The Longest Game: A Secret Baby Sports Romance Read online

  Steve is massive and takes up the entire seat across the booth from Jimmy and me.

  I’m the team’s star linebacker No one’s stopping me. I’ve had opposing teams put four guys on me and get nowhere. At six foot four with a body made at the gym, you’d have to be insane or an idiot to think you’d be able to get in my way.

  But I’m not your average linebacker. Nothing about me is average. Nothing.

  “She’s had a shit night already, Jimmy,” I growl. “With that dickhead down there trying to cop a feel on her. She doesn’t need you talking shit behind her back.”

  “Talking shit? I said she had a nice ass. She does. You saying she doesn’t?”

  I can feel my temperature rising. What’s wrong with me? Jimmy’s got every right to comment on her ass. He’s not wrong, but I’m feeling jealous like a high schooler.

  “I’m saying you should shut the fuck up, man,” I snap back with a look that ends the conversation. Both of them roll their eyes but don’t pursue it. I realize I’m being a bit of an asshole and change the topic.

  “So, how about those Elks today?” I say with a chuckle, referring of course to the Alabama Elks that just had their asses handed to them by us at today’s game. I caught two passes for two touchdowns and Sam ran forty yards for the last one that really sealed the deal. There’s a rivalry between our two teams, so kicking their asses like that was just sweet.

  “Pffft,” Steve chuckles, taking a big swig of his beer. “They should just retire now and save themselves the embarrassment.”

  “Yo, we should throw a victory party,” Jimmy chimes in. “The night’s young, man. I don’t wanna go home and go to bed.”

  “Shit, yeah,” Steve replies. “What’s that club they got around here? The Golden Pony or something--?”

  “Platinum Pony,” Jimmy corrects him.

  “Yeah! Platinum Pony! Call some of those girls and get ‘em over. I’ll hit up some of the boys.”

  They both grab their phones and start contacting people. “Get ‘em over” of course means bring them over to my place. I grew up around here and bought a pad just outside of town after I cashed my first check, the one that made me a millionaire overnight.

  Ever since then, the place has been ground zero for all the parties, the decadence and depravity. The boys from the team come over to crash as much as possible. Thankfully my room is up on the back corner, basically on its own wing so I can keep some semblance of privacy when the guys are asleep downstairs.

  Normally I’d be more than pumped for Jimmy’s plan. The Platinum Pony girls love us dumb football jocks. We love throwing our money around like a bunch of dickheads. Most of us grew up with nothing and have more money than we know what to do with now, and those girls know it.

  They’re great at pretending to like you, or love you, at least for the night. You have your fun then wake up in the morning and go your separate ways. But for some reason, tonight, I’m just not that down with the idea of getting a dance from some random bimbo with bleached blonde hair and a bad tit job.

  Actually that’s not true. I know the reason, and I’m looking right at her.

  Tammy, that’s what she said her name was, and she’s standing in the back talking to someone. I can see her through the circular window in the chrome doors leading from the front of the diner to the kitchen. It looks like another waitress has just come in or something and they’re obviously talking about me.

  Tammy sends a look my way out of the corner of her eye, hoping I won’t notice. But when our eyes lock, I toss her a wink that makes her cheek red. I can feel a pulsing down in my jeans as my cock shifts into first gear. As sexy as this girl is, there’s an innocence to her, like royalty – a princess that’s been forced to slave away as a waitress working the night shift dealing with all the dickheads wanting coffee and beer and a nice feel of her plump ass.

  She looks away quickly and steps out of my view. Her face is quickly replaced by her friend, a blonde that’s much more typical of this town. She looks like she’s had a few runs around the block and has a few threesomes under her belt. She’s got highlights and a few piercings and is rocking a pushup bra that’s got her tits up at about chin level.

  When she sees me, she makes no attempt to hide her reaction. Her eyes go wide and her jaw drops and she reaches out and grabs Tammy by the arms. I can read her lips.

  What the fuck!? She mouths. I can’t help but smile.

