Chapter6
“Is this your mother’s recipe too?” A.J. worked her way through the blueberry pancakes as if she hadn’t eaten in days. “Because these are delicious.”
“Actually,” Jared slid into the chair across from her, “this is my dad’s recipe. He made breakfast for everyone on Sunday mornings. It was tradition.”
“Wow. You had, like, the perfect family, didn’t you?” A.J. watched him over the rim of her coffee mug.
“Yeah, I guess.” Jared shrugged. “My parents were really great together. They still are.”
“Sounds like it,” A.J. said softly. She sipped at her coffee and toyed with his legs under the table, running her foot up and down his calf, relishing the feel of his muscles and the fine hairs along her toes. “So, how did you end up the prima donna playboy if you were raised by the Cleavers?”
“Har, har,” Jared answered through a mouthful of pancakes. He swallowed and chased them with a gulp of orange juice. “My childhood wasn’t that perfect. Sure, Dad made breakfast on Sunday mornings but it was generally because he spent every Friday and Saturday night drinking with his buddies.”
“Ah, a chink in the armor of the perfect life,” A.J. mocked lightly.
“My mother put up with a lot. He never hit her but there were rumors of infidelity and for a long time I think he abused her emotionally. Then, I got attention for football and things changed.” Jared reminisced, recalling his father’s reaction after his first ball game. “I was a quarterback then for our JV team. Mom dragged Dad to the game but by the end of the first half, he was on his feet yelling for me. I threw for over 3,000 yards that game.
“By mid-season, I was moved up to varsity. It suddenly became more important for Dad to attend my games than the local bar. So, football sort of saved my family. Dad stopped drinking and devoted all of his time to my career.”
“Wow,” A.J. gasped. “So football means everything to you. You really can’t just walk away, Jared, you can’t.”
Jared contemplated this. He hadn’t thought about how he started in football or what it did for his family in years. “I know. There’s a lot on the line. But,” he paused, “what if I go back and my heart isn’t in it anymore?”
A.J. considered this. When she spoke, she did so carefully. “Leaving something you love should never be a rash choice. It should never be forced, should never be made in a fit of passion. I love you, Jared, and I would love nothing more than to welcome you to stay with open arms.” She paused and exhaled loudly. “But, because I love you, I cannot let you make the mistakes I made. You have to go back and play your best.”
“Come with me.” Jared regarded her carefully. “I mean, would you bring Jaida and come to L.A. with me?”
A.J. frowned. “I can’t do that. You know I can’t.”
“Why not?” Jared gaped, he’d never asked something like this of somebody, never dreamed he would need somebody with him.
“My life is here, Jared,” A.J. said evenly. “Jaida’s life is here. We can’t just up and move for you. And what happens when the media sees us? What will that do for you? For us? This is exactly what I meant by thinking things through before making a rash decision.”
“How is it rash? We have time to plan and you don’t have to move out right away. I can look into schools for Jaida.” Jared grasped at ideas to refute any of her possible objections. “I will arrange everything. All I know is that I need you there. If you are with me, I can do this.”
“You can do this without me,” A.J. assured him. “You’ve done it without me all these years.”
“Fine, I want you there. I want you with me.” Jared stood so that he towered over her. “Come with me.”
A.J. set her coffee mug down and drew up to her full height. “No.”
“Yes,” Jared growled at her. “You will see, it will be perfect.”
“No,” A.J. said again, firmly, not breaking eye contact. “I am not leaving, Jared. I am staying here and you are not going to bully me into this. It is not who you are and I’m not going to let you make this ugly.”
Jared softened slightly, clenched and unclenched his fist in frustration. He challenged her silently but she did not back down. The tension was palpable, their noses just inches apart. Jared moved to kiss her, to force her submission to his will but just before their lips touched, something hit his front window. They both startled and rushed into the other room. Their argument forgotten, Jared waved A.J. back and peeked around the curtain into the front yard. He quickly leaped away from the window and ushered A.J. back to the kitchen.
“Derek did this.” Jared stalked the room like a caged animal, fuming and muttering. “That motherfucker exposed me. He fucking led them right to me.”
