Hard & Deep: A Football Romance

"Promise that you won’t go.” He tightened his arms around her, but was obviously waiting for her to say she wouldn't.

"I won’t," she said. It was a lie, of course, and the guilt immediately hit her like a brick wall.

"Because if you…" Mr. Hayes started, but Tracy reached up and rested her index finger across his lips. She didn’t know if she would be able to lie to him if he asked again. Once was enough for her to have to live with.

"Mr. Hayes," she said softly. "You can shut up now."

He smirked at her playfully-snide comment and let her settle back into his arms. The pillows enveloped them in softness and darkness. There were, in the end, no more words that needed to be said in that moment. The feeling of electricity between them was enough.

In spite of the uncertainties in their past, both of them knew what they wanted for the future and, as they lay there with their sticky bodies entangled with one another, each one silently resolved to do whatever it took to make it work.

Chapter 24

After a few restless hours of sleep, they both got up. In the living room, Paul Hayes stood by a large window, watching the dawn slowly creep over the horizon and share her light.

Tracy sat on the edge of a pure white sofa, also looking out at the spectacular display. Between the two of them, there was a nervous silence that weighed them both down. Tracy hunched forward, her elbows resting on her knees and her hands dangling listlessly in front of her. Mr. Hayes, was hunched as if the shoulders of his jacket had been lined with concrete.

Neither wanted to discuss the true potential of his upcoming meeting with John Tice. The fact that Tice had insisted on meeting in a warehouse on the edge of town certainly didn’t help matters. The whole thing gave Tracy a bad feeling. The pit of her stomach rolled and shouted warning.

Tracy opened her mouth to speak, but she closed it when no words came to her.

What have I done to this man? What have I started? She looked him over from head to toe and sighed as an unwelcome rush of guilt gripped her stomach. If I hadn’t come along, maybe he wouldn’t have been caught up in any of this. And what did I do? I used him to get what I wanted and look where that's put us.

"I’m sorry," she mumbled. It was all her fault.

Mr. Hayes turned to face her. "What?"

She sat up straighter and looked at him with tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. Even if she couldn’t articulate every transgression, Tracy needed to get it off of her chest.

"For everything," she swiped away a few drops on her cheeks. "I’m sorry for all of it."

He immediately walked over to her and pulled her up onto her feet.

"This isn’t your fault, Tracy,” he said, his voice low and comforting. “John Tice and I have known each other longer than I can even remember. If anything, the fault lies with him. You just happened to be here to witness it."

She let her body sink into his as his muscular arms wrapped around her. Right away, she was enveloped in a warm pocket of air, punctuated by the subtle scent of his cologne. There, in his arms, she felt safe.

The reality of the situation, however, didn’t let them truly enjoy it. Tracy felt, with every second that marched them closer to their fate, like she was going to vomit. She could feel the acid burn of it in the very back of her throat and no amount of water would make it go away.

"I have to go now."

He let go of her, leaned in for one last, passionate kiss and started toward the door. Tracy watched him go and, before she could open her mouth to call him back again, he disappeared into the night.

Only twenty minutes later, Mr. Hayes took his luxury town car and rolled slowly down a winding, gravel driveway to John Tice’s warehouse. The narrow road was lined with trees, making it almost impossible to see around the multiple bends and turns.

When he reached the end, he turned the car around in case a quick escape was necessary.

A wise precaution, Tracy thought, making sure that her own car didn't give her away. Despite her promise to Mr. Hayes, there was no way in hell she was letting him go to this meeting alone.

Mr. Hayes climbed out of the car and walked across the parking lot. It was empty, save for one of the Tice family’s many vehicles: a black SUV with windows as dark as the night sky. Dawn still lingered on the edges of the day, not quite ready to commit fully. The sky was still traced with pink and oranges that would have been beautiful had the situation been different. Tracy carefully followed behind.

He pushed through the front door, which opened on a cavernous expanse of empty space. Near the back, a single light illuminated a long, cherry wood desk. Behind it, John Tice’s familiar face was waiting to greet him. Tracy could see it all through the crack in the door. She had made sure it didn't shut fully behind Mr. Hayes so she could see what was going on inside. Very carefully, she tucked herself behind an air conditioning unit, making sure that she could see what was going on inside but that she remained hidden.

Tice didn’t even bother getting up from his high-backed chair.

"Nice to see you again, Paul." John Tice's calm voice echoed through the empty warehouse.

"Save your bullshit pleasantries." Mr. Hayes slammed his hands down on the table, rattling the various knick-knacks that lined its edge. "Why have you been watching us?"