CHAPTER 2
Stephanie drove her motorcycle over to the stadium where her father worked. The weekend would have this place packed to the rafters to see who was going to move on and who was going to be left crying in their beer. This was going to be the seventh and final game. Both teams were evenly matched, but her father’s had the edge over the competition; their star quarterback, Brock Nevins, was sidelined with an injury, and it finally dawned on Stephanie that maybe that was the reason why she was here.
Stephanie saw Jake Eagles, a retired football star in his own right, standing at the front door getting that necessary smoke break.
Jake looked up at her and shook his head in disbelief; he couldn’t believe that she would actually have the gall to ride that thing there, of all places. He had heard several arguments between her and her father on the subject. It was like she wanted to get a rise out of him, and maybe that was the only way that she felt like she was getting the attention that she deserved.
“I could swear that was you, Stephanie, but that can’t be. The Stephanie that I know would never try to push his buttons, especially when we are getting so close to the championship.” Stephanie rolled her eyes at him, but that only spurred him on. “Do you know that he hardly ever sleeps anymore? He pops caffeine pills like they are candy. I believe that there is only one person that can help him, and that’s you. Tell him that he’s burning the candle at both ends. Get him to delegate and maybe that will help him to soothe his troubled nerves. You know that he has a high blood pressure, and bringing that thing here is not going to help matters any.”
Stephanie sighed. “He may not like it, but I really don’t care. It’s a nice, spring day and I decided to get it out of the garage. I don’t have many opportunities to drive, and when I do, I seize the day You think that he can tell me what to do, but that is not how our relationship works. He might be able to do that with his team, but I’m not one of those that he can browbeat into doing anything. I came over here as a courtesy.”
“I know how hard he rides his players. I’ve gone to a few of his sermons before a big game, not so much a speech as a proclamation from god.”
Stephanie knew that her father was a pigheaded, chauvinistic man that was stuck in his ways and she steeled herself for her interaction with him. Nodding a goodbye to Jake, she headed into her father’s office. Seeing him at his desk going over plays was like seeing a throwback to her childhood.
Avery looked up from his desk and saw his daughter. He could only hope to god that she was the answer to his prayers. He motioned for her to come in and she sat down with her legs crossed in a ladylike fashion. He couldn’t get over how much she was like her mother. They may have had different styles, but what he saw in his daughter was the same thing that he saw in his soon to be wife back in the day: they both had attitudes and knew how to emasculate a man.
“I’m sure that you have perused the file that I have sent you already. I’ve called for that specific player to come to the office right away. I want your honest opinion and to tell me straight if you think that he can play this weekend. I don’t want to injure him, but I think it’s necessary to find out what he’s capable of.”
“I really don’t know what you expect from me. I have taken a look and I believe that he would be better suited to sitting on the sidelines for the rest of the season. It would give his knee time to heal, but I don’t think that I’m telling you anything that your other trainers haven’t told you already. I do have some experimental procedures, and you don’t need to look at me like that. You know that I’ve always gone in for that holistic side of medicine.”
“I’ve always had great success with acupuncture and even reflexology. I’ve dedicated my life to those things that would prevent going under the knife. No surgeon would ever tell them, but there are always different ways to skin a cat.”
Brock was approaching the coach’s office and he could see the back of some woman sitting in front of the desk. He looked down at his impressive member. He patted his crotch to remind it that he had already satisfied those urges last night. That girl knew how to work her body, but he never did feel anything more for her than that chemistry connection.
He was walking gingerly and could feel the weight of his 250-pound frame on his knee. He saw the coach wave him in and then he stood and looked at this woman from the angle of seeing down her blouse. Those puppies looked good enough to devour. He imagined what it would be like to stick his head between them.
“Brock, I want you to meet the possible answer to what is plaguing you. Dr. Wallace will be taking over your care. It’s not that I don’t trust the trainers, but I really do need somebody that is going to have both of our best interests in mind.” The coach was not stupid and he could see the way that Brock was looking at his daughter. There was no way that he was going to take that lying down. “Dr. Wallace is my daughter and I think that it goes without saying that you’re not to use your special charm on her. Besides, I think that you’ll find that she’s not a match for somebody with your callous attitude towards women.”
Stephanie had her arms crossed demurely, but her eyes were in line with Brock’s bulge. That piece of hardware was definitely more than a mouthful. She didn’t even consider that her father was standing right here. His body was a hypnotic sight that had her anxious to get him out of his clothing.
Hearing that this was the coach’s daughter had put ice water down his pants. It wasn’t enough to fully diminish his condition, but it did make him think that this was a bad idea.
“I’ve looked over the results of your tests and I believe that you have promise for an experimental procedure. I don’t know how you feel about acupuncture and reflexology, but I believe that is your best bet to get on the field by the weekend. I don’t see anything out of place in the scans. That at least gives me hope that you can come back from this fully healed and ready to storm the field next year. If I had my choice, I would have you stand out, but I don’t think the coach is going to be very happy with that prognosis.” Stephanie could barely sit still, squirming noticeably and trying her best to find someplace that was comfortable. She hungered for something more than a TV dinner and the meat that he was packing certainly would quench her appetite.
“I know that I’m going to regret saying this, but I forbid any kind of relationship between the two of you. I don’t care if it’s physical or otherwise. If I find out anything different, then you won’t be out there this weekend. There are going to be many scouts from various football teams in the NFL looking to size you up. If you’re not out there, then they will turn their attention to somebody else. I know for fact that there are at least four that are going to be here watching you specifically. I don’t want you to ruin it for a few minutes of pleasure. I’m sure that you have a lot of other women looking to take their place in your bed.” The coach had laid down the law and he was hoping that his words were going to be met with a favorable response.
Brock nodded. “I would never think of doing anything with your daughter. I don’t know why you would even think that I was that kind of guy. I will treat her like she is off limits.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her bosom, but he was doing it subtly to prevent the coach from seeing that he was interested in more than just a professional arrangement.
While Brock professed his innocence, Stephanie was incensed by her father’s controlling attitude. “I don’t know where you get off dictating my love life, but believe me I have no interest in this Neanderthal.”
“Although I can imagine what it would be like to be flung over his shoulder and dragged back to his cave. This guy is exactly what I’m looking for to shed some of my inhibitions.”
Stephanie’s father cleared his throat. “I have a lot of work to do. I suggest that you both work very hard to make sure that he’s on that field by the weekend. You only have a couple of days to work your magic, Stephanie.”
“Am I only interested because dad has declared him off limits? I have to admit that this is the kind of mountain that I would love to climb. He has all the attributes, except I don’t think that there’s much going on between the ears. I don’t even know why that matters to me. I haven’t been laid in almost six months. I need to get one out of the chamber and this guy has the makings of a great, one-night stand.”