The Long Game (Seattle Sentinels #1)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Tucker

Paul Siezer calling…

What does my talent manager want?

“Hey Paul, how’s it going?” I ask as I drive the SUV Luca and I rented to get out of Green Bay.

We had just stopped off in Indianapolis to grab Brielle, Bronx, and the few things we needed from our condos. We wouldn’t be moving everything to Chicago now, not in this weather, but we were all anxious to weather the storm with family.

My SUV picks up the phone on Bluetooth.

“I don’t know. You tell me. I’m getting calls from all the top affiliates wanting an official statement about you and Mallory Stahl. Are you two officially dating?”

“What?”

I look over at Luca and he gives me stern look. I shake my head to indicate Paul has it wrong.

“I need the details Tucker if we’re going to control the narrative. You should have given me a heads up on this kind of thing.”

“I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”

I can see Luca's jaw tighten. I don't have to imagine what he's thinking right now. That I've been chasing Lexi while dating Mallory behind her back. Nothing could be further from the truth, but I need to make sure that I

“Have you been watching the sports channel today?” he asks.

“No, I was too busy losing our playoff game and then trying to get my ass home with all the canceled flights. Been a little busy, thanks for your concern Paul,” I say with irritation.

A second later, a ping comes through my phone. I see it’s from Paul. The roads are getting icy and I have Brielle and Bronx in the car so I nod at Luca to open the message.

Luca positions the phone so he and I can both see it.

It’s a picture of Mallory and I standing in front of the back doors to the home stadium, near the parking lot for the players and staff.

She had her forehead pressed against my chest and my arms are wrapped around her.

It looks like two people in an intimate moment. I’ll admit to that. But at a different angle, you’d see, she was actually balling her eyes out and I was only trying to comfort her.

Her ex-boyfriend and also an exec for a close affiliate to the team had come into the stadium, into her office, and threatened to blackball her from pro sports if she didn’t dump her stockbroker boyfriend.

I found her again, just like I had at the opening of my friend’s new restaurant. She was standing outside of the stadium trying to pull herself together when I pulled up in my truck. She lost it when she saw me and started crying harder. I thought he had hurt her this time but she swore he didn’t.

Lucky for him he didn’t lay a hand on her. He wouldn’t have a hand left if he’d touched her. I would have seen to it.

“Looks like you two are pretty cozy to me. Just be honest with me, Tucker. This could be good publicity for you.”

“We’re not together. She has some millionaire stockbroker boyfriend in New York. She was in need of a friend, that’s it.” I look at Luca when I say it. He remembers what I had told him before about her manipulative ex. “And anyway, that photo is ancient. Why are they releasing it now?”

“The word I got was that the pap who took it was waiting for you to win the Super Bowl first and then cash in. He sold it the second you lost the game, hoping to get something for it.”

“It’s fake news, Paul. Tell them all as much.”

“Just saying, Tucker. A press release with the biggest ‘player’ in the league finally settling down would cloud over a little of this loss for you. It’s not exactly terrible timing. If Mallory would agree to…”

“Don’t fucking think about it,” I threaten. “If you want to see Tucker Evans off the market, you might just get your wish. I’ll talk to you in a couple of days.”

Paul laughs with excitement but just as he’s about to say something about how incredible this boost will be for my career, I hang up on his ass.

Not everything is for sale.

If I can somehow even get Lexi to be with me, once and for all, I’ll never agree to use it as a publicity stunt. This would be the start to the future I want.

“Holy shit. You’re going to go for it,” Luca realizes as he sees the determination on my face.

We’re only forty-five minutes from Lexi’s office and Luca’s condo in the city is conveniently on the way.

“I’ve played this too safe. I’ve been playing the long game for far too long.”

I hear Brielle giggle in the background. I wish I was as enthusiastic but I’m scared shitless.

Lexi

Tucker texted me when they left his condo and were headed to Chicago.

The storm hasn’t hit yet but I’ve been glued to the weather channel for the last two days.

The office is still bustling, but those who can work from home have already left for the day. Thankfully, a weekend is about to start and the worst of the storm is supposed to start tomorrow or the next.

“Lexi, honey…” my dad stops by my office. “…you should head home. It’s Friday anyway and the roads are clear now, but who knows what the next few hours will bring. I’d like to know you’re at home safe.”

“I just have a couple more hours’ worth of work. I’ll head home as soon as I’m done.”

“Ok, call me when you leave the office. Luca just got home and your mom wants them to stay with us in case the storm gets worse tonight and we lose electricity. I’m leaving to get them settled at our house. Do have enough wood for your fireplace on your porch?”

“Yeah, I have enough for a week or so, if needed.”

