Practice seemed like it was going too well that day. Carey, Kyle and I were so relaxed and focused, I honestly didn’t see the signs. Someone told me later people were checking the news story out on their phones, looking at us and pointing. It wasn’t until Coach Brennan called us all into the office that I knew something was up.
“Ellis, Fowler, Blake, get in here!” the coach demanded as we approached.
Brennan’s office had a corporate feel to it. It was the biggest office on the floor. The walls were adorned with pictures of his previous victories, everything from his college days as a player to our NFC wins. There was a picture of us during my first rookie year. We looked happy in that picture. He was so not happy with me now. It was like being yelled at by my dad.
“What where you guys thinking?! Huh?! What the fuck were you thinking?!” he ranted. “Do you know the owners are coming down here?! They never come down here on a day like today! You guys messed up! Messed up real good!”
Coach was 40 something and in great shape for a guy his age. When he ranted, his voice boomed everywhere. We just kind of stared at him and looked at each other. If he was yelling at us for hooking up with Lexi, none of us had any clue how he would know. Fortunately, he had had his office sound proof for occasions when he had to chew somebody’s ass off. Like now.
“I don’t think we know what you’re talking about coach,” I said honestly.
He grabbed a remote off his desk and turned on the wide screen TV in his office. He flipped to various news channels showing stills of the four of us in the foyer. There we were saying goodbye to Lexi that morning. The headline on the screen was “Sea-Eagles Sex Scandal?”
“Oh, Christ,” I muttered.
“Where the fuck was that guy?” demanded Carey. “I didn’t see him! He couldn’t have been in the foyer!”
“Like that matters, Ellis!” snapped the coach. “You especially were warned about this shit!”
“What shit? This ain’t like what happened with Ringo,” assured Carey. “That was completely different. I didn’t know it was his girlfriend!”
“Do you think that matters?! Do you think that fucking matters?!” snapped coach. “The team doesn’t like this shit. The League doesn’t like this shit! They still think you guys are role models for children!”
“We didn’t do anything wrong,” insisted Kyle. “That was a private moment. We were inside. We didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Oh, no, Fowler!” said the coach sarcastically. “You just gangbanged some broad on Sports Ring! Please tell me you had the sense not to tape the fucking thing! Is it floating around on Pornhub somewhere?!”
“It’s not like that, coach,” said Carey seriously. “This chick, Lexi, she’s different. She’s not mad at us. Look at her in the picture!”
“Does that matter? Nothing in reality matters, Ellis! Cause it’s about the way it looks!” the coach ranted. “Jesus H. Christ! Do you know what this woman could do to the entire organization?! The lawsuit?! And that’s just the beginning!”
“She’s not going to sue the team,” I insisted.
“Oh, and you know that how, Blake? Y-y-you some kind of mind reader now?”
“We have…a relationship with her.”
“You expect me to believe that? You get drunk and have a four-way and now you’re in a relationship?” said the coach, incredulous. “You think marketing could explain that to the public even if it were true?”
“It is true” insisted Kyle.
“It doesn’t matter what is or isn’t true, Fowler! This chick’s career is over! Dead! You guys got caught! It looks incredibly bad and now I have to bench you! My three best players! Not because of injuries, but because they couldn’t wait two weeks to hold their orgy in the off season!”
“Don’t bench them,” I pleaded. “Just bench me. It’s my fault. I dragged them into this.”
“Nice try, Blake, but I can’t,” said the coach in frustration walking behind his desk and tossing the remote aside. “The owners are on their way down here. Probably to hand me my ass and tell me to look for another job next season.”
“You can’t go down for what we did,” said Kyle.
“I am the captain of this ship, Fowler!” corrected the Coach. “Everything that happens here, good or bad, is my fault. Win a game? My fault. Lose a game? My fault? A player gets injured? My fault. Not enough towels in the locker room? My God damn fucking fault!”
“Look, coach,” pleaded Ellis. “I’m the one that messed up during the Tina situation. I started that shit with Ringo and I handled it bad. Blame me. This is Jackson’s last season, man. Let him go out with a ring!”
“I would like nothing more than that,” said the coach sadly. “But this story is snowballing out of control. It’s national fucking news. Good Morning America talked about it. The women on the View, every celebrity is tweeting an opinion about it. The God damned president is being asked his opinion on it!”
