The Player

Copyright 2014 Camille Leone

This story is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents are invented by the author or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any similarity to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.

All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author.

This book is part of the Caribbean Queens Series:

Harlow Jennings has always been complimented on her beauty. More than a few admirers make it a point to tell her she’s very pretty,
for a dark skinned woman
. Harlow’s managed to support herself and her daughter, even keeping her child out of the media storm surrounding her ex-husband, a rapper she grew up with in Trinidad and whose manic outbursts are almost as famous as he is.

Though their divorce was amicable, Harlow’s ex isn’t quite ready to let her go, especially into the waiting arms of Kyle McClure.

Kyle’s a star quarterback and a former undrafted free agent whose superhuman efforts on the field have made him the team’s franchise player. Over the years he’s pushed his body to the edge, but with a large extended family to support, Kyle’s life has never truly been on his own.

He realizes Harlow is what his hectic life has been missing, and Harlow’s receptive, but she’s not willing to take second place to yet another famous male’s career, or Kyle’s domineering sister. Though she’s ready to move on, her ex is making it mighty hard. And Kyle’s not backing down either.
So what’s a girl to do except . . . play on?

1

S
he’d seen quiet drunks, and she’d experienced loud, obnoxious drunks. But this guy was a stark raving lunatic on liquor. Harlow Jennings watched the star offensive center for the Raleigh Renegades stomp around the pool table, blaring obscenities into the faces of the startled players. One of the men simply conceded, putting his pool stick down as he gingerly stepped around Virgil “Ham” Fordham.

All that got the man was a declaration from Virgil that he was a “pussy.” Then Virgil spotted the drink glass the guy had left behind. It was a good thing the glass was almost empty. The bad part?  It reminded Virgil of the Scotch and Soda he’d ordered that was mighty slow in coming. With smooth jazz playing on the sound system and the only bright light in the bar warmly bathing the pool table, regulars and newbies who’d just discovered the nightclub’s cozy, chic atmosphere watched in horror as Virgil beat his chest while screaming out the names of those on his squad who also needed to man-up. Yes, Virgil was every patron and bar employee’s nightmare.

Yomi was the server tonight, a nice college girl who didn’t need this shit. She’d expertly danced out of Virgil’s way when he tried to grapple her in his arms, as if his affection was something any woman should look forward to. Yomi practically ran into the bar top, looking at Harlow with pleading eyes. “He wants another,
ASAP
.  And he said to put it on his tab.”

Harlow shook her head. “No, he’s had enough. Tell him I’m through serving him.”

Yomi blew a strand of her long bangs out of her eyes. “He’s gonna go ballistic.”

“I know that. I’d been hoping one of his teammates would talk some sense into him, but they all ended up leaving that idiot here. Just . . . just tell him I said the bar is off limits for him, and if he has any problems with it he needs to talk to me.”

Yomi made the sign of the cross, whispering for Harlow to pray for her. Then she headed to the back of the club where Virgil was straddled over the pool table, giving the thing a hump. After Yomi told him the bad news she wisely backed up, because Virgil’s muscular arms started swinging everywhere, along with a string of curse words. She looked at Harlow with a grimace, so Harlow nodded. It was their signal to have a cell phone handy in case the cops needed to be called. But neither woman expected Virgil to let out a roar as he tried to overturn the table.

“Get in the kitchen and call the cops!” Harlow screamed.

Fear stunned Yomi into stalling by the kitchen door, uncertain if she should leave. “But-”

“Just do it!” Harlow felt around for the baseball bat stashed behind the bar, but when Virgil came stumbling over she realized that wouldn’t be enough. Hitting him with a bat would be like flicking a toothpick at a rhino, especially with whatever else he was on. With a thick neck as wide as his shoulders, the Pro-Bowl player barreled straight into the bar itself, shaking the thing so much she thought it had been knocked a few inches back.

“You bitch. You black-” Between his spit and his lunging over the bar top to attack her, everyone in the club could hear his hateful words.

Once he took another swipe at her Harlow felt well within her rights to crack him across the head. All these weeks of listening to his racist ass call out insults to anyone who didn’t look like him was more than enough to fuel her anger.

Her first swing connected with his cheekbone. His howl of pain was genuine, but after collapsing to his knees he bounced back up, this time with one leg raised, determined to climb over the bar. Readying her second swing, she was aiming to do real damage since she’d already given him fair warning. When her bat got stopped in mid-air, she was pulled right along with it. So focused on clobbering Virgil, she didn’t even realize another player had snuck up from the other end of the bar.

