Sacked (The Alpha Ballers#2) (7 page)

He smiled even wider, and came back in close, dropping his voice down. “No doubt, brother, but I gotta say, being locked down is the best feeling ever, when you got the right girl. I highly recommend it.”

“That doesn’t sound like the Drake I met just a few weeks ago, asking about bringing girls into the facility after hours.”

“I know, man, I know, but in my defense, instead of bringing the girls to our room I was just going to hers.”

“That’s right, she had a room here too. Nice move.”

“It’s more than that, though, dude.” He smiled wider than I had ever seen him before. “I love her, man, I can’t put it any other way. I’m totally in love with her.”

“Just make sure she knows that.”

“That’s my second job, man. Of course, football’s first, you know that.”

“I hear you. Where is your better half, anyway?”

Drake nodded to the media room. “Inside, man, she’s got a job to do too. I might get to see her after practice, but who knows.”

“Lucky man, having your very own personal PR department and cheerleader all in one.”

“Don’t I know it. She’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” He turned his head, “You know, right up there with you being my quarterback and everything.”

I laughed. “Dude, no need to butter me up, I know we got a good thing going, and I won’t get jealous when you go home with Lily every night. We do good on the field, you and I, we good off the field.”

“Always the football robot, Parker. That’s the first thing I noticed about you.”

I nodded, taking it as a compliment.

Drake came back in, just as the door opened and Coach Armstrong came out. “Parker, you’re up next.”

“Sure, Coach, on my way.” I nodded to Drake.

“That’s the thing, though, Parker,” Drake said as I pulled away to head inside. The cameras were already flashing, evidently one of the photographers could see me in the hallway.

“Yeah?”

“Being a football robot is cool and all, but once in a while it’s good to be a human being, you know?”

“Solid wisdom right there from a rookie,” I said. “If Hud was here he’d already be punching you.”

Drake held his hands up. “I know, I know, just food for thought. You helped me out more than you can know during training camp, I just wanna return the favor if I can.”

“No worries man, you know what you gotta do.”

“I do, I do. Now get in there before Coach Armstrong puts me on report for holding up the line.” His voice went up an octave. “Oh Lance, Lance Parker, you’re such a star!” he cooed, clearly mocking me, “Will you sign my boobs, Lance Parker?!”

“Ugh, too much, man,” I laughed, as Drake pulled down his shirt collar and exposed his chest to me.

“You love it. Have a good show.”

“Thanks.”

As soon as I stepped into the room I saw flashes all over the place as the photographers got their first official glimpse of me of the season. Of course I didn’t have my uniform or helmet on, but they’d get enough shots of me in the game or on the sidelines soon enough.

“Hey guys, welcome to my house,” I started my press conference off with. That got a laugh. “I see most of you have been here before, let me know if I can answer any of your questions.”

Some players like to have statements at the beginning, but I preferred not to speak when not answering a specific question - easier to keep from saying things I didn’t want getting out.

Hands went up all over the room. I looked out at the reporters, recognizing most of them, before finding the one I wanted. “Yeah, Lily, first question.”

Lily Pearson blushed, happy that I called on her first. It was the least I could do for her and Drake. I had had dinner with them a few nights ago and Lily had told me about some of the obstacles she’d already had to overcome while trying to make it as a female reporter in sports, especially covering football.

“Thanks, Lance. Is it true that during the season you live here in the facility?”

I laughed. I had known this was gonna get out, and it had come up during that dinner. Drake and Lily were incredulous, and Lily warned me that she was going to ask me that at the next media availability. I just didn’t realize it would be her first question.

“Yeah, Lily, that is true. I’m not really the most glamorous of guys, my main focus during the season is on the team and I just want to do everything I can to help out my teammates and win a championship for New England.”

“And having a life outside of football doesn’t enter into that equation?”