“What did he say?” asked Kyle genuinely interested.
“It doesn’t God damn matter, Fowler!” snapped the coach. “What matters is, they’re talking about the Sea-Eagles and they’re not talking about how we’re going to win the Super Bowl! They’re not talking about yards and penalties and plays. They’re talking about your stupid sex life, you moron! We look like amateurs! Like a bunch of high school amateurs!”
“Coach, if you knew this woman, you’d see that this wasn’t a joke,” I said, trying to explain. “This wasn’t some frat house sex party.”
“I get it, Blake,” said the coach, relenting. “People have different situations. Personally, I don’t care, but it’s not up to me, okay? This organization is worth millions. They’re not going to risk that money trying to explain someone’s non-traditional relationship. You think Pepsi or Coke or Ford or Budweiser wants to get into the details? No! They still think of the NFL as a family sport! There’s no room for complicated and nuance adult talk, okay? There’s just not!”
Suddenly, Lexi burst into the room. For a lot of years, I went out of my way to save people. Here she was coming to save me. She had a determined look in her eye. It was like she emerged her full self for the first time.
“Coach! You have to listen to me!” Lexi begged. “You can’t let the tabloids ruin these men’s careers!”
“Is that her? What is she doing in here?” snapped the coach. “Are you nuts calling her down here? The papers will have a field day!”
“Lexi, you should go,” I advised. “Honestly, coach, we didn’t ask for this.”
“No! I’m not going to let them ruin your career over me!” she insisted. “Coach, you have to listen to me!”
“Lady, please, listen---“
“No! You listen!” Lexi roared. “These three men are some of the kindest, most wonderful people I have ever met. They love me, and I love them. And that love is real. Those pictures don’t do it justice, but it is real. Kyle has a heart of gold! Carey is loyal and loving! And Jackson, well I already know he probably tried to take the blame for everything!”
“Well, she does know you,” the coach admitted.
“You see? We have an honest and open relationship. A real connection. Shouldn’t that be celebrated instead of scandalized? We make each other happy. What’s wrong with that?” Lexi demanded to know.
“There’s nothing you said that I don’t agree with,” said the coach plainly. “These guys are some of the best players on the team. Hell, best players I’ve ever coached. But their goodness or whatever is not the issue. A professional football team has a lot of moving parts and this story is a monkey wrench thrown into that,” the coach tried to explain.
“We could have a press conference and explain,” suggested Lexi. “If the public saw the real people. That real people’s lives are being destroyed, they’d change their minds. I’ve already been fired from Sports Ring, I have nothing to lose.”
“They fired you?” said Kyle sounding worried.
“It’s fine,” assured Lexi.
“Miss, I’m impressed that you came in here to defend these guys. Honestly, that takes guts. Admittedly, I had the wrong impression of you,” conceded the coach. “But that still doesn’t change things. You can’t stand up in front of each of our millions of fans and explain this. It just won’t fly. And the only opinions that really matter are the owners.”
Just then, one of the assistant coaches ran to the door.
“Coach, Ben and Anita are here,” he announced. “They’re getting off the elevator.”
“Jesus,” muttered Brennan. “You have to go, Miss.”
“Please, just let me talk to them,” begged Lexi. “I’m already here. At the very least, I can apologize.”
“Yeah, sure,” said the coach pessimistically. “More people to watch me get fired.”
A few seconds later, the owners of the Sea-Eagles, Ben and Anita, walked into the room. Ben was quiet and reserved, a graying billionaire that bought the Sea-Eagles for his wife. Anita wore the pants in the relationship and strived to do what was best for her beloved Sea-Eagles team. Ben wore a modest shirt and tie. He stared into his phone, barely looking up, answering emails and texts. Anita had her hair done up and wore a designer business woman’s suit. She wanted to be noticed and had a fiery energy that was part of everything she did.
“Brennan, what the Hell is going on here?” she demanded entering and seeing Lexi. “And what the Hell is she doing here?”
“Anita, I’m Lexi Aaron---“
“I know who you are, dear, I watch the news,” she said icily. “Although these days it seems much more like a gossip rag.”
“I totally agree with you, ma’am,” conceded Lexi. “I just came down here to explain what happened.”
