Touchdown (7 page)

She sighed. This man was insistent. “You really want to know what I want?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you’re amenable to anything I ask?”

“Of course.”

“Well, then. Marry me. That’s what I want.”

He froze for a brief moment. “Done. When do you want us to get married?”

She gawked at him, unable to believe what he said. But she knew both of them weren’t being serious. He was just riding along. “Troy Myers, why don’t you waste your time somewhere else?” she said and turned away.

“Come on.” He followed her to the door. “I just accepted your proposal. What better way can I compensate you than make you my wife?”

“Shut up.” She tried to ignore him and continued to the elevator. “You’re wasting my time.”

“Not anymore. I’ll walk you home while we talk about our wedding.”

“There’s no wedding.”

“As far as I’m concerned, we’re engaged now.”

“Oh, what the fuck, Myers. Leave me alone.”

“I can’t leave my fiancée alone. I’ll drive you home.”

“No, thank you.” She entered the elevator. He followed her in. “Don’t you have other things to do? You just lost your last game. Why don’t you start practicing? You’ll need it for your next match with the Jets.”

He ignored her and stood beside her as the elevator descended. “Really, Zoey. That marriage proposal is the best offer you have given me. I’ll take it.”

“I thought you don’t like ugly women.”

“Did I say that? As far as I know, I don’t even look at women’s faces anymore.”

“As long as she’s got a pussy?”

He drew his brows together. “You sure can talk. Does your anger management session include irresistible urge for profanity?”

Her jaw dropped. “How did you know that?” she half-exclaimed. Nobody knew she had undergone anger management therapy after she was arrested for verbal abuse. “You’ve been digging out my shit, haven’t you?”

“Not me. My lawyer did.”

“My shit is my shit, okay? I’m a private person.”

“Nobody’s taking your shit from you. We just took a little peek at it. It sure wasn’t pretty.”

She grunted. As soon as the elevator opened, she stepped out.

He followed her through the lobby. A few people there all turned their heads to look at him.

“Go back upstairs,” she said. “People are looking at you.”

“So what? Let them look,” he said and followed her to the entrance. The guard opened the door for her, but when Troy was about to step out, the guard stopped him.

“I’m sorry, Sir. For your security, I’d suggest you remain inside the building.”

“I won’t be long. I’ll just escort the lady out.”

“Your coach just called me to not let you out of the building.”

She left the two men arguing. She never looked back. While waiting for a taxi, she realized her anger and her hatred toward the famous quarterback had subsided, not completely though.

He had actually knelt down before her, and she knew it wasn’t just an act. He meant it. He was really sorry for what he’d done to her.

Soon enough, she might be able to forgive him. But if she were to forgive him and change her statement to the police, she might just as well accept one of his offers—for herself and for Bessie.

Chapter 7

“My stool pigeon called,” Jeremy told Troy as they sat on the bench. He was on the practice field with his team, preparing for their upcoming game against their fiercest rival, the New York Jets. The rest of the team was in the locker room, resting.

“What did he say?” Troy asked after gulping down half the content of the water bottle.

“He said Zoey changed her statement.”

“Really?” That came to him as a surprise. “Did she accept the offer?”

Jeremy shook his head and rested his arm on top of the bench. “Not sure why she did it. I’ve been trying to contact her but she is not answering.”

“I’ll wire her the money right now, but first I have to know what’s in her new statement.”

“She claimed the accident was her fault. But don’t celebrate yet, and don’t wire her the money yet. Her sudden change of statement is suspicious. If the prosecutors found out you wired that much money in her account, they’d use that against you.”

Troy sighed. Jeremy was right. He’d only dig his grave deeper if he’d transfer that much money to Zoey’s account.

“Did you watch the news this morning?” Jeremy asked.

“No. What’s it about?”

“Some groups of the Pats fans have joined the protest against you. They want you out of football. Aside from your crime, they cited gross immorality to brand you unfit to play in the nation’s most prestigious sports.”

“What do they mean gross immorality?”

“Your womanizing habit, man,” Jeremy explained.

“I never had a woman since the accident.”

“Before that. They’re digging out every single dirt in your life now, including your parents’.”

“I hit a woman. I took responsibility over it. I’m facing all possible charges against me. Why did they have to throw in my family’s trash into this?”

“To the Pats fans, you’re a hero. You know that. But to some, you’re an annoying boulder along their way, and if they can’t push you away, they’d have to put dynamites under you and shatter you to bits.”