“Who is it? What’s going on?” A.J. tried to decode Jared’s rantings, her own frustrations forgotten as the banging continued out front.
“The press,” Jared snapped. “Derek mustn’t have liked what he saw last night and took matters into his own hands.”
“Shit.” A.J. flopped into her chair and hung her head. “How many?”
“I don’t know, half dozen or so?” Jared muttered. “Does it matter? They found me. I’m fucked.”
“No, you aren’t,” A.J. assured him. “We will figure this out.”
“I wanted to do this on my terms. I told him that. I’m not ready to go back.”
Jared fell into the chair across from A.J. She took his hand and squeezed lightly.
“It’s fine. You can do this. Take back control,” A.J. coached him. “I will hide until they are gone, you will turn on the charm and play media darling like you always have. Show them what you can do and give them the assurances they are looking for. They’ll leave and it will buy you time to get things together.”
“This isn’t what I wanted,” Jared murmured, his words edged with bitterness.
“That’s how this works, Jared,” A.J. agreed glumly. “But don’t do what I did. Don’t let it chase you away from the game because it’s not on your terms.”
Jared regarded her, surprised that she admitted to regretting her choices and moved that she trusted him enough to confess it to him now. It meant only one thing, he had to respect her opinion and go along with her plan.
“Okay. I’ll do it. But I really wish you would do it with me.”
A.J. shook her head. “No, not now, not like this. Can you imagine? They would have a field day with it. And I can’t do that to Jaida.”
“No, you’re right, I wouldn’t do that to Jaida either.” Jared frowned. “It just feels wrong making you hide out like you’re a shameful secret or something.”
“You and I both know that’s not the case.” A.J. rolled her eyes. “You didn’t spend all this time convincing me about what a good guy you are just to ruin it all now, right?”
Jared chuckled. “No, that is true. Get your ass in the bedroom.”
He swatted at her as she high-tailed it back down the hall toward his room. Jared took a few deep breaths and opened the door as if he didn’t already know they were out there. He turned on the charm, offered his trademark half-smile and waved.
“Oh, hey guys, good to see you.”
Might as well make it look like he’d intended for them to find him all along, steal back some of that control he wanted.
The flurry started with requests to see him walk, to run, to jump and devolved from there into the usual media circus. They pressed and probed and joked like he was the same guy who took the field so many months ago. Jared played the role, smiled, performed, and convinced his audience that he was still that man.
They asked about women and how busy he’d kept the local socialites. Jared quipped that it was just a bit different in the Midwest than it was in California but he wasn’t cold at night. It took a solid hour of answering questions and posing before they were satisfied and Jared knew he’d be a headliner on ESPN that night, but they finally left.
Jared watched the last van disappear before he went back inside. Just to be safe, he locked the door behind him. A.J. was sprawled on his bed when he returned to the bedroom, fully clothed and Skyping with her sister.
“Yeah, you should have seen him, J.” A.J.’s eyes flicked toward Jared. “He was all kinds of pretty boy out there.”
“Hey! I’m right here!” Jared protested playfully.
“Yeah, I know.” A.J. laughed. They could both hear Jaida giggling on the other end. “That’s kinda the point, isn’t it?”
Jared flopped on the bed next to A.J. “I remember it being a lot more fun than that.”
“Are you gonna be on TV tonight?” Jaida asked eagerly. “That would be so cool!”
“Yeah, prolly,” Jared answered casually. “You might want to clear out that party you’ve got going on cuz I’m sending your sister home, okay?”
Jaida giggled. “No party here, just Claudia yelling at me for reading too long and not doing my chores.”
“Those chores had better be done!” A.J. teased. “I’ll see you in a few, sis.”
“Bye, J!” Jared waved at the younger woman before A.J. ended the call. He pecked A.J. on the cheek and rolled off the bed. “I’m really not trying to kick you out, but I don’t know how long we’ve got before somebody else shows up knocking on my door for a story. If you want kept out of the mix then you’d better head out while the coast is clear.”