“I think we all know what happened, dear,” said Anita. “You and some of the boys had quite a wild time. I’m not interesting in the sexual predilections of my players.”
“It’s not like that,” insisted Lexi. “Carey, Kyle and Jackson and I shared something special. Something that’s real. I love these men.”
“Love them?”
“Yes,” Lexi said proudly. “We have a real bond. A real connection. You’ve been married for 30 years, you must know what that’s like.”
“She’s got you there, Anita,” said Ben, still staring at his phone.
“Benjamin, hush,” she chided. “Let me handle this.”
Anita turned toward Brennan.
“Did you know about this?”
“I swear, I did not,” said Brennan. “I saw it on the news, same as you. This happened completely outside of practice and off of Sea-Eagles grounds.”
“This is a disruption,” insisted Anita. “We can’t win Super Bowls with disruptions like this. It takes everyone’s focus off of winning and onto nonsensical nonsense. Need I remind you, Mr. Ellis, of the Tina situation?”
“No, ma’am,” said Carey. “Not at all.”
“For weeks, you and Ringo were in the press, fighting on the field and during practice--- We sustained three injuries during that period. I hold you and Ringo personally responsible for those injuries because they are often the result of distractions. I will not tolerate it,” insisted Anita. “This sport already had a tremendous amount of injury, some that we’ve only just started to uncover. Distractions lead to injury!”
“Honestly, I’ve never been more focused,” I confessed.
“Me too, my head was clear today,” added Carey.
“Is that true?” asked Anita. “Are our star players more focused because of their…interaction with Ms. Aaron?”
“They had a good practice,” admitted coach. “They seemed focused.”
“Nevertheless, the press on this is relentless,” said Anita. “The paparazzi are everywhere. I’ve got reporters following me and Benjamin night and day! Calling on the phone, asking questions and demanding answers. I can’t have you flaunting this--- This--- Whatever this is, around!”
“We weren’t flaunting anything,” insisted Lexi. “This is private. Between me and the guys only. We didn’t tell anyone and kept to ourselves.”
“Then how did it get out?” asked Anita. “My players are about to win the Super Bowl. They’re incredibly famous. You are the new variable in this equation, Ms. Aaron!”
“Must’ve been that photographer at the zoo,” I suggested.
“It was just me and you there,” pointed out Lexi. “No! I remember seeing Ringo at the restaurant. He was hiding in the coat room, but when I ran to find him he was gone.”
“You’re telling me Ringo did this?” snapped Anita. “Get Ringo in here right now. I want to question him myself!”
Coach Brennan pressed a button on his phone and made a P.A. announcement.
“Ringo, this is Coach Brennan. Can I see you in my office immediately please?” he announced.
“Lexi, you don’t have to do this,” I whispered. “Just go, we’ll take whatever punishment they give.”
“No, Jackson,” said Lexi. “We need to stick up for each other. I’ve got your back. Always.”
Ringo entered. He kind of strutted in, cocksure as always. He was wearing a clean practice jersey and a thick gold chain.
“Hey, everyone. Coach. Anita, Ben, looking good!” greeted Ringo.
Ben, who was answering emails on his phone and barely paying attention, acknowledged Ringo’s greeting.
“Ringo,” said Coach. “Did you send a reporter to follow the guys and Ms. Aaron here?”
“No,” said Ringo, half-smiling. “I took the picture on my phone.”
Ringo lifted up the phone. He had the audacity to show the pictures in the office. He swiped across the many pictures he took.
“What the Hell did you do that for?!” I demanded. “This was none of your business!”
Carey and Kyle got between us. I swear, I was ready to beat the shit out of Ringo in front of everyone.
“Because!” said Ringo. “Y’all always stirring up shit with me, so I stirred some shit up with you! These freaks have a group orgy and everything. It ain’t natural.”
“You fucking idiot,” said Coach. “You don’t have any idea what you’ve done.”
“Hey, I know Anita and Ben ain’t going to support that shit, right?” said Ringo, appealing to them. “No one in the NFL is gonna tolerate this shit. Cut these motherfuckers and put me back in the game! I’ll win you that Super Bowl ring!”
“Ringo, I don’t give a shit what my players do in their off time,” said Anita. “But you! You created a distraction that didn’t exist!”
“I created it? I exposed it!” insisted Ringo. “You should be thanking me!”
