After The Snap (21 page)

“I enjoy doing stuff like this. Seriously, I hardly spend any time at home, and I like your place. I would like to meet your boyfriend once you tell him you play football. I think it would be good for him to understand where I stand in your life and that I’m not a threat to your relationship.”

Seth chuckled as he placed the leftovers in his fridge. “I don’t think I’ve laughed this much in a long while.”

“You’re very easy to get along with. So your hair, do you think you can grow it out?”

Seth scrubbed at his scalp and nodded. “Sure. Any reason?”

“Endorsements. It’s not a big deal, but you might get more if you have some more hair.”

Seth shrugged. “I’ll see how it feels as it grows. I’ve become used to it being short.”

“No pressure. So how about a movie? Want a beer?”

“It’s season. I’m not drinking, but I might have a beer in the refrigerator. It’s yours if you want it.”

Justin grabbed his beer and Seth a bottle of water. They sat on his couch with their feet up watching an action flick. He was able to stay awake for most of the movie but woke to find Justin snoring on the other end of the couch. It felt weird to trust this man after knowing him for only a few hours, but Justin was working for him and he seemed very genuine. Every email Justin ever sent had been cordial and he’d been upfront with information. Seth liked that.

The movie ended and he turned off the TV. Justin sat up and wiped at his face. He looked at Seth and his cheeks turned pink.

“How long was I asleep?”

“No clue, I fell asleep too.”

“I’m usually not this bad of company. I’ve been traveling a lot lately.”

“It’s okay, I slept too.”

“I’ll be in San Diego in two weeks. I would like to fly your parents out for the game the Sunday before Thanksgiving, if that’s okay.”

“Wow, I don’t know what to say.”

“I want to get to know your family. If I meet your parents in person, they can ask me any questions they want.”

“Okay, I guess that would be okay.”

“It’s my treat. I’ll make the arrangements. And Seth, I’m on your side now. If Channing contacts you, tell me. I really want to know.”

“Sure. And thanks. You don’t know how good it is to have someone who knows I’m gay and isn’t upset about it.”

“Wait, do your parents know?” Justin asked.

“No.”

Justin straightened. “Oh. You need to tell them.”

“I don’t think I can. Not yet.”

Justin nodded, then reached out and shook his hand. “I’m going to think about this tonight and tomorrow as I fly home. I promise you I will keep your secret. If you choose to tell Kristen, that’s great, or don’t tell her, it’s up to you. And I’ll send something nice to your parents.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Seth, it’s what I do. I’m Justin Kallis and I take care of people.” Justin grabbed his hand and pulled him into a hug, slapping him on the back once before stepping back. “Your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell anyone and I’ll assume that anyone I talk to doesn’t know you’re gay. I’ll call you in the morning before my plane takes off and before your practice.”

“You’re being too nice.”

“No, I’m really not. You’re part of the Kallis family now.”

Justin opened the door and stepped out, waving before heading to the elevator. Seth felt good about Justin. He was worried that something would go wrong. What if Justin was lying about keeping his secret? Seth blew out a hard breath and shook his head. At some point he had to trust someone. Trusting Channing had gone wrong, but not everyone was a scumbag like his old coach.

Seth turned off the lights in his bedroom and opened the window. No one could see him from this vantage and sometimes he liked to see the sky as he slept. Seeing stars was too much to ask for with the city lights, but at least he could pretend.

As he drifted off he reached down and grabbed his cock, stroking slowly as he thought of Colby. It would be nice to have Colby with him. But for that to happen he would have to tell Colby about football, and that meant getting into a relationship. He grunted and rolled to his side, ignoring his hard cock and his thoughts of Colby. Could he ever trust anyone else ever again?

Chapter Sixteen

Colby hated red-eyes and this one wasn’t any more pleasant than the rest he’d taken. He was excited to be moving to California, if only for the reduction of red-eye flights he would be taking. There would be less travel, and that would mean maybe he could actually have a relationship with Seth.

