Romance: The Quarterback's Touch, page 45
It was her fault. Last winter was terrible. The snow came down so thick that she could barely see past the front porch, and the snow plows couldn't get outside to clear the roads, so people had to stay in or drive slowly.
She was making Christmas dinner for them, and had planned to buy an apple pie, but she forgot it at the store, so she asked him to go. It seemed so simple at the time, but she would give her life a thousand times over to take it back. She closed her eyes and tried to forget it. Sleep was the only peace she got. There was nothing else that could drown out the pain.
Chapter 2
Johnny Casper was sitting in his living room with a white dress shirt and tight pants that showed off his body enough to be sexy without being too ridiculous. He had that nice combed back hairdo that Crystal loved and his favorite bolo tie in the shape of the Great State of Texas. He was a rancher, a simple man who worked hard to where he'd gotten and he'd made a life for himself that way, one that most people in the world would envy. He could have been a pencil pusher with a piece of paper to define his worth, or he could've been a bum—most people don't think they have a choice. He knew it. He started out at Mcginty's Steakhouse when he was 16, busing tables, and cleaning up peoples’ messes, making less than a dollar an hour. He worked his way up and bought the place when it folded. He opened up steakhouse after steakhouse until he had restaurants all over the world, and they were all supplied by his cattle ranch in Texas.
He was a determined man who knew the meaning of focus. He didn't get distracted by bad people, or drinking, or drugs. He never spent more than he had to, or made impulsive purchases. He survived on next to nothing because what he wanted was a solid foundation for him, and for his future children.
But Crystal didn't want children. She didn't want to have to deal with them, or spend the money on them. She said that it was because she thought that they would tie her down, but really it was because she didn't want the responsibility. She had a hard time doing the dishes. She certainly couldn't run around, changing diapers and screaming at children. She was probably physically incapable of doing it, and she wasn't going to raise them by herself. She would have sixteen hours a day of me time, and there was no time for children in her world.
Casper felt the phone vibrate in his pocket and turned off the TV. It was his mother calling. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hey. Are you coming this year. I've got everything setup, and you know your father has been asking about you.”
“I don't know, Mom. I mean, Crystal's really set on this cruise, and I have been having some trouble lately so could use a vacation. I want to come though. How's dad doing?”
“He's on dialysis now. The doctors are worried it's not going to help.” He felt something he hadn't felt in a long time.
“OK I'm coming. I'm not going to miss seeing him for anything.”
“Oh, good. He's been begging to see you.” He told her he loved her and got off the phone as soon as possible. He was supposed to leave for LA in less than an hour, but if his father was on dialysis it just didn't matter.
When your kidneys go, then it's time. There's nothing they can do to fix them. They can drain as many toxins as they want out of the body, but as soon as they stop the dialysis machine, you die, and that's no way to live. Dialysis is one of the worst things a person can go through, and he needed to be there for his dad, to tell him how much he loved him.
His father wasn't around very much when Casper was growing up, and they never had the greatest relationship, but he had taught his son the value of hard work. Casper owed all of his success to what his father taught him, and it was because that that he was not willing to risk another day without seeing him.
Johnny picked up his phone and dialed Crystal's number. She sent it straight to voicemail, and he could feel the anger rising up inside of him. He wrote her a text saying that his father was dying and that she should meet him at the house if she wanted to come.
Within two seconds she had sent three texts and then called him.
“We've been planning this cruise for more than six months, and you want me to put it on hold for your stupid family. I can't believe you. I'm hanging up now. Have a nice life.” There was a two second pause while she waited for him to say something.
“Crystal, he’s dying. I have this one chance to see him. I have to go.”
“You don't know whether or not it's your one chance. It's not like he's on his deathbed.” He stood up and started pacing around. “It's your last chance with me. We talked about that. If this cruise doesn't happen, we're over.”
“You don't care about me, or anyone else. I'm going to go see my father.” Johnny hung up on her for the first time, and called the limo driver.
Chapter 3
Marlow was sitting in front of a beautiful table with a white lace tablecloth, and a woman with long brown hair was sitting next to her, carving a perfect turkey. She was young, with a white dress and a black belt. Who was she?
The girl turned to Marlow and said, “What do you mean? I'm your daughter. She looked around at the people sitting around the table, then saw that there was an old man holding her hand. He had a tender smile on his face, and when she looked closer, she saw that it was Frank.
She woke and sat up, shrieking. How could fate be so cruel as to taunt her like that? She had wanted a family her entire life, and now that couldn't happen. She'd never see her children running down the stairs on Christmas day to see their presents or get to hold them in her arms. It was like a part of her had rotted away.
She got up and went to get herself another glass of wine, but it was all gone, and she promised herself she'd never drive on the holidays again, not after what had happened. It was her personal penance for what she'd done. She was a good woman, somebody who had always tried to do right by her husband, but she ended up killing him anyways, so she punished herself by doing little things. She didn't deserve sweets or nice clothes, and she didn't deserve to get new furniture. She had done something terrible, and she had to make up for it somehow.
When she looked in the fridge, to find something quick to eat she saw the tiny hens that she'd bought for Thanksgiving. She had to have fun no matter what. If she could just feel a little bit better, than she could change her life.
