Touchdown: A Bad Boy Sports Romance (Pass To Win Book 1) (12 page)

I
briefly saw
Alexa this morning as we were lining up for the processional. She looked distracted and worried, not at all like her usual cheery self. She told me about the message she received from her grandparents.

She said that they gave her money, too. I wish I woke up to large deposits of money in my bank account. Maybe I’d let her buy me dinner the next time we went out.

She assured me that her parents would ignore her this weekend, but I couldn’t believe they would be that cold. She was their only child—at the very least, they would probably call.

The ceremony took forever. If my mom didn’t travel all the way here, I wouldn’t have walked. Anytime I’m in a public place with a lot of football fans, I feel uncomfortable.

Classmates that I didn’t know kept coming up and talking to me about my future. I didn’t really know how to answer them, and I especially didn’t want to discuss it with strangers.

I was always prepared to take pictures and sign autographs for the occasional Superfan. I didn’t want to be ungrateful for the support so many people gave me during my college career.

However, on a day like today, I just wanted to be alone with my mom and my girlfriend to be able to really soak in everything we’d accomplished in these past four years.

I tried to listen to the speakers, but they were so boring. They kept repeating the same clichés, like how we were all going so far in life because we attended this school. It sounded more like an advertisement for the university than advice. We were always told the name of our school was what would get us hired. I didn’t quite buy it.

I watched a kid a few seats down bury his head in his hands. There were actually people that would show up with a raging hangover to their own graduation. This kid could be a doctor, lawyer, or maybe even a future president.

The possibilities were endless for a Princeton grad – regardless of whether or not they took their education seriously.

I knew a lot of classmates who came from average backgrounds and worked really hard to attend an Ivy League school. It was crazy expensive to go here, and a lot of people relied on scholarships to get by. I was certainly one of them.

On the other hand, I knew a lot of people who went to this school because their parents did. If you’re from the right family and you have decent grades, you can get in. I even knew a few people who were clearly not qualified to come here, but someone must have pulled some strings for them.

I knew a kid who somehow managed to have his academic probation forgiven after pulling a 1.0 GPA. He dropped out the next semester, and last I heard, he was running a successful soft-core porn website. Oh, the places you’ll go…

I suppose it wasn’t fair of me to say that the rich kids didn’t deserve it. There were people like Alexa who came from money, but forged her own path. People like her would go far, and actually deserved to. People like Donny, who used their status and didn’t try would end up with an addiction to hookers and cocaine. If there were any justice in the world, that’s what would happen to them.

I chuckled to myself, imagining a balding Donny with a potbelly, attending alumni functions. It was bad, but I often took a sick pleasure in reuniting with people I didn’t like and seeing that life had not gone the way they wanted. I wondered if anyone felt that way about me.

I wished that Alexa was sitting closer, at least within poking distance. I wanted to comment on how much the president of the university looked like a walrus. I imagined making walrus sounds while Alexa shushed me. She would act all annoyed, but I knew she loved it.

She loved my weird sense of humor. One time in class, I was bored, so I wrote a love story about a fictional forbidden romance between our professor and the T.A. She had to cover her mouth, she was laughing so hard. She told me that I should be a writer if the whole football thing didn’t work out.

I thought about it. I would love to write about sports. I didn’t study journalism, but I knew a lot about sports. If the draft didn’t go well, maybe I’d apply to work on a sports blog website.

I wanted to play football for a living more than anything, though. I knew it was hard work, but it was my dream from such a young age.

The next speaker droned on and on about different metaphors for life that didn’t make a whole lot of sense.

For a Princeton graduation, they didn’t get very good speakers. I caught a glimpse of my mom in the stands, waving at me. I gave her a head nod to appease her. I saw her speaking excitedly with the strangers around her. I had a feeling she was telling them who her son was.

Finally, it was time to get our diplomas. Row by row, people started leaving their seats and lined up to go on stage. I was toward the back of the group, so I’d be waiting a while.

I saw Alexa walk down the aisle. She looked pretty miserable. My guess is that it was a combination of boredom and the realization that her parents didn’t care enough to show up. It made me feel sick.