Yomi shrieked her name, saying she’d called the police.

The guy now holding the bat didn’t take his eyes off Virgil, coolly saying that the police wouldn’t be necessary. With his free hand he yanked the linebacker off the top of the bar, giving Virgil one hell of a wedgie. The linesman ended up getting slammed to the floor, all the while hollering profanities and threatening to kill his own quarterback.

When he rose the two men were nose to nose, but quarterback Kyle McClure never flinched. “You can either walk out that door or we’ll carry you out,” he said. “Either way, you’re leaving.”

Harlow didn’t recall seeing Kyle with the original group, but then she’d been so busy with drink orders the Queen of England could’ve come in without her noticing. Though she did recognize another member of the O line standing behind him.

Even with his long dreadlocks and just about every inch of his body tattooed, Darren Gillette was one of the sweetest men she’d ever met. He’d been in the place earlier, playing pool and joking around. “Play time’s over,” Darren now told him. “Me and Kyle are gonna make sure you get home in one piece.”

Virgil’s face was so red and shiny it reminded Harlow of a police siren. And his cheek was already starting to swell. Seems she’d done more damage to his face than first thought. “That nigger bitch hit me, she’s gonna pay,” he warned, aiming his finger and the only eye that wasn’t half shut at her.

It’s not like she hadn’t been called the N word before. By this time she had her jacket on. Inside her pocket was a knife, and she wasn’t afraid to use it.

“Apologize to the lady,” Darren said. “Because if you don’t, you can kiss your signing bonus goodbye ‘cause I’m gonna break both your legs.”

The few stragglers watching this were shocked as shit to hear his demand. There was no way Virgil would agree. After a heart stopping stare down that seemed to go on forever, Virgil violently tore at his hair before shouting “Fuck!” up at the ceiling. Then he threw out an absolutely pitiful “sorry” over his shoulder, presumably directed at her.

Now that the ball was in Harlow’s court she let him have it. “Go fuck yourself,
Virginia
. You’re a racist pig who can’t handle his liquor and I wish you’d find another spot to terrorize. Grow up, douchebag.”

His already flushed face puffed up, along with his thick as a board neck, befitting one of his other nicknames, “Toad.” Harlow’s fingers tightened around her knife in case he lunged again. Both Darren and Kyle blocked him, with Darren shouting
“What?! What?! Like you didn’t deserve that?”

A couple of police officers came through the door, and even Ol’ Virgie pretended to sober up. Darren Gillette was mister smooth as he spoke with them. All Harlow heard was a whole lot of “Is there a problem officer?” and “We had a little misunderstanding, nothing serious.”

One of the cops zeroed in on Virgil’s face. “What happened?”

If looks could kill, Harlow would’ve been struck dead. Virgil’s glare swung from her to the officer as he mumbled about ramming into the men’s room wall on a bet. The cop didn’t appear convinced, asking if she had anything to add.

“No sir. It was a little wild in here before you guys came, but everything’s settled down. Like Mr. Gillette said, it was just a little misunderstanding. But I think now that the law is here, Mr. Fordham needs to know that first thing tomorrow morning I’m taking out a restraining order against him. I don’t want him anywhere near this club, ever again.”

Virgil grunted and rolled his eyes, as if the very idea of a bar not gifted by his presence was unthinkable. True to his nature, he offered a parting shot. “Sweetheart, by morning you’ll be out of a job. Especially once my lawyer calls your boss.”

With both palms on top of the bar, Harlow leaned forward to stare him down. “
Sweetheart
,
I am the boss
. I OWN THIS PLACE.”

“Well, I guess that settles that,” Kyle said. Then he addressed her. “But I hope the rest of the team can still come here?”

“It’ll be on a case by case basis, but you can stay if you behave.”

“Oh yes, I’ll be a very good boy.”

She wasn’t sure what to make of his response. If he was trying to be a smart ass his face sure didn’t look the part. One of the officers cleared his throat, so Darren clamped a hand on Virgil’s shoulder, steering him to the door with both officers not far behind. Harlow sagged against the bar for support, her legs trembling from fright and adrenalin. That whole scene was much too close for comfort and it had been so very ugly. After several deep breaths, she glanced up to see Kyle still standing there. “Has your teammate always been such an obnoxious dick?”

“Yeah, pretty much. Listen, I’m really sorry about all this. He’s been under a lot of stress lately, though that’s no excuse for him attacking you.”

