Hard & Deep: A Football Romance

“Did you take your pain medication yet?” she asked, her gaze going clinical.

“No, I've been in bed since our session today.” He shook his head. “I only got up when I knew you were coming over.”

“Oliver, you need to take that medication if you're in pain,” she said, her hand going to his shoulder. The touch made his body heat with desire. “There's no point in hurting all day if you don't have to.”

“You're probably right, Doc.” He pulled away, needing and hating to sever the connection between them. If he wanted to keep this platonic, he needed her not to touch him or his body was going to override his brain. “I'll take some. They're in the bathroom, which is probably the best place to dye my hair anyway.”

“Okay, well let's go,” she replied, as she walked next to him toward the bathroom. “You take your medicine before I dye your hair. Doctor's orders.”

Ollie chuckled at her comment. It was the first time she'd referred to herself as “doctor” and it made him laugh. He was getting to her and he liked it.

When they got to the bathroom, he took his pills and then Elsie dyed his hair. He sat in a chair in front of the sink, with his head dipped back in it. It gave him a view of the ceiling, and of Elsie, as she stood next to him, massaging the dye onto his head with her fingers. It felt like he was at the salon, only this girl was infinitely more pretty than any stylist he'd ever had.

He had to focus on not moaning in pleasure as she rinsed his hair with warm water and used her strong fingers to relax his scalp. This was far better than the pretty-boy stylist Nikki had forced him to use the first time. With Elsie doing his hair, he suddenly saw the appeal of changing his hair color more often.

“How's it looking?” he asked after a few minutes.

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “I don't know, Ollie. I think I might have screwed up. It said it was supposed to be blonde, but it looks pretty orange. Like, fluorescent orange.”

“What?” Ollie sat up quickly. “You're joking.”

“I didn't want to say anything, because I thought I could fix it if I just kept massaging,” she said, in a panic. “I'm so sorry.”

He stood up on his good leg and spun around to face himself in the mirror. His hair was not orange at all and in fact, looked like the exact color of blonde that he'd been hoping for.

“Very funny, Elsie,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “You're not only a physical therapist and a hair stylist, but you're apparently also a comedian.”

Elsie started laughing so hard that she had to lean against the wall of the bathroom. Her laughter was contagious and soon, Ollie followed along. He wasn't sure what he was more happy about. The fact that he was seeing her smile, or the fact that his hair wasn't actually bright orange.

“Sorry, I had to,” she said, once the giggling had subsided. “I couldn't resist.”

“You're a cruel, cruel lady,” he said, his lips curling into a smirk. “It's a good thing I like you.”

The last sentence just seemed to spill out of his mouth without him even considering the implications. There was a moment of nervous silence, as he watched her absorb what he had just said. And then he found relief when she replied. “I like you too, Ollie.”

He stepped close to her, placing his hands onto her forearms. The entire world shrank down the size of the bathroom and for a moment, it was just the two of them. Nikki didn't exist and either did football. Even his injury had no place there. Nothing else was in Oliver's universe right then except for Elsie.

He could see the nervousness in her eyes and it matched how he felt as well. This wasn't just some club girl that he could kiss and toss away. She was the real deal and he suddenly felt deeply afraid that he could somehow screw everything up with her.

He watched as Elsie looked down at his lips, before bringing her gaze back up. She drew in a deep breath.

“God, I want to kiss you right now. I really do. But I can't. I'm sorry, Ollie.” She took a step back. “I can't cross that line. I want to, but... I don't know. Maybe I should go. I'm sorry to interrupt your night.”

With that she fled from the bathroom and practically sprinted to the living room. Ollie followed her out of the bathroom, his hair still dripping with water.

“Wait, Elsie. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“You didn't, Oliver,” she said, picking up her purse. “You didn't make me feel uncomfortable at all. In fact, you made me a feel a hundred times better than I felt when I was at home. And that's actually part of the problem. I'm your medical provider.”

“I get it,” Ollie said, as he watched Elsie put her coat on. “I know you don't want to mix work and personal life. Trust me, I can understand that. But dammit, Elsie, I feel more drawn to you than any woman I've ever met. Maybe we should forget the whole working relationship thing here and focus on what actually feels real.”

“I just need to stay professional,” she said, grabbing the door handle. Her eyes were big and shone in the light. “Plus, your recovery is almost over, Ollie. You'll be leaving in a few weeks. Why

start something now that we can't pursue? That's just asking for heartache.”

She pulled the door open, sending a gust of cold air into the house. Ollie hobbled toward her, feeling deeply conflicted as well. He wanted so badly for her to stay with him that night. And not so that he could make love to her either, but just to have her there. Elsie was right, though, and he knew it. He would be leaving soon. Getting too close to her now would only end in heart break for them both.

“I'll see you tomorrow then?” he asked. “For my session.”