“Ok. Don’t forget to call.”

“I won’t,” I say. The urgency of getting my emails sent through asap in case I actually do lose power hits me.

Thanks for the added pressure, dad, jeeze.

Twenty minutes later, I hear quick footsteps down the hall, headed for my office. I know there aren’t many people left so it has to be my dad.

“Ok ok, I get it. I’ll head home soon,” I say, thinking my dad decided to pack more pressure on.

“Lexi.”

The familiar, sexy voice of the man I can’t get out of my head… or my heart comes from the opening of my office door.

I glance up to see a beautiful Tucker who looks to be sweating and a under some kind of distress.

“Tucker. What’s wrong?” I stand up from my desk immediately.

“They got it wrong. I told you before that she and I aren’t together. I swear to God, Lex, I never laid a finger on her like that,” He says in a rush.

“Wow… just slow down,” I say as I stand from my chair. “Who got what wrong? What’s happening.”

“Have you been watching the news?”

“Yes,” I say as I motion to the weather channel on the T.V.

“No, have you been watching the trash they call news on the sports channel?”

“Of course not. I’ve been following the storm for the last two days, nonstop.”

Tucker takes a couple large strides into my office and grabs the remote off of my desk. He points the remote to the T.V. and changes the station to the sports channel.

One of the anchor contributors is on the screen, with a picture of Tucker and the same woman Tucker was caught with after midnight leaving a restaurant opening over a year ago.

“This picture was taken two days later. This isn’t even a recent picture. I was still playing for Seattle when that pap got this picture. I can’t believe this shit is newsworthy.”

I hear the anchor’s voice. “Tucker Evans was caught again with Mallory Stahl. Could they be trying to keep their affair a secret? It’s hard to imagine the NFL’s hottest player finally settling down, but maybe this running back is tired of running… from love.”

Tucker turns to the T.V. after studying my face as I listen to the corniest news story ever delivered… and horribly written, too.

“It’s a fucking load of shit,” he says as he turns the channel back to the weather, where it was before he stormed in.

“Tucker…”

“Lexi, I can’t do this anymore. I can’t let this shit keep happening. They’re on a damn witch hunt now to determine that I’m a closet monogamist... it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever fucking heard.”

He runs his hands through his hair as he tosses the remote on the chair across from him.

“Tucker…” I try again as I take another step towards him and place a hand on his shoulder.

“Lexi, please…” he says as he feels my touch and pulls an arm around my waist, pulling me into his brick wall of a body and sinking his face into the crook of my neck. “…I need the world to know I belong to you. Because, goddamn it, I do. And I have since I was seventeen years old. I didn’t realize how long I’ve been yours but now I do. I’ll do anything you ask, just don’t ask me to walk away…not again. I’ll retire…I’ll live in Chicago full-time…I’ll…”

“Tucker stop!” I reach up and grab his jaw with both hands and wait until he calms himself and looks down at me. “I believed you when you told me you weren’t dating her back then, and I believe you now. I’ve been an idiot and I’ve accused you of a lot of things, but I never believed you’d lie to me.”

“I wouldn’t. I’d never lie to you, Lexi.”

“I know.” I nod.

He exhales as though he had been holding it since he left Green Bay. Guilt rises up in me. It’s my fault Tucker drove mach speed to get here to me to make sure I didn’t believe what the gossip mill was spewing about him now.

I push up on my tiptoes and he takes my advance. He pulls me in even tighter as his perfectly full lips blanket over mine.

He stops our kiss before things get out of hand.

“I was so consumed with getting here – getting to you, that I took off before Luca got the pack n’ play and all of their things out of the SUV. I have to go back.” He sighs.

“Ok.”

“Can I come over tonight? After I drop off everything at Luca’s?”

“Yes.” I smile up at him.

His signature Tucker smile beams and I swear my knees literally shake as they go weak.

“Meteorologists believe this could be one of the worst storms the Chicago area has seen in almost a hundred years. State and County officials are stressing that everyone who can, should stay off the roads as driving conditions could become extreme hazardous,” the news anchor says on the weather channel.

“You should head home. I’ll be right there as soon as I can. Or maybe we should leave your car here, and you should come with me,” Tucker says.

“I’ll be fine. I have a few things I need to finish first. I’ll meet you there.”

“Don’t take long. I don’t like knowing you’re not safely at home.”

“I know.” I smirk at the idea of how overly protective Tucker can be about my safety.

He’s proved that enough times.

He leans down to kiss my forehead.

“I can’t kiss you on the lips again or I’ll never leave,” he says.

“Go!” I chuckle.

He turns to leave but then looks over his shoulder at me as he walks out of my office.

Tonight is going to be interesting.