“No one would’ve known about it if you hadn’t taken the pictures!” said Lexi. “You’re just jealous because I turned you down!”
“Oh, God! Again, Ringo?”
“No, Anita. I-i-it ain’t like that.”
“I’ve been blind,” Anita said to herself. “You were the cause of this and the Tina situation.”
“I didn’t cause that!”
“Bench him, coach,” said Anita.
“What? You can’t bench me! We got the Super Bowl in two games!” snapped Ringo.
“Oh, you’re benched!” said coached. “Now get your shit and get out of the team locker room.”
Ringo took a moment to give everyone in the room nasty looks and then stormed out.
“I am so sorry, Ben,” said Anita. “I should’ve gotten rid of Ringo all along. You called it.”
“Hmm?” said Ben, still distracted. “Oh, yes. Of course.”
“So coach,” said Anita. “Think you can win a Super Bowl without Ringo? I’m certain he was the cause of all this distraction now.”
“Oh, well, yeah,” said coach, half expecting more firings. “Absolutely. Yeah, I can replace Ringo in a second.”
“Good. I want a ring, coach,” said Anita, who began to leave with her husband. “Gentlemen, don’t let me down. And young lady---“
“Yes?”
“Here’s my card. I have a friend over at ESPN,” said Anita. “Wait a few weeks for this to all calm down and give me a call. I think they could use you there.”
“Really? Thank you, ma’am. Thank you so much.”
Anita nodded and she and Ben left as they came.
“All right then,” said Coach, relieved. “I guess we have more practicing to do, so everyone get the Hell out of my office. Jackson, stay a sec.”
The room cleared. It was just me and coach.
“Congrats, buddy. Looks like you get that shot at the Super Bowl after all,” said coach.
“I won’t let you down,” I assured him. “Thanks, Coach.”
“And, uh, try and keep your relationship on the down low for a while,” he suggested. “At least until we win the Super Bowl, huh?”
“Sure, Coach,” I agreed.
I found Lexi and the guys in a side room. We had to be a little more discreet now.
“Guys, we’re back!” I said excitedly.
“Yeah, now all we have to do is win the next two games,” added Kyle. “It’s weird that winning the Super Bowl is now the least of our problems.”
“It was never a doubt in my mind,” said Carey. “Just hand me the ball, QB!”
“I wanna thank you for sticking up for us back there,” I said to Lexi. “I don’t know if we’d be back in the game if you hadn’t.”
“I had to,” said Lexi, astonished that I was suggesting otherwise. “You guys are my boys. I got your back. All your backs.”
“We just gotta get through the next few weeks,” I said.
“You’re ours, baby and we’re yours,” said Carey, looking into her eyes. “We ain’t never gonna give you up. Super Bowl or no. It’s taking me a long time, but I think I finally realize what’s important in life, ya know?”
“I hear that,” agreed Kyle.
“Thanks, Carey, Kyle, Jackson,” said Lexi. “I love you guys.”
We each gave Lexi a kiss. This was going to be our thing. No one was going to split us apart.
With Ringo off the team, the Sea-Eagles seem to come together better than ever. Anita was right, he really was the disruption. The guys easily won their spot in the Super Bowl. A few weeks later, I was sitting in a special guest section with dad, watching the Sea-Eagles play. It was always dad’s dream to watch the Super Bowl close up and here his beloved team was actually playing in the Super Bowl.
We were in the fourth quarter. The Sea-Eagles had dominated throughout, but you could never count the Loyalists out. With less than a minute left, the Loyalists had taken the lead 20 to 15. Jackson had to throw a touchdown pass. The Sea-Eagles were on their last time out. As we waited anxiously for the final couple of plays, I had a moment with dad.
“Dad,” I said. “I just want to let you know how grateful I am for your support. Not just in the past, but for the past few weeks. It was so crazy getting fired and finding myself. If it hadn’t been for you keeping me grounded, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud of you. I mean, Hell, look at these seats! And the fact that you’re dating the best players on my favorite team, I mean, c’mon. I’d have to be crazy to complain.”
“No, I know that my relationship isn’t something that was traditional in your day,” I said.
“Sweetheart, tradition is one thing, but love is another. As long as you’re happy, I could care less how it happens or how many people are involved. Live your life with no regrets. I know if your mother was here, she’d be just as proud of you.”