  She says a few more things before the door opens and Tammy steps back out. I give her the full once-over as she walks toward me. I can feel my cock stir again under my jeans, pressing against the buttons of my fly. I want a fistful of her hair while I kiss her neck and bury my dick inside her. I want to see the face of the princess when she cums on my cock.

  “You guys know what you want?” She stammers, clearing her throat.

  “Oh, I know what I want,” I say. I’m not talking about food and she knows it. It takes her a minute to answer.

  “And what’s that?”

  “I’m looking at it,” I tell her.

  “Jesus,” she says. “That line work on all the ladies?”

  I shrug. “The boys and I are throwing a little shindig over at my place tonight. Why don’t you join us?”

  I can see a puzzled look come over her face as she tries to figure out if I’m serious and what exactly my implications are. But she’s stubborn. I can tell. And to be honest, I kind of like that. No one likes an easy chick – well, at least not for more than a half an hour.

  “Join you?” She says indignantly. “You must really think I’m like all the other girls, don’t you?”

  “Actually no,” I admit to her. “And that’s why I’m asking you.”

  That one confuses her even more than my invitation and she doesn’t respond immediately. I take the moment to give her body another once-over. Her skirt isn’t too short, and she’s wearing an apron, so I can’t get a good look at her thighs, but from the looks of the rest of her legs, she’s in pretty good shape.

  She’s got a perfect hourglass figure and my eyes linger on her waist where she’s tied her apron. Nothing better than a girl with some hips you can grab while you’re fucking.

  The top of her apron is pissing me off though, because with it and whatever frilly stupid blouse she’s wearing up top, I can’t get a good look at her tits. But just from guessing, I’d say she probably doesn’t have much going on. But hey, with an ass like that who gives a shit? And I don’t mind a little mystery either, it will just be that much more exciting when I get her clothes off.

  “Okay, I don’t even know why I’m asking this,” Tammy says. “But what kind of shindig?”

  I suppress my smile.

  “Oh, you know. Boys, beers, music—“

  “Strippers,” Jimmy chimes in. I slam an elbow into his ribs, but the damage is already done. Tammy’s face twists into a sneer.

  “Listen, are you guys gonna order anything or not?”

  I glare at Jimmy, feeling the sudden urge to rip his arms off. Steve obviously finds this funny. I bite the inside of my cheek as I feel the anger rising inside me. I realize just how badly I want this girl, and if these guys screw it up for me…

  “Tell you what, princess,” I say. “What’s your usual tip here?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Your usual tip,” I repeat. “What is it? Five or six bucks?”

  Tammy laughs. “I wish! Try three.”

  “Okay,” I continue. “Tell you what. You bring us the check, come back to the house and dance for us, and I’ll tip you more tonight than you’ll make in a month.”

  I don’t know what’s gotten into me but it’s like this girl’s sunk her fangs into me and won’t let me go. I can feel the boys shifting in our booth, obviously wondering what the Hell’s going on with me. We could buy out the whole Platinum Pony and every girl on staff and not even sweat it.

  But I don’t want every girl at the Pony. I want the one standing in front of me.

  S
he tries to hide her reaction, but I can see the excitement in her eyes. And it’s not just from the offer of the money. She’s turned on.

  She’s turned on by me and the fact that I’m paying this much attention to her. And why wouldn’t she be? I’m fucking Derek O’Toole! Every girl in this town would be thrilled to throw themselves into my lap. And she’s turned on by the fact that not only am I paying her attention, I’m offering to pay for her.

  But, as I realized before, she’s stubborn.

  “I’m not a whore,” she says firmly.

  “I never said you were,” I reply with the same tone. And then I just look at her, letting that sink in. I can see the wheels turning as she mulls it over. Her eyes move from my face to my arms and then back again. It was quick. So quick that she hopes I didn’t notice. But I did. She’s checking me out. She wants me too. She wants to say yes.

  “No,” she says. “Find someone else.”

  3

  Tammy

  Tammy Rose

  I shove open the door to the kitchen, step inside and slam my back to the wall and almost have a panic attack. My heart is pounding. I close my eyes and gasp, sucking deep breaths of air.

