Running Home to You (The Running Series) (2 page)

“My next guest is someone you all know well.  He’s one of the newest players for the New Jersey Sentinels, backing up veteran quarterback Matt Ortiz.  His swagger, strength, and sex appeal brought him into the spotlight, but his charismatic charm keeps him there.  He is here tonight, giving his first interview since his altercation with pop star Averee DeVeau.  Please help me welcome – Evan McGuire.”

As the audience begins to respond the curtains open and out walks Evan, not showing one ounce of nerves.  He’s wearing a pair of dark-washed jeans and a black button-down shirt, open collar with no tie, and a black suit jacket.  He waves to the audience, glancing around the studio, and taking in all the energy being projected at him.  He flashes a sultry smile for the camera, showing his beautifully perfect white teeth and revealing those dimples that I adore, whipping the screaming audience into a frenzy of excitement.  I joyfully join them, calling his name proudly and clapping as loudly as I can, but it’s lost among the rest of the rowdy applause and whistles echoing throughout the studio.

Evan glides gracefully across the stage and walks directly over to Joey, shaking his hand, and exchanging private remarks.  Both men take their seats, but the crowd continues their adoration, not relenting in their cheers.  Joey says something to Evan we cannot hear, and Evan briefly stands and waves to the crowd, expressing his thanks and appreciation.  As he turns to scan the audience, I see the features of the man that has captured my heart.  He is tall, dark, and intimidating in a sexy way that makes you hungry for more.  The sparkle in his eyes and his kind smile show his soft side, creating a wave of desire that washes over your entire body.  There’s something animalistic about the way women respond to him. He projects sex appeal like an electrical storm that lights up the sky.

He sits back down and for the first time and I can tell he’s a little nervous.  He runs a hand through his thick chestnut hair and shuffles nervously in his seat.  After some time, the crowd begins to settle and the interview can begin.  My heart is beating wildly and I’m on the edge of my seat, eager to hear every word that’s said.

The conversation begins innocently enough with a discussion about his move to New Jersey and his decision to rebuild a beach house damaged during Hurricane Sandy.  They spend a few minutes talking about the condition of our hometown of Point Pleasant, and the efforts to rebuild and restore the shore.  That simple statement is the perfect segue to the Restore the Shore Benefit six weeks ago, when his former girlfriend, Averee DeVeau, had her meltdown in the middle of our fund raising event.

“Well, Joey, as you know, I was there to help raise funds to restore our community, along with lots of other athletes and entertainers.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stay until the end as I had planned.  I made a swift decision to take Averee away from the event as soon as I realized she wasn’t in her right state of mind.  I had no choice, really.  She was a danger to everyone I love, to herself, and to the hundreds of innocent people who gathered to enjoy a special night together.  I have no regrets and I would do it all over again in an instant.”  Evan takes a deep breath and waits for Joey’s response.  He doesn’t have to wait long.  The crowd erupts into applause, giving him a standing ovation.  I don’t think Evan was expecting that reaction from the crowd.  His beautiful blue eyes are wide with surprise, looking at the audience in complete amazement.  My heart is absolutely bursting with pride.  Even Joey stands and claps for Evan’s act of bravery.

Joey sits back down and continues, “So Evan, there are photos of Averee at the benefit.  Can you tell us if there is any truth to the rumors that she was impersonating your girlfriend?”

Evan tries to be as gentle in his remarks as possible.  “I’m not going to sit here and lie, Joey.  The pictures are out there and they speak for themselves.  Yes, Averee altered her appearance and tried to assume Juliette’s identity.  Like I said before, she was not in her right mind.  She was confused, frustrated, and desperate.”

Joey then asks Evan about his injury.  “It sounds like a horrible situation.  I hope you don’t mind me asking this next question, but everyone wants to know how you got injured.  There’s been a lot of speculation out there trying to put the pieces together.  Can you tell us once and for all what actually happened?”