There was so much he didn’t know about Seth, only that they were compatible. He’d thought he and Neil were a good match, but Neil hadn’t played on a level field. He was expecting too much from this fling with Seth. It wasn’t the reason he was moving to California, but it did make the idea of moving more appealing.

Once he got home, he called his office and informed them he couldn’t come in for a few hours because of his flight and the need for sleep. Before dropping to his bed he stared at his phone as he thought about what he would text to Seth. He felt awkward. Maybe Seth wasn’t the guy for him. They’d barely spent any awake time together the night before.

Colby opened up the text app and typed anyway. He wasn’t ready to drop this thing he had for Seth, not yet.

Colby: I just got home. I miss you. I’m headed to bed for a few hours.

Colby turned his phone to silent and activated the privacy feature before pulling the covers over his head. The noise from his neighbors, the highway out front, and the airport kept him from falling into a deep sleep until he grabbed his earplugs and stuffed them in his ears. He had nightmares of Seth forcing him to watch as he fucked other men while telling Colby that this was what love was. Sweaty and breathing hard, he woke to the sound of his alarm.

How long has that been going off?

Colby picked up his phone and saw that it was three in the afternoon. He’d slept the day away. Exhaustion still held him but he perked up when he checked his text messages and saw one from Seth.

Seth: Colby, to say that I miss you is an understatement. We don’t really know each other. Do you think in these few weeks we are apart that we can slowly start to unravel a bit of our closely guarded secrets, our pasts, our hopes, maybe a few wishes and dreams? Not that you have to tell me everything, but just some little things. Like maybe what’s your favorite breakfast food? Mine is eggs and bacon in a tortilla or wrap. If there are vegetables added, then it’s all the better. If you don’t want to, if you just want to keep what we’re doing as just sex, I’ll understand. The sex is great, don’t doubt that, but I think I want more.

Colby stared at the words, laughing a little to himself. Maybe he could trust again. This relationship wasn’t like what he had with Neil, he could feel it. He laughed as he typed out his response.

Colby: Pancakes with chocolate chips and syrup. Add whipped cream and strawberries and I’m in heaven. I never eat it though, like maybe once a year, maybe. I do like egg sandwiches with sausage.

He hit send, then shot off a note to his boss explaining his exhaustion. He would work from home for the rest of the day, answering emails and setting up meetings. His phone rang and he looked at the caller id, seeing it was Seth.

“Hey.” Colby smiled as he said the word.

“I sent that text early this morning and when you didn’t answer I thought you didn’t want me. God, it was good to get your text.”

Colby was surprised by Seth’s words and didn’t know what to say. He bit his lower lip, unsure if Seth really felt that way.

“Too much. I’m sorry, I just—I wasn’t sure you felt the same way I do.”

“Seth, I don’t know what I feel, and I don’t know where we’re going, but I want to see what happens.”

“Good.”

He heard someone yelling in the background and then some stuff banging around. Seth was silent for a moment, then it sounded like he covered the speaker on the phone and yelled at someone.

“Sorry about that. I’m still at work. I need to go. Can I call you later?”

“Sure. I’m worn out from the flight so if I don’t answer it’s because I’m sleeping.”

“Okay. I missed waking to you this morning.”

Colby sighed. “I missed being in your arms when I woke.”

“I’ll talk to you later, bye.”

The line disconnected and Colby felt even more alone than before. Just hearing Seth’s voice made him warm. He may not have intended to get involved with someone, but now there was Seth in his life and he couldn’t shake his emotions.

After working through his emails, Colby opened his refrigerator and was reminded that he needed to go grocery shopping. In the freezer he found breaded chicken, and broccoli and decided it would be good enough. He prepared the food and sat down, checking his phone to make sure the ringer was on—it was.

Seth hadn’t called by nine but Colby couldn’t keep his eyes open and fell into a deep sleep. He woke the next morning, disappointed that he’d missed Seth’s call. The different time zones were becoming an issue. He couldn’t wait to head out to California.

