Page 10 of Faking it With the Player Next Door

Chapter Ten

Van

S itting in the kitchen, I poured a cup of coffee and subconsciously rubbed my elbow. Realizing the deep ache I was trying to get rid of, I decided I needed to continue my therapy.

“Maybe I’ll call Taylor,” I murmured, and picked up my coffee mug.

She had offered to help keep me on task with my therapy and recovery but I hadn’t taken her up on it yet. Before I knew it, my recovery time would be over, and if I wasn’t up to par, I may lose my multi-million-dollar contract, and be kicked to the curb.

Baseball is my life, and if I can’t play because I’m too slack in my therapy, I’d be so pissed off. I’d have no one to blame but myself. That thought seemed to jolt me awake, and I grew angry.

I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am today, and to lose that because I was lazy and too confident.

Rocking my head from side to side, I mulled over the idea. I was glancing in the direction of Taylor’s place. I couldn’t see the house through the wall, but I knew she was probably there. It seemed she rarely left the house; at least, I’d had seen.

The only time I saw her was when she sat out on the back deck, or if she was weeding her grandma’s old garden and flower beds around the yard. I’d spoken with her on the phone dozens of times but hadn’t gone over there to spend time with her, explain about Ellie, or just have a friendly chat in person.

Retrieving my cell phone from the kitchen table, I opened up my messaging and texted Taylor. As I waited for her to reply, I saw the three dots moving across the screen, meaning she was typing. I waited patiently, but the three dots disappeared soon, and she hadn’t replied.

Frowning, I typed another text and sent it. Then waited.

Three dots again, then a ding , and I had a text.

Reading it, I smiled. She agreed to dinner tonight, but she had stipulations.

“Of course you do,” I chuckled and sent a reply asking her what they were.

When I received her demands , I immediately responded, agreeing. I didn’t care what she wanted; I’d have given in to any demand.

***

Holding out Taylor’s chair, she slid into it, and I circled the table to sit across from her. She had her hands in her lap, and I noticed how beautiful she was this evening. Her blonde hair was swept up and secured behind her head, and she wore limited makeup. Not that she needed any makeup.

Taylor’s natural beauty didn’t need any enhancements. She’s always been pretty, and I’ve always been attracted to her; I just never acted on my feelings.

I smiled, thinking about how I needed to thank Hunter a hundred times for being so protective of Taylor. It’s because of him that I lied about Taylor and my relationship. Getting caught in a promiscuous situation, and having the pastor with him was all I needed to get the proverbial ball rolling with Taylor.

She worshiped Hunter and would do anything to stay in his good graces. So, claiming we were in a relationship played well into my hopes for a future with Taylor.

We have kept in touch over the years, since we moved away from home, until recently. When Taylor began her new job and started dating Travis, she didn’t text as often, and our weekly calls began diminishing.

When I questioned her about it, she shrugged it off, claiming she was busy. I didn’t completely buy her excuse, but I let it go since I had become busier as my career advanced and was out on the road for half the year.

But speaking and texting with Taylor always seemed to keep me grounded. Having less and less involvement with her, affected my life. While good when on the field, my focus could never settle down as my thoughts were always on Taylor.

I loved seeing her smile, hearing her laughter when I told some lame joke, listening to her sweet, melodious voice, and watching her work in her grandma’s flower gardens.

Everything about Taylor calmed me. So, when our contact lessened, I felt as if my world was turned upside-down. I knew it wasn’t healthy, but I couldn’t break away from Taylor not being around and not being my midnight chatter on the phone buddy.

When I heard from Hunter that Taylor and Travis had broken off their engagement, my hopes were revived, and I waited a good amount of time before contacting Taylor. I didn’t want to boast, but I missed her, and could only wait so many days before contacting her.

I didn’t regret waiting any longer.

“What are you smirking about?” Taylor broke into my thoughts.

“Huh?” My eyes blinked several times before I could focus on the moment. I was so deep into my thoughts that I hadn’t heard Taylor.

“I called your name five times,” she frowned, twisting her lips.

“Sorry, just thinking,” I murmured.

“Must’ve been something pretty important,” she countered, leaning her arms on the table, which brought her face closer to mine.

In the darkened restaurant, with table lights and a few lowlights along the walls, Taylor appeared almost angelic, and my breath caught in my throat. Her eyes fluttered, and I couldn’t hide from her green eyes, which were almost a sparkling emerald in this light.

