July 24th
Maybe it did.
Damon
When I get to the Archibald Lodge, I text Ainsley.
Me: Hey, got in earlier than expected, met up with Sammy, and dropped my bag off at the cottage. He wants to order food and have it delivered here. Is that okay with you?
Champ: Sounds great! I can’t wait to see you!
I heart her text and then turn to Sammy. “She’s cool with it.”
I grab a bottle of water and go sit out on one of the front porch rockers.
Sammy comes out a few minutes later with a glass of white wine. “Got everything ordered. Tell me about your summer training. I follow football, but have never really paid attention during that time.”
“Mostly, it’s about getting in peak performance shape. On Mondays and Fridays, we do full-body lifting and a lot of cardio. Tuesdays and Thursdays, we work on speed skills.”
“What’s that?” Sammy asks.
“Different drills that help promote speed—from things like timing the forty-yard dash and trying to beat your score to agility drills, where you practice acceleration and deceleration.”
“Why would you want to decelerate?”
“There’s a fumble you want to go get, a defender you want to avoid. Sometimes, you have to make a quick change in the direction you are going.”
“So, the fastest players win?”
“Not necessarily. It’s also got to do with how you utilize your speed. Think about running backs—unless they are lucky and hit a hole in the defense and can run untouched down the field, they often have to change directions to avoid being tackled.”
“And on Wednesdays?” Sammy wonders.
“Similar to Mondays with the full-body lifting, but instead of doing cardio, we play seven-on-seven football games.” I grin. “So far, the team Chase and I are on is undefeated. Wednesdays are my favorite day.”
“Then do you get the weekend off?”
“If we’re there—since it’s summer, everyone isn’t there every day, but for those who are, there’s a sanctioned player practice.
” When Sammy looks confused, I add, “It just means that it’s organized by the players, not the coaching staff.
They aren’t mandatory, but they’re a great way to build teamwork and get some additional practice in.
And of course, most of us take our most challenging classes in the summer. ”
“I’m taking summer courses, too, so Ainsley and I can both graduate this winter.”
“What are you hoping to do after graduation? Where do you want to live?”
“Kansas City area, hopefully, so I can be close to family. I think I’d like to work at a furniture store and do in-house design for their customers. I like being out with people.”
Just as he finishes speaking, Ainsley pulls up in her golf cart. She’s in her cute work uniform, and she looks gorgeous, as usual. I’m up on my feet and by her side before Sammy even reacts. Guess those agility and speed drills pay off in other ways too.
Her face beams with a smile, and she greets me with a kiss. A long kiss. Just the way I like.
And I suddenly wish I could make Sammy disappear, pick her up, and carry her to the bedroom.
“I’m starved,” she says. “What’s for lunch?”
Sammy blinks his eyes a few times, like he’s just now realizing we haven’t gotten our food yet as another golf cart pulls up.
I reluctantly let go of Ainsley and take a big bag from the server.
“Thanks, Greg,” Ainsley says to him.
I watch as this Greg guy blushes. I think he may have a crush.
Me too, buddy. Me too.
We get the food set up in the middle of the table so that we can all share and fill up our plates.
“So, what have you guys been doing without me?” Ainsley asks.
“I was learning about summer football training,” Sammy replies. “I was just about to ask Damon what classes he is taking.”
“Chemistry and Calculus,” I tell him.
“Oh, my two least favorites,” Sammy says. “Why start with those?”
“Chemistry has lab time, and Calc has a lot of homework. Best to do them in the offseason.”
“I didn’t know you were taking classes,” Ainsley says. “You never told me that.”
“I have more fun things to talk to you about than school,” I say with a smirk.
“Oh my,” Sammy says with a laugh. “I don’t think I want to know.”
“Not to change the subject,” Ainsley says, “but I managed to get you two a tee time. Two of the guys who work here, Apollo and Liam, were going out as a pair, so I was able to make it a foursome.”
“What do they do?” Sammy asks.
“Both have worked here for as long as I have,” Ainsley says. “Like me, Apollo started as a pool server, but now he’s the spa manager. Liam is one of our most requested caddies. I’ve golfed with them before. You’ll have fun.” She takes another chicken tender and dips it in gravy.
“I didn’t think you liked fried foods,” I say to Ainsley.
Usually, she eats really healthy.