She pulled them out and took out a mixing bowl, massaging oil then salt and pepper into the birds. She set the oven to preheat and put the birds on the stove while she waited. She had bought a bag of bread cubes and some other stuff to make stuffing, but she was so tired. She didn't think she could stand to work that hard. Instead, she pulled out a box of instant and boiled some water. She didn't even take the time to read the directions.
Frank used to make sausage cornbread stuffing for her. He was the cook. She always wanted to do it like him, but now she was just ready to give up. She couldn't take it. She needed some wine, and a pack of cigarettes. She didn't have the patience to deal with life, much less a holiday without something to quiet her mind.
She looked over at the keys on the hook on the wall. She could hear tires screeching, and see his car getting crushed by the truck. She tried to stop it, but there she was standing in the morgue looking down at his pale face, and she crouched down, shaking with tears running down her face. She was so alone. She rushed up and grabbed the keys then put the bird in the oven.
The roads weren't icy, thank God, but there was snow on the sides, and she had to keep her eyes straight to avoid crying again. She didn't drink much, and she didn't crave it, but when the holiday came, the old memories started coming back. She saw their hiking trips and their nights laying next to one another in bed talking. She felt his hand on her shoulder, and she knew that she had to have it back.
Marlow put the hens in the oven. They would take about 45 minutes to cook. But she needed a drink and figured a quick trip to see Mindy at the liquor store would be OK. Mindy was the only person Marlow ever talked to outside of work. She was a small blond girl, almost half her age, but she was always cheerful and kind. It was kind of pathetic that her only acquaintance was the girl that sold her liquor, but she needed human contact, and in her state this was the best she was going to get.
Marlow checked herself in the mirror to make sure that she didn't look like she'd been crying. Her eyes were red so she put in some eye drops. It was sad, but she did what she needed to do to maintain what little sanity she had left. When she walked in she pasted a smile on her face and looked over at the register. Mindy wasn't there. It was some sour faced old man that she'd only seen once or twice, and he always hated her.
She walked over to the wine section. She thought about getting something nicer. There were the eight dollar ones that she liked, but they tasted terrible and gave her a bad hangover. Instead she went with a more expensive chardonnay to go with the chicken. The man must've noticed her staring and walked over to the aisle, blocking her path.
“You find everything alright?”
“Yes, thank you.” She glanced back at the Merlot. That was always nice. When she turned back, he was still standing there staring at her.
“Can I help you find anything?”
“No. I think I'm good.”
“Well, if that's all why don't you come up to the register.”
“I'm still looking, but you can stand there the entire time if you want to. You wanna make sure I have money?”
“No. I want you to hurry it up so I don't have to stand here.” He pulled out a handkerchief and spit a wad of tobacco into it.
She cocked her head to the side. “Now you have some nerve. What the hell makes you think you have to stand there?”
He took three steps forward until his face was right up in hers. “I think you need to get up out my store.”
“Gladly.” She took the bottle of wine she was holding and crashed it against his head, showering glass all over the floor, then she grabbed two bottles of expensive chardonnay and ran out with them before he knew what was happening.
Before she left, she peeled the foil off the top of one bottle and used her keys to push the cork down so she could take a quick swig, then she peeled out of the parking lot as fast as she possibly could. What had she done? Had she completely lost her mind?
Was she so high strung that she'd lost it? Those thoughts were pounding in her head the whole way until she finally started bawling hysterically.
“Frank,” she screamed, “I need you!”
When she got home she grabbed the bottles and ran inside. She knew how this worked. For a routine beer run, they look around the neighborhood, but the police don't conduct a manhunt. They don't work day and night to find you, and ninety percent of the time you get away with it. She could let that go. What worried her was her ability to do something like this. There was something wrong with her.
That wasn't going to change—nothing was going to change. The only thing she could do was get something in her stomach and sit down in front of the TV so she could find something as mind numbing as possible.
She ran into the kitchen and pulled open the oven. She coughed from the smoke pouring out. The birds were completely black. She was gone too long, and she'd burned the entire thing. That was the last straw. She turned off the oven and slammed the door she then she took a swig from the bottle, taking in as much of it as she possibly could. The world was spinning, and she needed it gone. She needed everything gone—the Cornish hens, the house, the sadness, the pain. She was killing every single thing that hurt her, and replacing it with sweet emptiness. When she was done, she slammed the bottle to the floor. Her stomach was stinging, she was out of breath and she could barely stand, but she managed to open the next bottle and drank until there was nothing left before collapsing to the floor unconscious.
Chapter 4
Johnny was in his limo on the way to his private jet. He was talking to Eric, his pilot, finalizing the flight plans. But Johnny’s call was constantly being interrupted. His phone was ringing and vibrating so much, Johnny was certain that it was going to break, or at least run the batteries out. After all, they didn't last forever. Crystal could call him as much as he wanted, but she wasn't going to get an answer.
They'd been having trouble for years. They were cheating on one another, then going back and forth, using threats and ultimatums to get what they wanted. Johnny had been lured in by her perky breasts, baby blue eyes and charming smile. And she was smart as a whip, and sassy too. It seemed like the perfect fit, and he thought he loved her, but she had thoroughly proven to him the kind of woman she was.
