College Jock's Secret Baby, page 4
Her long, light brown hair with streaks of blonde looked like something a celebrity would have. It was beautiful and shiny. I wondered if it felt as silky as it appeared. Her hazel eyes turned to me and I was captivated. She offered me a pretty smile, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. The woman could have been on the cover of a magazine or on some billboard modeling jewelry or clothing.
I smiled and was going to put the moves on her but tripped over a cord stretched across the floor. I barely managed to right myself. I looked up and saw her trying not to laugh. I wasn’t about to introduce myself now. I had just embarrassed the shit out of myself.
I nodded and walked out of the office. I couldn’t resist the urge to turn around and get one last look. Lucky me, she was checking me out as well. She didn’t look like a freshman. Was she a transfer? Maybe she was just checking out the campus. I hoped I saw her around when classes did start. She was no farmer’s daughter. There were plenty of women who dressed like they were from Hollywood, but none of them pulled it off quite like she did. She made it look effortless.
And sexy as hell. Damn, that was an actual breath of fresh air. I wanted to know more about her. Who was she? Where in the hell did she come from? I knew she wasn’t a Midwest girl. That much was clear.
“Whatley!” I heard my name. Scott was jogging towards me. “Were you going to leave without me?”
“I’m sure you would find a way home,” I said.
“Did you get what you wanted?” he asked.
I nodded. “I think I did.”
“Harder classes?”
“They might be hard for you, but I’m not worried,” I told him as we started the walk back to my truck.
“Oh, because you’re so much smarter than the rest of us,” he laughed.
“I’m not smarter, but I do have a way with numbers,” I said. “I’m lucky that way.”
“What do you plan on doing with all your numbers?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “I could start my own business. I could run someone else’s business. I’m not sure what I want to do, but I know I want to have options. What if I get hurt during my first practice? What if I do get drafted in and trip and fall down the stairs in the offseason and smash my leg? My chances of playing in the NFL are gone. I’ll be left with nothing. No real education. No prospects. Nothing.”
“Your parents have enough money to support you,” he said.
I rolled my eyes. “Like I want to be under their thumb for the rest of my life. I can make my own money. I want to be independent. If I have to live under my dad’s control for another two years or ten years, I will lose my damn mind. I’ll move to fucking Russia before I do that.”
He laughed as we climbed into the truck. “That’s a little dramatic.”
“That’s how damn serious I am about getting an education I can use.”
“All right, I get it. I’d offer to help, but I’m shit with math. I’m barely getting by in my own classes.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Let’s go get something to eat. I imagine this will be our last real meal. Then it’s going to be all about protein and two workouts a day.”
He groaned. “I think I might be getting too old for that shit.”
“How in the hell are you going to make it in the pros?”
“Money and fame, baby,” he grinned. “Show me the money and I’m going to play like my life depends on it. Add in the babes that are sure to come with the money and fame and I’ll let my body take a beating every damn day.”
“Good to see you have your priorities straight,” I said.
“Tell me you don’t want the perks that come with getting into the pros,” he said. “Right now, we get our asses kicked for some free merch and college girls. I’m ready to make the real money and date the lovely women that come as part of the package.”
“The perks are great, but they aren’t everything,” I countered.
“Liar,” he laughed.
Chapter 6
Macy
If all the boys in Nebraska looked like him, I had a feeling I was going to have a lot of fun. The cornfed boys were hot. And large. I scanned the room with the incoming and returning students hoping to get a jump on their class schedules. None of them looked quite like the tall, dark, and extremely gorgeous dude who had smiled at me.
His jet-black hair was cut short. His tan looked real and not the spray-on kind I was used to seeing back home. He looked like he spent a lot of time outdoors throwing hay bales or something. His arms were cut. The sexy tattoo that wrapped around his left bicep added just enough of an edge to make him look a little dangerous. I liked it. I liked all of it.
The black tank and the basketball shorts made him look like an athlete. Technically, his body made him look like an athlete. It was the attire that added to that look. He was very tall. I wondered if he played basketball. There was the typical cocky confidence you would expect an athlete to have. He knew he was sexy and was used to the ladies ogling him.
Of course, there was the tripping over the cord thing. That was very ungraceful. Maybe he wasn’t an athlete. He could be a farmer. That would explain the tan and the muscle tone. He was someone I was going to be thinking about for days to come.
“Miss Dennings?” I heard my name called and quickly stepped away from the wall I’d been leaning up against.
“That’s me,” I said with a smile.
“Come on back,” the older man said.
I followed him into a small office and took the offered chair. “Thank you.”
“Miss Dennings,” he said again. “Give me a second to pull up your transcripts. You’re new to Omaha, is that correct?”
“Yep,” I answered. “Just moved here last week. I’m looking forward to a fresh start.”
He was staring at his screen and then back at me. “You’re transferring here from USC?”
“I am.”