Sammy’s eyes get huge, and he says to me, “Oh shit. You probably don’t ever eat stuff like this, do you? I should have ordered you salmon and broccoli or something.”
“This is a fun splurge,” I say, smiling at him.
But he’s right. This meal started with jalapeno poppers and pulled pork nachos, continued with the strips and gravy, cornbread-battered fish, and a trifecta of French fries—cheddar cheese and bacon, Cajun seasoned, and Parmesan truffle.
“Well, it’s a good thing you are splurging today because I also got dessert!” He lifts a napkin off the top of a container he must have been hiding. “Have you had their gooey butter cake before?”
“I have!” Ainsley raises her hand. “And it’s one of my favorites!”
And it quickly becomes one of my favorites, too, when she feeds me a bite.
After golf, Sammy heads to the bar with Apollo and Liam while I wait for Ainsley to come in at the end of her shift.
The second she pulls up, I’m at her side.
“From the little I saw when I was buzzing around, it appeared you had a good round. Or at least were having a good time. Sammy was grinning like crazy.”
“Oh, that’s not because of the way he played. He’s got a wicked slice, and he was not putting well.”
“Really?” Ainsley tilts her head in confusion. “He’s usually pretty good.”
“There might have been another reason. When he did poorly, Apollo was giving him tips. A few times, he even stood behind him and wrapped his arms around him, in an attempt to straighten out his swing.”
“That was nice of him,” Ainsley says.
“I think there was an ulterior motive. There was some serious flirting going on.”
“Oh! How exciting! That’s exactly what Sammy needs.”
“Except he seemed oblivious. Kind of like you did when we first hung out.”
“Well, he was supposed to be here with Roman. He’s still in shock about all that. Did you have fun? Who won?”
“Yes, it was fun. Apollo won. I got second. At least I beat the ‘scratch golfer’ caddy.”
“He wishes he were a scratch golfer,” she says with a laugh.
“We can join them in the bar or—”
“I can’t actually join them since I’m still in my uniform. Club rules. I’ll have to go back and change. And I could use a quick shower.”
I raise my eyebrows at her and grin. “Oh, I could use a shower too.”
She fists my shirt and pulls me toward her. “You do look quite dirty. Just be prepared. The shower might take a while.”
The cool water flows over me. It should be calming, but it’s not, particularly when she steps inside with me. I move over, giving her more direct access to the showerhead. But she stops, our eyes meeting in a stare. We don’t touch. Or speak. Like we’re hoping this is real. That we’re back together.
She gives me a smile, then slides under the water and immediately tosses her head back. I watch as the water trails down her beautiful body.
My hand moves of its own accord, quickly cradling her face.
She sounds slightly breathless when she whispers, “I’ve missed you, Damon.”
“I know how you feel,” I tell her as she reaches up, sliding her arms around my neck, causing our bodies to press against one another.
And when our lips come together, surprisingly, it’s not rushed. It’s slow, yet there’s an underlying feeling of desperation.
For each other.
She leaps up, wrapping her legs around me. I put my hands under her ass to hold her up, knowing we both want more.
Need more.
The next kiss is hard. Greedy. Like she’s trying to make up for our weeks apart in this one single moment.
Once we’re both satisfied, she lays her head on my shoulder and says, “I could stay like this forever.”
And I’m thinking the same thing. I have one hand on her back and the other tangled in her wet hair, trying to memorize the feel of her.
“We probably shouldn’t show up at the bar like this,” I tease, looking down at our naked bodies. “Although, at least you wouldn’t be wearing your work uniform.”
This causes her to laugh. “We probably should get back there. Otherwise, Sammy will come looking for us, and that might be awkward.”
“I love you,” I say, kissing her forehead.
She looks at me like the kiss just said everything.
And maybe it did.
Almost a year.
Ainsley
We head back to the bar to meet up with Sammy and Apollo. Liam must’ve picked up an evening shift because he’s now behind the bar.
“What do you eat every day?” Sammy asks Damon the second we sit down. “I feel like I’m in pretty good shape, but I’d like to take it to the next level.”
“Gotta cut out this,” Apollo teases, pointing at the martinis in front of them.
“I usually eat about 4,000 calories a day,” Damon tells them.
I swear, I feel like I’m eating that many calories a day myself right now, but I can’t say so.
“Like, specifics,” Sammy insists.
“Um, okay,” Damon says, but then turns to me. “What do you want to drink?”
“I’d like a sparkling water with a lime,” I tell him.