  What is wrong with me? I can’t help thinking.

  “What is wrong with you?” I hear Georgina’s voice, mirroring my thoughts out loud.

  I open my eyes and turn my head to her. Georgina works here too. She’s off tonight but was nice enough to be my ride. Georgina is everything I’m not. She’s outgoing, she’s funny, she’s the life of the party, and every guy thinks she’s a knockout. Classic Southern blonde bombshell. Meanwhile I’m the awkward girl that would rather be at home with a good book and a cup of hot tea than out getting her drink on at the downtown bar strip.

  “Derek just invited me to his house,” I tell her. “To dance for him…”

  “What!?” She shouts, causing Carl to just about jump out of his pants. “And you said yes? That’s why you’re freaking out?”

  “I said no!” I exclaim. I can’t believe she thought I would have said yes to that!

  “Why!?” She gasps. “What is wrong with you? It’s Derek-fucking-O’Toole!”

  “I know who he is, Georgina!” I say with a sigh, turning to the sink and pouring myself a huge glass of water. I down the entire thing before I turn back to her.

  “And so what’s the issue?” She asks.

  “He offered to…pay me.”

  The look on Georgina’s face is priceless, and it’s all I can do not to burst out laughing.

  “Tammy,” she says, stepping closer. “I want you to listen to me, and listen carefully, okay? You need to cash the fuck in on this – right now!”

  “Stop it, Georgina! I can’t fucking dance, and I’m not a fucking prostitute!”

  “No one said you were,” she says, stepping right up in front of me and taking my hand. “But this guy, a super famous football stud, is offering to pay you to go over to his house and dance for him—“

  “Yea, and fuck him!”

  “Oh my god,” she gasps. “Did he say that?!”

  “No! But I saw the way he was looking at me.”

  Girls notice everything. A lot of guys don’t know that, but it’s true. We notice the way guys look at us, how they talk, how they move. I bet Derek has no idea I even noticed the bulge in his jeans as he tried to pretend he wasn’t checking me out. And based on the size of that bulge, it’s not just Derek’s hands that make him a stud.

  “And that’s a bad thing? That he wants to fuck you!?”

  “No – but,” I stammer. “I don’t want him to pay for it!”

  “Fine, then do it anyway!” She replies. “Tell him he doesn’t have to pay you and that you’ll just go anyway – or better yet, tell him to pay me and I’ll go!”

  That’s it! I realize.

  “Aha!” I almost shout. “Okay. You come with me. Then I’ll go.”

  “Done,” Georgina says immediately.

  I turn and peer out through the circular window in the door and sneak a glance at Derek and his two friends. He is stunningly handsome with a body like I’ve never seen before, and I can’t help wondering what he looks like underneath those clothes.

  I mean – come on. I’m a girl! I have needs too! And it doesn’t help that I haven’t gotten any since….wow, how long has it been!?

  I’ve been working so much lately and ever since mom was diagnosed with cancer, I’ve spent a lot of my time trying to help her out and look after her. I’ve been on some dates, but they were all crappy guys I met with one of those dating apps, and my heart really wasn’t in it.

  So I guess it’s been…at least a year now. My last boyfriend, Andy, broke up with me a little less than a year ago, but we had stopped sleeping together a little before that. My heart just wasn’t in it anymore and I think we both knew things were heading downhill.

  He wasn’t a bad guy – he just started taking me for granted. He wouldn’t call or text me back and I found myself wondering where he was, and when his ex-girlfriend sent him an e-mail, and he wrote her back, I knew the end was in sight.

  “Sorry I’m late!” It’s Sarah’s voice and I turn to see her barging in the back like a tornado, a purse over one shoulder, a backpack for who knows what, and some plastic bags from the grocery store. Sarah is one of those girls that’s just always late, always in a hurry and always a mess. “There was traffic on Washington Street and this asshole wouldn’t take a left turn and then I realized I had to get soap because I’m out of soap and the store closes at twelve – but anyway, I’m here!”

