Hail Mary Baby: A Secret Baby Sports Romance (7 page)

I
held
Alex in my arms, slowly rocking him back and forth. “It's okay.” I whispered to him. “Everything is okay.” Beads of sweat were forming on my head. It was six in the morning and I was already completely exhausted. Who was I trying to kid. I was a terrible mother. At least, that's how it always felt. There was no one there to help me. No one there to back me up.

“It's just for a few days.” I whispered to Alex, my baby boy. “Momma will be home before you know it.”

“Don't worry, Mrs. Perkins. I have it all taken care of. Have fun on your trip.” The sitter said. I knew I could trust her. It was just hard sometimes to let go.

Before I knew it, I was at the airport, waiting to check my bags. A woman next to me was holding her crying baby, trying her hardest to stop it from crying. She looked as if she were about to cry herself. I knew the feeling.

“Cute.” A passenger waiting in the baggage check line sarcastically said.

“He's normally not like this! I'm so,
so
sorry.” The woman whimpered.

“I just hope we’re not on the same flight as them.” A short bald man with glasses whispered to his wife.

They didn't know what it was like, the selfish bastards. Everyday I felt as if I was going to fall over with anxiety. But I was a strong woman and that meant picking myself back up, no matter how far I fell. And as a single mother, I felt like I was teaching Alex some important life lessons in that regard. I had feeling she was too.

Still, I knew how much he would want a father someday. It was hard not to imagine him playing ball with his daddy, going on hikes and adventures, and bringing Alex to his games. I shook the images away. There wouldn't be any of that. Even though I had faith we might meet again, it had been too long to think everything would be the same since that night. Plus, I didn't even really know the man. All in all, he kind of just seemed like a jerk. Jenkins assured me on a lot of things, but it was obvious he was just being nice.

This trip was already feeling weird. Everything was telling me not to go. The signs were everywhere. Yet, I had to. My job depended on it. It was time for the next step in my career. I pushed forward through the airport and made my way past security.

Once I got through, I checked my phone for the time. “Shit!” I exclaimed. It was ten minutes till boarding time. “Cmon, Laura. You have to hurry.” I muttered to myself. On the speakers above, an announcement said, “Flight 733 from Los Angeles to New York is now boarding.” I ran as fast as I could to my gate.

“Excuse me, miss.” A voice said behind me. I turned around and saw an airport police officer. He was sitting in a small cart. “I'm sorry, but for safety reasons we can't let you run inside the building. Here, why don't you sit down. I'll take you to your gate. The doors will be open when you get there, don't worry.” He said

“Thank you.” I whispered. “But I'm okay.” I began walking as fast as I could without this guy yelling at me. The man simply nodded and trotted along.

I ran and ran until I thought I could run no more. Pretty soon I was out of sight from them. “Please don't let me miss my flight…” I whispered. Then, my foot clipped something on the ground and I felt my body sway to gravity. Yes, I was falling and it wasn't going to be pretty when I hit the ground. However, out of nowhere, I felt a pair of hands grab me. I looked up and nearly fainted from what I saw.

I choked back tears and gulped loudly. “Liam?” I muttered, not knowing whether to scream at him or kiss him.

“Holy shit. Laura?”

We stood in silence, purely staring at each other. We didn't have to say anything. The situation said enough.

We spoke at the same time. I said, “Why didn't you call me?”

And he said, “Your number didn't work. I called you every single day until I had to leave.”

We both laughed awkwardly. “I tried to call, I promise I did.” He said. “To be honest, I thought you just weren't interested anymore. Shit, I even went to your house to find you! I know that sounds crazy, but—“

I cut him off. “That doesn't sound crazy at all.”

“Really?” He asked me.

I shook my head, nearly crying. “Not one bit.” I said.

“I thought maybe you had forgotten about me, but Jenkins called me a couple days ago. He gave me hope I might find you, even though I heard you were moving to New York.” His eyes stared into my soul. I was so mad at him for not calling. At the same time, however, maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe I had put in the wrong number. It was really early in the morning.

“Yeah. It's, uh, part of the job I guess. You understand I bet.” I said. I looked behind me and saw a crowd of people running to catch their flight.