“Two of those,” Damon tells Liam, then says, “I start most mornings with yogurt, eggs, and toast. Followed by lifting and then a large protein shake. Current favorite is strawberry, banana, and almond butter. Lunch is usually chicken, rice, and lots of veggies. Afternoon snack is another shake, some nuts or oatmeal, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with bananas. Dinner is often pasta or something similar to lunch. Bedtime snack is my favorite—a chocolate cherry shake.”
“That’s a lot of food. I don’t know if I could eat that much. You eat like it’s your job,” Sammy says with a laugh.
Apollo goes, “It pretty much is, right?”
“Yeah, kinda,” Damon says with a grin.
Sammy says to me, “What do you and Damon have planned for tonight? Apollo asked if we wanted to join him for some line dancing after dinner. Apparently, there’s a country music band onstage tonight.”
“We have live music almost every night during the summer,” Apollo says.
“I think once I have dinner, I’m going to be done for the day. But I’m off tomorrow, so if you want to go dancing then, we can.”
“I’m only covering here for a few hours,” Liam says. “I’ll get some of the other guys, and we’ll all go together. Damon, you in?”
Damon shakes his head. “Nah, you guys have fun.”
We eat dinner, and when Apollo goes to use the restroom and Damon steps outside to take a call from his little sister, Sammy fans his face.
“Your man is hot. If only he were gay … seriously, I’m drooling. His father is no longer my obsession.”
“You can’t be obsessed over my boyfriend,” I tease.
“I also really like him, like as a person,” Sammy says, which is high praise, coming from him.
“I’m glad. So, Damon told me he thought Apollo was flirting with you today and that you were oblivious.”
Sammy’s eyes get huge. “Oh my goodness gracious. What the heck? How did I not realize that?” I don’t get a chance to reply because he goes, “Of course, it’s because I’m in the relationship-ending mourning period.
Also, is Apollo gay? I did not get that vibe from him.
I thought he was just being helpful because my game was horrific today. ”
“Damon thought you were playing bad on purpose.”
“I wasn’t. Roman not only took my heart and stomped on it, but he’s destroyed my golf game. It’s ridiculous. Seriously.” He sees Apollo walking back toward us. “Tell me what you know.”
“I’ve never spoken to him specifically about his sexuality, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Has he dated anyone here?”
“I don’t know, to be honest.”
He licks his lips. “Tonight might prove to be interesting.”
“Maybe just make some new friends tonight as opposed to looking for love. I can tell you that Apollo is a good coworker, thoughtful, and funny.”
“Yeah, maybe,” he says noncommittally, but I’m not really paying attention because Damon is now walking my way.
Sammy decides to stay at the bar until Liam gets off work, and Damon and I head back to the cottage, where we decide to sit out on the front porch.
“Being on the seventh green today brought back a few wonderful memories,” he tells me. “I wanted to stop and pay some kind of homage to its significance.”
“I still can’t believe I had sex with you on the day you turned eighteen. You were barely legal,” I say with a laugh.
“I was totally legal,” he counters, narrowing his eyes at me. When I don’t say anything, he goes, “You do realize that the age of sexual consent in our great state of Missouri is seventeen.”
“What?! No, it’s not! You told me you weren’t legal yet when I said something about it.”
“Well, technically, like other states, the age of majority is eighteen, but for sexual consent, it’s seventeen. I figured you knew that. Everyone here knows that. How could you not know that?”
“Probably because I dated the same stupid boy who was my age all through high school and it didn’t matter.” I throw my hands up in the air in frustration.
“You’re getting really worked up about this,” he says, a smile playing on his face.
“That’s because I was feeling like I shouldn’t be with you!”
“You shouldn’t have felt that way. I had been legal in that regard for almost a year before we ever got together.”
“Hmm.” I tap my fingers on the table. “I think Damon’s been a bad boy.”
“I’ve never been a bad boy, but I might be willing to make an exception for you,” he says in a deep, sultry voice.
I act like I’m not impressed, even though I want nothing more than to take him up on the offer. “I think what needs to happen here is, you need to offer me some restitution for the mental trauma I went through.”
He knows I’m playing around with him because a smile lights up his whole face. “What kind of payment are we talking about here?”
“I’m pretty sure it would be of a sexual nature,” I reply.
He stands up and holds his hand out to take mine, then leads me into the bedroom.