Hard & Deep: A Football Romance

“You need to go,” Elsie said, as he turned back around to face her.

Never in his life, had his heart ached as much as it did right then, standing there with Elsie. The moment was tender and beautiful, but it was also fleeting. This would be the last time he'd lay eyes on her.

“I wish you the best of everything,” Ollie said, holding back his own tears. “Truly, Elsie. I hope that life gives you absolutely everything you want and more. You deserve it. You deserve the world. Thank you again for all that you've done for me. I wouldn't be able to repay you in a thousand lifetimes.”

Elsie sobbed as she wrapped her arms around Ollie's neck. She brought her lips to his and they kissed. Ollie savored the moment the best he could. He placed his hands onto her hips and held her body close. He wanted the kiss to last forever. Her smell, her taste. He was going to miss everything about her.

When she pulled away, there were fresh tears on her cheeks and she wiped them off with the back of her hand.

“It was three of the best months I've ever had in this town,” she said. “I'll never forget you, Ollie.”

“Me either.” The strings on Oliver's heart pulled in every direction as he spoke, shredding it to pieces. “I couldn't forget you if I tried, Elsie.”

The cabby honked the horn again, this time holding down on it for more than just a few seconds. Elsie drew in a long breath and exhaled. “You should go, Ollie. He's waiting.”

Oliver nodded slowly, not wanting to turn away even though he had to. “Okay. I'll see you, Elsie. Take care.”

“You too,” she replied, then quickly turned away, obviously devastated.

Ollie took a few steps backward, until his butt hit the door. He pushed it open and then stepped outside. He felt numb, sad and confused. It felt like his heart had been pulled out of his body, stomped on by his cleat-wearing offensive line, and then pushed back into the space behind his rib cage. He'd never felt so much heartache in his life.

He crawled into the back seat of the taxi and closed the door. Then he took one last glance at the physical therapy clinic. Through the window, he saw Elsie. She was standing inside behind the counter, drying her tears with a tissue.

“Take me to the airport,” Ollie said, facing forward.

He didn't speak another word the entire day.

It was only ten o'clock and the line of people standing outside the club was so long that it spilled out onto the street. Oliver followed his teammates to the front of the line. The bouncers recognized them immediately and ushered them inside. N

o wait and no cover charge. Just like always.

Joseph wrapped an arm around Oliver's shoulder and they stepped inside, making their way toward the reserved VIP booth in the back. “You don't seem too excited tonight, Ollie. We're here to celebrate the return of our quarterback, so you better get ready to have some fun.”

Ollie nodded and forced a smile. “Yeah, I'm ready. Still just getting used to being back in California, that's all. It feels kind of strange after being gone for so long.”

“Cali is your home,” Joseph said. “You'll get used to it again. Once we get a few drinks in you, you'll be back to yourself in no time.”

The group made their way toward the VIP and took their seats. People scrambled around them, trying to catch a glimpse of the team. Girls screamed out, guys tried to get high fives. Everybody in there acted like they knew Ollie, but he didn't know a single one of them besides his teammates. The crowd was filled with nothing but strangers.

Once they sat down, Ollie put his feet up onto the table in the middle. Before he could say a word, Adam, The Bandits' running back, pushed a glass of whiskey into his hand.

“Drink up, man,” he said. “Here's to you finally being back in the game.”

Ollie held up his glass and then took a sip, letting the harsh liquid slide down his throat. He cringed and set the drink on the table.

“Been a while since you've had the good stuff, huh?” Adam asked, laughing. “Man, what happened to you out there in the sticks?”

“Sticks?” Oliver asked. “What do you mean?”

“Come on, man. Everybody knows you went out to the middle of nowhere for your recovery,” he said. “Well, the public doesn't know. But everyone on the team does. That accident that you and Sean were in was pretty brutal. You were lucky to live through that. But you weren't fooling any of us when you said you were fine. We all knew your leg was messed up and that you went halfway across the country to get it fixed. I heard you went to some little redneck town where nobody would recognize you.”

These grown men gossip like school children, Ollie thought. You'd think they would at least have the decency not to pry into my business.

“It wasn't a redneck town,” Ollie replied harshly. “It was just a place that had a very good physical therapist who happened to specialize in my type of injury.”

Adam held his hands up in the air defensively. “Okay, man. I wasn't trying to offend whatever town you've been in for the past three months. Just trying to catch up.”

“I know, sorry,” Oliver said, patting Adam on the shoulder. “But all that anybody needs to know is that I'm healed up and ready for training. In fact, I'm better and stronger than ever. This next season is going to be one for the books. You watch.”