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Angelo
It took an ice bath to get my muscles prepared to leave the facility. I was sore from my pinky toe to my earlobe. Carrying the binder of plays from the facility was a challenge. I could have found a spot in the locker room and crashed, but I wanted the comforts of my bed.
“Happy hour again?” Forrest asked as he walked beside me to the car. He didn’t wince with every step like I did. He wasn’t walking slow, half-hunched over either.
I shook my head. Hardly able to move it side to side. “Hell naw, man. My body is aching.”
He laughed. “See how Alabama prepared me?” He nudged my side. “Over at Tennessee y’all ain’t see hard days, huh?”
I hated it for me. “Guess the fuck not.”
“Better get used to it. Playing at this level, you need your body in tip-top shape. One day you’ll be in that number one spot and can’t be hobbling around like you fifty-five.”
“You right.” I held the door to my truck open. “I’mma be ready.”
“You better. And after tomorrow, you better stay ready.” He pointed to me. “Those vets won’t be here playing no games. Mark my words.” Forrest sounded like somebody’s grandfather. Even his tone changed, sounding like an old man.
“I got you. I’ll be on it this weekend.” I looked at the driver’s seat and said, “Right now I’m taking my ass to the crib.”
As I closed my door and left Forrest begging for someone to join him at happy hour, I called Gigi. I needed to hear her voice. Days without it were starting to be reckless.
“Hello?”
As much as my muscles ached, the smile she brought to my face was easy. “My bad, Gigi. Camp has been whipping my ass. I wanted to call before I got back to the room and fell asleep again.” I rolled out of the parking spot.
“Angelo.” My name rolled off her tongue. It made me want to feel her tongue in some other places. “I’m happy you called.”
“Yeah?” I admitted, “When I’m not hurling the football, or running down the field, you’ve been the only thing on my mind.” Gigi was a constant in my thoughts. Even at the happy hour with Forrest, I couldn’t look at the chicks who tried to cozy up beside us. None of them had anything on her.
“Isn’t that something. I can’t say you’ve been far from my mind. But was starting to think it’d be sometime next year before we could catch up.”
The thought of not seeing her all season was crazy. “Naw. I’m not sure I can go the rest of the week.”
“Hmm,” she mumbled into the phone.
“How’s work been?”
“Oh,” she shouted, “Angelo.” Her voice hurried. “Thank you for the flowers. I know I texted you, but not sure if you saw that. And they were beautiful.”
“Did they have the ladies talking?” I didn’t want them to stop talking. When they start thinking I’m done, I’ll bounce back again. “Gotta keep those rumors swirling.”
She laughed. “Oh, there’s no lack of rumors in my office. I’ve heard my fair share of drama around my situation.”
“Drama?” I asked as I pulled into valet. “What you mean?”
“The office. Everyone trying to figure out if you were the reason Shawn cheated. Some type of revenge cheating.”
“But he cheated on you first.” I assumed the people in her office knew that detail.
“They don’t know that.”
“Why not?”
She hesitated with her response. “I didn’t want everyone to hate him.”
I snatched my bag from the passenger seat and tossed my keys to the valet. “What? Why would you care if they hate him?”
She scoffed, “You sound like Tatiana.”
