Page 9 of Faking the Pass
“You want me to run by your house and pick it up for you?” she offered. “I’m about to go home and put Theo down for his nap, but I could bring it by tonight. Or Wilder can stop by yourplace after the game—he’s heading to the stadium in Providence right after the wedding, but afterward, I know he’d be happy to pick up your other phone and bring it here for you.”
“It’s okay. I’ll get it myself. I’m going home tonight after watching the game with Mom and Dad,” I said.
“Oh.” Jess wore a look of surprised concern.
Darting a glance at my frowning parents, she asked, “Are you sure that’s okay, Pres? Do you want someone to stay with you at your place?”
“Definitely not.”
My tone had been maybe alittletoo emphatic, so I adjusted it. “I mean, no thanks. I’m good. I’ll be fine on my own.”
To deflect the uncomfortable attention from myself, I pointed at the TV behind her.
“There’s the bride.”
It was a long-distance shot, but you could see a blonde in a poufy white dress getting out of a limo and making her way toward the mansion’s front entrance.
Jessica whipped around to face the screen and clapped her hands.
“Oh I can’t wait to see the photos of her in the dress,” she squealed. “She issobeautiful. I got to meet her last night after the rehearsal dinner—Wilder was working it. The groom seems like a piece of work, butshewas lovely.”
“Who is it?” Mom asked.
“Rosie James, the co-star in Randy Ryland’s next film. He’s the groom, and he’s producing the movie. It’s her first starring role. She’s a local, you know. She went to Eastport Bay High. Older than me, but Wilder said he’d met her. You probably knew her, Presley. I think she would have been in your grade.”
I knew her alright.
In fact, Rosie James and I had gone out for a while during our senior year, and I’d liked her. A lot.
So much in fact that I’d broken things off with her before they could really get started.
She wasn’t the kind of girl you fooled around with and left behind, and back then I hadn’t been able to afford the distraction of a real relationship.
Not if I was going to make it to the NFL and become the greatest quarterback of all time.
Actually not much had changed in that department since I’d gone pro. I was still in pursuit of that goal, and I still kept my relationships with women pretty simple.
Maybe someday when my career was over I’d think about getting serious with someone.
Now was not that time. I needed full focus to recover and get back to work on breaking the all-time record for Superbowl wins.
“Yeah, I know her—knew her. Nice girl,” I said, though the wordnicewas inadequate to describe Rosie. “At least she was back then.”
It had been a long time. Who knew how much she’d changed? She could be a whole different person by now.
Iwassorry to hear she was marrying a potential a-hole, though, even if he was a rich and famous actor and movie producer. And so good looking women worldwide swooned over him.
“What do you mean the groom was a ‘piece of work?’” I asked, surprised the question that had popped into my head had actually come out of my mouth.
Now that it was out there though, I wanted the answer.
Jessica turned back toward me and wrinkled her nose.
“You know how guys act when they’re really in love? He didn’t act like that,” she said. “And it was his rehearsal dinner, you know? The night before he’s supposed to marry the love of his life.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe he was just being guarded—he is a big star after all. But she seemed so genuine and sweet.”
Jessica walked over to the vegetable plate on the counter and popped a baby carrot into her mouth.