He gave me a funny look before turning back to his screen. “Macy… may I call you Macy?”
“Yes, please, I prefer it.”
“You are probably one of the most overqualified transfers I’ve seen,” he said. “What brings you here?”
I smiled and refused to look sad or anything but happy. “I’m interested in pursuing my education somewhere that has an excellent biology program.”
“And you think that’s here instead of California?”
“Yes, I do,” I said. “Smaller class sizes means more lab time. I’m interested in a quality education, not just a name on a diploma. I’m confident my abilities will speak for themselves. I don’t need a fancy college name to get my foot in the door.”
He was smiling as he typed. “You’re very confident.”
“I think my grades speak for themselves.”
“You seem like you have a good head on your shoulders,” he said. “You’ve already picked your classes?”
“I have, but I was hoping you could tell me if there were any extras I can squeeze in.”
“You have a full load and chemistry is one of the hardest courses here,” he said.
“Will all my credits transfer?”
He nodded. “Looks like it.”
He pushed a button and a second later his printer was spitting out paper. He handed me several pages. “Thank you,” I said.
“I think you’ll like it here, but it’s very different than out west,” he said.
“That’s exactly what I’m hoping for,” I lied. I was determined to put on a brave face. If I kept saying it, eventually, I would believe it. To keep my mom happy, I needed to be upbeat and positive.
“I encourage you to take part in the activities scheduled prior to the first day of classes,” he said. “I see you won’t be living on campus. Do you have an apartment?”
“I’m living with my mom just outside the city,” I said.
“Oh, your mother’s here,” he said, laughing. “That explains why you’re here. I have to say, I couldn’t understand how a young lady from California even knew we existed. Has your mother lived here for long?”
“No, actually we both just moved here. Her grandmother left a house to her.”
He slowly nodded. “I see. Well, like I was saying, you’ll want to check out all the extracurricular activities. We’re small, but we know how to have fun. Our football program is one of the highlights of the school. We are very proud of our team and have a lot of pep rallies. It’s a great place to meet people as well.”
“Thank you, I will definitely be checking the website for stuff to do,” I told him. “I do feel like a fish out of water here. I’m looking forward to making new friends.”
“You’ll have no problem doing that,” he said. “We’re a friendly bunch.”
I rose from the chair and shook his hand. “Thank you for your time. I’m looking forward to starting this next chapter in my life.”
“We’re happy to have you here, Macy.”
I left the office and decided to take a small tour of the campus. It was smaller, but I liked the quaintness. There were lots of trees. I imagined in the fall this place would be stunning with all of the orange and red leaves. The air smelled cleaner. The sky was bluer. All of these were good things. It made it a lot easier to stay positive.
I heard a piercing whistle cut through the air. It was the classic cat call. Some things didn’t change no matter what zip code you were in. There was another whistle. I was not going to sit back and take it. I turned around, ready to give the dude a real dressing down when I saw my friend, Harlen. She grinned and waved. “I was wondering if I was going to have to say something really seedy to get your attention,” she laughed. “You’re just a little too used to someone whistling at you.”
I rushed towards her and gave her a big hug. “You’re here!”
“I saw your sexy ass a mile away,” she teased. “I was signing up for some stuff and saw you walk out of the admin building. I can’t believe you actually did it. You’re here in Nebraska. This is a day I thought I would never see coming.”
“Honestly, I didn’t either,” I admitted. “I was so glad to find out you were here. I hate that we lost touch after graduation.”
“I moved out here,” she said with a shrug. “After high school, we all went our separate ways.”
“Yes, we did,” I said with a sigh. “Thanks for replying to my DM. I know it seems a little selfish to only reach out after finding out I was moving here.”
“I was thrilled to get your message,” she said. “I thought you were joking, though. I never thought Macy Dennings would be here in the cornfields.”
“I’m not in the cornfield,” I laughed.
“Not yet, but you will be in the next couple of months. It’s the thing to do.”
I had no idea why I would be in a cornfield, but that didn’t matter. “Can we grab coffee?” I asked her.
“Absolutely! There’s a cute place just off campus. It’s nothing like the fancy places you’re used to, but it’s good.”
“I love coffee in general,” I said.
The place was mostly empty. I imagined the afternoon hour wasn’t a busy time for them. We quickly ordered our drinks and because I didn’t want to look and sound like someone from out of town, I got what Harlen got. The sooner I could blend in, the easier my life would be.
We sat down at a small table. “I can’t believe you are here,” she said again.
“I am,” I said with another smile. “Tell me about the school. What’s Omaha like?”
“It’s nothing like LA,” she laughed. “People are old-school. You’re not going to find a green juice stand on every corner. It’s a much slower pace. Oh, and everyone knows everyone. I think about ninety percent of the people I have met have either lived here their entire life or their family has.”
“I have to admit, I thought it would be much smaller,” I told her.