“Thanks dad,” I said tearing up. “That really means a lot.”
“Hey! Heeeeey!” called someone from the field.
“I think that guy is waving to you, hon,” said dad. “Who is that?”
It was Baker. He was standing on the sideline with Emma. I waved back.
“Oh, that’s Baker,” I explained. “My old cameraman. “Hi, Baker! Hi, Emma!”
Finally, the time ticked down and the Sea-Eagles lined up for the snap. Jackson threw a screen pass to Kyle near the sidelines. He ran for a first down and tried to get out of bounds to stop the clock, but one of the Loyalists tackled him in bounds. This forced the Sea-Eagles to rush their line up and snap the ball quickly. Jackson organized the players, snapped the ball and threw it away to stop the clock. He had stopped it but cost the team time.
“Dammit, he needs this pass,” muttered dad. “He can’t keep throwing these screen passes. There’s not enough time!”
“Relax, dad,” I assured him. “Jackson’s got this.”
“What is it with the coach and the same damned plays?!” he snapped. “Did you talk to that coach when you were in there?”
“Uh, yeah, I did,” I admitted. “Although I didn’t get a chance to address his play choice. Maybe next time.”
Jackson scrambled back, but one of the defensive linemen broke through. He had to really scramble and weave, but managed to find Carey out on the sidelines. Carey caught it and fell out of bounds almost immediately. There was still time for another play.
“Your man Jackson likes to cut things close,” said dad, increasingly worried. “Tell him to hurry up and win this thing before I die of a heart attack!”
“Jackson has a plan, dad,” I assured him. “He’ll do something unexpected.”
“The only thing unexpected would be a pass right down the middle of the field,” he insisted. “That would probably be the end of the game!”
The next thing you know, that’s exactly what Jackson did. Unable to reach Kyle on the sidelines, Jackson made a risky pass to Carey in the middle of the field. Carey was looking like he was going to run out of bounds, but dodging inside the field to avoid a tackle, he ended up too far away.
“No-no-no!” screamed dad. “Get out of bounds!”
“He’s too far away! There’s not enough time!” I insisted. “It’s now or never!”
Carey dodged another tackle, then started to run down the field. Just when it looked like he might get caught, Kyle rushed in and made a key block to a Loyalist defender. Carey was almost to the goal line when a Loyalist dived and knocked him off his feet. We stood up.
“Oh, no!” I screamed. “Carey!”
He dropped the ball and it was chaos on the field. One of the Loyalists tried to fall on it, but his momentum took him so fast when he hit the ball, it bounced up. Jackson had run down the field and grabbed it, but he was surrounded by Loyalists. He scrambled into the middle of the field as time was running out. After ducking a few Loyalists, one got a hold of his leg and he just managed to lateral the ball back to Carey, who was up and caught it. There was no stopping Carey, now! He made an end run around the whole mess of players, then leaped over two Loyalists and landed just over the goal line! It was a touch down just in time!
The stadium exploded in applause and cheers. Dad and I hugged. It was one of the most momentous Super Bowl endings in history! The Sea-Eagles had finally won a Super Bowl after so many years of near-misses. Jackson would indeed go out on top!
“I can’t believe it, dad! I can’t believe it! I can’t wait to congratulate the guys!” I said excited. “Oh, my God! This is incredible!”
“You go on the field right now and give them a hug,” he encouraged.
“You’re sure you’re okay up here by yourself?”
“Trust me, we’re not getting out of the parking lot for a while! I’ll be fine, kiddo,” he assured. “Besides, everything is handicap accessible. If I get bored, I’m going to roll out and get another beer.”
Dad was so great. I ran down to the field. Fortunately, Emma recognized me. She was working security for the game. Although she stopped other fans from jumping onto the field, she quickly waved me through so I could reach the team. It was a mob scene. Sea-Eagles staff and players were elated. Loyalists walked around in a daze, almost if in shock.
Finally, I reached Kyle and gave him a hug and kiss. He was bathed in sweat and had his helmet in his hand.
“I’m going to Disneyland!” he said jokingly.
“Baby, we’re all going to Disneyland!” I laughed back. “C’mon, let’s find the other guys!”
