Hard & Deep: A Football Romance

Oliver turned and stepped into the crowd. He pushed through, making his way across the club. He needed some fresh air. The club and all that it entailed weren't making him feel all that great. When he finally got outside, he turned away quickly from the line of people and went straight to the back alley of the building. For the first time that night, he was by himself. The only noise was the bass sound, rumbling from inside the club. He leaned against the brick wall and closed his eyes, taking a long breath.

I'm just not who I was before I left, he thought. None of this is for me any more. I don't even want to be hanging out here right now. I'd rather be with Elsie. Cruising around on a tractor sounds more fun than this.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he quickly pulled it out. He had a fleeting moment of excitement, in the hopes that maybe it was a text from Elsie. But his initial excitement faded when he saw that it was just an email from the general manager of the Bandits.

Oliver nearly dismissed the email, until he saw the subject line. It read: “Position Opening for the Bandits, physical therapist”. He opened it up and read the note.

To all members of The Bandits. Please note, we are currently looking for a new physical therapist to join our team. Our current therapist has moved onto another franchise, leaving us in need for our next season. Please, if you know of anyone who is qualified and interested, don't hesitate to recommend them. All eligible applicants will be considered. Thank you. GM.

It was the email that he'd hoped to receive weeks ago.

Is it too late to suggest this job to Elsie, though? He asked himself. I told her we should go our separate ways. Would I only confuse her by bringing this opportunity up?

He sighed and slipped his phone back into his pocket. As much as the logical side of his mind told him to just ignore it, his heart said otherwise. His heart told him that the job opening on his team was a sign, not to be overlooked.

Maybe I'll forward her the email in the morning, he thought. I won't pressure her to apply. I'll just send her the email so that she knows. She can make her own decision from there.

A few moments later, his phone began to blow up with texts from his buddies who were inside the club. They were wondering where he went and making sure that he was still up for celebrating. It had been so long since he'd seen them, that he knew he couldn't just go home as much as he wanted to. Part of being on a team, meant spending time with the boys outside of training. So, with a sigh, Oliver walked back to the front of the building and into the club.

I guess I can fake a smile for a couple of hours, he thought, as the swarm of people sucked him in. There are worse things to fake.

Chapter 18

Elsie

Elsie laid the last padded mat onto the floor. She took a step back, admiring the new workout room that she'd created for her clients. The equipment that Oliver had given her barely fit into the small space, but she had managed to make it work. It had changed her business from run-of-the-mill to a high-end operation. She couldn't wait to start using it for some of her current clients and already had begun thinking about how she could let the community use it as a gym.

Of course, every piece of that equipment was nostalgic to her. The leg press, brought memories of Oliver, and the “torture” she'd inflicted on him in order to get him back into shape. The treadmill, which was a bit worn from the miles and miles that she'd made him walk during his three-month stint in her care. And of course, there was the massage table. She'd put that in the far corner of the room, where she wouldn't see it as often. Every time she noticed it, it reminded her of the first time she saw Ollie with his shirt off. That was the last thing she needed to be thinking about, though, while treating her other patients.

“I guess that's that,” she said, taking a final glance around.

Time to get myself back on the schedule, she thought. Time to get back to real life.

Elsie went to the front desk and sat down, peering out the glass window in front. She chuckled, as she remembered the date with Oliver where he picked her up out there on the John Deere tractor. It was something she knew she'd never forget and would probably think of every time she looked out.

“Okay, where was I?” she whispered to herself, as she dusted off her laptop and turned on the scheduling program.

The sound of a car pulling up distracted her. She looked up to see her Uncle Frank's beat up brown Oldsmobile parked next to the curb. Elsie set her computer to the side and went out to greet him.

“Uncle!” she squealed, as he eased himself out of the driver's seat.

He looked more feeble than he used to, but still had enough strength to pull her in for a powerful bear hug.

“Hey, kiddo,” he said, all smiles. “How've you been?”

Elsie shrugged. “I've been alright, I guess. Just getting things back to normal around here, now that that private patient of mine is fully recovered.”

“He went back home then?” Frank asked.

“Yep, he's back home,” she said, trying to hide the sadness in her voice. “I have a surprise for you, Uncle.”

“I'm too old for surprises, you know that,” Frank said, with a chuckle and a wink.

“This is a good one, though,” Elsie assured him. She opened the front door for him and followed him into the clinic. “How are you feeling? I haven't talked to you in a while. Is your surgery still scheduled for next week?”

Frank sighed, as he leaned against the front desk. “Yeah, it's still next week and I'm still wondering if I should do it. The prognosis isn't great, no matter which way I go.”

“I think you should go through with it,” Elsie said quietly. “At least you're giving yourself the best possible chance.”