  Sarah’s taking over the rest of the night, and now that she’s here, it means I’m free. A huge sense of relief should be coming over me right now that I get to go home, but instead, I feel myself getting nervous.

  Am I really going over to a party at Derek O’Toole’s house?

  “Okay! Thanks, Sarah!” Georgina says quickly, grabbing me by the arm. “We’ll see you later, have a good night!”

  Before I can take a second to think or catch my breath, Georgina pulls me through the kitchen doors and right out into the diner and straight over to Derek’s table.

  “She’s coming,” Georgina says before I can react. My heart just about drops out of my butt. “But so am I.”

  Derek and the guys look up at us with something between amusement and excitement. After a second, Jimmy smiles.

  “Hey, the more the merrier. You can be my date for the night.”

  Georgina smiles sarcastically. “Aw, do I get to be that lucky?”

  She’s giving him shit but I’m pretty sure by the way she’s looking at him that that’s what will end up happening.

  “All right,” Georgina says, slapping her hands together. “So where is this shindig anyway?

  The entire ride to Derek’s house I’m trying not to panic. I wouldn’t say I have anxiety issues, but I can get pretty anxious about certain things, and going over to party with one of the biggest stars in professional football, when all I thought I would be doing was going home, curling up into a ball and going to bed, is not doing much for my nerves.

  He is disgustingly handsome. I mean, it’s pretty absurd how mind-numbingly hot he is. I’m surprised I haven’t said something completely idiotic around him yet. I’m coasting somewhere in between uncontrollable sexual arousal and sheer panic, and I’m not sure how I’m going to handle this. Hopefully things aren’t too crazy at Derek’s.

  But as we pull up to the house, I realize that’s just not the case.

  His place is enormous with a long private driveway leading up to it. It reminds me of a southern plantation but sort of modern, like it was built last year – which it probably was.

  The driveway comes up to a circular cul-de-sac-like thing at the front door which is packed with sports cars that cost more than the apartment building I live in. As Georgina and I pull up in her 1995 sedan, my heart rate jumps through the roof.

  I’m supposed to dance!? What the Hell was I thinking!?


  “I can’t do this,” I say as Georgina shuts the car off.

  “What!? What the Hell are you talking about? We’re here!”

  “Look at this place, Georgina!” I exclaim, waving my hands in the direction of the cars, the house, the monstrous man sitting on the steps smoking, a complete knockout of a girl sitting on his lap. “What the Hell are we doing here?”

  “Hopefully getting you laid, girl!” She cackles. “You gotta put them ladybits to good use before they get fed up and retire on ya!”

  Before I can reply, Georgina yanks open the driver’s side door and hops out.

  “Fuck,” I mutter under my breath. I look at the babe sitting on the football player’s lap on the steps and sigh. She’s all decked out in a mini-dress and heels, makeup – and here I am in a work skirt and a blouse I found at the thrift shop for three dollars.

  They’re all going to laugh at me.

  But there’s no time to sit and sulk. Georgina pulls open my door and takes me by the arm.

  “Come on, Miss Mopey,” she says with a smile. “Time to say hello to your prince.”

  As Georgina drags me out of the car and up the steps, I do my best not to freak out. Thousands of questions are racing through my mind.

  Is Derek really here? Is this all just a big dream? And what do I do if he tries to sleep with me?

  My body is screaming out to me, “Do him! Do him! Do him!” But my mind is telling me, “Don’t listen! Don’t listen!”

  I’m not a slut. I don’t do things like meet handsome guys at the diner then let them take me home for a good bang. I just don’t.

  But Derek isn’t just some guy…he’s Derek O’Toole, and he’s so handsome. He also stuck up for me at work when that dickhead was trying to cop a feel, and normally that would be enough to completely ruin my night, but somehow Derek’s presence managed to just completely take my mind off him. I didn’t even think about him again until just now.

  As we approach the front door, I can hear music blasting from inside, the rhythmic thump, thump of bass and the sounds of voices. I don’t know what I’m doing here, but there’s no turning back now. Georgina looks at me as she reaches out for the door.