Hail Mary Baby: A Secret Baby Sports Romance (6 page)

“
Y
ou want
me to go to New York on Monday?” I asked, flabbergasted.

“You’ll have the week in New York. We have a set list of locations you’ll be filming at. We’ll want you to go over those during the week and become familiar with everything. On Friday is the Afleck movie premiere. This will be
huge
Laura. You ready for all this?”

My eyes widened. “Ready? Of course I’m ready. But you really need me there Monday? Can’t it wait until Thursday? Or what about Wednesday?” I asked. Monday was the big Patriots game. Liam would be in town and I
had
to be at that game. I just had to.

“Monday is a definite. There’s a lot of work to go over and we want you to get integrated with the city.” My manager said.

“Integrated? Why does that matter so much to you guys?” I asked. Was there something they weren’t telling me?

She took a deep breath, looked at my agent, and set her stuff on the table. “Okay, so we didn’t want to say anything, but…”

“But what?” I interrupted. “Are you guys seriously going to keep surprising me with things?”

My agent interjected. “It’s a surprise worth considering. New York City. The Big Apple! Haven’t you ever pictured yourself living in the epicenter of the world?”

“I have a child. You think it’s a good place to raise a kid?” I sassily replied.

My manager smiled, “It’s as good as any. Little Alex will love it there. But, look. We’ll understand if you say no. But the network is willing to give you your own show. A
new
show.”

I sat down now. “What kind of show?” I asked.

“Whatever you want. You’re our star, Laura. The ratings love you.” My manager said.

“Sports, arts, entertainment. And I want a segment of investigative journalism on every show. I want to blow the lid off some things. I want it to be relevant and poignant. Shit, I can’t believe I’m even considering this.” I shook my head.

“Done and done. We’ll even pay for your place. How does a three bedroom flat in Manhatten sound? We’ll pay for the first 4 years of your stay. If your show takes off, we can talk about a raise.”

“It’s a deal if my yearly pay goes up.” I said, loving this negotiation.

“You’ll make two mil a year.” My manager smiled.

“Deal.” I said with a big smile on my face. “I’ll see you Monday.”

“Great!” They both said nearly at the same time. “Don’t worry about today. The writers have everything covered. Take the rest of the day off.”

They gave me my ticket to New York City and we shook hands in agreement. I made my way outside. A new show, huh? I couldn’t believe it. So much had changed within a year. I had a kid, a booming career, and now I would be starting a new life in New York City.

Of course, the obvious flashed in my head. Liam was in Boston, right? That meant that he was only a couple hours away. It got me a little excited to think about, but then I remembered I would be missing the big game on Monday.
Dammit,
I thought. I wanted so badly to see him and now there would be nothing. I would have to wait even longer and who knew what kind of women he had been seeing since our night together.

Besides, when it came down to it, he wouldn’t want to be with me now. I was a single mother to a beautiful angel who was more than a handful. He was the cutest ray of sunshine the world had ever seen, but I knew what football players were like. They were selfish. They didn’t care about babies. If he found out about Alex, he would leave in an instant. That much I knew.

Look,
I said to myself,
that night was wonderful and perfect, but that’s all it was. It was a great rebound. He’s not going to be your husband. He can’t be a father to your child.
It was time to give up the dream.

Even though I had the day off to go back home and be with my son, I decided I needed some time to myself. I headed to my favorite park in LA to seclude myself from the rest of the world.

When I got there, I sat on the bench and tried to meditate. I was never very good at stuff like that, but I figured it was better late than never. I thought about what I really wanted in life. At first, it was a great job. Then it was security. But now I had gotten everything that I wanted and more. I had the whole world in my hands. I whispered in the wind, “I want the thing I cannot express. The one thing I am missing.” Even I didn’t know what that meant.

It was clear that I was restless. I sat in silence for a good thirty minutes until I heard someone calling out, “Hey! Hey! Reporter chick!” I looked up and squinted my eyes. “Yeah you! You used to be on Channel 5 News, right?”

“Channel 5 news.” I said, feeling confused. Who the hell remembered me from that?

The man walked up to me. He was incredibly muscular and toned and had just apparently got done with his morning run. “You remember me?” He asked.

I didn’t. “No, should I? I’m sorry, but I meet a lot of people in my line of work.”

“Nah, it’s okay. The name is Jenkins.” He said. “I used to play ball with a guy named Liam Conway. You remember him, right?”

I shook my head in disbelief and smiled. “Uh, yeah I remember him alright.” I laughed. If only he knew the situation.

“Yeah, well, long time no see. Man, Liam is going crazy without you, you know that right?”

“What?” Was I dreaming or was this really reality? Liam? Missing
me?
“Bullshit.” I said.

He laughed, “Ha, fine, don't believe me then. But I'm tellin’ you, he told me himself. He's losing it out there in Boston.”