Troy took a deep breath. He understood what Jeremy meant. Since his rise as the starting quarterback of the Patriots, he’d gained notoriety as well. Some people were just not happy with his presence in the league. They were only waiting to shoot him down when given the opportunity. They had paid paparazzi and the press to expose his womanizing habit. They had been doing so for years.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to ruin him completely. His general manager, Hal Carter, continued to defend him.

Now, they’d gotten the perfect opportunity to finally put an end to his career. They wouldn’t stop using the accident to make him look like a spawn of hell.

He knew who they were. Logan knew it too. They were within the league. Owners of rival teams, general managers, coaches, or simply haters. In fact, even those protesters were being paid generously. They wouldn’t mind spending that much for that sole purpose. They saw it as an investment. If they succeeded, it would be for their own benefit.

Hal was under too much pressure, as well. His general manager had called him to his office the other day and expressed his regret that if he could not fix this mess, Hal had no choice but to concede the disciplinary officer’s
recommendation to suspend, or even terminate, his contract.

“I think your coach’s suggestion is perfect.”

Troy drew his brows at the center. “What suggestion?”

“Marry her.”

He chuckled and shook his head. He wasn’t really serious when he said yes to Zoey. He knew she wasn’t either.

“Right now, people are talking nothing else but shit about you,” Jeremy said. “You can turn the table around, if you want to.”

“By marrying her?”

“And shock the hell out of them. Who would expect that the most elusive bachelor and legendary quarterback will finally settle down with an ordinary woman who happens to be his victim? It’s a Cinderella story, a fairy tale that everyone would rather be talking about.”

Troy smiled. He had to agree that was really something. “Don’t you think people will say it’s just a show?”

“Some people will definitely not be pleased, but who gives a damn? It’s not everyday that a fairy tale romance happens in the field. Women are crazy about those shit. “

He nodded. This was turning out to be a perfect plan. “Then I can say that if not because of the accident, I wouldn’t have met my Cinderella.”

“Precisely,” Jeremy growled.

Troy laughed deeply.

“And not only that,” Jeremy continued. “We have a law that a spouse should not be forced to testify against the other spouse.”

“I know that, but now that she’d changed her statement, she’d be testifying on my behalf.”

“That’s for certain. The problem is… she will be cross examined by the prosecution, and believe me, they could wring the truth out of her mouth in any ways they can think of. So your best option is to eliminate her from the set of witnesses.”

Troy nodded. It was indeed a perfect plan. But a marriage?

He couldn’t imagine himself getting married, not for any reasons. He’d rather go to jail, that was if it had no repercussions.

He was on a hot seat. The NFL Commissioner had given a final warning, that if it turned out he was to blame for the accident, his contract had to be terminated to save the reputation of the league.

“You’ve got to propose to her on the field,” Logan’s voice suddenly interrupted them.

They both turned around and found the coach standing behind them. This old man had been listening to them all along and they didn’t even notice him.

“It has to be spectacular,” Logan continued. “Maybe after the game, but you’ll have to win, of course.”

Troy raised an eyebrow. “In the Jets’ home field?”

“Yes, so you’ve got to win that game for her.”

“I agree,” Jeremy nodded.

Troy chuckled. “Don’t you think that’s too cheesy?”

“Those creamy cheese will save your ass, dickhead,” Logan said. “You’d better start looking for a ring, and tell your secretary to write you a cheesy script.”

“I don’t have a secretary.”

“I have,” Jeremy said and looked at the field. He suddenly nudged Troy. “Talking about the she-devil.”

Troy followed the lawyer’s gaze and saw Zoey walking, or leaping towards them. She only had one crutch now, on her left hand, and she was holding Bessie on her right. Again, she was wearing a long, cream skirt and a red fitted topper. Unlike the last time, she looked good on it. It emphasized her feminine curves—her breasts and narrow waist, particularly. He didn’t think she could beat the D-sized women he had always preferred to sleep with, with breasts as huge as football, but even if she were a C or a B, her breasts looked too large for her slender figure.

He found himself licking his lips. It had been two long weeks since he’d last sucked a pair of tits. His testosterone was in overdrive. That pair of appetizers would do just fine right now.

“Troy!” Bessie yelled as she ran to him.

He had to take his eyes off Zoey’s breasts and caught Bessie in his arms. “Hey. How’s my pretty girl?”

“Zoey wants to see you.”

“She does? Did she miss me?”

Bessie grinned and looked up to his companion. “Good morning, uncle Logan.”

“Morning, kid. No school today?”

“My teacher’s sick. She can’t come to school.”

“Oh, I see.”