I was angry at my girlfriend’s parents for the way they treated her, and I hadn’t even met them.

I watched her walk all the way up to the front of the line. Then, I saw something unexpected—she broke out into a wide smile.

Her parents were here somewhere. I scanned the crowd. There was no point of searching for them, because I didn’t know what they looked like. I tried to look for a middle-aged couple in expensive looking clothes.

I knew her dad was fairly handsome and her mom was a heavily-Botoxed former model. This could describe just about everyone in the auditorium.

I felt like I had a rock in my stomach. What did this mean for me? I wanted to spend the day with Alexa, but if her parents were around, she would probably ignore me. If my mom found out they were here, she would absolutely want to meet them. My mom didn’t quite understand that situation. I hardly did either.

Finally, it was my time to collect my diploma. I heard some cheers when my name was called and I tried to block them out. I made eye contact with my mom and I smiled up at her. She was bawling, per usual.

Shortly after I returned to my seat, the ceremony was over. I was no longer a student or a college football player. I was now an alumni; I still had to wait to see if I would become a has-been or if I’d go on to achieve my dream.

My mom found me outside of the auditorium, gave me a huge hug, and handed her camera over to a passerby to take about a hundred pictures. I saw Alexa in the crowd and waved her over.

“Congrats,” I said, giving her a big hug.

“Meet me at my dorm in about an hour and a half,” she said cryptically. Her eyes kept darting around like she was looking, or hiding, from someone. Before I could ask any follow up questions, she was gone. She looked worried.

I assumed she was about to have a very serious conversation with her parents.

I took my mom out for lunch after the ceremony. She could tell I had something on my mind. My mom and Alexa always knew when something was up.

“You’ve hardly touched your food,” she observed. “You’ve usually finished eating and ordered seconds by now.”

“Alexa’s parents are here,” I answered.

“That’s great news!” my mom exclaimed. “I bet she’s so pleased.”

“We’ll see. I think I might have to meet them.”

“Don’t you want to?”

I hesitated. “Not particularly. I mean, under the right circumstances, yes. I don’t want them to hate me.”

“No one could hate you,” my mom said. “Any parent should feel lucky that you’re around to take care of their little girl. I feel lucky that Alexa’s here to take care of you.”

“They tried to force her to marry a family friend with lots of money. I don’t think they’re going to be pleased with someone like me.”

“You’re about to be a professional football player. You can make just as much money as some fancy lawyer.”

“We won’t know that for a few more days,” I said.

My mom changed the subject to the draft. She had to go back home after our lunch so she could get back to work. She couldn’t afford to take any more time off to go with me to the draft.

She asked me about a million questions about the draft. I assured her that I had a suit, I knew how to iron my clothes, and that I would make sure to smile while on camera. She worried about me missing flights and getting lost. Typical mom stuff.

After we ate, I took her back to the hotel to get her things, and then dropped her off at the airport.

“No matter what happens, you’ll be home next week, right?”

“Right,” I confirmed. “Make sure the fridge is stocked,” I teased, with a big smile.

“Don’t worry about meeting Alexa’s parents. If they’re reasonable people, they’ll love you. If they’re not, you two will be better off without them.”

“Thanks, mom,” I said. I felt a lot better.

I was going to stop for ice cream when I got a text from Alexa:

Can you come now? They want to meet you.

I froze. I thought I had more time before I faced impending doom. This moment could potentially make or break our relationship. She always said that she didn’t need her parents’ approval, but I knew that wasn’t completely true.

I raced to her building and ran up the stairs. This was it. There was no turning back now.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Alexa answered it. Her face was white.

Her parents were standing in the kitchen. Her dad was smiling. Her mom looked pissed.

“Mom, Dad,” she said. “This is Martin.”

“Hello,” I squeaked out, shaking their hands.

“It’s nice to meet you, Martin,” her dad said. “My name is Craig, and this is Judith.” He pointed at his wife. She sniffed, the fact that she didn’t extend her hand to shake mine didn’t go unnoticed.