“Final boarding call for Flight 733…” I heard from the loudspeaker.

“Shit.” I muttered.
Hurry, Laura. You can't let him know you have a son now. Get on that plane!

“Is that your flight?” He asked.

“Yeah, I have to run…” I sighed. I could barely hold back my tears.

“It's okay. I get it. You better hurry.” He said. “Maybe I'll run into you on the east coast or something.”

I looked down. “Yeah, I'd like that. I really have to get going though.”

“Alright, bye Laura Alvaroy. My brown eyed girl.” He hesitated as if he was about to say something else, but then something stopped him. Maybe he felt like I didn't like him anymore. Or maybe he was really over me after all. Regardless, I couldn't stay and talk forever, no matter how much I wished he would grab me and take me to a back room. I had a flight to catch.

My brown eyed girl…

I quickly turned away, shielding my eyes. I didn't want him to see that tears had no penetrated my eyes. “Goodbye.” I quickly said. And then I ran away. I ran and I didn't look back.

I
had
her in front of me. She was right there! And what the fuck did I do? I simply stared and stuttered like an idiot. I let her run off to catch her flight. What else was I supposed to do? Better believe I was beating myself up over it all.

After she left, I walked with my team toward the terminal exit. Charlie stared at me out of the corner of his eye, embarrassed and angry about yesterday.

I didn't have a choice. It was out of my hands.
I was telling myself all sorts of things. Anything to make me feel better about losing her again. It didn't take long for me to realize something important. I got to the exit and stopped dead in my tracks.

“C’mon bro, let's go.” One of the second-string players said to me.

“Just a second…” I muttered. I turned to my coach. He knew within a millisecond what was going on. He simply nodded. I dropped my things and started running faster than I had ever run before.

What was her terminal again?
I asked myself. Eventually I thought of it. I was so close. I prayed to the gods above that I wouldn't miss her. Gate 19, 20,
21!
I had found it!

“Yes!” I practically screamed out loud.

I ran up to the gate doors and found that they were closed. I turned to the lady working and frantically said, “You gotta let me in there! It's important!”

She looked at me and basically laughed in my face. “I'm sorry, sir. The gates are now closed. You can talk to an agent over at the desk over there if you need another flight.”

I pressed my fingers against my temples and tried to maintain my composure. That, of course, didn't last very long. “I don't need another flight! What I need is to get in those doors!”

“Well, sir. What I need from
you
is to stand back. If you don't, I will call security and they will force you out! Do you understand?” She glared at me, waiting for me to talk back. Well, she obviously didn't know who I was. I was the king of talking back, the king of getting thrown out of interviews, bars, and yes, airports too!

“No, I actually don't fucking understand!” I began yelling now. “And I think if you don't let me through right now, I'll have the NFL bring you to court because—“

“Liam!” A voice rang out behind me. It was Laura! I felt a new level of excitement and energy flow throughout my body.

I gave a sharp look at the woman working and said, “Look, I'm sorry. It's been a bad day. If you want tickets to the Patriots game, just show the people at Will-Call your badge and you'll get through.” She looked confused as hell. I gave her my best smile and turned back around.

“I couldn't let you leave. Not yet, at least. Not without a real goodbye.” I said. She stood up from her seat and faced me.

“Oh thank God!” She exclaimed.

I grabbed her waist and wrapped my strong arms around her. I looked into her eyes and told her the truest thing I could have said at the time, “I've missed you.”

“I've missed you too.” She said. Her eyes were shining against the synthetic fluorescent light, and I realized that, despite the odds, we had come together from our separate corners of the world. It was incredible when you really thought about it.

I leaned forward and our lips touched. That feeling – I had been waiting for it for so damn long. And now I had her, if only for a moment. Her scent enveloped me. I pulled her in even closer. Our tongues circled around each other’s, and I pulled back and lightly bit her lip. Our breathing was quickening. The intensity was building to something we couldn't control.

“Follow me.” I said, grabbing her hand.

“Where are we going?” She exclaimed, although laughing from the thrill of being together.

“You'll see.” I said.