Wow, she wasn’t gonna let me go on this one. I could see what Drake saw in her. “That’s correct, at least for now. I’m blessed to be able to play football for a living, and during the relatively short amount of time I can do that, I want to make sure I give it everything I’ve got. There’s 6-7 months a year that we don’t play, I can have a life then. Next question.”

“A followup, please, Lance.”

“Yes, Lily, sure, go ahead.”

“People are calling this season a make or break year for you. That the team can get out from under your contract after this season if things don’t go as well as they hope. How would you characterize the importance this season will have for your career and the Patriots?”

“Wow, that’s a heavy question, I could probably just answer that for the rest of this press conference. But let me at least get started. I have no idea what other people are saying about me - I try not to pay attention to any of that stuff. About my contract, all that is true.”

I took a deep breath. “This is a critical year for me, yeah. I know that I can be a successful quarterback in this league, but this is the season I have to make that clear out on the field. If I don’t, yeah, the team can find someone, pretty easily.” I smiled. “My goal is to show them right away that there’s no need to do that. Next question.”

The press conference went on for another 30 minutes, the reporters slinging questions at me while I tried to answer them honestly without letting them inside too much. It was a high-wire trapeze act of sorts, lots of balancing going on.

By now, though, I was getting used to it.

After I had thanked everyone and left the room, Coach Armstrong came up to me and pulled me aside. “Nice job, Parker.” From Coach Armstrong, that was pretty much the highest compliment.

“Thanks, Coach.”

“Quarterbacks meeting in a few. Don’t be late.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Coach.”

“Oh yeah, Morris is looking for you. Said to catch him before the meeting.”

“Yeah? Any idea what about?”

Coach Armstrong shook his head as he turned away. As he walked down the hall, I thought I could hear him say to himself, “I don’t keep track of these things.”

“Thanks, Coach,” and I waved to his back. Coach Armstrong’s picture appeared next to the word ‘gruff’ in the dictionary, but at the same time, almost every player that played for him loved him like a father. And even players who didn’t were respectful. Armstrong had earned that.

I headed over to the athletic wing, eager to see what the head of staff wanted before my quarterbacks meeting. The first game was coming up soon and we had to start getting ready, installing the game plan, and figuring out how to deal with the opposing defense. The real routine of professional football started now, and I was looking forward to it. Meetings, practice, gym, game, recovery. Rinse and repeat for 17 weeks, and if you were good enough, 3-4 weeks more.

It didn’t sound like much, but at the end of it was one of the most coveted championships in American sports. The chance to be legendary. I wanted it so bad I could almost taste it.

But it lay at the end of a long road, one we were just at the beginning of. I didn’t see the head of Athletics around, so I went directly to his office.

Morris was sitting at his desk. “Parker, good to see you.”

“Thanks. Coach Armstrong said you wanted to see me?”

“Yeah, got someone new on staff to introduce to you.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, new quarterbacks’ trainer and physical therapist. Gonna be making sure you and Lee stay on your feet between games.”

“Sounds good, what happened to the last guy?”

“Family stuff, he had to move back west.”

“Ah, OK.” I couldn’t remember the last guy’s name. Once the season started I was usually so in the zone it didn’t matter who was icing me up or rubbing me down, etc. I just wanted to get back onto the field or into the film room. “Where is he?”

Morris stood up. “Let’s go to the quarterbacks’ training room, should be in there.”

I nodded and followed him down the hall after Morris passed by me, and a couple minutes later he opened the door into the quarterbacks’ training room. I spent a lot of time in here, so I knew it well.

“Lance Parker, meet your new athletic trainer and physical therapist.”

Oh. OH SHIT.

It was her.

The girl from last night.

The girl I had just woken up next to a couple hours ago.

The girl I wanted to see again more than anything, whom I never thought I’d see again.

It was Charlotte.

“Charlotte Calloway, meet Lance Parker, starting quarterback for the New England Patriots. He’s your most important customer.”

Well, if anything, I wouldn’t forget what this trainer looked like any time soon. Or her name.

Shit.

