First and Ten Read online

  “Guess you never had to deal with that,” her dad said as he cut into his slice of beef crown roast. His knife sliced through the meat like it was a cloud and not the top cuts of meat. The meal alone with its parsnip puree, au jue, oven roasted zucchini and squash and homemade dark honey wheat bread would cost Dani most of her food budget if she’d been in a restaurant. Especially since all products had to be organic lately.

  “Chicago has been wonderful to me. I love living in the city.”

  “Lincoln Park, right?” her father asked, although he seemed to know all. “At least based on the pictures.”

  “It’s been my off season project. Fixing it up. I still haven’t decided what to do with the third floor, but I ran the electrical, plumbing, and sheet rocked mostly. I’m not sure if I want to tackle another bathroom.”

  “You did all that work yourself?” Dani asked in amazement.

  “Not the decorating, but the labor, yeah. You wouldn’t have been impressed when I got it. If it hadn’t been between two houses, they probably would have had it torn down. Once I had it livable by city standards, I moved in with the walls stripped to the studs.”

  Dinner couldn’t have gone better if she’d planned it out special. Toward the end of the meal her graduation party came up again.

  “I was a little caught off guard when your mother talked to me about it like I already had it on my calendar,” Rome said as the plates were cleared.

  “Did she now?” Dani asked with chagrin. “Social graces aside, last night it was decided I would have an intimate,” she stressed the word intimate, “dinner with family and friends. I wanted to ask you privately.”

  “You don’t live in a private family,” her father informed her and his phone rang. “Excuse me, ladies; Jerome, please come with me.”

  Dani watched as they disappeared down the hallway again. Her father answered the phone and shut the door to his den. Dani couldn’t help fearing what was happening in the closed off den. The comfort she felt evaporated and dread overcame her.

  “I’ve looked everywhere, Mr. Albright,” the voice from Mr. Albright’s phone carried over the speaker. Dani’s father had turned and placed his smartphone on the desk between Rome and him. Rome was back in the hardbound leather chair with his forearms resting on his knees. “There’s no indication at all this woman has even inquired about property in any of the major cities in Georgia. She has a spotty trail when it comes to residency.”

  “What about employment?” Mr. Albright asked.

  “Not that I can find.”

  “It’s not like she’d need it,” Rome grumbled.

  “Did you look under the man who has been cohabitating with her?”

  “That was the next thing I was going to bring up,” Kingston, the investigator Mr. Albright used, said. “Everything is in her name, utilities, lease, etc, but I tracked down the postal worker that has her house on the route and she said there hasn’t been anyone else receiving mail there.”

  Who can get a mailman to talk? Was that even legal? Rome had thought he made a good living and had power, William Albright belonged in a world he could only get to through a blockbuster movie. Taking in the man across the desk, he wondered if he’d gotten everything he had through legal means. Rome was sure he had, but what a stark contrast between the world Danika claimed to have grown up in and the one he was being presented at this meal. He knew they were both real, but he’d never known a millionaire to be grounded and in touch really with the world. It was then it hit him. Technically, he was a damn millionaire and he not only was grounded, but had a grasp on reality. At least he thought he had. Up until recently he’d just accepted what had been laid out in front of him. He was to pay these women and accept what happened. It was the professional athlete tax. Everyone paid it at one time or another.

  “I did verify with the photographer he’d been getting tips on where Mr. Speed will be, as well as his child.” The private investigator continued. “From what he said he’d lucked out when he caught Mr. Speed with Danika. Right place, right time, but since then he gets texts from Candace Powell. I guess she’s been doing all his dirty work. Tracking him and such.”

  “Thanks, Kingston.” Mr. Albright ended the phone call and stared across the desk to Jerome. “You pee in her Wheaties?”