A.J. popped off the bed. “Thanks. I just don’t want Jaida to go through this again. It was rough before.” A.J. tugged her shoes on. “Did you know they showed up in her hospital room? I slipped out to get coffee and when I came back, they were taking pictures of her and started snapping some of me. I threw my coffee at them and they tried to sue me. Turns out they paid off a nurse to get her room number. It was awful. They’re like buzzards.”
“I know,” Jared agreed. “Believe me. I have a whole new take on the media. Do you know what it was like to see pictures of yourself after surgery and know that they were taken while you were unconscious? The media saw me before my own parents did. How fucked up is that? I really don’t want to go back to that, I just don’t.”
“But it’s not just that, it’s football. It’s your team,” A.J. reminded him. “I’ve seen you with Paul and I know that it still means so much to you. Do what you have to do for now but cut out the media as much as you can.” She stood and pressed a paper in his hand.
“What’s this?” Jared asked.
“That list of names I told you about.” A.J. brushed her lips across his and smiled. “You’ve got options if you want them.”
“Thanks.” Jared’s voice caught in his throat. He felt like this might be the last time he’d see her for some reason. He didn’t like it. Jared pulled her into him and kissed her like it was their last kiss. She tasted of vanilla and mint and something he couldn’t begin to describe and Jared wanted to remember her this way.
A.J. pulled away and apologized breathlessly. “I’m sorry, I have to go before somebody else shows up. I’ll see you soon!”
**
“You were brilliant, Jump!” Derek followed up his publicity stunt with another unexpected visit, this time accompanied by a reporter from Sports Illustrated and a member of his team’s front office. It wasn’t serious enough to warrant a visit from the GM but any front office interference meant Jared wasn’t getting to see A.J. any time soon.
Jared couldn’t even remember the guy’s name, the one with the weasel face and the ill-fitting suits. The guys joked about him all the time, someone from PR, which was ironic given his poor presentation. He always got pushed to the back of photos – if not completely out of them.
Jared’s mood plummeted when the limos pulled up in his driveway not two hours after A.J.’s departure. He’d taken the time to shower and dress in the event that more paparazzi showed but he’d not expected this type of company. Jared had good rapport with the reporter, Jessica Klein, so that was a plus but that seemed to be all he had going in his favor.
“So, Jump, are you back to form or do you still have a ways to go?” Jessica crossed her legs and leaned forward so her voice recorder could pick up more of his answer and less of the background chatter from the suits in the room.
“I’m in pretty good shape,” Jared grinned lazily, then added, “but I could be in better shape with a few more weeks of solid work outs and PT.”
“I see. So, it’s been a lot of PT.” Jessica seemed to be working up for something.
“Yes, I’ve had a great PT here at Amherst,” Jared bared his teeth for a thousand-watt smile, “and Dr. Radlinski has kept tabs on me to make sure I didn’t overdo it.”
“What about medication? You been taking anything for the pain?” Jessica probed, her expression far more serious than Jared was accustomed to.
“No,” Jared answered firmly. He did not like where this was headed. “I can assure you that I’ve been clean since the day or so after my surgery. I don’t like pain meds, I never have. Everything I’ve done here has been due to my hard work and the hard work of those around me. I will not sit here and let anybody tear down what I’ve worked so hard to come back from, not even you, Jess.”
“I’m not accusing you, Jump.” Jessica jumped to the defensive, her eyes flashed toward Derek and back to Jared, almost imperceptibly.
“Did somebody suggest I’d been using?” Jared asked politely. So much for a good working relationship, who shit in her cornflakes?
“Um, what? No. Nobody suggested that, it’s just something that happens.” Jessica struggled to cover her blunder. “So just PT and a good orthopedic program? That’s it?”
“Yes,” Jared answered evenly. “I worked hard to get back in shape. I won’t say I did it all on my own because I didn’t, I had an amazing team around me and the quiet solitude of this small town. It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a little privacy and fewer distractions.”
“I see. So the rumors about you ignoring your teammates and coaches are unfounded? You’re returning to your team?” Jessica pressed, her eyebrow arched as if she’d caught something juicy.
