4th & Girl

“Hello?” I said into the receiver, fully expecting to hear complete silence or muffled sounds of rustling and movement.

But, to my utter surprise, he answered back.

“Hi.” His voice might as well have been melted chocolate with how damn good it sounded.

“Hi,” I repeated dumbly, and then cleared my throat to add, “Uh…is everything okay?”

“Everything is perfect.”

Everything is perfect.

I smiled like a lunatic. “Well, that’s good news.”

“It is,” he agreed. “So, what are you doing right now?”

“Lying in my bed.”

“Shit,” he muttered. “Did I wake you up?”

“No,” I lied, but thought better of it. “Well, sort of, but I won’t hold it against you.”

He chuckled at that. “Sorry I woke you.”

“It’s fine,” I said. “So, is there a reason you’re calling me, or…?”

“I’m a man of my word, Gemma. When I say I’ll call, I’ll call.”

“And apparently, you’re extremely prompt,” I teased.

“What can I say?” he asked on a laugh. “I really want to see you again.”

I smiled to my goddamn toes. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he said, his voice deep and husky. “So, Gemma Holden, what do you think about another date with me?”

“I think I’d probably be interested in something like that…”

“Probably interested?” he questioned, and soft sarcasm rounded the edges of his voice.

“Okay, very interested.”

“That’s more like it,” he said on a soft laugh. “But I do have one special request.”

“And what’s that?”

More kissing? Showing me your penis? Hot sex?

“I get to choose the date this time.”

I was only slightly disappointed by his response, but still, Leo Landry wanted to take me out on a second date. Yes, please!

I pulled the receiver from my ear, pushed my face into my pillow and squealed.

Once I got my shit together, I cleared my throat and said, “Deal.”

Two minutes later and it was official.

Next week, after he got back from his away game in Charlotte, we’d second date it right the fuck up.

Game on, Leonard.

The energy was amped and the smell of sweat was rampant as the sound of cleated feet stomped into the locker room in Charlotte stadium.

Another win and another glorious week of feeling like we had a chance at the championship this year.

I wasn’t a standout player by any stretch of the imagination, but I’d done my part, and that was all I could really hope for as the weeks kept ticking.

“Good game, Leo,” Cam said with a smack to my back as he walked by me on the way to his locker.

“You too,” I said back, smiling at the superstar who’d somehow become my friend. I’d spent years looking up to the guy, watching his games on TV, and trying to learn something from him, and as fate would have it, it seemed he was turning into one of my closest friends.

Life was so funny that way.

“I’m impressed by your coverage,” he added. “And I know the other guys are too. Sean already said he wants to run some drills with you this week. Get a little one-on-one action to give you some experience with the best receiver in the league.” He rolled his eyes at Sean’s obvious ego, and I just laughed.

The opportunity to work with guys like this was mind-blowing, no matter how cocky they were.

“Great. Tell him to expect a run for his money.”

Cam laughed at my arrogance and winked. “Oh, don’t worry. I can’t wait to tell him that.”

He jumped up from the bench and slapped me on the shoulder.

“He’s gonna run your ass off for it, though.”

I grinned. “Good.”

Cam nodded his approval, and everything inside me sighed. I couldn’t believe how easily I’d taken to the team and the guys, and how right my career choice felt. It honestly felt like I was exactly where I should be, doing what I was meant to do.

Of course, that kind of security only made me think of Gemma and how she didn’t know.

I just didn’t understand how she couldn’t. The instant she’d opened her mouth and starting singing along with the queens onstage, it’d been clear to me and everyone else inside Drag what she should be doing and then some.

She was talented. So fucking talented.

And beyond that, you could tell she lived for it. Breathed for it.

Like she was meant to be onstage.

I just wasn’t sure how to get her to see it.

Opening my locker, I grabbed my bag from the hook and set it on the bench in front of me to get some clothes and a towel for my shower. But before I could pull out my T-shirt, the bottom of the bag buzzed against the wood of the bench, the loud sound echoing against the metal of the lockers.

I fished around in the bottom until my fingers closed around my phone and I pulled it out.

Several texts from Gemma lit up the screen, and I immediately clicked to open them, shower plans long forgotten.