“Thanks for agreeing to come out to dinner with me,” I replied, avoiding telling her what I thought. But that’s the entire reason I was here, right?

I needed to put on my big boy pants and just tell Taylor. I hoped she felt the same, and every indication directed me there. Taylor didn’t argue too much when I flung the relationship at Hunter, nor could he deny the kiss.

“Well, as you know, I’m not too thrilled about it,” she pursed her lips. “I was surprised you agreed to my terms,” she smiled.

Thinking back to earlier in the day when Taylor texted me with her two conditions for going out for dinner, I laughed. She wanted to meet me wherever we were going, and as she explained, if she needed to leave abruptly, she didn’t have to wait for me.

The second stipulation was that she wanted to start talking first, as she had much to say.

In my mind, I was hoping she had fallen deeply in love with me, as I was with her… What? Deeply in love with Taylor?

Where the hell did that come from?

“First, you’re smiling, and now you’re frowning?” Taylor chided. “You’re worse than a hormonal teenage girl.”

“Just a lot on my mind,” I shrugged, as I glanced over Taylor’s shoulder and saw three women sitting at a table across the room, talking to one another with smiles and glancing in our direction.

Oh, not now!

“Well, that’s what tonight is about,” Taylor picked up her glass, sipped some water, then gazed at me. “Talking, and airing our grievances…”

“Grievances?” I turned my eyes back to Taylor, forgetting the three women who probably recognized me, and were on the verge of coming over. “What grievances?”

“Well, yes,” Taylor sighed, and her finger circled the rim of her water glass. “We have some things we need to hash out.”

“Okay, you wanted to talk first,” I reminded her, as I saw two women stand up, giggling and glancing at me.

“Yes, I do,” she cleared her throat and sipped more water. ‘The other day, well, I…” She paused, searching for what to say, or how to say it.

I leaned on the table, interlinked my fingers, and waited for her to continue. A movement over her shoulder caught my attention, and I saw all three women strolling towards me.

Rolling my eyes, I cursed under my breath and wished this wasn’t happening now. I was used to having fans come for autographs, women fawning all over me, and even an overzealous fan making a fool of themself in front of me, but having Taylor sitting two feet away from me when three gorgeous women were heading my way, I knew this was going to end badly.

“Now what?” Taylor tilted her head, then slowly turned it to see the three women approaching. “Oh, great.” Shaking her head, she glared at me. ‘Fans of yours?”

“I’m guessing,” I winced when Taylor’s eyes turned moist.

Her lower lip quivered, and I knew she was upset, and she’d start crying in a matter of seconds.

“I’m sorry, Taylor,” I whispered, reaching across the table to take her hand.

She yanked her hand away from me and pushed her chair back. She stood and placed her napkin on the table, still holding my gaze. “And this is why I wanted to drive myself. In case something happened that I needed to get away from.”

She picked up her purse and phone, which had been sitting on the table beside her water glass, and turned, almost bumping into one of the women.

“He’s all yours, ladies,” she quipped, and with one final glimpse at me, she strode away.

I watched as her hips swayed, side to side, and she exited the restaurant. I stood to follow her, but two of the women were already standing beside me, blocking my way, while the third woman gently pushed me back in my chair.

“Where are you going?” The third woman giggled. “You can’t just leave your biggest fans…” She smiled, offering a dazzling white smile, and fluttered her eyelashes.

Five minutes later, by the time I signed a few autographs and slipped three new phone numbers written on a napkin into my pants’ front pocket, I raced out to the parking lot. But Taylor was already gone.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake,” I stomped on the asphalt and ran a hand through my hair.

I should’ve left as soon as Taylor did, ignored the women, and told Taylor how I felt about her. I could’ve taken her in my arms and told her that I had fallen in love with her… years ago and wanted a real relationship with her, not just one that satisfies Hunter and his values.

Trudging off to my car, I climbed inside, but instead of starting the engine and leaving the restaurant’s parking lot, I rested my head on the steering wheel. Slamming my right hand onto the dash, I instantly regretted not restraining my anger.

Pain shot through my hand to my elbow, and I cursed.

That’s gonna hurt later, so I started my car and drove home slowly. There is no sense in getting there with hopes of Taylor speaking to me. I knew I had blown it. I may have still had a chance to redeem myself if I had shunned the women away, or gone after Taylor immediately, but that time had come and gone.