Jared had prepared for this. “Actually, Jess, I haven’t been ignoring anybody. My phone died and I lost the charging cord somewhere. I have one on order but it hasn’t arrived yet. Have people been calling me?”
“So, you’re set to return to L.A. soon,” Jessica continued, her lips pursed together in annoyance. She knew he lied but not the extent of the lie.
“That’s my plan,” Jared confirmed.
“When?” Jessica challenged.
“I don’t have a plane ticket yet, but obviously before the season starts,” Jared answered smoothly.
“He’s going back this evening, actually,” Derek interjected. “I’ve got the tickets, must have missed that message when his phone died.”
Jessica beamed at Derek. “I see. We’d best make sure Jump has a good charger for that phone so he doesn’t miss any more important calls or emails.”
“I’ll get right on it, Jess.” Jared forced another grin. This did not sound good.
“I’d like to arrange a photo shoot back in L.A. and get some time with you back at camp if that’s possible.” Jessica stood and smoothed her skirt. “This is going to be a big story, Jump.”
“Thanks, Jess.” Derek extended his hand and offered up his Ken-doll smile. “Call my assistant to set it up.”
“Alright, Derek.” Jessica shook Derek’s hand as if he had the plague. Jared realized it must have been something with his agent, not him, that set the reporter off. Great.
“Hey, Jess,” Jared smiled as warmly as he could, “feel free to call me with any questions you have. I’m sure I’ll get my phone charged soon enough and you know I’m more than happy to help you out. We’ve always had a good working relationship, right?”
“Uh, yeah.” Jessica took Jared’s hand and smiled up at him as if remembering she was here for him and not his agent. “Sorry if I was tough on you, Jump. I believe you and I’ll look forward to seeing you in action again. Thanks for seeing me today.”
“Anytime, Jess.” Jared followed her toward the front door and waved as she climbed into the second limo. When she was out of sight, he spun on his agent, forgetting for a moment that they weren’t alone. “What the fuck did you do, Derek?”
“Got your shit going again, Jump,” Derek snapped, his face turned cruel. “You were throwing your life away and I wasn’t going to let that happen. You hired me to look out for your best interests and this is in your best interest. Period.”
“Ambushing me was in my best interest?” Jared yelled. “Seriously? You couldn’t give me a heads up before unleashing the hounds? There wasn’t a better option?”
“Calm down, Jump,” the suit from L.A. chimed in, “you weren’t returning calls and we know it had nothing to do with losing a phone charger.”
“I’ve been working my ass off to get back in shape, I asked for a few more weeks to get into the shape I wanted to be in before returning to L.A. This was a circus.”
“You never complained before,” the suit said blandly.
“I’ve never had to recover from a near-career-ending-injury before,” Jared bit back. “This was an invasion of privacy at best.”
“Yeah, yeah, you can thank me later when you’re back in L.A. with a hot piece of ass on your arm at the club,” Derek replied from behind his phone, again. “Just pack your shit up and we’ll have this place taken care of.”
“I have people I need to say good-bye to. I’ve got plans.” Jared’s temper flared. “This is a bullshit move. You’re both on my shit list and I may not play as nice as you like if you don’t let me at least say good-bye to the people who have been there for me the past few months while you’ve been ignoring me altogether.”
“There just isn’t time,” The suit stuttered, his pinhole eyes disappeared even further behind his tortoise-shell glasses.
“Make the fucking time,” Jared spat. “Make the fucking time or you will regret it, I promise you.”
“Okay, Jump, calm down. How many stops do you have to make?” Derek put his phone down and attempted to charm him.
“At least three,” Jared stated firmly. “And I need at least an hour at each.”
“We can fit in three, an hour at each, but no more,” Derek compromised, “we can’t miss the flight back to L.A.”
“Yeah, we brought the team jet to take you back, Jump,” the suit, bolstered by Derek’s interference, chimed in, “we’re taking you back in style.”
“Great. Yippee-fucking-doo,” Jared muttered and headed for his room. He stopped and turned back to his agent. “And Derek?”
“What’s up, Jump?” Derek didn’t look at him.
“You’re a douche rocket.” Jared didn’t wait for the reaction, just stalked back to his room to pack.