Off the Record (3 page)

The lobby buzzer rings and I throw my notepad, recorder and pen in my purse. I perch my sunglasses on top of my head and make my way down to meet Emily.

Why in the world did I even consider throwing a party for my entire team and their families? It’s a known fact that the host ends up working his ass off the entire party and doesn’t have any time to enjoy himself. When I haven’t been chasing down extra ketchup, hamburger buns and ice creams for the kids, I’ve been making sure the beer stays stocked and the food keeps hot. I don’t think I’ve stopped running around since the party started two hours ago.

I glance around at all of the people and my heart swells a little. I love watching my team having fun, particularly those that have families. It’s fucking awesome being able to get together, away from the pressures and stress of the season. I’m fortunate that I get along so well with most of my teammates. There’s a few...not so much, but oh, well.  Today is about enjoying everyone.

The Rangers did well this year, although I’m still bitter we didn’t advance higher than the second round of the playoffs. But that fact does nothing but fuel my resolve to work harder on my training over the summer. There is always room for improvement in my book.

I spy my brother, Nix, sitting in a chair, watching the festivities and enjoying a cold brewskie. Nix isn’t much of a social animal. He only agreed to come to this party because I told him everyone’s family would be there and that guilted him enough into coming.

Grabbing a bottle of beer from a nearby cooler, I walk over to him, keeping my head down so I don’t get stopped. I need to relax for just a few minutes.

“What’s up?” Nix says as I plop down in a chair beside him.

“Just want to chill for a few minutes. This is the first freakin’ beer I’ve had all afternoon.”

“Well, Cheers!” Nix holds his beer up and I clang mine against it.

“Where’s Emily?”

Nix glances at his watch. “She should be here soon. She’s driving in from the city.”

“So, you two have been going pretty strong for a while now. When are you going to pop the big question?”

I watch as Nix’s eyes warm up and he gets a silly smile on his face. My brother...the tough, war hardened Marine has been brought to his knees by a woman.  Who would have thought?

“I don’t know. When the time is right, I guess.”

I punch him lightly in the arm. “The time is right, dude. No sense in waiting.”

Nix takes a huge pull on his beer. “I want to ask her dad first. So it won’t happen until I can talk to him.”

“So pick up the phone and call him.”

Nix shakes his head adamantly. “No way, man. That shit has to be done in person.”

“Really?” I ask with curiosity. I know nothing about how proposals work, and frankly, I really don’t care. That’s not on my agenda for years to come, if at all. Still, I can’t help but ask, “Is there some etiquette rule that says it has to be in person?”

Nix grins at me. “No, you moron. There’s no rules whether I even have to ask him or not. It’s just...I want his approval. For Emily’s sake. That’s all.”

“So, again, I ask...why don’t you just call?”

The devious smirk that tilts Nix’s lips is hilarious to me, and I know he’s getting ready to say something epic. “Because...I’m going to threaten him with bodily harm if he says no. That is much more effective in person.”

I guffaw loudly. Only my brother would threaten a U.S. Congressman and possible next President of the United States. Nix lives by his own rules.  It’s a quality I admire and actually try to replicate as much as I can. I look up to my big brother in more ways than I can even count.

“Linc!”

I look over to see who is calling me. One of my teammates is holding up a full bag of garbage in his hand.

“What’s up?”

“I’m going to throw this in the dumpster for you but we are out of garbage bags. You got some more upstairs?”

I stand up from my chair. “Yup. I’ll go get ‘em.”

Turning to Nix, I say, “I’ll catch up with you later after Emily gets here.”

Heading into my building, I stop briefly at the mailbox and grab its contents. I shuffle through the stack as I head up in the elevator. Smiling, I open the letter from Teton Realty and quickly scan it. It’s the confirmation of my reservation for a cabin in Jackson, Wyoming. I take my summer vacation there every year and I am stoked about heading there soon.

I dump the mail on my kitchen counter and reach under the sink for some more garbage bags. When I straighten back up, I’m momentarily shocked when two female arms circle me from behind. My first instinct is to step away, because trust me, I’ve had my share of crazies that have made some pretty overt moves on me. But then I smell the familiar perfume and I know it’s just Brenda. I relax slightly.

Turning in her arms and dropping the bags to the floor, I rest my hands lightly at her waist. “It’s about time you showed up.”

She laughs huskily. “So, you’ve been looking for me, huh?”