  “I’ll deal with her,” Rome promised as rage found a new level for him. Things didn’t add up when it came to Candi, but then again she had always been a bit bi-polar. One day calm and reasonable, even presentable to team owners. The next day, she’d accuse him of cheating on her because he brought home ice cream from the grocery store. I saw the girl giving out samples last week. Responding he wished he had probably hadn’t been his best response, but shit he didn’t deserve this.

  “How exactly are you going to do that?”

  “First, I need Kingston to forward his findings to my lawyer. He was going to hire a P.I. to help me prove Candi was an unfit mother. I was hoping the guy she was with had a record or something.”

  “Seems he’s a figment of her imagination.”

  That’s when Rome remembered something more about Candi and her games. The moment he didn’t pay enough attention to her, she would pretend to come on to another man to get him jealous. She couldn’t be doing that again, could she?

  Rome thanked Mr. Albright for his assistance and Dani walked him out to his SUV. Her fingers were intertwined with his as she leaned against his driver’s side door.

  “You came to my parents’ home,” she said with an awestruck look in her eyes. The sun was just beginning to set, but he could still make out the cornflower blue in her eyes.

  “I did. Better to apologize in person. At least that’s what I’d been taught.”

  “It was.” Dani took her free hand and cradled his face. Standing on her tiptoes she found his lips, for what started as a light peck had them each needing more. Her tongue licked at his lip and soon the passion he’d only found in her arms returned. He’d missed the taste and feel of Dani against his skin. Her lips scorched his as he wrapped her up in his arms. Pulling away from her, he tried to remember his place in the world. Did he even have one in hers? “Did my dad flip on the light or something?”

  “There’s a lot to you, Dani,” he began and hoped the gut ache he felt wasn’t a precursor to him being a total jackass.

  “Okay?”

  “I remember the first day we met. You were a society woman. Placing an expensive purse in view, but I’ve never seen it sense.”

  “It’s in my bedroom. I’d take you to it, but my father is a traditionalist and would geld you.” Rome let out a laugh and Dani stood in front of him as he tried to figure her out. What was it with him and women that didn’t fit into a box? Right now he worried about the fact he didn’t know Dani. She said her father cut her off financially, yet she lives in a house ten times the size of his. Cries poverty one moment, but knows more about the good life than most born into it. “I happened to be talking to the head of their marketing team and I bet her I could get more preorders by August than their boutique. My clients come to me to get through the red tape. They want the personal touch. You may get that going into a store, but it’s different when the store practically comes to you.”

  “You didn’t buy that bag?”

  “Are you crazy? You know how much that thing retails for?” she laughed. “No, I didn’t purchase it. I chose to pay my tuition instead.”

  “But you can afford it,” he said, stepping back further and holding his arms out.

  Dani looked back at her home and shook her head. “My mother can afford it, my father can afford it. You ever seen that episode of the Cosby Show where Vanessa talks about how much the painting over their fireplace was worth? Showing off for her friends. It was all good until her mother showed up and explained that she was wealthy and her father was wealthy, but as a child Vanessa was not. That’s my dad. Sure, my mom might spend like crazy on special occasions and buy the appropriate styles, but that’s because she wasn�
�t going to let people talk down about her family.”

  She turned and started to head back into her house, shaking her head all the way. Rome ran to catch up to her capturing her wrist in his hand. “Dani, explain it better to me. If my mother could have afforded this when I was a kid…” he trailed off trying to imagine a world where his only option for college wasn’t getting there on a scholarship.

  “You met my parents tonight. If you would have come yesterday, the power suit was a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. If I could explain it better, I would. I never lied to you. I kept who my father was from you at first because look at you. Standing here freaking out. There are two kinds of guys in my life. The one who see me as a way to riches and fame and the one who’s scared shitless he’ll never measure up.” Dani shook her head and flipped her wrist so her hand was free and pressed it against his before locking her fingers around his hand. “For a moment I thought I found a different one. In there you weren’t the latter. Out here you are.” Brushing her lips across his knuckles, he saw her fighting something. “Guess I’ll have to find a new Tuesday Treat. I really enjoyed my time with you, Rome.”