“Lexi, I talked it over with them,” said Kyle. “The four of us want to be family. We want to make an honest woman out of you!”
“What? You mean get married? How?” I asked. “Is that even legal?”
“Who cares if we’re together,” said Jackson, suddenly standing behind me.
My heart leapt. Jackson picked me up in his strong arms and kissed me. Heat radiated off of him like a furnace. All the guys were fired up from the game.
“Kyle says you guys want to get married?” I repeated. “Are you guys serious about this?”
“Yeah, of course!” said Jackson. “I mean, it probably won’t be legal here, but we’ll find some country that’ll let us do it. Even if we just have our own ceremony just to let everyone know. You up for it?”
“Of course!” I said excitedly.
“Great! Let’s tell Carey!” said Jackson, taking my hand.
As we ran across the field, the sports reporters were mobbing us. They especially wanted to talk to Jackson about his last play. Somehow, the Super Bowl was already behind him. He had done what he set out to do. It would be broadcast on TV for years to come. What else was there to say? He waved them off because he had something more important to do.
“Carey!” he shouted through a crowd of people. “Hey, man! C’mere a sec! Big news!”
Carey was in the middle of an interview with Fox News. When he saw me, he cut the interview short and joined the part. He rushed over, picked me up and twirled me around as we kissed.
“Lexi-lexi-lexi!” he said excited. “Did you see that run?! I fucked it up, but I fixed it at the end. I can’t believe I almost fucked it up.”
“Stop beating yourself up,” I said. “You won! Who cares?”
“Yeah, I know,” he relented.
He called over to Tom Williams, the Loyalists quarterback, who looked depressed sitting on the sidelines. Carey grabbed his crotch as he called out.
“Yo, Williams,” he taunted. “Let some air out of this!”
“Hang tight guys,” said Jackson. “It’s time for me to announce.”
Jackson walked over to a throng of reporters. The microphones were in his face instantly.
“This is a moment I worked hard for,” he began. “The moment is here, I set out what I wanted to achieve. I brought Philadelphia a Super Bowl. Thank you, Philly and thank the Sea-Eagles organization for all you’ve done. At this time, I’d like to officially announce my retirement from football. I’ve decided to go out on top!”
“Jackson! Jackson!” shouted one of the reporters. “How do you respond to the accusations that you’re part of some sex cult?”
“I don’t. They’re untrue,” he explained. “During the game and the lead up, we had to focus. I had not time to address these issues. I’ll simply say, that I’m in love with a great woman and so are two of my friends. We’re happy and I don’t care what anyone says about it. A relationship is private, it’s not for anyone but us, we’re not hurting anyone and most importantly, we’re happy. Although not all my fans will understand or approve, but I hope they will respect it and our privacy. Thank you.”
Jackson impromptu announcement and speech got more coverage than even the supposed “scandal” that Ringo tried to create. To the credit of football fans everywhere, most people supported us and Jackson. The reality was, relationships are complex, nuanced and personal and most people knew that.
While we celebrated on the field, my producer from Sports Ring emerged from the crowd. Before he even opened his mouth, I knew what he was going to say.
“Hey-hey, Lexi,” he began. “Listen, I have to apologize. Some guys in corporate pressured me to let you go. Big mistake, I know, but I’m a big enough man to admit it. So how about coming back to Sports Ring? I’ll get you a better office and a raise.”
“Thanks, but no thanks,” I told him. “I’m already in talks with ESPN for my own show. They appreciate an insider’s perspective there a lot more and they could care less about my personal life.”
“C’mon, Lexi, it wasn’t personal,” he assured me.
The boys got up in his face.
“I think the lady has made her decision, pal,” said Jackson threateningly.
“My girl doesn’t need your dinky-ass network,” assured Carey. “She’s going to be hosting Sports Center within two years. Bet on that!”
Kyle just gave him a mean look. My old producer withered under the stare and backed away.
“Well, if you change your mind…” he added exiting.
“She won’t,” Jackson called after.
“Thanks for having my back, guys,” I said.
“No worries,” assured Jackson. “Now whose up for a party?”
“Party?” joked Carey. “We’re gonna be married men, soon. We can’t go out and party no more!”
“Just as long as we get to eat,” added Kyle. “I’m starving.”
I walked off the field with the guys. We were going to live our lives the way we wanted; with no regrets.