The Baller's Baby (9 page)

Cole and Stacey stopped for pizza on the way home and ate in front of the fire enjoying the comfortable silence between them. Stacey put the rest of the pizza in the fridge and came back to Cole, sitting near him on the floor. “I still can't believe it, you know.”

“I'm sorry you're hurting, Stacey.”

“I know, and I appreciate that, that you'd feel hurt for me.”

“I do.”

“I know. I just...I never really thought he'd be so hateful. I knew he wouldn't be pleased and even my mom was a little shocked, but...I guess I just figured he'd look past it for the sake of our relationship. I never imagined when we showed up that it would all end like that.”

“Do you think, given some time to think about it, that he'll come around to the idea of us being together?”

“I don't know, maybe. Although there's a good possibility that he will stand strong in his stubbornness and refuse to talk to me.” Stacey said, the truth of that sitting heavy in her heart. “That's a very good possibility.”

“I wish I could fix this for you.”

“Me too,” Stacey agreed with a fake smile. “I'm gonna go take a bath and then head to bed.”

“Alright. I'll be up shortly.”

Cole tugged her closer, planting a soft, comforting kiss on her full lips. Letting her go, when all he wanted to do was strip away her hurt, was more difficult than he'd ever imagined. He found her an hour later tucked under the comforter on her bed. She stirred when he came into the room, but didn't awaken.

Stripping quickly, Cole pulled on sleeping pants and climbed into bed next to her. He snuggled next to her, wrapping an arm around her as much for his own comfort as for hers. She readjusted herself and fell back into sleep. Eventually, with thoughts still swirling in his mind, Cole fell asleep listening to Stacey's deep, even breathing.

                                                                      ***

Stacey woke with thoughts still running through her mind. She tucked the part of her away that wanted to sulk and focused on what she needed to accomplish. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, made fresh thanks to Cole, Stacey padded through the kitchen and sat down at the counter bar with her laptop. She quickly printed her flight itinerary and packing list. She knew the routines of overseas flight well enough, but there were some things she'd need to shop for before she had everything she needed.

“Morning gorgeous,” Cole called as he flipped a towel over his shoulder. Stacey looked at him as he cooked. She'd never have imagined herself so completely turned on by a man who wore a white tank top with basketball jersey shorts, standing barefoot at the stove with a towel on his shoulder and a spatula in his hand.
Screw great intellect, give me a man that can cook
, Stacey thought with a smile to herself.

“Morning.”

“So what's on the old agenda for you today?”

“I need to do some errands before this afternoon. Then I'm going to grab lunch and do some shopping for last minute things I need before I leave tomorrow.”

“Mind company for lunch?”

“I'd love that Cole, truly.”

“Then it's settled. I'll come home after practice, shower and meet you at Bordello's?”

“Italian sounds amazing. It's a date.”

“Good. Now eat,” Cole ordered, planting a kiss on her lips as he put a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her. Feeling famished, Stacey plowed through her breakfast as she talked to Cole about the recruit she was going to hopefully sign and bring back to the U.S.

“So he's a senior?”

“That's what his information says. I'll know more of course, once I meet him and see what sort of talent he actually has. Apparently several minor league teams want him, but if he's got what it takes, I'll post him for the NFL.”

“Big time deal,” Cole said, feeling a little underrated.

“You're no small deal yourself, Winslow, if only I could get you to actually see that.”

“I guess I just never imagined that I'd truly be good enough for the pros. Minor ball was good enough because it was better than college and gave me some money to work with.”

“Well now that you have me, you know you don't have to settle for second rate and you'll be sure to always get the best.”

“So minor ball is second rate?” Cole asked and Stacey could see that he was irritated.

“No, however, you know as well as I do that minor ball isn't the majors and you're ready for the NBA, Cole. We both know that.”

“Maybe, but that doesn't mean I feel ready.”

“Maybe not, but if you never reach for it, you'll never know for sure whether you can hack it with the big league boys.”

“Alright, I have practice and you have stuff to do, so we need to get going.”

“You are so right. Leave the dishes; I'll get them when I get back from practice before I shower.”

“You're amazing and I love you.”

“I am amazing and darn right you love me,” Cole replied, earning him a punch in the arm. When would he learn that she didn't punch like a woman, but like a raging bull on the rampage?

Stacey was out the door just ahead of Cole, her sensible flats clacking on the concrete as she made it to her car easily. Watching her pull out, Cole had a moment to imagine just how much his life had changed in the last couple of weeks. She might be his manager, but the woman was so much more than that. She wasn't just smart, she was brilliant. She wasn't just beautiful, she was breathtaking. He wondered if there was anything she didn't do well and with all her heart. Probably not, he thought as he pulled out into traffic and headed for the Bixby Center.

                                                                      ***

Stacey stopped by her office to make sure that all of her agents knew who they were covering during her absence. Steve and Jack would take over her other clients, including Cole, while she was gone. It took her more than an hour to square away everything at the office, before she headed out again. Her next stop was the post office to have her mail held during her overseas stay.

“Hey Anissa,” Stacey called, waving to the post office worker behind the desk. There post office wasn't much, it had two employees who worked opposite days and only worked together during the Christmas holiday. If Jason was running mail, Anissa was behind the desk. The next day it'd be Anissa on the road and Jason behind the counter. Being friendly with both of them, it didn't seem to matter who she talked to.

“Hey girl,” Anissa said back, tossing her long dark hair behind her shoulder again. “What can I do for ya?”

