Page 69 of Lucky Baller
“Nothing. You’re going to get in trouble,” I say, eyeing his coach.
“What happened?”
“You’re really his girlfriend?” the drunk guy behind me asks.
“She’s mine.” Landon’s voice is firm and loud. So loud, in fact, everyone in our section heard him. Hell, I’m not sure the entire stadium didn’t hear him.
“Barker!” his coach yells.
“This guy bothering you?”
“No, but that bitch from earlier probably still is,” Autumn says, standing at the end of our aisle.
“Explain.” His blue eyes bore into mine.
“Nothing. I’m fine, and you’re overreacting. You’re going to get fined or, worse, benched. Now go.” I push at his chest, buthe doesn’t budge. With all that gear on, he looks even bigger.Larger than life.
“We’re not done talking about this,” he says as Coach Neil yells out for him. Before I can shy away, he wraps one of his big, calloused hands behind my neck and pulls me into a kiss. “Let them talk, Tessa. We know what this is. I love you.” He quickly kisses the corner of my mouth, and then he’s gone—back over the wall and jogging toward the locker room with Coach Neil beside him.
“Look!” Autumn points to the Jumbotron screen, and they’re replaying the kiss with pink and red hearts.
Well, if people didn’t know about us after yesterday, they do now. “I can’t believe him,” I say, sitting back down in my seat. Autumn elbows me, letting me know the camera is on me. I smile and wave, not letting on that I’m embarrassed and still reeling from my not-so-nice fan interactions. I mean, I guess the guy was okay. At least he said he’d do me.
All throughout the game, the cameras keep panning to me. It’s usually when I’m on my feet, cheering for Landon and the rest of the Cougars. I can’t wait to see what the media has to say about this. I can see the headlines now.Cougars’ Quarterback Slumming it with Local Girl. First Look as She Acts a Fool, Cheering for Her Man.
“Another win, baby,” the drunk guys behind us say. “Tell your man, good game,” they tell me before filtering up the steps.
Autumn grins. “They’re fun.”
“Oh, yeah, they’re fun, but I could have done without the ‘I’d do you’ comment.”
She throws her head back and laughs. “I don’t want to be around when you tell Landon about that. I can’t believe he climbed the wall to check on you.”
“He’s crazy. Certifiable.”
“Nah, he’s in looove,” she says dramatically.
We’re still sitting in our seats, letting the crowd thin out. We’re supposed to meet Jeremy and Landon outside the locker room. The passes hanging from our necks guarantee us access. “I think I should just text him and tell him I’ll meet him at Henry’s.”
“Nope. You’re not going to run from this. That’s part of dating him. It’s not always sunshine and roses, Tess, but he’s in this with you. He made that clear at halftime.”
“I know. You’re right. It’s just going to take some getting used to.”
“Well, I’d say after his little stunt, there are going to be images of the two of you kissing everywhere, so you need to get used to it. It’s out there, and it’s happening.”
“I can do this.” I stand and stretch.
“Damn right, you can. Come on. Let’s go find Cocky and Lucky and get one of those juicy burgers from Henry’s. It’s calling my name.”
Thankfully, most of the crowd has thinned as we make our way to the locker rooms. We flash our badges, and sure enough, the big bouncer guy lets us in, no questions asked. There’s a long hallway where wives, kids, and, I assume, other family members wait for their players. In our case, player and coach.
“JJ would have loved this,” Autumn states.
“You should have Jeremy bring him when there’s not a crowd.”
“Yeah, we didn’t get to explore the locker rooms when we brought him for training camp.”
The doors open, and players begin to filter out. None that I know, so we stand and people watch. I’m not much for conversation about me and Landon where everyone can hear us. I've been heard enough today. Or seen, rather. Either way, I’ve had my fill for the day.
