Free Dirty Baller: A Secret Baby Sports Romance by Vesper Vaughn Page B

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    “Where’s that damn aggression I hired you for, Mackenzie?” he yells at practice one day after Ryan let yet another ball into the goal. The team is split and is playing against one another for an imaginary cup.
    I pull my feet down from the metal bleacher in front of me and lean closer to listen, my pen poised over the paper. Immediately, I feel guilty about it.
    “Get the story, Childs,” Sandra says in my brain.
    “Sorry, Ivan,” Mackenzie says to him with a good-natured grin. “Didn’t have my head in the game.”
    “You look like a three-year-old ball player out there, Mackenzie. Get your shit together.” The captain comes running up to chastise Ryan.
    Soon, Terence joins in on the fun. “Ballet class is over there, Mackenzie.”
    The team laughs.
    I see Ryan clench his fist. I hold my breath. Is he going to hit someone again?
    “Alright, let’s try this again, then, you arseholes,” Ryan says, jogging out onto the pitch again.
    I sigh with relief and lean back in the bleacher chair, happy that Ryan hasn’t jeopardized anything. For now, anyway.
    Practice ends and I make my way to the Tube station entrance a block down. I wait for Ryan. We’ve agreed to not let the team in on our relationship.
    We just want to let them think it was a one-night stand that fizzled out.
    I stare intently at a gleeful pigeon who found a French fry on the ground. I’m so entranced by the quick-footed dance the bird does I don’t see anyone walking up to me.
    “Hayley,” says a man’s voice.
    I jump a little. “Oh, hi Terence.” I don’t say it with any real feeling.
    “How’s the article coming?” he asks with a slimy grin.
    I feel my skin crawling as he stares at me. “Just fine,” I reply.
    He takes a step closer to me to get out of the way of the scrum of people piling down the Tube steps. “I was thinking we could go to dinner.”
    I laugh. “No, thanks. I have plans tonight.”
    “Tomorrow, then?”
    I shake my head. “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.”
    “But you had no problem fucking Mackenzie. I thought that you were just making your rounds with the team. I think it’s my turn.”
    I feel bold for once in my life. “Did it ever occur to you that I might not be attracted to you?”
    Terence laughs. “Well, are you?”
    “No,” I say. “And I’d like for you to leave.”
    “It’s a public road. I think I can stand where I want to.”
    “Jones!” Ryan runs up to us, looking pissed. “Is there a problem here?”
    Terence looks from Ryan to me and back, recognition dawning on his face. “What a coincidence that you’re both here right now at the same time.”
    “Bugger off,” Ryan says, his muscular frame leaning closer to Terence. It’s a threatening move.
    “I need to go,” I say, skirting around the two of them. I hide on the platform to wait for Ryan. He catches up five minutes later.
    He grabs me by my lower back and pulls me close to him. “I don’t like you talking to Terence.”
    “Imagine how I feel talking to Terence. It’s not like I had that much of a choice.”
    Ryan kisses me. “I don’t like feeling jealous. But I do.”
    I smell his fresh cologne and taste the thin layer of sweat still covering his body even after his shower. I shiver.
    “I kind of like you being jealous.” I take his hand and we step onto the freshly-arrived train. “As long as you’re not turning into Othello.”
    Ryan and I laugh, breaking up the very English silence on the train. Several people glare at us and I clap a hand over my mouth sheepishly.
    There are no seats so we stand. I hang onto Ryan. He doesn’t bother holding onto safety straps, surfing the bumps and turns with his sturdy legs.
    We walk up to our hotel rooms together.
    “I’ve gotta move into my new place tomorrow,” Ryan says. “You game for helping me?”
    I laugh. “Do you need help carrying your one bag of possessions?”
    Ryan pulls me close to him. “Eh, I was thinking maybe you could be a