“If that's true, then why the hell didn't he call? I gave him my number and everything. He promised me.” I said. The whole thing was starting to really piss me off. My life was incredibly hard and it was all because I had met Liam. He used me, got me pregnant, and left me in the dirt. He wasn't a stand up guy. He was just a typical dickhead.

“Beats me. I'm just tellin’ you what I know. Shit, I didn't even know you lived out here. You should have hollered at me!”

“It kind of just happened on the fly. A lot has changed since the night of the Super Bowl.” I said.

“Tell me about it. Never thought I'd say this, but I actually miss Texas. I don't know what it is, but Dallas just vibed with me better.” He said. “Anyway, I'll leave you alone. Just thought I'd say hey.”

I was still a little dazed. Liam missed me? “Yeah, it was good seeing you.” I said.

He started to walk away, but turned around after a few steps. “You should come to the game on Monday. I’m sure Liam will want to see you.”

I felt my heart sink as I thought about how nice that would be. I could take Alex. He could meet his father. We could be a family. But then reality sank in again. No, of course that couldn't happen. It wasn't possible and I didn't want him as Alex’s father anyway. He left us to drown here. “Can't. I'm going to New York.” I said. “I leave Monday morning.” I shrugged.

“Ah, that’s too bad. Well, I'll tell him you say hey.” He said. “See you around sometime.”

“Yeah, definitely.” I said, waving goodbye.

Life was really crazy sometimes. Liam was coming here, just as I was leaving. Jenkins appeared out of nowhere. It just wasn't meant to be. Life must have different plans for us. Oh, well. I brushed it off as best I could and made my way home.

“
M
an
, I don't know what's wrong with me. It’s like I've lost my powers since I met that woman.” I laughed into the phone receiver. I didn't talk to Jenkins much, but when I did, it felt like I was back home. “Nah, for real. She's got some weird hold on me. It's like we’re connected or something.”

“Look, bro. I'm telling you. I saw her in California. She's doing work out there now. But she's fucking leaving Monday morning! If only you could get to her the night before. I'm an idiot for not getting her number for you, but she didn't seem interested anymore. She's invested in her new life, you know?”

“She mention any guys? Is she seeing someone or something? I don't get it. How could you just move on like that?” I breathed in and shook it off. “The Patriots’ schedule is all screwed up though. I get in Monday morning, all early and shit. Then I gotta play a game against you! I feel like I'm in an alternate reality or something.”

Jenkins howled into the receiver. “Sounds fucking rough! But it ain't gonna be as rough as that game, man. We’re going to dominate that field tomorrow.”

“Don't hold your breath.” I laughed. “So we going to party after or what?” I asked. I hadn't been in the mood to get crazy, but I figured Jenkins would make it worth while.

“You know it, man. Can't wait to celebrate with you, regardless of who wins.” He said. “Shit, I have to run. Be seeing you tomorrow, brother.”

“See ya.” I hung up the phone and walked out of my house. Practice was in an hour and I still had some time to kill. Yet, there was nothing else I wanted to do but get back on that field. I had let my team down in so many ways. Some of them didn't even know it. But I did. Last season I was a fucking killer. That's why I had to prove myself. From here on out, I was going to be the best player the NFL had ever seen.

I got to the field and suited up. I did my stretches and ran my sprints. I imagined tomorrow’s surroundings. The screaming fans. The other players around me and the ones coming to tackle the life out of me. The pressure. I had been carrying a weight in my heart for so long, and even though Laura seemed to be out of reach, I just knew things weren't as hopeless before. Just hearing Jenkins talk about her made me realize she was still within reach.

“Hike!” I yelled, grabbing the ball off the turf. I dropped back, looked left and right, and imagined one of my guys in the end zone. I threw the most perfect spiral I had probably ever thrown and it landed right in my guy’s hands. Touch-fucking-down.
I'm back, baby.

All of a sudden, I could hear the sound of clapping coming from behind me. “Bravo.” A voice said. I turned around.

“Coach!” I called out. “I didn't know you were there.”

“I come early every practice. The empty field helps me center myself. It brings me back to old times.” He smiled. “That was a good throw. A damn good throw. Where've you been all season? We could use someone like you.”

“I know, coach. I feel like I lost myself for a second. But I'm back. I can feel it, the energy I once had. It feels…
hopeful
.” I admitted.

He nodded to himself and looked off into the distance. “It was a girl wasn't it?” He asked me.

The question left me stuttering. “I, uh. Yeah, I guess so. It's complicated.”

He shook his head. “No it isn't. It's simple. You met a woman who changed your life. So what happened to her? Why isn't she with you, Liam?”

“It's weird, coach. We just kind of lost each other. I moved here and she moved to LA. I lost her number. I don't know. It doesn't matter much anyway. I need to man up and accept what happened, you know?”

