Lainey’s List Chapter Thirty-Six
Nick
“On Sunday, we have the opportunity to clinch a playoff berth. We win on Sunday and we get a chance to secure a home game in the post season. I know all of you would rather sleep in your own beds, eat at your favorite places, and be with your families. That reward is out there for you if you want it bad enough; which means no distractions. No women, no children, no mothers, no fathers, no friends are more important than the men that sit to your right and to your left. You owe them your full and complete dedication to this game. We may be away from home, but we are not on vacation. Stay focused. Stay hungry. Today is the first step in achieving the goal we started the season with—the championship.”
Coach caps his speech off by raising his fist in the air—the one that would hold the ring we’re all chasing. Every athlete in the room stares at the imaginary right and holds their breath. The right to be called champions is what we’re all chasing, why we make all these sacrifices—missing our families, pushing our bodies beyond natural limits. It’s not for the money; it’s for the rush of winning.
When the phone in my pocket buzzes, I don’t sneak a peak, even though an hour ago, when the team meeting started, I was chafing over the lack of response from Lainey.
Is she a distraction? Did I make a mistake in inviting her here? It’s a risk, meeting her on the road. I had to book another room since I share mine with Mossy, my backup, and unlike some other guys, I like my privacy when I’m fucking.
It’s not like I’m the only one who’s getting some on the road, though. Plenty of guys do it, including the married ones. They hang out on Instagram, liking model’s pics or posting a vid on Snapchat announcing where they’ll be. There’s not a guy on the team whose inbox isn’t flooded with dirty messages or dirty pics or both. So I’m definitely not the only guy who made arrangements for some downtime.
“You coming, Jackson?” Moss nudges my arm, jerking me out of my reverie. I look up to see Beaman, Cracker, and Julio waiting for me. The room is already half empty. “Chowtime,” Mossy grins and taps his watch.
See? Already distracted. That’s not a good sign.
“Yeah, let me grab my stuff.” I pick up my playbook and shove it in my backpack. On my way out of the conference room that serves as the temporary meeting place for the team, I toss the empty bottle of water in the trash and then give in to the urge to look at my phone.
Miss you. Hope you are eating and sleeping well.
It’s Charlie. My stomach churns, and I’m not sure whether it’s due to the fact that Lainey hasn’t texted me or dreading when she does.
Lainey
“May I help you?” says the cheery lady at the counter. Her long brown hair is swept up in a tight bun at the top of her head, but even the unattractive style doesn’t diminish the girl’s prettiness. I wonder how many of the players that checked in yesterday hit on her.
“I’m checking in.” I lay my driver’s license and credit card on the counter.
“Under Elaina Valdez?” she chirps. At my nod, she asks, “Do you want me to replace the credit card already attached to the file?”
“Yes, please.” This whole trip is more than I can afford, but it feels weird and wrong to be here on Nick’s dollar. He gave me a free ticket to the game—four actually. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with the other three.
Maybe he intended for me to invite Reese and Charlie? If he did, he didn’t think that all the way through. We don’t want to involve our friends in this any more than they already are. I hate putting Charlie in the middle of whatever it is Nick and I have going on. Because as much as I want Nick’s body, we fight too much to make this anything more than a casual, completely physical relationship.
Which is why meeting in secret while he’s on the road makes perfect sense. If only it wasn’t so costly. At least my new job with Charlie is helping me ease the burden. And I did share with her that I was coming out to Cali. She was thrilled because going on the Internet and searching message boards in order to find the best schools, local businesses, and places to live isn’t the same thing as checking them out in person.
So while Nick is busy with football stuff, I won’t be in the room twiddling my thumbs and waiting for him to show up.
“Do you need one key or two?” The clerk asks after she’s done swiping my card.
I think for a moment. Nick’s going to want his own key, right? Or does that give him too much access? Like, if this were a Tinder date, I wouldn’t give him a key. I’d make him knock each time. Then again, I don’t want Nick being seen knocking on a hotel room door. That would stir up gossip he doesn’t need.
The clerk blinks at me, patiently waiting for a response.
“Two,” I tell her.
“Of course,” she replies smoothly, without commenting on how long it took to make up my mind about one simple thing.
I rub my forehead. I’m tied up in knots, and I haven’t even seen Nick. On the bright side, the sex should unwind me. At least I hope so.
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