I shrug my shoulders non-committally. I invited Brenda here as my “date” and I use that term loosely. Brenda and I were introduced a few months ago by a mutual friend. Our relationship, if you could call it that, consists solely of booty calls.

When I took her on our first and only date, which was a blind setup by said mutual friend, I recognized an instant attraction to her. She is simply stunning, as well she should be. She’s a model and her work varies from high end editorial work to hotter than hot swimsuit spreads.

The attraction on her part was mutual and we barely made it to the bedroom when I brought her home at the end of that date. Since then, we hook up whenever she’s in town, which isn’t all that often. Still, I like her. I mean...I like her as a person. Not for any type of deep relationship or anything, because I am definitely not looking for that at this point in my life. Luckily, neither is she. Neither of us expects monogamy and about the only thing that we mutually insist on is using a condom every time we fuck.

She leans in and sneaks a kiss. She’s super tall, coming in just a few inches shorter than me, which makes for some amazingly convenient oral sex when we want to sixty-nine it.

As if she could read my thoughts, Brenda slips her hand down and fondles me through my shorts. “We could slip into your room for a quickie right now.”

I grab her hand and tug it away. I’m not one for exhibitionism and anyone could walk through my condo at any time. “As tempting as that sounds, I have guests and a ton of things to take care of. But tonight...don’t plan on getting any sleep. Can you stay the night?”

She smiles at me, not in the least put off by my refusal to fuck her right now. “Of course, sugar. I’ll hold you to it though.”

Brenda turns and walks out of the kitchen. I assume she’s heading down to the party.

I pick up the garbage bags and before I head back down, I decide to give my dad a call. He’s been down with a bad cold, otherwise he’d be here at the party. I just need to check on him and head toward my bedroom for some privacy.

As I turn down the hall, a gaggle of giggling women come out of the guest bathroom. They are young and I doubt they are much over twenty-one, if that. They must have been invited by some of my single teammates, but hell, for all I know they could be crashing. There are three of them and they are all wearing bikini tops that don’t leave much to the imagination and shorts that are so short, I wonder why they bother.

I nod politely at them and they all start giggling even louder. I make sure my back is turned on them before I roll my eyes. I don’t know why, but I’ve never been one for women that are overt in their sexual appearance. Don’t get me wrong. I love the naked female body. I could look at it for hours...days...even years. I could make a career out of running my hands and lips across a naked woman. But I like a little mystery. I like to wonder what lies beyond. I like to have to work for it.

Shutting my bedroom door, I pull out my cell phone and dial my dad. He answers on the second ring.

“How’s it going, kiddo?” 

My dad punctuates the question by a deep, hacking cough and I wince. “It’s going fine. You, however, are sounding horrible. Did you go to the doctor?”

I listen as my dad coughs, then wheezes. Finally, he says, “No. I’m just taking some stuff I got at the drugstore. I’ll be fine.”

“You don’t sound fine, Dad. You sound terrible. Maybe I should come over and get you right now. We can go to an urgent care clinic.”

“You’ll do no such thing. You are in the middle of a party and have guests. You stay your ass there.”

I smile. My dad is such a tough son-of-a-bitch when it comes to his own health, but he has a heart of gold when it comes to the happiness and well-being of his own kids. It’s always been that way.

“Fine. I’ll call you later tonight to check in.”

“There’s no need. Stop worrying.”

“Whatever, Dad. I’m hanging up on you now.”

My dad laughs but before we say good-bye he says, “You still coming out next weekend with Nix and Emily? Figured we could fire up the grill.”

“Absolutely! That is if I don’t have to drag your sorry butt to the doctor’s before then.”

My dad chuckles, which leads to another coughing fit. “You’re not too old for me to take across my knee now, sonny!”

“Yeah, right. You’re too soft to even think about spanking me.”

And it’s true. My dad never laid a hand on me and Nix growing up. He never had to. It’s not that we were angels or anything, but for some reason, after our mom died, we really respected our dad. Whatever he told us to do, we did. Whatever boundaries he placed, we abided. Oh, we had our little rebellious times, but our dad would always talk those things through with us rather than seek to physically punish us.

He is, just simply, the best parent a man could hope for.

“Alright, son. I’m hanging up and heading to bed. See you next weekend.”

“Okay, Dad. Love you.”

“I love you too, Linc.”

Hanging up, I smile. I hope I turn out to be at least half the man my father is.