Chapter Six
Stryder
I couldn’t quite put my finger to it, but there was something about Tasha that had me going back to her for the rest of the week—jogging at the park together, visiting her on the set when she was working and I was free, going on road trips, and even taking her out to dinner.
We just clicked, and I found myself looking forward to spending more time with her. It was also relieving to feel that I could be myself with her completely. No pretensions.
On Saturday afternoon, Windfield Warriors had an important game to win. I was driven and well-prepared. We were all eager to win.
I positioned myself in the center, knees bent, arms flexed, gripping the football steadily. When the signal sounded, I threw the ball hard between my knees and Alex caught it at once. The snap went by without a hitch, with the quarterback running toward the goal and dodging players as he went. I remained vigilant as I followed along, run blocking and ensuring that the ball remained untouched.
The crowd went wild as Alex went for a touchdown. He scored. I held up a victorious fist in the air and gave him a congratulatory nod.
The whole time I was playing, my father’s voice kept playing in my head. All the instructions and tips he’d given as I was growing up were drilled into my head, somehow guiding me and yet putting a lot of pressure on me, too. But this time, there was another voice I could hear—that of Tasha telling me I ought to venture more into my passion for photography.
The confusing mix of thoughts had me sidetracked, and I fumbled a few times during the game. Even without looking up at the bleachers, I could visualize my dad’s disapproving look. It made me feel like shit. I vowed to do better after half time.
While resting in the locker room, I checked my phone messages. There was one from Tasha, wishing me good luck and telling me she’d be up there watching and rooting for me. It warmed my heart, and I was surprised at the mushy sensation it gave me.
Despite my misgivings about our developing relationship, I was still inspired by her sweet, encouraging words. I could picture her lovely face and bright bluish gray eyes very clearly, egging me on and challenging me at the same time. I held that vision in my head and actually played much better during the second half of the game.
Our teamwork was excellent, all of us fulfilling our roles very well out on the field and leading us to smash the opponents and score a whole lot more.
Even though I wasn’t able to see Tasha in the vast audience, I knew she was there. I could feel her presence and that kept me going. I could imagine her encouraging smile, her bright and cheerful eyes, and her lovely dark brown hair framing her beautiful face.
Our team won and the crowd went wild. I happily walked along with my teammates to the locker room. We were all exhausted but excited. This was another game closer to the championships.
“We’re going to make it again, man!” Tim said to no one in particular.
“Yeah, no doubt about it,” another one seconded.
Some others cheered again. We all chanted, “Windfield Warriors! Windfield Warriors!” as we piled into the room. It was a feeling I had always loved.
After showering and dressing up, the guys were already talking about celebrating in our favorite hangout—The Den.
“I’m ready to eat a horse, man!” Ivan shouted, laughing. “See you there!”
“It’s on Drake, dudes!” Tim said. “His treat!”
Drake comes from a family lineage of Windfield’s old rich. He was often a quiet guy, but usually treats us. I’m guessing he’s just doing football for the fun of it and money had never been an issue. But because he was quite mysterious, we really don’t know much about him. Naturally, though, nobody gives a damn as long as he offers to pay for everything.
I went to the parking lot where I was supposed to meet Tasha. She was clad in ripped jeans with a white shirt and a brown leather jacket. Her shoulder-length hair was in soft waves, making her even more alluring to my eyes. I suddenly had the urge to run my fingers through her locks.
I found myself smiling sheepishly and literally shaking my head in disbelief. What the hell’s wrong with me?! I’ve never even like this with other women. So far, Tasha was setting a record in my dating life.
“What’s so funny, football pro?” she teased as I approached her.
“Nothing,” I said, smiling even wider as I gazed into her eyes.
“Come on,” she urged. “Spill it out.”
“Make me,” I whispered meaningfully as I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close toward me.
She gave me a seductive look that totally worked its wonders. I could feel my body heating up especially when she began to massage the back of my neck and pressed her lips on mine.
Without a care in the world, we kissed passionately in broad daylight amid the packed parking lot. I heard some hoots and whistles nearby and I’m guessing my teammates had just seen us. However, I was lost in the moment and was hesitant to break it.
Tasha placed her hands on my face, kissing me even harder. Our tongues began twisting around each other, arousing me dangerously.
We eventually broke apart, panting a bit because of our highly stimulated libidos.
“Let’s get out of here,” I whispered, grabbing her hand and leading her to my car. We got in and I drove away, eager to get her in bed.
We ended up finishing what we started in my apartment before heading over to the bar to join my friends for a celebratory drink. They were already enjoying a big spread of delicious food and buckets of beer when we got there. Alex and his wife Rosie were doing a duet on the mini stage with the karaoke.
Some of the guys gave me a high five. I introduced Tasha to those who haven’t met her yet. A few of them winked at me knowingly, while others were genuinely astounded.
“Why are they giving me that look?” Tasha asked me as we sat down for dinner.
“Oh, don’t mind them,” I said with a grin. “It’s not every day they get to meet a gorgeous stuntwoman.”
She gave me a puzzled look at first and seemed to want to probe more. But then, we were joined by some of my teammates who were actually curious about her work.
I mouthed I told you so, which made her grin.
In just a few minutes, the party was in full swing. Tasha had a couple of beers, but I limited mine to two bottles because I was driving.
“Stryder! Tasha! Stryder! Tasha!” the guys were chanting, egging us on to take the karaoke challenge.
Tasha stood up and pulled me toward the stage, which drove everyone wild. “Come on, let’s show them what we’ve got,” she said as she punched in an upbeat love song.
We launched into the song with much feeling, even though both of us couldn’t carry a tune. We were having such a good time that we hardly felt conscious. They clapped for us when we were done, and we jokingly took an exaggerated bow.
Tasha was already a bit drunk after an hour, so I decided to take her home.
“We had a blast, didn’t we?” she slurred with a smile as we stumbled up the stairs of her apartment building.
“We sure did,” I agreed. “Especially you.”
She laughed, then suddenly hiccupped. “Oops, sorry,” she said, giggling. “I’m not usually like this. I don’t even hang out in bars… not until I met you…”
“So you’re saying I’m the bad influence?” I said teasingly as I supported her up to her room.
She laughed again as she tried to look for her keys in her bag. “Not really…” She stopped rummaging in her bag to give me a sloppy kiss. “You… are a really bad influence… on my heart…” she slurred with a smile, her eyes locking with mine.
I was shocked by her words, which left me speechless. I simply smiled and went to look for her keys. She was having a hard time balancing so I lifted her in my arms and carried her to the bed positioned at one of the studio unit.
“Ooohhh…” she said, her eyes almost closing. She was lying down on the couch, a goofy smile on her face. Then she murmured, “Did we just get married, Stryder?”
It was strange how she was mentioning all of these things. We haven’t even labeled our relationship yet, and I thought she just wanted to have a good time like me. Sure, we clicked in a way that was different than I did with other women. But I was far from ready to commit, much less settle down.
I gazed at her uneasily, but felt something in my heart stir as I watched her sleep soundly like a baby. She was truly special and unique.
Instinctively, I lifted her up some more so her head was resting on the pillow comfortably. I gently took off her shoes and then grabbed a blanket from her closet to place over her body.
That was when I noticed the two picture frames on her bedside table. One showed her as a little girl, probably around six, together with her biological parents. The other one showed her as a grownup, smiling happily with whom I guessed to be her foster parents.
The photos made me smile somehow. And as I turned off the lights except for the lamp on her bedside, I found myself wanting to stay and watch over her.