  As her fingers uncurled, Rome wanted to reach for her. He needed to. Instead, he sat there like a damn bump on a log and watched as the first woman who had wanted him for more than the uniform he wore on Sunday closed the door on him. What the fuck was he questioning? Seriously? Because she lived in a big ass house? He walked back to the driver’s side of his vehicle and rested his arms on the hood, taking in the estate. Dropping his head on his arms he kicked himself. Now what was he going to do? He didn’t even protest when she walked away.

  “Are you kidding me, Speed?” Dani asked and his head popped up. She stood with her hands on her hips in the doorway. “You were going to drive off?”

  “I hadn’t… Um… I thought you just—”

  “This house would scare most with a net worth less than nine figures. Jesus, I knew when you wouldn’t go to the beach with me that first night you were a pussy, but damn, man. Grow a pair.”

  “Did you—” he couldn’t win. Dani had bested him in ways he didn’t think possible. “You broke up with me.”

  “I was never with you,” she said with authority. “Just because my mom says you’re my boyfriend doesn’t mean anything. She said the same thing about Calvin Eastman in first grade.”

  “You’re my woman,” he countered.

  “Not with that pussy ass attitude.”

  “You confuse the fuck out of me.”

  “I’m female,” she said sarcastically. “It’s in the rule book.”

  Jerome walked around the front of his SUV with trepidation, stopping at the edge. “You are my woman,” he repeated.

  Dani’s lips curled up on the corner. “Then prove it. You have a curfew or anything during this training session?”

  “Franchise players have a bit of leeway,” he replied, matching her smile. “Curfew doesn’t really start for another week.”

  “Then let me show you how much property the Albrights own.” Dani closed the door and extended her hand. “I might even know a few places we could go where my father won’t geld you.”

  Curling her toes in the cool evening grass Dani looked up at Rome as he laid his suit coat on her shoulders. Cradling her head in his hands, he leaned down and captured her lips. She wanted to spend the night wrapped in Rome’s arms. The man had drove out to her home prepared to throw himself on whatever and whoever he needed to in order to apologize for his transgressions. Then he called her his woman. Claiming her after a mild case of the chicken shits, but Dani still couldn’t hold that against him fully. He’d been alone with her mother before she’d shown up. That alone gave him a few dozen points for not running in fear.

  Sadly, she had to settle for an hour with him, then back to the house where she assumed her father had been sitting on the front step. Dani doubted any other person in the neighborhood sat on a front step, but her father was old school. At least he’d changed in to jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt.

  “Birdie, you need to head inside.”

  Dani’s face flushed from the admonishment from her father. She was twenty-six, not sixteen. Reviewing her skirt, it was a bit askew and her hair was no longer quaffed didn’t help. Being barefooted wouldn’t have warranted that since he was the one who taught her about summer feet. Nope, it was definitely the skirt.

  The kiss Rome gave her on the top of her head as they rounded the corner of her house would have to do. Instead of attempting another, she squeezed his hand and accepted her heels that he had hooked on his fingers. Decisions had been made about their relationship. Where it was going and changes that would happen after she was free from school. A part of her wanted to eavesdrop on whatever had her father in a tizzy now, but she knew better. The unease she’d felt before when Rome had gone to speak with her dad wasn’t there now. Rome explained about his ex who Danika already had on her bitch-you-better-not radar.

  “You heading to bed?” her mother asked when she caught Dani looking through one of the front windows. Sure she was comfortable about where she was with Rome, but her father had his own agenda when it came to her.

  “Of course,” she replied, still fussing with her skirt.

  “Where’dja go tonight?” Her mother’s grin told Dani she wasn’t about to fool the mother of three.

  “Why have you never cleaned up the cottage?”

  “You know this house is six times the size of our old house. It seems like I have a lot of time, but I really don’t.” Her mother took pride in decorating their home herself. Never hiring interior designers to help her out. Nope, instead of reaching out for help she studied and learned the finer points of design. Dani had been at her hip most of the time and when it came down to it if it wasn’t for her mother she could have never paid for graduate school. “Do I want to know what you were spying on?”