CHAPTER 04 - CHARLOTTE

When I woke up that morning Parker was gone. I wasn’t entirely shocked by that, but it was more than a little disappointing. Of course, visions of us spending the day together, having sex in between serious bouts of getting to know each other, and maybe, just maybe, stopping our sex and talking enough to eat a little bit before diving right back into bed, all those thoughts disappeared once I looked at the clock and realized I had somewhere to be.

And that somewhere, unfortunately, was most definitely not my bed, naked, with Parker in it. Most unfortunately.

So this was what the morning after a one night stand felt like. It wasn’t something I wanted to repeat often, or at all, but I certainly didn’t feel the waves of revulsion and guilt I had always assumed I would. Stupid media!

Mostly, though, I didn’t have any time for thoughts like that - I had somewhere to be, and that somewhere just happened to be the Patriots facility. Luckily I was already pretty close.

I jumped into the shower still holding my toothbrush and vigorously brushing my teeth. After I came out, fresh and clean, I stood in front of my mirror and did my make up, before pulling on my clothes. I tried as hard as possible not to think about Parker, but memories of his hands all over my body, of his cock pushing into me came flooding back every time I happened to look at my bed.

Last night was amazing. If I could do that all over again every night with him, that would be just…perfect. Anything else was just gravy on top.

He didn’t leave his number, though, so I figured I’d never see him again. I knew that at some point soon I’d have time to sit down and think about that, and probably get really sad about it, but today was not that day. It was my first full day in a new part of the country, and coincidentally my first day on the biggest job of my life.

A boy had to come a distant second to that today, right? Right? Even a boy that sexy, that confident, and that good at making my body ache with lust? Yu-hup, even a boy like that.

I got on the bus a few minutes later, just narrowly getting on right as the doors were about to close. I grinned at the surly bus driver, who just motioned me toward the back. I paid, and sat down. If I had missed this bus there would have been no way to get to the facility on time. Everything was coming up Charlotte today!

Except, you know, waking up to an empty bed when just before it had Mr. Right in it. Oh well, more on that later. Happy thoughts!

By the time I got to the facility I was just in time for my first official meeting with the head of Athletic staff.

Mr. Morris pulled me into his office and I sat down. “Welcome to your first day, Miss Calloway.”

“Thank you so much for the opportunity, Mr. Morris, I’m really eager to get started.”

“That’s great to hear. We’ve assigned you to the quarterbacks’ staff for this season, just to see how you do.”

I didn’t know much about football, but I knew that quarterbacks were probably the single most important players on the team. Actually it was probably single most important position in all of professional sports. Commentators divided football teams into two groups - ones that had a good quarterback, and ones that were looking for a good quarterback.

“I can see by the look on your face that that’s unexpected.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think I’d be working with quarterbacks right from the start.”

“I can understand the feeling. However, two things conspired against you in this situation, Miss Calloway.” He smiled. “We had a sudden opening on the QB training staff, and the New England Patriots have one hiring rule.”

“What’s that?”

“We hire the best,” Morris said with a flourish, “and then we make them prove they’re the best each and every day, right from the start.” He paused, clearly to let me take in the obvious double implication in that sentence.

“Well, sir, thank you very much for the vote of confidence. I will do my best.”

“See that you do, Miss Calloway.” He stood up, and I stood up after him. “Now, shall I take you to the quarterbacks’ training room so you can get situated?”

“Yes, please.”

We left Morris’ office and went down the hall and around some turns. The facility itself was huge, full of different wings for athletics, medical, game preparation, and offices for all the staff. There were even living quarters here!

It astounded me that there was all this infrastructure in place just to help big men run around in tight pants and hit each other while fighting over a ball every Sunday.

Of course, I knew that football was a big deal, and a huge multi-billion dollar business, but at the same time, at its core, it really was about the men in tight pants.

And now it was my job to make sure one man in tight pants, in particular, stayed healthy and was able to recover after each game and prepare for the next one. Yikes.