The voicemail Seth left was sweet. He put a note in his calendar to text Seth closer to nine eastern time. Going back to the grind of being in his office was tough. He sent a quick text to Seth before he started his workday, promising to call that evening. It was Friday and he really wanted the weekend to start. He had two more weeks before he took off to California and it couldn’t happen fast enough.

Chapter Seventeen

Seth was pleased when Justin had conferenced Kristen in to one of their calls. Though he hadn’t met her, he already liked her. She seemed very nice, warm, and friendly. Kristen was set to visit him on Tuesday. Overall the meeting had gone well.

One downside to being on the west coast when Colby was on the east was he kept missing calls and they weren’t connecting. He didn’t know when they would talk on the phone again. It seemed like everything was conspiring against them.

This weekend was going to be intense. They were playing in Miami and the NFL required them to be on the ground in the host city eighteen hours before kickoff at eleven Sunday morning eastern standard time. That meant they would have to land before five in the morning on Saturday, which was too close for last minute travel. Though it was Friday and the game wasn’t until Sunday, their flight would take off at six that evening, which meant he wasn’t going to be able to talk to Colby. He needed to tell Colby something.

He picked up his phone and dialed, frowning when the phone rolled to voicemail.

“This is Colby, leave a message.”

“Hey, I have to go out of town for business. I may be able to call you tomorrow, but I’m going to be busy this weekend. I’ll get back late Sunday night and maybe we can talk on Monday. I’m sorry we keep missing each other. I’ll be thinking about you.”

He hung up and made sure his bag was well packed. He had everything he needed to get ready for the game, extra shoes and socks, gloves, and then clothes for after they finished. This wasn’t his first travel game, but it was further away than any of the others. Traveling to other cities that weren’t on the east coast wasn’t as difficult since they didn’t always have to leave the Friday before. Going to a game in LA against the Raiders was easy.

The flight to Miami was long, and though they were traveling on a charter, it was cramped. He didn’t sleep at all on the plane. When they arrived at three in the morning, he was wiped out. Once in his room, he dropped to the floor and stretched his legs, then his back. He pulled out his phone and saw that Colby had left him a voicemail and a text. He read the text first.

Colby: Hey, neither one of us was planning on getting together, not really. I’m sorry I whined in my voicemail, but I really do just want to hear your voice and talk to you. I think I’m feeling down because I’m moving out there and I know if we were in the same city it would be easier. I totally get that you have to travel for work, so do I. I miss you.

Seth listened to the voicemail, not surprised when Colby started whining. It was cute in some aspects, but Colby did say that he wanted to actually talk with him on the phone and why hadn’t Colby been warned that Seth would be traveling?

It was too early in the morning to call Colby, so he turned off his ringer and placed his phone in privacy mode. They had a run through of the game at two in the afternoon. That would give him plenty of time to sleep.

The next morning, he woke at nine, at least half happy he’d slept for five hours. After using the restroom, he called Colby. The phone picked up on the first ring.

“Hey,” Colby said.

“I miss you.”

“I’m sorry about all of my whining. I didn’t mean to be a brat.”

“I think it’s funny,” Seth said.

“Funny?”

“Yeah, I mean we both want to see each other and for some reason we can’t even connect enough to talk to each other. Really, even our texts and calls aren’t connecting.”

Colby chuckled. “Yeah, I guess it is a little humorous. I do want to see you, but I don’t know how that’s going to happen. I learned that one of our key clients in England is pissed. I did such a good job in San Diego that the company wants me to fly out on Sunday night. I’ll be gone for a full week. If you give me your email address I can send you an email and then we can set up Skype.”

“Damn, stuff is conspiring to keep us apart.”

“When I get back it won’t be long, then I’ll be headed to San Diego. I should be there two Saturdays from now.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, are you working that weekend?”

“I am. I—” Someone pounded on his door and he knew he had to answer. He’d told his offensive line that he wanted to eat breakfast together before they headed to the meeting. “Sorry, I’m going to have to go.”