I walked straight until I found a door that said “Cleaning Crew.” I smiled and said aloud, “There we go.” I checked to see if it was locked and it wasn't. We pushed through and found ourselves in a half-empty closet full of cleaning supplies.

“We can't be in here, Liam!” She said. I loved it when she said my name.

I locked the door and said, “Do you always play by the rules?”

She looked at me, determined to spend whatever time we had, and replied, “Hell no.” My kind of woman.

She kissed me this time, pressing her forehead against mine, and pulling back every so often. I ran my hands through her perfect hair and took deep breaths. I couldn't handle how I felt. “I need you. Now.” I said.

“I've been waiting to hear those words from you for so long.” She said, completely out of breath. “Fuck me.”

I tore off her shirt as she slipped out of her yoga pants. Running my hands across her thighs and legs, grabbing her ass, I felt like a fucking king. I felt more manly than I ever felt before. She was a goddess and I was lucky enough to be chosen. God bless her tits, her ass, her body. Before she could even drop to her knees, I lifted her above my head and pinned her against the wall.

“Holy shit.” She cried out with satisfaction. I spun her around and she pressed her hands on the wall, knocking everything off a shelf next to us.

“Now that I have you,” I said, “I'm going to devour you.”

There was no time to spare. Most likely, the whole team was on a bus, waiting for me. I didn't give a fuck. I had been waiting for this more than I had been waiting for the next Super Bowl. Damn if I wasn't gonna take this opportunity.

I licked around her edges, across her pelvic line, and all the way down to her thighs. Within seconds, I had kissed every inch of her. With her perfect ass propped in front of my face, I spread her lips apart, licking around them and pulling them with my mouth.

“Every part of you is so beautiful.” I muttered, worshipping her body. I slipped two of my fingers inside her and pressed hard against her g-spot.

“Oh God.” She moaned. “Yes, just like that!”

“Cum for me.” I said, “I need to see you cum.”

I massaged her until she was dripping wet. I kissed her cheeks and spun her around again. I wrapped my mouth around her core and licked her to completion. Her whole body started vibrating around me. I moved my fingers in and out, working them faster with each slide. My tongue was moving at an incredible speed.

Before I knew it, she was cumming. All the while, she was grabbing my hair and pulling. I whipped out my cock and started stroking myself fast.

“Yes!” She cried. “God, you're hot.”

I kissed her deeply, massaged her trembling pussy, and pushed my hands upward against her tits. I cupped them and lightly pinched her nipples. I could feel the head of my cock thicken. Within seconds I burst. Her panties hung between her ankles and I shot my thick load onto the cotton.

I placed her onto her feet and smiled, both of us taking deep breaths. We kissed each other and held one another close as if this were the last time we might see each other again.

After some time, I whispered, “You missed your flight.”

She shook her head and squinted her pretty brown eyes. “Ugh, I know! Work’s gonna kill me.” She said.

“Guess you'll just have to come to the game.” I laughed.

“Guess so.” She said longingly. Then she smiled and slapped my ass. “Alright, you have to hurry and catch up with everyone right? Here, let me see your phone.”

She grabbed my phone out of my pocket and put her number into it. “You better actually call me this time!”

I kissed her soft cheek and said, “I'll call you tonight.”

When we walked out of that closet, we were holding hands.

H
e let go
of our intertwined hands and walked to the bus, toward the other players. His hair was unkempt, clothes disheveled, and he looked like he just fucked a stripper in the VIP room. Well, today I was his girl. We would see about tomorrow. Sure, he was willing to prove himself for a good time. But was he willing to stick around?

I kept thinking about little Alex and the incredible future that lay ahead of him. Was I willing to compromise our situation for this stranger? After all, he
was
a stranger. I had one incredible night with him. Other than that, I didn't know him and he didn't know me. If that were the case, however, what was I feeling? Why did I long for his strong body against mine? Why did I dream about his handsome face?

I kissed him goodbye and told him I would meet him after the game. “You better!” He called out. The whole team was hollering and yelling out the window at us in good fun. He ran on the bus and ducked his head out of the back window. “See you later, my brown eyed girl!” He winked. God, he was cheesy. Yet, that made him even more attractive to me. I waved goodbye and shook my head.
Liam Conway, you're a handful.
I thought to myself.