“Omaha is pretty big, but it’s spread out. I love it.”
“You came here right after we graduated?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yep.”
“What brought you out here?” I asked. “I don’t remember you ever talking about Nebraska when we were in school.”
“My dad’s family is from here,” she said. “They all moved to California when my dad was a kid. He always talked about how much he loved growing up here. It was probably about my senior year when I realized I was not cut from the same cloth as the rest of you.”
“Me too?” I asked.
“You and I were really close throughout most of our school years,” she said. “I think when I hit about tenth grade, I felt like I didn’t belong.”
“I’m sorry if I made you feel that way.”
“You didn’t,” she said with a smile. “I wanted the country life. I came out here to study agriculture and live the lifestyle.”
“You always did love to grow stuff,” I said with a laugh. “Remember when we dumped out all the canned food in the pantry because you wanted to grow tomatoes in the window?”
She groaned and rolled her eyes. “My mother was so pissed!”
“It was fun, though,” I said.
“Tell me about you,” she said. “I think I saw on your Insta you were going to USC.”
“I was,” I said. “Biology major.”
“Are you changing majors?”
“Nope. Still doing the biology thing.”
“Here?” she asked with a funny look on her face. “Not that it’s a bad school, but you were at a great school.”
“I guess I needed a change,” I said. I wasn’t ready to spill my family’s dirty laundry.
“Have you met anyone?” she asked.
“Uh, I just met the counselor,” I laughed.
“We’re going out tonight,” she said. “I’ll take you out on the town and introduce you to some people. You’ll find we party the same, but different. It’s a lot less pretentious. You don’t have to wear the latest fashion or get all gussied up.”
“I like getting gussied up,” I said.
“Okay, but you don’t have to, and you don’t have to worry about anyone looking down on you for not dressing up.”
“Thank you, but I can’t go out tonight,” I said.
“What? Why not?”
“I’m still trying to get settled in,” I said. I didn’t want to leave Mom alone. She was still struggling.
“Nope,” she said and shook her head. “You’re coming out with me. We need to catch up. Trust me, you’ll have a blast. I can’t wait to show you how we party here.”
“Harlen, maybe next week,” I said. “I don’t think I can do it tonight.”
She grinned when she heard my weakness. “Do you want me to pick you up or will you meet me?”
“Harlen,” I groaned. “I live outside of town.”
“Then I’ll pick you up. We’re going to drink and let our hair down.”
I could use a little fun. The last month had been hectic and stressful. “How about I meet you at your place?” I suggested.
She grinned. “I’ll text you my address. Dress casual.”
“I’ll try,” I said with a laugh.
“What you’re wearing is just fine.”
“We’ll see,” I said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been out. I’ve got a new pair of sandals I haven’t worn yet.”
“Always the fashionista,” she teased.
“I love clothes.”
“I can’t believe you went the science route,” she said with a shake of her head. “I knew you were super smart, but I always assumed you’d go for fashion or something like that.”
“I like to keep people guessing.”
Chapter 7
Calvin
“Over there,” Scott said, and pointed to the back of the bar where our fellow teammates had pushed several tables together.
We waved, nodded, and smiled as we made our way through the packed bar. It was a tradition for us to get together before the serious business of training got underway. Tonight, we got to cut loose and really get our drink on before it was all serious business.
“Whatley!” They all shouted my name at once.
I went around the group, doing the usual handshake and hug thing before taking the beer that had just been delivered for me. “How was your trip up north?” I asked my lead linebacker.
He grinned, flashing a smile that had a few holes. He didn’t play around when it came to protecting my ass. “Good,” he said. “Got to see my mom.”
“How’s she doing?” I remembered how devastated he’d been when he heard she’d been in a pretty bad car accident and had broken her back. He almost dropped out of school to be with her. The rest of the team and I encouraged him to finish his education. We needed him on the team. Without him, my ass would not be quite as pretty. The other teams came for me hard.
He nodded. “Better. She’s up and walking around again.”
“Good to hear!” I said and clapped him on the back. “Awesome.”
“I heard you got yourself a fancy agent,” he teased. “You going to be out there showboating now?”
“Hell no,” I said. “I play to win for us, not them.”
“We’re going to kick ass this year,” he said. “Did you meet the new guy?”
“What new guy?”
“I guess coach went to Mississippi and recruited some hotshot wide receiver,” he said. “I thought you would have been told first.”
I shook my head. “Nope, but I look forward to meeting him. Is he here tonight?”
“Haven’t seen him,” he said. “We’ll see him tomorrow, I’m sure.”
I nodded and was immediately pulled away by another one of the guys. “Let me make back my ten bucks,” Rick said.
“Man, I beat you every damn time,” I told him. “You can’t beat me.”
“The hell I can’t,” he said and handed me my darts. “I’ve been practicing. Twenty bucks says I win.”