  “I was not spying,” Dani replied meekly. “Not really. I’m good. Dad’s just talking to Rome, probably the ‘if you lay a hand on my daughter’ speech.”

  “More like if you break her heart.” Her mother fussed with Dani’s hair. “In a few weeks you’ll be done with school. That is unless you want to go for your doctorate.”

  “Are you trying to keep me around?”

  “The hundred bucks a week helps us out so much with the bills.”

  “I’m sure it does.” The two women laughed lightly. “You don’t think Dad would be saying anything bad would he?”

  “About that young gentleman.” Her mother shook her head. “He’s amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better man for you.”

  With a big hug from her mother Dani glanced at the still closed front door and headed to bed. Her father was probably getting fantasy football tips or something. And Dani needed to go over her presentation as well as pick out the perfect outfit that said give this girl an A. With a yawn she said her good nights and headed to bed.

  “Tell me truthfully,” Esme said as she stood next to Dani while they waited to present their final project. “How much do you hate me right now?”

  “On a scale of one to what the heck are you talking about?” Dani asked, unsure of what was going on with Esme. She happened to be in a really good place right now. “Actually, don’t tell me until after because right now I’m still in a good place from last night so let’s just hash it out over ice cream or something for lunch.”

  “Ice cream for lunch?” Esme smiled wide. “Someone burned some sexual calories last night.”

  “Ms. Carmichael, Ms. Albright, you’re up,” Dr. Kent said and the women stepped up.

  Twenty minutes later, they walked out of the lecture hall and both dropped their notebooks in the garbage. “I don’t care if I fail and need to retake the damn class, I never want to see that checklist again,” Dani said.

  “Oh my God, she even used Keynesian Economics in her challenge questions,” Esme pointed out. “We both deserve a drink.”

  “No,” Dani said, holding her hands up
in surrender. “I spent half the afternoon with my father tracking down some paparazzi after the last time. At least my dad was able to find him.”

  “Find him maybe,” Esme said. “It didn’t stop the pictures.”

  “What?” Dani questioned.

  “The pictures of you sitting in the bar alone and depressed. Yeah, I’m sorry about that. Then again that waitress was delinquent in clearing the table. You didn’t leave her a tip did you? I mean seriously that was—”

  “Back up,” Dani interjected. “What pictures?”

  “Oh, um, well…” Esme hummed and hawed as she dug out her phone. A lump formed in Dani’s chest afraid of what would be pulled up on the screen in front of her. “See, he didn’t get all of them.”

  “Or the man lied when he said he’d given my father the file.”

  “Seems so. Any backlash from your client base?”

  “Not that I’ve noticed,” Dani replied then realized her phone, though on, had been silent for a few days now. “They seem to be all doing good. No cancellations.”

  “But not bugging you daily for advice?” Esme asked. “You know you’re a life coach to those people.”

  “I am not,” Dani scoffed as she looked at her empty messenger. “They’re successful. The last person they’d listen to…” Dani trailed off as she remembered conversations that veered off of style and grace. Van constantly looked for her opinion on movies, but it didn’t seem like he was soliciting advice. But she had been giving advice to all of them. The players, movie stars, politicians, they all valued her opinion. Phone calls began with style advice and quickly turned left into life goals.

  Dalton being the latest one, balancing fear and intimidation and who he really was. They’d spoke throughout his whole fitting and for an hour afterwards about being true to himself. If he was always a character how could he know who he really was? The world wants people to mold into a box so they can easily comprehend who you are, but no person is one thing. If you fight to be just one thing the lies will not only trap you, they will eat at the person you are and want to be. You are more than a tough lineman and it’s okay to be that. It’s also okay to be lost and confused. You’ll probably end up relating to your fans if they knew even though you have your dream job, you still haven’t settled on who you are.