“I need my mail held until the end of January.”

“Going out of town again?”

“Yeah, Thailand this time. I'll be gone until at least the end of January.”

“Awesome, bring back some pictures and souvenirs.”

“You know it,” Stacey chuckled. She eventually made her way back home, feeling famished. She showered and changed into underwear that would make Cole thankful she was all woman. She rubbed plumeria cream into her skin, loving the sweet smell. Then she curled her long hair and put on minimal makeup, leaving the lipstick off for the first time in nearly a decade.

She made it out the door just as Cole was coming home from practice. “Hey, I gotta run, I'll meet you at Bartello's. Love you.”

                                                                      ***

Cole took one look at Stacey and knew he was in serious trouble. She looked like a goddess with all that dark curling hair and he didn't even want to think about how amazing her ass looked in those jeans. When she pulled out of the driveway, Cole breathed a sigh of relief. He'd had a moment to wonder how fast he could shower and catch her. Smiling, he headed into her house. He took his time showering, knowing they still had time before their lunch reservation he'd made the night before. He shaved, combed his hair and found his best jeans to toss on. He wore a white tank under a dress shirt, knowing that to Stacey he was irresistible in a white tank. He knew he had practice later that night, but there was no way he was letting her go the next morning without taking her to bed first. And sleep wasn't the only thing on the bedroom menu either. Grabbing his sunglasses as he headed downstairs, Cole yanked his leather jacket from the hook, grabbed Stacey's orange scarf and headed out the door.

Cole pulled up to Bartello's ten minutes before their reservation time hit. Not seeing Stacey's car, he waited. He watched her walk past his car, her hair bouncing lightly as she went. Honking his horn he smiled the moment she turned and noticed him. “I thought maybe you were meeting someone else and I was intruding.”

Stacey shook her head and smiled. She stood there Cole thought, like a woman with a secret, waiting for him to dig deep enough to find it. “Are you just going to stand there?”

“Is there something else I should be doing?”

Looking up, Stacey saw that Cole's eyes were anything but lighthearted. They were dark and deep, the way they got when he was serious, focused. “Kiss me you idiot, so we can eat.”

“Well, if you're going to be pushy about it.” Cole chuckled, slipping an arm around her waist. He pulled her close until laughter bubbled out of her. In that moment Cole realized what Stacey had known for some time now. Looking over her face, Cole was helpless to stop his heart from simply falling at her feet. When those brown eyes met his and smiled along with her mouth Cole could only follow that heart and trust that everything would work out. “I love you Stacey Patterson.”

                                                                      ***

Before Stacey could comment, that top heavy mouth that smiled so easily swept her up and over the waves of lust that wanted to consume them. She knew the heady fragrance of reciprocated love and wondered if the world as a whole would ever truly understand its magic.

“Let's go eat before people start murmuring louder.”

“Sounds good to me,” Stacey agreed. “Although, to be honest, I don't really give a damn if they murmur. Frankly if they were doing something similar they wouldn't have so much to murmur about.”

“True enough honey. Still, I'm starving.”

“Poor baby,” Stacey teased. “Coach whooping you in practice?”

“You know it.”

“That I do,” Stacey acknowledged. “Okay, so Jack or Steve will be dealing with any endorsement contracts that come up while I'm gone. They're my two best agents and will take good care of you.”

Stacey talked as they entered the restaurant, telling Cole about all she still had to get done before her flight early the next morning.

“So what's the time difference between Bangkok and here?”

“I'll be twelve hours ahead of you,” Stacey informed him as a hostess showed them to a table. “So by the time I land it'll be morning there. Hopefully it won't be too late here.”

“I know it'll be at least a day right?”

“Yeah, the fastest flight I could find was with two stops, one at JFK and another in Shanghai,” Stacey told Cole. “If everything goes as planned it'll take me twenty-nine hours and probably another two to make it to the hotel and check in.”

“I'll be playing against the Ravens when you're still flying.”

“Crazy, huh?”

“Do you like going to new places like that?”

“The first time I ever went overseas I was petrified. I'm not fluent in any foreign language and was so scared that I wouldn't be able to communicate. Thankfully they have English liaisons for idiots like me. So I paid the guy to follow me just about everywhere. He made some nice American cash and I didn't look completely inept. Eventually, though, I grew to love traveling abroad. I don't have to do it often so for me it's sort of like a paid vacation.”

Stacey felt Cole's hand slide over hers and enjoyed the gentle contact. “I never saw you coming.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I never imagined I'd ever feel so much for one woman,” Cole admitted, “I've been with my share of women, enough to know that what I may have felt for them can't touch what I feel for you. I don't know how to describe everything that's in here.” Stacey looked at Cole's face as he touched his chest.

“You just did,” Stacey said, her eyes stinging with unshed tears.  “And outside, when you told me you loved me, “I never pressed you to say it, because if you ever did I wanted it to be real. You're as real as it gets Cole. I love you and I know now that I can go to Bangkok and be completely myself. I worried, that being with you, feeling the way I did...do, would change me. I don't have to worry about that anymore. That in part is thanks to you. I know now that we can love each other wholly and still be ourselves.”

                                                                      ***

Cole caressed her hand again, only letting go when their waitress brought their orders. Cole raised an eyebrow at the massive helping of spaghetti and homemade meatballs sitting in front of Stacey. “Hungry, much?”

“I didn't know how huge there portions were.”

“I guess we won't have to worry about dinner then,” Cole said, staring at his huge serving of Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and whole kernel corn.