that you don’t think I’m gay.”

“Samantha shouldn’t have told you that.”

“I can assure you I’m not.”

“Prove it, come over right now.”

“Ah, Hannah, every bone in my body is screaming right now for sleep. You understand, don’t you? Rain check?”

“On one condition.”

Jake knew he was inviting trouble when he asked, “And that would be?”

“I want you to talk dirty to me.”

Jake sat up like a suddenly cured man.”What? Right now?”

“Yes, you knowwww… phone sex? Tel me what you want to do to me, what you want me to do to you.”

“Mmmmm… okay… ummm… ” Jake struggled for something to say. Anything. He couldn’t remember feeling this inadequate with a woman. Not even when he lost his virginity at fourteen. “First, tel me what you’re wearing?” He purposely lowered his voice.

“Do you have the most recent Victoria Secret catalog?”

“I’m ful -blooded heterosexual male, of course I have it.”

“Wel , go get it.”

Jake nearly dropped the phone. As he rushed to find the catalog, images of what he would like to do to Hannah flashed through his mind like a highlight reel. But how could he relate that over a phone line? He couldn’t go too far, could he? “Got it,” he said as he fumbled with the phone.

“Good boy. Now turn to page thirteen.”

Jake turned to the page where a picture of Hannah in a wild rose colored push up bra and a Brazilian-cut bikini panty leapt off the page. His heart pounded like he ran fifty yards for a touchdown. The catalog cal ed the bra revolutionary.
Yeah, because men would start wars over the woman
wearing it.

“Oh, my God.” Did he say that aloud?

“You like?”

“No. I love it. You’re wearing that right now? Real y?”

“Real y.”

He nervously rubbed the smooth top of his head, absently wishing for his hair back so he could pul it in frustration. “I never did this before. I don’t know what to say,” admitted Jake.

“Me neither. So I guess that makes us phone sex virgins.”

Jake laughed.
Virgins
. That should’ve made him feel better, but it didn’t. “Are you sitting or standing?” he asked.