“I hear you’re a top prospect in the league,” he continued. “I’m a big fan of the game. Alexa’s even been to some games with me, haven’t you, Lex?”

“That was a long time ago,” Alexa smiled. “I remember the box we sat in had fancy chairs and had a lot of good food.”

“I suppose you’ll probably be very busy this summer,” Craig said to me.

“Maybe, it depends how things go in a few days,” I responded.

“Well, if you get the chance, you two are more than welcome to spend a week or two with us at the summer home. We’d be happy to have you. I know some guys at the club that would be happy to have a pro football player around.”

I smiled. That must have meant that Alexa was no longer banished from all family functions.

“That’s a very generous offer,” I said, taken aback. “I would love to.”

Alexa looked relieved. I felt a little better, too. I didn’t know if her dad was just trying to save face, but he seemed pretty nice.

“Are your folks here this weekend?” he asked.

“My mom was here for a few days, but I just dropped her off at the airport before I came here.” I prayed that he wouldn’t ask any more questions. I didn’t want to have to explain why my dad wasn’t here.

Alexa sensed this and changed the subject. “So, have you taken the boat out yet this year?”

Before he could answer, her mom spoke up. “Excuse me, I’m going to use the powder room.”

When she closed the door behind her, Alexa’s father sighed.

“I have to apologize for my wife,” he said to me. “She can be quite difficult sometimes. She has her preconceived notions as to who she thought Alexa should date. I just want you to know that I’m fine with any man who will treat my daughter well.”

I looked over at Alexa. Her eyes were open wide. I could tell that her dad didn’t state his approval very frequently.

“I want to apologize to you too, dear,” he said to his daughter. “We haven’t handled things very well lately. I want you to know that I am always willing to support you financially.” He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Take this card for emergencies. I know you want to be independent, but it’s here just in case.”

She hugged her dad, tears misting in her eyes.

Alexa’s mom emerged, looking slightly calmer.

“Craig, I think it’s about time we were leaving,” she said.

“It was so nice to meet you, Martin,” he said. “I hope we’ll see the two of you very soon.”

I shook his hand again, Alexa hugged her parents, and then they were gone. The second the door shut behind them. We both let out a huge sigh of relief.

“We made it,” she said, giving me a celebratory kiss. I wasn’t sure if she was talking about the college graduation, or meeting her parents. Either way, it was a successful day for the both of us.

I
felt incredibly relieved once
my parents left. It was hard seeing my mom act so cold toward Martin, but the fact she stuck around at all meant something, however small the gesture. I was thrilled to be able to talk to my dad. I was really worried that he was upset over the proposal gone wrong.

He said that after I ran out of the restaurant, Sebastian threw a tantrum. I guess he wasn’t used to not getting his way. Sebastian smashed a few glasses on the ground and stomped out of the restaurant.

I didn’t think that he was like that. My mom blamed me for his reaction and that’s why she was so embarrassed and mad at me. My dad was pretty horrified by his reaction and didn’t want Sebastian to be part of the family anymore.

I was too pleased to hear about his little meltdown. I was also really relieved that this would be the end of the Sebastian drama. I just hoped he wouldn’t show his face at the summer home.

I wanted him to find happiness in his life, he wasn’t a bad guy, but he needed to learn how to take no for an answer.

After my mom cut me off, my grandparents found out. Apparently, my mom’s dad threatened to cut her out of the will. It’s not like she needed the extra money, but it would have been really embarrassing for her.

My dad told her that she was taking things too far and got me a new credit card.

I think my mom was offended that I wasn’t begging at her feet for her fortune. My dad was proud of me for wanting to be independent and make my own money. He had a normal childhood, so he felt proud that some of his values were instilled in me.

He thought I was so responsible and mature. I’m just glad they didn’t see me freaking out when I found out I had no money. I was going to try my best to use his credit card less, though.

My dad seemed to really like Martin. I forgot how much my dad liked football. He never had a son to play with, and my mom refused to let me play. I could just picture him parading Martin around social events.

“What did you think about them?” I asked Martin.

“Your dad was really great,” he said. “I don’t think your mom liked me.”