Troy kept glancing at Zoey while Jeremy introduced himself to Bessie. He felt bad for letting her walk all the way around the field in her condition. Whatever reason she had for coming to Foxborough, he was interested to know.

“You stay here for a while, okay,” he told Bessie and put the girl on Jeremy’s lap. “I’ll go get your mama.”

“She’s not my mama,” Bessie argued. “And she said you’re not her boyfriend.”

“She said that?” Troy leaned closer to the little girl. “She’s lying. I am her boyfriend, and soon we are getting married.”

Bessie’s jaw dropped. “Really?!” she shrieked in surprise. “But she said she doesn’t like you.”

“They just have this little quarrel, you know,” Jeremy said. “Troy has done something really bad to her.”

“What did he do?”

Troy stood up. “Watch me. I’m going to kiss her,” he said and turned away.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Logan reminded him as he ran to meet Zoey at the corner.

“Hi,” he said and stole a kiss on her cheek. Startled, she lifted her fist to slap him. He caught her wrist before her palm hit his face. “Not in front of the kid. She thinks I’m your boyfriend.”

Exasperated, she pulled her hand off his. “Why do you always act like a prick every time we meet?”

He spread his arms. “A prick? Am I that bad to you?”

“Ah, forget it. I’m leaving Bessie with you and Mister Norris for a few hours.”

He frowned. “Why?”

“Why? Because I have a job interview. I can’t take her with me.”

“Why didn’t you just bring her to my mother?”

“It’s too far. I don’t have time to go there.”

“It’s only thirty minutes away from your place. You think that’s too far away while you did not mind driving for two hours coming here?”

“I did not come here specifically to see you. My interview is somewhere around this area, and they told me I can’t take a child in the building so I decided to bring her here.”

“Alright,” he nodded. It made sense now. “So you want to relocate to Foxborough?”

“Not necessarily.”

He laughed deeply under his throat. “I can’t look after her. We’re practicing.”

“That’s your problem. I’ve done you a favor. You pay me back in kind. Just babysit for me until three PM. I may come back earlier.”

“What favor?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know.”

He nodded. She must be referring to the change of her statement. “Alright. I appreciate what you did. So which of the offers would you like to take?”

“I’m still not sure, but if I don’t pass this interview, you have to help me find a job.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why do you have to make things difficult for yourself? There’s four million dollars just waiting for your approval. I’ll deliver it to you in cold cash. Not through bank, okay. It’s not safe.”

“You think they wouldn’t suspect if you withdraw four million dollars?”

“I’ll pay you in installment, or I can borrow from my colleagues. That will be my problem. Rest assured you’ll get your four million within a month.”

She sighed. “I’ve got my pride, Troy Myers, and I don’t want to be involved in your mess any longer. Just help me find a job. That’s it, and we’re even.”

“I can replace my accountant with you.”

“Not that. I’m not an accountant.”

“So what job would you like?”

“What job can you offer? But don’t fire any of your employees for me.”

He shrugged. “Maid?”

She grunted. “You’re wasting my time.” She was about to turn away when he grabbed her arm.

“Just one more thing.”

“Get your filthy hand off me,” she demanded.

Quickly, he dropped his hand.

“You have two minutes.”

Oh, Christ. This woman is utterly boring.

“So?” She shot him a demanding, impatient stare.

He took a deep breath to prepare himself. Shit, this was totally new to him. He’d never proposed to any woman before. “Last time we met, were you serious when you asked me to marry you?”

She raised her eyebrows. “Do you think I was serious?”

“Well, I can’t stop thinking about it.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re not my type, Troy Myers. I’m a Mason girl.”

He narrowed his eyes as he studied her face. Boring and lifeless long brown hair. Boring brown eyes. Arched eyebrows that made her look like a snob. Freckles across the bridge of her nothing-special-about nose. Boring pair of thin lips…

Her face was a sight of complete boredom. It bored him just looking at it. It’s not that she was ugly though. She was just plain boring. Thank goodness for her pair of tits. At least there was one interesting thing about her.

“You’re not my type either,” he returned. He did not want to comment about her boring face though, so he thought about something else to say to counter her offensive remark. “I don’t usually prefer skinny women.”

“I’m not skinny. You just have this obsession over voluptuous women.”

“Oh yeah? How did you know?”

“They’re all over the tabloids, dumbass.”

“You read tabloids?”

“I wouldn’t be reading them if I didn’t lose my job.”

He chuckled. “Alright. Understood. It all goes back to me.”

“I’m glad you realize that.”

“So what about if we get married for real?”

She froze. For a few seconds, she stared at him with her mouth open. “Are you kidding me?”