Evan hesitates, clearly giving his response one final moment of full consideration before continuing.  He scans the crowd apprehensively, and his eyes lock with mine.  Those big blue eyes shine the moment he finds me, and I nod, encouraging him to go on.  He smiles at me, and I can see him visibly relax, ready to talk for the first time in weeks.

“You know, Joey, it was a very long night that didn’t end until early the next day.  I don’t even know how many hours we were in that house together.  Time kind of stood still.  The truth is that I injured myself grabbing a chef’s knife out of Averee’s hand.  If I didn’t, I have no doubt that Averee wouldn’t be alive right now receiving the care she so desperately needs.”  He pauses for a moment, and then continues.  “I have no one to blame but myself and I’ve been dealing with that decision every day since.”  Evan sits back in his seat, takes a deep cleansing breath, and exhales through his mouth.  He’s been holding that in for some time now.  I’m so glad he finally let it out.

“Listen, Evan, I’m not a therapist or anything.  I don’t even play one on TV.  But I think everyone here tonight agrees with me when I say you shouldn’t blame yourself.  You were a hero that night,” Joey quickly counters.

“I don’t know about that hero thing, Joey.  There were signs.  Lots of them.  I missed them – every single one.  If I acted sooner, told the right people, did the right thing ... well, let’s just say things would have turned out very differently.”  Evan looks sad again and it makes my heart feel heavy with the burden he’s been carrying around with him all this time.  He still feels guilty.

“Man, if I could go back in time, I know there are a lot of things I would do differently, too.  I’d start by turning down that script to ‘Death to Sweetums’.  Worst decision of my life.  Hands down.”  The audience laughs just enough to know that the heaviness that hung in the air a moment ago from Evan’s heartfelt admission is beginning to lift.

Evan welcomes the change in conversation and agrees, “Yeah, but look at you now.  You’re doing alright for yourself.”  The audience politely applauds for Joey while he waves off the praise as undeserved.

“Well, you look great now, man.  Hey, everyone, doesn’t Big Mac look great?”  They wait while the audience claps in agreement before Joey follows up with another question.  “How’s your recovery going?  Are we going to see you take the field this season?” 

“Absolutely.  I’m looking forward to working with Matt Ortiz and learning from the best.  He’s brought the Sentinels to the playoffs five times in his career, and I can’t wait to become a part of that legacy.”  Evan sits up a little taller and crosses one leg across his knee.  Talking about football is something he really enjoys and it shows.

“That’s great to hear, Mac.  There were rumors flying that you wouldn’t be returning this season.  Any idea how those rumors got started?” Joey asks.

“I try not to listen to the rumor mill too much.  I’m no stranger to gossip, especially when it comes to my private life.  I prefer not to waste too much energy worrying about what other people are thinking.  The only person whose opinion matters to me right now is my girlfriend’s.”  Evan looks right over to me with a giant grin splashed across his face.  I can see my own happiness reflected in his eyes.  He winks at me, and I am lost in his spell.

“Speaking of Juliette, I understand you’ve started a business together.  Don’t you two have a bar that will be opening soon?” Joey asks.

“We do.  It’s a dessert bar called ‘Rush’ right in the heart of Asbury Park.  It’s just a few blocks in from the ocean and not too far from some of the town’s well-known landmarks like the Stone Pony.  I promise you, Joey, if you come down to Jersey, we’ll show you a great time.  Juliette makes the best cheesecake you’ve ever tasted in your life.  She’s really amazing.”

“Sounds great.  I’d love to come down and check the place out.  But I have to ask you for something in return.  You like a good competition, a healthy challenge, right?” Joey asks.

“You know I do, Joey.  Why?  What do you have in mind?” Evan replies.

“Well, last time you were here, we threw a few footballs around.  I thought this time we’d play a little drinking game.  Now that you’re a bar owner, we want to put you to the test with a little friendly game of Flip Cup.  What do you say?  Can you stick around a little longer?” Joey asks, already knowing the answer.