The coach looked angry, possibly even angrier than he was at the last game. “Like hell it doesn't matter. Listen to me boy. You meet a good one, you fucking keep her. I met my wife during my 23
^rd
game. We lost each other too. I was heartbroken, sick, and feeling just about every other bad thing you could think of, but I went searching for her and found her. Yeah, you gotta man up and play the damn game to your best potential. But that don't mean you gotta forget about her. You have to do whatever it takes, you hear me?”

I didn't expect to hear it from a coach. I expected him to tell me to get my head out of my ass, not to go after her. Maybe both options weren't so different. I nodded my head with understanding and said, “I've been taken under a lot of coach’s wings and I've learned a lot. But damn did I learn a lot just now.”

“Anytime, Conway. Anytime. Now get your ass in that locker room. It's time to be with the team.” He spit on the field, looked at the end zone, and headed into locker room.

T
hat practice was incredible
. I mean, it was fucking life changing. Any play we made I could visualize with ease. From the get go, it was all smooth sailing. All I had to do was imagine her face and the play would come together like magic. I told myself, if you want this girl, you play for her. You play to fucking win.
Hike!

“Good game out there, boys!” The head coach called out, standing against the bleachers. We all formed around him and the rest of the coaches, and took a knee. “I feel real confident we’ll win this one. How are you all feelin’?”

We all gave a loud roar and rumbled the ground with our helmets. I couldn't help but feel the energy flood into my veins. I was born for the game. I would win this. We all would.

“Well,” he started speaking again, “I'm feelin’ pretty fucking good as well. Tomorrow is a big night not just because it's a game. No, it's a big night because it's the night we turn the tables. I know you got it in you. Let's kill ‘em tomorrow!” We brought it in and screamed the team’s name with as much fire and determination as possible.

When I got back into the locker room, however, things had changed for the worse. I opened my locker, only to find my towel had been stolen. I turned to see Charlie smiling. “Missing something?” He asked.

“Yeah, actually I am.” I said. I wasn't in the mood for this kind of bullshit. We had a flight pretty soon and I wanted to get ready fast so I could decompress and tune the world out. Charlie just sniggered like a little boy.

“You want to give my towel back? Or are you just going to laugh like an asshole?” I asked him, feeling my blood begin to boil.

“Oh, an asshole, huh? Is that really what you think of me?” He held out his hand to show that he was holding my towel.

“Look man, you're
being
an asshole.” I grabbed my things from my locker. That's when I noticed my wallet was missing. Of course, this only made Charlie laugh louder.

“C’mon,
man
, why don't you stop being a pussy for once?” He replied, as he threw my wallet onto the ground. Things got heated fast. He came up to face me and I simply smiled.

“What, are we not friends now?” I mocked him.

Taking my comment serious, he replied, “I guess we stopped being friends,
pal,
when you left me high and dry at the club.”

I couldn't help but laugh. Was this really the big issue he was losing his shit over? “Man, relax. You're at that club almost every fucking night. What do you care that I left?”

He turned to get support from the other players, but no one was backing up. In fact, they were trying to act as if nothing was happening. It was embarrassing for him. But even more embarrassing would be if he were to actually throw a punch. I would gladly embarrass him in front of our team.

“What do I care? Seriously? We’re supposed to be brothers, man! I bring you a girl, drugs, and provide you with a good time, and you leave me alone? Not cool, man. Not cool.” He lightly shoved me.

“Back off, brother. You don't want any more trouble. Trust me on that. I have enough shit to think about right now.”
Laura…
I clenched my fists tightly and waited for his move. Charlie was a good player and I liked him okay before this, but he had kind of a bad reputation around here. Coming from a shit team in the Midwest, he's always had something to prove. Unfortunately, that try-hard mentality made people dislike him. Not to mention, he was a total creep. Take the other night for example.

Charlie decided to follow his gut. However, that might have not been the best decision. He took a swing and I fell back, dodging his punch. “Nice try.” I whispered. He regained his balance and swung again. This time, he hit me square in the jaw. Not a good idea.

I grabbed his wrist and pushed forward with all my strength, slamming him on the ground. I twisted until I could feel the tension in his bone and muscle. He screamed out in pain. I bent over him and said through my teeth. “Now, I want you to listen to me. The only reason I'm not breaking your wrist is because I need you to play a good game tomorrow. I'm taking my towel and wallet. Don't fuck with me ever again.”

I turned around to an astonished team. Most of them just laughed and shook their heads at Charlie. The coach, tucked away in a corner, oddly calm and observing, made eye contact with me. I walked past him and said, “I'm not out to hurt one of my own.”

“I know that.” He said. “Just do me a favor. Get your girl back.”

I would. I had to. If I didn't, everything would fall apart. I'd quit the game and then it wouldn’t be just Charlie hating me. I started to think about how I could find her again.