When he got out of the cab, she was standing on the tarmac. She looked contrite.
“I'm sorry, Johnny.” She walked up and put her arm around his neck with innocent eyes. “I just wanted to come. I know this means a lot to you.”
“It does, Crystal. It means a lot to me that you're coming too.”
“I know, sweetie.” She reached up and gave him a big kiss. Her lips tasted like cherry lipstick. She pulled in close to his ear. “You know, cowboy, I think we might have some on-board entertainment.” She bit the nape of his neck, and he gasped.
“I'm gonna ride you like a cowgirl.”
They walked up into the plane and took their seats. The captain, a young brunette man was smiling at both of them. Johnny saw him give Crystal a wink, and she blew him a kiss.
“Now, uh, what do you think you're doing?”
“You know I love you, baby.” She had a baby voice that got her what she wanted.
“You're flirtin with somebody else right in front of me.” She looked to see if anyone was around and when she saw that they were alone, she slipped off her shoes and started rubbing her foot against his already bulging crotch.
“Yah, but he's not heading back right now to give it to me.”
“Ooh, you're really cruisin for it aren't you girl?”
She bit the tip of her index finger and met his eyes. He couldn't help himself. He grabbed her up and pulled her into the back, where he kept a bed for such occasions. He sat down, rubbing his cock in his pants. She was standing in front of the closed door with an innocent smile.
“You gonna let me ride you, baby?” She reached down her pants, letting her fingers slide past her clit and along her opening.
“Take those off.”
“What? These?” She bent over, and let him see her cheeks bursting out from her shorts, and he reached out and smacked her butt. “Ooh,” she cried as she turned back and gave him a wide grin.
“You want this?” He reached into his pants and grabbed his cock. She could see the head pushing up against his jeans, and felt the warmth between her thighs.
“You make me so wet.” She turned around and dropped her shorts to reveal a perfectly hairless kitty that was already glistening with sweet nectar. He pulled her in so that she was standing right next to him, then he pulled his pants and briefs down so that his cock was swinging around.
She reached out and grabbed it, but he slapped her hand away. “You've been bad, real bad, and you need a spanking.” He reached out and slapped her lips and she screamed in ecstasy as he sucked in air sharply through his teeth. Then he bent her over his knee.
“Stop! Please!”
“No, baby girl. You earned it good today. You're not getting out of this.” He looked down to see her bracing himself, placing his hand just above her bare butt. “This is gonna hurt you.” He slapped her softly and she giggled. “Oh, you think that's funny, huh?” He smacked her harder, just enough so it barely hurt. “I'm gonna do it harder.”
“No!” He smacked her good, leaving a red handprint on her butt.
He lifted her up and she watched as he stroked his cock. His low groans made her shiver, then he reached out and pinched her nipples. “You want this, huh? Come here. Come ride Daddy.” She felt the sharp pain of him entering her, making her whimper, then the sweet touch of his hand grazing her clit, as she pumped up and down on his cock, making her scream in excitement. She wanted to feel him flowing through her as he pushed up into her spot, sending her on a roller coaster of bliss, filling her, and overwhelming her with force of his passion.
“Take it!” He shoved in deep as they both screamed from the waves of pleasure they each felt. After several more minutes of bliss, Johnny could hold off no more, and with a couple of final thrusts, filled her with his load. She stayed on top to milk every drop out of him while he looked into her eyes, then she bent down and let her lips touch his before grabbing her clothes and running out the door and back into the main cabin.
Johnny lay down in bed, fully satisfied by what had happened. She was wily, she could be difficult, but he always had his hands on the reigns.
Chapter 5
Marlow felt soft carpet below her head, but it wasn't enough to drive away the feeling of having had holes drilled into her skull. Her stomach was churning around like a washing machine. She had to run up to the bathroom, just to avoid messing the floor, and she was so sick she barely made it.
The worst part was that she was distinctly aware of the having forgotten most of what happened last night. She knew that she drank two plus bottles of wine, and that she was alone, but everything after that was a complete blur. She walked out into the kitchen to find that the stove was still on, and that the water she'd left in the pot was long gone. She turned off the stove, wondering whether the pot would survive, and whether or not she'd be able to pay the electric bill.
She walked back into the living room, and she couldn't avoid the mess. There were old cups filled with water and cigarette butts, old food wrappers, leftover food that had been rotting for weeks, and chip bags everywhere. Last night was the first time she'd cooked anything in months, and she'd failed miserably.
Marlow wasn't going to be any happier so long as she didn't have anyone that she could share her life with. She missed being able to come home and talk to somebody about how hard her day had been, or being able to have somebody sitting next to her on the couch while they watched a movie. Little things like that were so vital to her sanity. It made everything an event that she could share with the one she loved. She didn't just want to have dinner, she wanted to strive for something better, something to really make her and her love happy. And it wasn’t just dinners, it was the same with everything. She didn't want to just go out; she wanted to go on trips. She didn't want just go to the movies, she wanted to go on dates.