“It’s early there.”

“Um, yeah.” Seth felt guilty for not revealing his location. Colby thought he was still in California. He wasn’t really lying, but he didn’t like telling half truths. “Today is an early day for me. I’ll send you my email and I do miss you. I can’t wait to see you. I’ll call Sunday night—dang it, I’ll try to reach you before your plane leaves, but I’m not sure when I’ll be finished.”

“That’s okay. We’ll talk once we get Skype set up. I miss you already.”

He heard more yelling on the floor as the guys grew rowdier. He had to get his men downstairs to the room where they were eating breakfast or they might just get too wild for this hotel and get kicked out. “Babe, once you move to San Diego we’ll be spending more time together. We can get to know each other and it’ll be easier.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll email you once I’m in England.”

“I’ll talk to you later. Bye.” Seth hung up and opened his door. Will stood in the hall and Wayne was at another door. They were dressed and looked ready to roll.

“Are you running late?” Will asked.

“We didn’t set a time,” Seth said.

“Get dressed. I need to get some food. I’m starving,” Will said.

Seth let his door shut and grabbed his clothes, skipping a shower. He brushed his teeth and headed to the door, finding Will, Wayne, and Pete waiting for him in the hall. It looked like Pete had just woken too so he wasn’t really running late. Before he stepped out of the room he grabbed his phone and typed in his email address, sending it to Colby.

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t you be cheating on us with your phone. You put that thing away and pay attention to me,” Wayne said.

Seth rolled his eyes and pocketed his phone, not wanting his teammates to find out he was chatting with another guy. The day went quickly with meetings, run-throughs, stretching sessions, and a movie. Before he knew it, he was back in his room getting ready for bed. They were catching a bus to the stadium a little before nine. He felt ready for this game. After he turned off the lights he palmed his phone, staring at it for nearly a minute before opening the phone app and calling Colby. It rang and rang, and he worried that Colby wasn’t going to answer when he heard it connect.

“Hello.” Colby’s voice was muddy and it sounded like he’d just woken up.

“Hey, it’s Seth.”

“Mmmm, I was asleep.”

“I wish I was curled up beside you.”

“Keep talking, tell me what you would do if you were here.”

Seth stretched out and pushed another pillow behind his head as he palmed his cock. “First, I would lick your neck and then nibble on your ears. You squirm when I do that and I like it. After that, I would kiss my way down to your nipples and drive you wild, licking and sucking until you begged me to take you. But before I filled you with my dick, I would make my way down your body to your cock. I love sucking you.”

“Oh fuck, Seth, I’m going to come from you talking like that.”

“You like?” Seth stroked his hand down his cock and palmed his balls, rolling them between his fingers. He imagined Colby underneath him, his cock hard, ready to blow.

Colby’s words interrupted his musings. “Yeah. Tell me what else?”

“I’d flip you over, but first I would get something around your wrists and tie you to the bed.”

“Oh my God, Seth,” Colby panted, his breath coming in gasps.

Seth was enjoying the sounds coming from Colby. He couldn’t believe they were doing this. “Once I had you tied up, I’d spread your cheeks and lick you until you were whimpering. I would want you so far gone you couldn’t even say my name.”

“Mmm,” Colby moaned. “Oh fuck, my dick is so hard. Seth, I’m so close.”

“I would slide into you, holding you tight as I rode you.”

“Fuck,” Colby cried out.

Seth could hear Colby grunting. That pushed him over the edge. He came hard, his hips rocking, his body shaking. He’d dropped the phone and had to fish for it amongst the pillows. Colby was still breathing hard and making cute little noises that drove Seth wild. After wiping his cum away with an extra pillow that he then tossed to the floor, he rolled to his side and held his phone close, waiting for Colby to speak.

“Seth, that was so fucking hot. Thank you.”