“I’d love to, Joey.”  The interview ends, and there’s a break for the commercial.  A flurry of activity begins as the staff hurries onto stage getting the game props all set up.  They position a camera to get an overhead shot of the game table.  We can watch on the large screen hanging on the wall beside the stage.

It’s a relief that Evan’s not going to be playing any physical challenges.  I know he’s in top shape, but his grip is still weak and he’s not supposed to be using his hand for anything other than normal activities.  His doctor hasn’t cleared him to play football yet, and I’m just glad he’s not going to try to throw or catch right now on national television.

Emmy’s phone goes off with a new text message while we’re waiting.  She giggles, and then furiously texts back.  “Emmy, was that a text from Adam?  What’s going on?” I ask her.

“It was.  He said that Evan’s going to kick Joey’s ass.  They’ve been practicing back stage while Evan was waiting,” she explains.

Just as I’m about to respond, I overhear the conversation taking place in the row directly behind me.  A group of young girls around my age is planning to rush out as soon as possible and head straight for the backstage entrance.  I hear one girl tell the others, “I am not leaving until I get his number.” 

They all start giggling, and one of her friends responds, “I bet you all that I can get him to take me home.  These boobs are the best investment I’ve ever made.  You’ll see.” 

The last straw is when I hear another reply, “He definitely deserves a good lay, and I’m just the girl to make sure he gets it.”

Emmy is still texting with Adam, oblivious to the discussion going on around us.  I fight every instinct I have to turn around and tell the girls that he’s going home with me tonight.  Instead, I focus my attention on the gorgeous man on stage as he walks with Joey towards the center stage.  They are laughing and joking together.  My imagination drifts to a day in the not too distant future when Evan and I play host and hostess to Joey and his wife when they come for dinner at Rush.  I wonder if he would really come down, or if those words were just spoken in kindness.  Time will tell.

Before long, the audience lights dim and the bands strikes up for a quick intro.  Joey and Evan walk over to the table and both men take off their suit jackets.  This is serious business.  As Evan removes his jacket, the crowd goes wild, hooting and whistling their appreciation for the sight of the man in front of them.  His broad shoulders are now clearly visible, contrasting beautifully with his trim waist.  His shirtsleeves are just tight enough to show off the muscles in his biceps. 

Joey explains the rules to everyone and the men shake hands.  Each man takes his place on opposite sides of the table.  After a count of three, the game begins.  Emmy and I watch and laugh, enjoying the show.  Evan throws back the first cup of beer, and then races against Joey to flip the cup up and over.  Evan is not kicking Joey’s ass as Adam had predicted.  He’s ahead, but not by much.  The two men continue to toss back beer after beer as they work their way down the table, each trying to be the first one to successfully flip six cups.  After both men struggle to get the fourth cup flipped, Evan finds his groove and flips the final two with hardly any effort.  We all stand and cheer for Evan as he walks over to Joey and shakes his hand in victory.  Even though it was just a silly game, I couldn’t be more proud of my boyfriend.  I fully intend to show him how impressed I am with his performance later tonight when we get home.

A
n hour later, as we leave the studio, Evan is bombarded by waiting fans, all trying to get his attention.  Evan signals for Adam to move Emmy and me away from the fans, giving him some space to work the crowd.  The further away we get, the more tightly surrounded Evan becomes by women smiling at him, batting their eyelashes, and sliding their hands up and down his arms and back.  Adam looks over at me, my smile now replaced by scowl.  “Jette, don’t let this stuff get to you.  You know he has to do this – it’s part of his job.”

“I know, Adam.  You’re right.  But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.  And it definitely doesn’t mean I have to watch.”  I’m no stranger to flirting with customers.  As a bartender it was part of my job, too.  But I never did it in front of Evan, subjecting him to the unwanted feelings of jealousy and pain.  My stomach is twisted into knots, and I can feel my temperature rising as strange women fawn all over my boyfriend.