Page 104 of Forever Offsides

“I had a thought.”

“I’m half-listening.”

Damn, this woman makes me smile.

“I want to take you to the movies. I’ll text you your ticket, and you can meet me in the theater. We’ll make out like teenagers. I’ve never done that, believe it or not, and it’s something I’ve always wished I could do.”

“Are we enacting your bucket list, old man?”

I tickle her side, and she wiggles on me.

“Maybe. That’s actually a great idea, minus the old man comment. After the film, I’ll meet you at a restaurant. I’ll sit down first, and then you’ll walk in. I’ll stand and greet you and act shocked that you’re there. But I know you from work, so it’s normal for me to invite you to dine with me.”

“You’ve got this all planned out.”

“I’ll walk you home because I’m a gentleman, and wow, how shocking is it that we live so close to each other and had no clue? Except I won’t go home.”

She moves ever so slightly at the way I say that. At my tone and how it lowers.

“I’ll follow you inside.” I leave it at that. It’s a promise, and I want her to feel it. I was scared out of my mind by squeezing her throat the way I did the other night, but it also sparked something within me.

Something primal.

A dark beast that was perhaps always lingering or maybe she brought it to life. I don’t know. I just know I want to try everything I’ve never done but always wanted to or been curious about.

So…

“What do you say? Will you go on a date with me?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now go back to sleep. I’m going to sneak out and go home.”

“Boo.”

I kiss the top of her head and take a deep inhale. I could die with how good she smells. It’s not shampoo or body wash or anything else. It’s Quinn.

“Tonight,” I promise her and climb out of bed before I climb inside of her. But that’s too easy. This girl is fantasy material. You don’t simply wake up and fuck your fantasy without anything else.

She deserves dates.

She deserves to be wooed, as she said.

I want her to know she’s more than a secret or some fun. I could tell her, but if I don’t show her, sooner or later she’ll start to doubt me.

I’m risking too much not to give this my all.

I jog up the block through sharp stabs of ice, and by the time I climb into my shower, I’m practically frozen through. Denver had its weather. But New England seems to be its own monster.

I wish I could drive in with her, but that’s not how this works. I take it slow, but by the time I leave my house, the sleet has turned back to rain. I checked the weather report for Sunday, and it looks like it’ll be rainy as well, so perhaps outside practice, at least for some of today, is in our future.

I work out in the gym for an hour, then run on the treadmill for an additional forty-five. The team is in here too, completing their second upper-body weightlifting session of the week. I like to work out with the team. It lets them see that I’m focused and putting my all in the way they are. After I shower in my office bathroom, I meet with my coaches and staff about our plans for practice today, then join the team for film, where we study and break down the opponent’s habits and things we should watch out for.

Then it’s lunch, and by the time I make it down to the field, the rain is letting up. The players are already here waiting, but that doesn’t stop me from searching around for her. I find her in the back talking on the phone. Sensing she’s being watched, her eyes lift and connect with mine. I get a wry smile I can’t help but return.

She looks adorable in a Rebels baseball hat, jacket, and thermal-looking leggings.

Forcing myself away, I get back to the team. Thursdays before a Sunday game are our heaviest and most intense of the week. I get the team moving with situational drills, particularly third-down conversions, red-zone plays, and goal-line scenarios, since that’s where we’ve struggled through the first few games of the season. I also have our special teams coach work on kickoff returns.