Seth smiled and his chest tightened. “I didn’t intend to do that, but I heard your voice and I knew you were in bed.”

“I was—am. That was worth waking up for. Tell me, what are you doing?”

Seth stretched, rolling to the other side as he transferred the phone to his free hand. “I’m going to bed.”

“That’s early for you.”

Seth forgot that Colby didn’t know he was in Miami. He needed to tell Colby about football, but he wanted that chat to be face to face. He had to make sure Colby understood why he’d kept the information from him.

“Yeah. Work will be tough tomorrow. I just need the extra sleep.”

He could hear Colby yawning and he felt a little bad about waking him up. “Okay, well, I’m beat after that. Will you call me tomorrow when you’re done?”

“I’ll try. I do have to travel tomorrow so it might not work out.”

“Okay.” Colby’s voice grew quieter. “I’ll be on a plane late tomorrow. I’ll miss talking to you, but I’ll send you an email once I get to London.”

“Hey, babe?”

“Yeah?” Colby said.

“I’ll miss you. And thanks for that. You’re so fucking sexy. I appreciate what we just did.”

“I do too. And any time I’m in bed and you call, we can do that if you like.”

Seth chuckled and snuggled further under his covers. “I’ll remember that. Bye.”

“Bye.”

He hung up, then plugged his phone in before rolling over, thinking about the way Colby had moaned and grunted while he’d been talking to him. His dreams were filled with warm thoughts of Colby and he together. He woke to an extremely hard cock that just shot off when he brushed his fingers down the length. That was the first time in a very long time that he’d done something like that. He normally had to stroke himself before his dick blew. Colby had him on edge.

He took a long hot shower before stretching out on his bed, avoiding the wet spot. He closed his eyes as he thought about the game. The defensive line was tough. They weren’t going to give Seth any room for error. Being nervous before a game was normal, but today his nerves seemed more intense.

Someone knocked on his door, most likely Maddox, and told Seth to get up. He stretched again before sitting up. He could do this today. If his head stayed in the game, and he didn’t doubt his abilities, they could win.

The ride to the stadium was quiet. Most of the guys were going through their game day rituals, thinking about what they were going to do, running plays in their minds. This was business, and no matter how much football looked like fun, it was tough work. There were a few guys on the team who were goofballs. With only one thousand sixty-nine men in the NFL, the ones who weren’t serious wouldn’t last more than a year, maybe two, but they weren’t in for the long haul. If he could keep from getting injured, and work hard, he could be on a team for years.

When he went out for warmup, the stadium was near empty. Then a few people started flowing in. Twenty-five minutes before the game was set to start, the Chargers ended their practice and moved back into the locker room. Seth did his pregame ritual. It wasn’t much, but it helped him center his thoughts. Before they lined up to run out into the stadium he talked to Maddox and then Will. He was ready for this game.

All of the excitement, the yells, the cheers, even the boos didn’t really faze him. He was pumped up, but he only let his enthusiasm grow to a certain level before it became detrimental.

They lost the coin toss so their defense went out first. One minute, then another rolled off the official time clock. The Chargers’ defense was playing well, but Miami was keeping pace and moving forward one play at a time. Then Miami was close to the end zone and their quarterback threw the ball, the pass connected. Miami was up and he was playing at a deficit.

All through the first half, no matter how well he played, Miami stayed one step in front of him. He was frustrated and about to lose his cool when the team made its way into the locker room for halftime. A few of the guys did lose their cool and he could tell that it was about to go bad. He sat on a bench and put his head in his hands. To pull this out they had to do more than just stay even with Miami, they had to get ahead. All he needed was a good break that would allow him to score when Miami didn’t. He couldn’t fault the defense or place the blame on anyone else. He’d messed up too.

Seth drew in a slow breath and let it go. Colby popped to the front of his mind and he was going to push the thought away but he realized he was calmer. He drew in another deep breath and focused on how Colby felt in his arms. The raggedness melted away. He wasn’t sure if they would win or lose this game, but he was centered now.