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She smiles at me, and I know it’s not just because I’m giving her great answers for her story. No, she knows why I’m saying all of this: I’m absolutely smitten with her.
I’ve been struggling with the feeling of being open and vulnerable with a woman. It’s completely not my normal style. But with Stacy, everything feels right, especially after our amazing date in Argentina, and I know I have to give into love.
I feel such strength and protection for her, as if I always want her to be mine. I still haven’t figured out who attacked her on that day in the locker room, though, and that’s bothering me. I make a note to check with my friend who I had texted about it.
As the interview comes to an end, though, all I can think about is kissing Stacy. I know we shouldn’t risk it here, with so many people around, but I can’t help it. I want her bad.
Afterwards, I find her in the prepping room, and no one else is around. I close the door and stride quickly across the room to her.
“My love,” I say, swooping her close to my chest and kissing her.
She kisses me back, passionately, but then steps back.
“We shouldn’t be…”
She stops and looks at me.
“Did you just call me your love?”
Right then, saving me from having to answer, luckily, since I had let that slip out unintentionally, someone barged inside without knocking.
“Stacy,” that someone drawled, fake sugary sweet.
Of course that someone had to be Kirsten Donnelly. I hated how she was always so cruel to Stacy, but then again, I knew that neither of us should take it personally. Kirsten was cruel to everyone.
“Kirsten,” Stacy nods curtly, doing a good job of acting as if she and I had just been talking and that we hadn’t just been locking lips.
That was really close. It could have been worse, since we had already broken away by the time Kirsten entered, but it was still scary.
“I told you I’ve got my eye on you,” Kirsten says to Stacy, and then shifts her gaze to me. “No one on my radar has seen you two locking lips in the locker room or out and about town, but that doesn’t mean I’m convinced. I’ll continue to watch you like a hawk until I break this story about you.”
She turns around and leaves in a huff, and I raise my eyebrows at Stacy, who says, “What a bitch.”
“She’s doing a story about you?” I ask, mostly feeling amused.
“She sure wants to be,” Stacy says. “She’s been a huge thorn in my side.”
“Kirsten’s just jealous,” I tell her. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Yeah, but she’s pretty conniving and determined,” Stacy says. “And both of us have a lot to lose. Listen—”
I had started to go in for another kiss, but she’s pushing me away.
“I really think you and I should cool it until after the Superbowl,” she says. “I would hate for us to be discovered and for either of us to experience negative consequences to our careers because of it.”
“But it’s so hot to have to sneak around,” I protest, with a mock pout.
“Very funny,” she says, shaking her head at me.
At least I got her to smile a bit.
“In all seriousness,” she insists. “Please. We can get back together during the off season but for just a little while longer, we have to play it safe.”
“Okay, honey,” I tell her, doing my best to play off the fact that I’m kind of hurt. “Whatever you want.”
Just when I was starting to open up to her, she pushes me away. I know she has her reasons, and they’re great ones, but I don’t fucking care what anyone else thinks. I want her to be mine for good. I guess I’ll just have to wait until after the big game, but I’ve never been one for patience.
“Did you just call me honey?” she asks me, in that playful tone of hers that I love.
I can’t stay here and flirt with her, or I’ll get turned on. I try to think about what I can do in the meantime to burn off this extra energy until I can see her again. I want to give her one more hug, because I know she’s fierce but I still feel the urge to protect her.
That’s it, I think. The thing I can do that will help resolve things for us so that when the time is right, we can be together.
“I’ll see you later,” I tell her, heading towards the door.
She looks a little surprised, as if she was waiting for me to try to kiss or hug her one more time.
But she must realize that this was her idea and I’m just taking it to heart.
Because all she says is a gentle, “See you later.”