“Don’t take it personally. She wouldn’t have liked any guy that I liked.”

“Are we going to join them at their summer home?” he smiled.

“I’m not sure if you’ll want to go. Do you think you want to spend an awkward week with my mom?”

“I’ve never been to someone’s vacation home. I’d like to see how you people live.”

“Maybe we can go back to the house while they’re away. We can have it all to ourselves,” I winked.

“That sounds nice,” he said.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him toward me, making him wrap his arms around my waist. He kissed me on the head.

Sasha and Gia opened the door to the dorm and walked inside; they were whispering to each other and didn’t seem to notice us standing there.

“What’s the secret?” I asked.

They jumped. “Nothing,” they said together.

“There’s a party tonight at a bar downtown,” Gia said.

“It’s the same one we went to after the championship game,” Sasha added.

Martin laughed. “I’m in, as long as I’m not carrying anyone home.”

“Hilarious,” I said sarcastically.

We agreed to go and arrived at the bar around ten thirty as things were just starting to heat up. Martin, Reg, and Sam went to the bar to get drinks for everyone while Sasha, Gia, and I found a table.

Gia was telling us about the hotel she and Sam were staying at for the draft. The whole thing sounded like a lot of fun.

“Why don’t you come with us?” she asked.

“Martin never mentioned it to me,” I said. “I think he wants to go alone. Anyway, I’m going to stay with Sasha for a little bit.”

I hadn’t officially made plans for the summer. I could stay at Sasha’s all summer if I wanted. We even talked about getting our own apartment together. My parents were allowing me to come home, but after our fight, I didn’t know if I could stay there for long without losing my mind.

There was also the option of spending time with Martin, but we wouldn’t know where he was going for a few more days.

I wanted to go to the draft with Martin to support him, but also because it sounded amazing. They were staying in a fancy hotel, getting all dressed up to be on television, and going to after parties.

They were going to be amongst the best football players in the country and would be treated like royalty. Secretly, I also wanted to be there to deter any hot girls that might want to latch on to my boyfriend.

The guys returned with the drinks. Reg was also carrying a tray full of shots.

“Let’s celebrate. We made it through four years of college. We all managed to graduate without flunking out, having a kid, or dying of alcohol poisoning. I call that a win,” Reg said.

“To our futures,” Gia toasted as we held our shot glasses together.

We all drank, sputtering at the after taste.

“What was that?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Reg said. “I just asked for a shot of their cheapest liquor.”

“Will Alexa be picking up the tab again?” Gia asked.

“Those days are over,” I laughed. “We can all split the bill tonight.”

They groaned, their days of free booze were over. That was, until football groupies picked up the bill.

The guys talked about how they thought the draft would go. Reg was sure they would both go in the first three rounds. I really hoped so. Reg was applying for scouting jobs with just about every team.

He had interviews with a few in the next couple of weeks. I know that Martin hoped that he would be able to see Reg and Sam often, either by playing each other’s team, or by being part of the same team.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Martin said to me. “I have an extra ticket for the draft. Will you come with me? I think we can still get you a plane ticket.”

I beamed. “I would love to.”

I had been to tons of charity balls and fancy galas over the years, but I had never partied with professional athletes and celebrities like this. I was incredibly excited.

“Is it okay if I stayed with you the following week?” I asked Sasha.

“Fine with me, I’ll be around all summer,” she replied.

“What are your summer plans, Gia?” Martin asked.

“Well, I’ll probably spend a few weeks with my family and a few weeks with Sam’s. Once we decide where we’re moving, I’ll look for a job and we’ll buy a house. My degree is in Finance, so I can find work pretty easily.”

“When’s the wedding?” I joked. Sam clenched his jaw and Gia just laughed.

Sam quickly pulled Gia out to the dance floor and Martin nudged me in the ribs.

“Sam’s proposing tonight. Gia can’t know.”

I squealed. I wasn’t great at keeping secrets, especially exciting ones. “When’s he going to do it?”

“He’s going to take Gia home early and ask her at his dorm. Reg helped him set up candles and flowers and all of that stuff earlier today,” Martin said. “Very romantic.”