She took off her leather jacket, stuffing it back under the bar.

“What kind of weapon do you have?” His blue eyes were twinkling, as if his thoughts had turned naughty.

Surprised, Harlow sputtered a non-answer.

“Oh come on. I’ve been in enough street fights to figure out when someone’s holding. I saw how your hands went into your pockets.”

“It’s just a little something for protection, you know, for times like tonight.”

Kyle drew back his own jacket. Inside was a gun holster. “Don’t worry, I’m legal. I’ve got a gun permit.”

“The thought never crossed my mind.” With her brain still scrambled and her knees still shaking, she tried to get back into her routine. Drink orders were slowly coming in, and the crack of a cue ball hitting another on the pool table meant the place was settling down. But not her nerves.
God.
  If Virgil had gotten hold of her, what would happen to her daughter? Sure, there was her ex-husband Ozzy, but right now his fish bowl of a life and touring schedule wasn’t something she wanted for their child.

“Would you like me to call someone?” Kyle said, hoping she wasn’t married. “How about one of your staff-”

“No, I’m fine.”

The look he gave her made it plain that that wasn’t the case. “I’ve got to go. Darren drove me up here, and my guess is he’s probably asking Virgil for his car keys so that I can get behind the wheel while he follows us.”

Harlow shrugged, not sure where this was headed. “Uh . . . okay.” Maybe he was waiting for some sort of thank you.
Okay, she could do that.
“Thanks for coming in right on time.”

“I’d like to finish our conversation.”

“Were we having one?”

“I thought so. It’s shorter than what I’m used to, and it’s not exactly how I like to end things with someone I’m interested in, but what the hell.” He stuck out his hand, the one he always said a super bowl ring needed to grace whenever he did an interview. “I’m Kyle, Kyle McClure.”

“I know who you are.”

He slid onto a bar stool, the one he usually took when he’d stop in. “I want to apologize again for Ham’s behavior.”

“Why? You never came in here acting like a damn fool.”

“I kinda feel responsible since he only found out about this place because of me.”

“I still don’t get it.”

Kyle gave her a pained expression. “It’s a locker room thing. Ham likes to fuck with people, and he knows I enjoy going off by myself, especially now.”

She nodded, realizing this might be not only uncomfortable, but slightly embarrassing for him. The team was in the middle of a three game losing streak and fans were already calling for his benching. In fact, they wanted him traded. The insistent honk of a car horn reminded them both that Darren was waiting.

“I’ll be back,” he told her. “And I’ll take care of his tab.”

“Thanks,” she said, really meaning it. “All the real nastiness started when I cut his liquor off. And I’d already figured he’d walk without paying what he owes, so I thought I’d have to deal with the loss.”

“Oh you would’ve been paid. Ham likes to have the rookies pick up his bills. A couple of them already came to Darren and me, complaining that he’d crossed the line.” Kyle tapped the bar with his knuckles for good luck. “Here’s hoping Darren and I can talk some sense into him.”

“So are you doing this for him, or the rookies?”

“To keep peace on the team mostly. And it’s because I need him. Virgil’s one of the best, if not
the
best center I’ve ever played with. But he’s got to learn that for some fans, his actions reflect on the whole team, especially when he’s out in public.” He stopped, seeming to struggle with what he was about to say next. “This isn’t how I wanted to approach you. In my mind, I’d envisioned something a lot more . . . well, let’s just say there wasn’t as much drama involved.”

“
Doh hot yuh head.
”

“What?”

“I’m originally from Trinidad. Back in Trini we sometimes say Doh hot yuh head, but you’d probably say
don’t worry about it
.” She gave him a warm smile. “My name’s Harlow, just like the sign outside.”

“Good to know. And so I don’t get into any trouble here, are you with anyone? Or are you single and looking?” He paused, measuring the next words carefully.  “Or do you wish I’d just leave you alone?”

“I-” she thought for a moment, wondering if she were up to dealing with someone as famous as Kyle and all that came with him. There was something about his laid back personality that intrigued her. But what really made her decision hard, came down to something highly superficial.
How very easy he was on the eyes
. His long brownish blonde hair curled just as it hit his broad shoulders, and there was a dimple smack in the middle of his chin. Not to mention those ice blue eyes, so yeah, this was a no-brainer. The words “No, I don’t want you to stop hitting on me,” almost came from her mouth, but she ended up saying, “I-I guess I really don’t know.”