Page 41 of Linebacker
I was gutted, especially as last season, The Longhorns had got so close to making it to the Super Bowl, only to be knocked out in the semi-finals but had gone all the way this year. But seeing as I look like I’m carrying a couple of footballs under my top, and my back is on a constant moanathon from the pressure, in some ways I’m glad that Mars insisted I stay at home and rest. I miss him.
So much has happened over the past fourteen months, one being getting knocked-up unexpectedly by the man I’m crazy in love with, and the only person I’d want to be the father to my babies. It’s been a fast and furious ride.
One thing I’ve learned is that Mars is ruthless when he makes a decision, and as impatient as a five-year-old at an ice cream parlour. As soon as he’d finished kissing my face off at the therapy session where I’d agreed to move in with him, he had taken my hand and had all but dragged me along to Coach Scully’s office.
My concern at provoking a backlash on exposing our new but compelling relationship was unfounded. Coach Scully had been sitting in his high-backed chair when Mars had rushed through the door without even knocking, me behind doing double time steps to keep up with him. In typical linebacker mode, Mars came in hard, defending me to the hilt, willing to take the hit for both of us. We were together, period, and it was non-negotiable.
Coach had raised an eyebrow, pulled his large frame up and out of the chair, shaking his head from side to side. “Thank fuck for that.” Coach had blurted out with a laugh. “Can’t say that I didn’t see it coming. The sexual tension has been bouncing between the two of you from the moment I had you both in here bumping heads. It was as obvious as a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest.” He went on to give Mars a lecture on getting his head out of his ass and doing right by me, followed with a stern warning about how he was going to beat the crap out of him if he didn’t.
Coach took it to the board, who like Mars, had predicted, let out a deep sigh of relief at the prospect of their star linebacker not having shameful articles splashed across the media every week.
The team took the piss out of Mars, and no one was more surprised than me when his only reaction was to laugh with them, taking it on the chin. When I asked him how come he wasn’t losing his shit, he kissed me until I was breathless, telling me why would he? He was the happiest he’d ever been, and now had everything he’d ever wanted.
The press had a field day with headlines of ‘Love in the locker room’ and ‘Marshall’s = Sex = Therapist’. That wasn’t the worst, and I think they thought our relationship was just a flash in the pan. But when one of the journalists picked up on the fact we had gone to school together, out came the second chance romance headlines. The negative gossip soon died down, along with some old stories that had been purposely surfaced and pushed in front of my face in the attempt to get a rise out of me. It didn’t work, and after a few public appearances together, our unequivocal connection there for all to see, it was all about the love and how we were the new IT couple in the sporting world.
On a positive press note, if it weren’t for them, I would never get the story out of Mars as to what had happened to his phone for him to be acquainted with the guy who fixed my wet one.
Skinny dipping in the Scott Memorial Fountain in Belle Isle Park, Detroit after a cracking game against the Lions. Too much alcohol and a couple of jersey chasers were behind him, getting into trouble. Coach Scully and a very empathetic Detroit police officer were the ones who got him out of it.
My phone buzzes on the coffee table in front of the couch, and I place a hand on my swollen belly as I stretch over to grab it.
“Don’t you dare!” Lucy shrieks at me, gently pushing back on my shoulder. I hadn’t even seen her coming out from the kitchen where she’d gone to get me a drink of iced water. “You’ll end up on the floor if you’re not careful.” Placing the drink on the surface, she pics up the phone and takes a quick glance at the caller I.D. “It’s Baby Daddy.” Lucy informs me, handing it over. She’s been calling him that since the day I let her in on our secret. We hadn’t told many people at the beginning, as we hadn’t wanted to risk it getting leaked to the press before we’d managed to get our own heads around it. Twins. Never was I the type of person to do things by half.
Lucy walks towards my office, where she’s been working from while staying with me. It’s only until Mars gets back from Chicago, where the final was held this year. Lucy now lives in the condo that I was staying at when I first came to Billings. Not long after Mars and I got together, with a little encouragement from me, I convinced her to go for the PR job. In my eyes, if she was good enough to cover the position for the time that they expected, she was the perfect candidate for the job. She got it, and also managed to negotiate the apartment as part of her salary deal.
“Hey babe, how you are feeling?” Mars’ deep, thrill-inducing voice vibrates down the phone. Damn, it gets me every time.
“Never mind me, I’m fine,” Tears build in the corner of my eyes. Pregnancy does turn you into a soppy bugger. “Congratulations, I’m so fucking proud of you. I knew you and the guys could do it. Go Longhorns,” I whoop out, fist pumping the air even though he can’t see me. Ouch, that wasn’t such a good idea.
“Hope, it was fucking incredible. The atmosphere in the stadium was indescribable.”
“God, I wish I could have been there with you,” I choke out. I try to hide it but, yeah, pregnancy.
“Are you sure you’re, okay?” he asks again, his voice full of concern. “Is Lucy there with you?”
“Yes, she’s here and, of course, I’m fine. I just miss you.”
“I know baby, I miss you so fucking much, but I have to hang around here tonight and do a shit ton of bollocks with the rest of the guys before I head home. I’ll be back tomorrow around lunchtime,” he assures me, even though I’m aware. I’ve been counting down the hours and minutes since he left.
“I know, I know and it’s fine,” I say with a fake upbeat tone. “Go, go do what you need to do and don’t forget to take time out to celebrate with the guys. You deserve it.” I hear someone in the background shouting Mars’ name.
“Sorry babe, I gotta go.” The frustration in his voice for having to cut the call short is clear. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ll be here waiting,” I singsong, hoping he doesn’t pick up on the crack in my voice when the words get stuck in my throat.
“Hey, Hope…” I wait, as he yells at someone to give him a minute. “I love you so fucking much. Bye, babe.”
“I love you too, Mars. Bye.” I wait until the call drops, then grip the phone to my breast, letting the tears fall freely.
Pathetic, that’s what I am.
It’s not like this is the first time we’ve had to spend time away from each other. Our work dictates it. We miss each other deeply, but when we are together, it’s electric. The passion is off the scale. The sex is heady, a little needy and so fierce as we grasp and hold on tight to every second of it as we make up for every moment we’re apart. But since the doctors’ orders of no more flying or long-distance travel earlier than expected, I’d had to cut back on work. It also now clashed with the end of the football season, meaning I couldn’t even attend the away games, leaving me out of sorts.
“Hey, what’s up?” Lucy asks, seeing my tears when she comes out of the office to see what Mars had to say. “Baby Daddy hasn’t got an injury, has he?”
“He’s fine. I’m just being a stupid, pregnant, paranoid idiot,” I sob.
“Paranoid?” she sniggers. “About what?”