Things were working out for everyone. Just four years ago, we were all scared freshman who didn’t know anything. Now we knew where we were going in life. Well, everyone except for me.

I wasn’t too worried though. My savings account provided me with a cushion to fall back on. I wanted to make sure I made the right decision with my career. The others didn’t have the option of not working right away.

We took turns ordering rounds of drinks. We kept skipping over Reg because he always ordered the nastiest shots. Just like Martin said they would, Gia and Sam left early.

I gave Gia a big hug. “Let’s grab lunch tomorrow before we leave.” I had to release her before I got too emotional and spoiled the surprise.

We continued to order drinks and make various toasts. We toasted to Gia and Sam, to each of us, and to random strangers in the bar. We had been wound pretty tight from stress over our last finals so we finally let loose.

“Show me some of your famous dance moves,” Martin said.

I grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him out to the dance floor. I was shaking my hips to the beat and Martin was standing a few steps back, watching.

I backed up into him, and he held on to my hips and we grinded together to the music. Drinks kept appearing in our hands and I lost track of how many I had.

“Is this number five?” I asked Martin.

He shrugged. “I don’t think we have to worry about limits tonight,” he said. “Just don’t throw up.”

“Deal,” I started to slur. I didn’t care. I was totally comfortable with Martin. I wasn’t afraid to embarrass myself.

The group chugged one last drink at final call and we stumbled our way back to Martin and Reg’s for one last drink together.

Martin pulled out a bottle of champagne from the refrigerator. We cheered as he popped the cork. We each had a few glasses as we brought up memories from our times together.

“That reminds me,” Sasha exclaimed. “Alexa, Martin, there’s a present for you in Martin’s room.” We all walked in to his nearly empty room.

“I don’t see anything,” I giggled.

“It’s under the sheets,” Reg said.

Martin and I pulled back the covers and looked at each other, quizzically. There was nothing there.

The door slammed shut and we heard the jangling of a lock. They had locked us in again.

This was our gift. We had one last night together at college. We had no reason to leave each other.

“This brings back fond memories,” Martin said. In rare form, he was pretty drunk. “Remember how mad you were at me?”

“Only because I thought you had sex with me while I was basically unconscious.”

“I bet you feel pretty silly now that you ever thought I would do something like that.”

“You had to earn my trust,” I said.

“Did I ever tell you how nervous I was the first time we slept together?”

“You were nervous?” I said, amused.

“Absolutely. I wanted everything to be perfect.”

“And it was,” I noted. “Usually the first time can be really awkward, but you did well.”

“So did you,” he said.

“We just make a good fit,” I said.

“Would you let me fit it in you right now?” he cackled.

“That’s the line you want to use on me?”

“Did it work?”

“Yeah,” I said. “But I would have wanted to have sex with you anyway.”

He flicked off the lights and we both ran to the bed. We wildly tore each other’s clothes off in a drunken frenzy.

“I hope I’m not too drunk for this,” he said.

I felt below his waist. “Nah, I think you’re good.”

We made love for the last time as college students. It was sloppy, but passionate. By this point, we knew each other’s bodies well. I knew that breathing in his ear drove him wild and he knew that touching my breasts got me going.

When we were finished—which was fairly soon after we started—we laid back on the bed. He had his arms stretched out wide and I nestled into his chest.

We just laid in silence, enjoying each other’s company. I listened to his breath and felt the rise and fall of his chest. It was soothing to me.

“Sam and Gia better have us in their wedding party,” Martin said, out of nowhere.

“Can you imagine how much fun that would be?” I said.

“I bet that Gia will pop out a kid not long after the wedding,” he added.

“I can see that. Can you imagine having a kid at this age? I wouldn’t have any idea what to do.”

“Me neither,” he said. “I’ve always wanted kids, though.”

“Me, too,” I agreed. “One day.”

We were starting to sober up and I was parched. I filled up a glass of water in Martin’s bathroom sink. He found a slightly stale bag of chips and we had a little bedtime snack.

We continued to lay in the dark, talking about anything that came to mind.
I could do this forever
, I thought.
I hope I get that option.