Page 7 of Running
No one ever lasted long enough for me to lose ‘virgin’ status,however. Either I didn’t like them enough, or they didn’t like me enough, and then—boom, I was single again.
In contrast, I’m sure that the women Johnson entertains these days are sophisticated and plenty skilled. Star NFL quarterback worthy. As far as I can tell, he’s retained the playboy status he apparently enjoyed in college.
I’ve tried not to be around him enough to examine him, or any of them, too closely. Instead, I’ve given myself permission to head in the other direction whenever I feel the need. Which is often, due to the crowds of women that seem to gravitate towards him every time we’re in the same place.
So I’ve successfully avoided him since he got back to Orlando a few weeks ago. Now, how can I escape thisinvite tohis house?
CHAPTER 2
Johnson
“Dang J, that last throw was tight as fuck,” Bailey says as he jogs back towards me in my backyard. His rich umber skin is shiny with sweat, and I have to wipe my own hands on a towel at my waist, a sign of how hard we’re working.
It’s paying off, though. I’d just made a 60-yard pass with a perfect spiral straight into his hands. Yeah, I know the exact distance—I have a full regulation field in my backyard, with hash lines and everything.
Which is helpful in moments like this. Bailey is my first option at wide receiver on the Orlando Waves, our pro team, for the foreseeable future. The chemistry between us is critical, and our time together has been limited by my months spent away from Orlando.
I’d been back home in Alabama for most of the off-season, unexpectedly needing to stay for a while as my sister Lainie recovered from a tough pregnancy and birth. My little nephew, Leo, ended up making it fine, but it was scary for all of us. Lainie also has a four-year-old girl, Emma, and my mom moved in with her to help through it all.
Emma and Leo’s dad, Mark? Not my favorite person. One of the reasons I stayed so long was that he was completely unhelpful, basically shrugging and raising his hands when it came to doing his part with the kids or the house. His off-handed comments about women being better at that kind of stuff pissed me off to no end.
For my sister’s sake, I bit my tongue, but I also made sure before I returned to Orlando a few weeks ago that Lainie was fully recovered and Mom was in position to retire from teaching with my financial help.
“I worked out non-stop the last few months, when I was home. There’s not much else to do, and I’m aiming for nothing less than perfection this season.” I catch the ball as Bailey tosses it to me. “Even got my old high school trainer to help me.”
He nods. “Well, whatever you did, it worked. Let’s go again.”
Bailey counts off and then begins running a route we both like for deep balls. I mentally visualize pressure coming from the opposing side and then hurl the ball down the field.
Bailey catches it in the end zone, the ball hitting him right where it’s supposed to.Touchdown.
As he jogs back up, I walk to the sideline and pick up my phone. I’m still a little on edge about my family, so I don’t like to be out of touch for long.
There’s nothing from my mom or sister, but I do see a text from Landon, our starting middle linebacker on the Waves.
LANDON: Hey. Any chance you can have Rawley over to get some catches in while I’m gone? I’m sure he’s driving Grace nuts.
Landon’s in a secret situationship with a pro tennis star, Rori Reilly, and spending a few days in London sneaking around to see her while she competes at Wimbledon. I’m one of the few people who knows about them.
Landon and I got close during our three years at Bama,rooming together our junior year before we both got drafted. Now I would say he’s my best friend. It was dumb luck that the Waves had two draft picks in the first round when we came out, because of a trade they’d done the year before. We’ve been able to spend our first couple years in the pros building our friendship even stronger, carrying over from college.
It’s Landon I’ve explored the night scene here with, going to parties and clubs together. Hanging at each other’s houses when we want to do something low-key. Being twenty-one as rookies when we first arrived, it was hard to relate to the older guys. It’s been awesome to have someone step into the whole NFL experience with me.
So it’s not a big surprise he’d ask me to help keep Rawley occupied while he’s gone. The way he’d asked for adifferentfavor last year when Grace first moved here.
What he doesn’t know is how the skin tingles on the back of my neck at his mention of his sister—then and now.
JOHNSON: Sure, no problem. Send me his number?
Once he does, I text Rawley.
Only I can’t help myself. I make sure it’s clear that Grace is invited too.
Grace Battle. Shit, did I ever messthatup in college. When Landon first introduced her to me, I noticed that she was a total knockout, of course. But then I saw how smart, kind, andfunny she was when we were all hanging out, and I paid attention in a different way.
Landon’s study group obligations on her final night visiting had put me in a bind. Could I manage to ignore the draw I had to her during our one time alone together?
Only it turned out she made the choice for us, and when she dared me to kiss her, my resistance faded. I had no regrets in that moment. The soft movements of her mouth, the feel of her bodyagainst mine, her sounds as she got off—hell, I can still remember them all like it was yesterday.