I made my way back home and called my boss. “Hey guys, I'm sorry. I didn't make my flight.” I said, sounding as exhausted as possible.

“What happened? Are you okay?” She asked me.

“Long story.” I lied. “I'm going to need another flight. Take it out of my pay if you need to. Afternoon would be wonderful, thanks.” I smiled to myself, finally realizing the full potential of who I was to them. They needed me. I had the upper hand now.

“Wai—” I hung up the phone before they could get a word in, and I switched it off. No need for trivial things. Today is going to be a good day.

I got home and found Alex sleeping peacefully in the sitter’s arms. “He's so cute.” She whispered, staring at his little hands. Then she did a quick double take and said, “Oh my God! You missed your flight! What happened?”

I laughed and picked up Alex. “The best thing that could happen.” I said. “I saw an old friend and accidentally missed my flight. Now I have another day to relax.”

“Well, do you want me to go home? I kind of need this job…” She muttered.

“Leave? Hell no. I need you to stay. Just pretend I'm not here. I have, uh, plans for the night.” I said.

“Oh! Sounds like a date! Is it a date? Please tell me it's a date!” She squealed.

I set Alex in his crib and turned to her. “It's not a date.”

She was practically jumping up and down. “It is
totally
a date!”

I sighed loudly. “Okay it's a date. And it's complicated.” I admitted. “Very complicated.”

She played with her hair, putting it into a ponytail. “What do you mean complicated? Oh, did you meet him on one of those dating apps or something? He sounds like a real creep.”

“No, no. It's not like that. He's…” I paused and tried to think about how I could explain something like this to a 20 year old woman. I figured she’d get it enough and decided to go with the full truth. “He’s Alex’s father.”

Her jaw dropped. “What?! Who is it? Who!” She yelled.

“Calm down.” I hissed at her. “I don't want to say. He's, uh, high profile I guess.”

“Well, do you like him?” She asked so innocently.

I thought about that for a second. It was an obvious answer, yet full of complications. “Of course I like him. But with Alex in the picture, it makes things a little weird. To be honest, I barely even know the guy. It sounds weird saying that, but it's true. I like him a lot, but I can't let him know we have a son together. I just can't.” I felt the heavy pressure rise up in my body. Tears formed in my eyes but I shook them away.

She sat down next to me on the couch and held me in her arms. “It's okay. I understand.” She said softly. “Us women always get the shit end of the stick. I don't have much advice to give, but if he actually wants to be with you, then he’ll have to man up and prove himself. Because as of right now, he's done nothing of the sort.”

I shook my head. “It's not really
all
his fault. There's more to it.” I admitted.

“Like hell it’s not!” She yelled, getting fired up. “It's all his fault!”

I couldn't help but laugh. “Alright, fine. Whatever. Anyway, I'm willing to forgive him. I just don't know if I'm willing to bring Alex into this. You're right. He has to prove himself. So far, he hasn't.”

“That’s right! He hasn’t. But he will. You have it all. He’ll pine for you, girl.” She said confidently.

I
t wasn’t
long before he texted me. “There’s a booth with your name on it. Best seat in the house. There’s a badge in there you can wear to get all the food and drinks you can handle. Go crazy, the night is yours, baby.” Right after he sent me those words, he sent a picture. It was a luscious room, complete with leather couches, a stereo system, and everything else you’d want during a game.

“I’ll only come if you sign my football.” I said sarcastically.

“Deal. See you after the game.” He said.

For the first time in a long time, I felt that feeling in my stomach. You know, the feeling of butterflies. I hadn’t felt that since college. Okay, so he was trying a little bit at least. He wasn’t perfect and it wasn’t all his fault for not finding me. I left, gave him the wrong number, and he tried his hardest to get to me. I didn’t really hold any grudges. Mainly, I was just excited to get to know the guy. We had such a strong connection, what could possibly go wrong?

From the other room came the sound of Alex’s shrill cries.
Oh yeah. There’s that…