6. Camden #2
“Oh yeah.” Colton turned his head towards Zeph and added, “Though you better cork your pistol, mister.”
“What did I do?”
“Miles needs to be hosed down after all the drool you were slingin’ at him.”
“I don’t know, Colton. I think Miles was the one drooling, Zeph’s head was just getting bigger.”
Colton lunged forward, grabbing a handful through Zeph’s shorts. “It better just be this head,” Colton warned, stabbing Zeph in the temple with a finger. “I’ve avoided that sexy-ass tight end on your team out of respect for you. You need to do the same. We don’t fuck teammates.”
“Well, we don’t, but Cam sure does.”
“That joke never gets old. You know that?” They both lost their shit. They always did.
One of them said it every time I was a witness to this particular discussion.
It happened frequently enough for me to get sick of the joke, but not frequently enough that it was a problem for them.
Gymnasts and football players were pretty much off limits.
Coaches, cheerleaders, fans, apparently porn actors, and whoever else was willing to get railroaded by two hung athletes, were on the table.
And in their bed.
And on the floor.
Against the hood.
It was something I could never do. I wouldn’t want to share Luke. And I knew he was pretty possessive of me too. But it worked for them and they seemed happy.
“Plans for the rest of the night, Cam?”
“Nope. How about you?”
“Fancy a swim?”
“Are you guys just hoping you’ll find another Corbin Fisher hunk in the pool?”
“Maybe,” Zeph added.
“Come on,” Colton pleaded. “You make a good wingman.” He tickled my stomach. They didn’t have to twist my arm. After all, looking wasn’t off limits.
“I’ll wrangle up a speedo.”
“So, how’s the pregnancy been?”
Erika waved her hand. “That’s been fine. It’s all the fuss about me being pregnant that’s been annoying. It’s sweet, really, I suppose, but now that my parents are here helping,” adding air quotes, “we’ve just been one big happy family.”
We were sitting outside, under the shade of a patio umbrella by the pool in the backyard of her and Isaak’s Palo Alto mini mansion.
If you could really call it a yard. Luke and I made the mistake of looking it up on Zillow once.
Isaak had done really well for himself. I mean, gymnastics certainly didn’t afford Erika this kind of lifestyle.
“At least they have Austin at the Olympics to entertain them?”
“Oh that? Yeah, I’ve already heard how I should have timed my pregnancy better.”
“Your parents did not say that!”
Erika shrugged. “Okay, maybe that was my hormones talking. I don’t know. I just want him out of me already. I feel like I’m carrying free weights around in there. Except, you know, it’s alive and kicking.”
“Everything good with Isaak?”
“Oh, he’s been amazing. No complaints. Foot rubs whenever I want, ice cream whenever I want. He worked with the designer to get the nursery the way I wanted it.”
“I do like the jungle theme. Luke does too, of course.”
“Enough about me and the parasite. How are you doing?”
I thought about it for a second, but didn’t want to burden her with my feelings, so for the first time in our relationship, I lied. “Oh, I’m alright.”
“Don’t bullshit me, Cam. I’m thirty-eight weeks pregnant. It’s fucking illegal to lie to me.”
I chuckled. I never could get anything past her. “How do you think it is? Awkward? Disappointing? Weird? Half of me is miserable because I didn’t qualify this time and the other half of me is trying to be the best, most supportive boyfriend I can be, while working out a proposal at the same time.”
“There’s my Cam. Ninety percent feelings and ten percent words." She leaned back with a satisfied smirk. "My baby's gonna have the best guncles."
"That's all you have to say?"
"I'm not gonna bullshit you. Life after being an Olympian isn't easy." She seemed to realize our surroundings. "Well, psychologically. Try to find something in the near future to get excited about and focus on that. How's your house? Isn't that done? That's something."
"Yeah, it's pretty much done. Just have to do one more bathroom and that's it. We're, uh, installing a dual shower.”
“You boys and your locker room fetish. There’s that to look forward to, and if that doesn’t work, plan a vacation. Take your mom somewhere. Aren’t things with the Thunder going well?”
She was talking about my part-time job as an assistant physiotherapist. “They are. My boss wants me to stay on. I’m not sure if I want to pivot and go to strength and conditioning with the athletes, or leave the team and go into physical or massage therapy. It’s kind of up in the air.”
“I understand. Lots of big unintimidating life choices are coming up. At least you haven’t gained twenty pounds!”
“You’ve got a good reason, Erika. Are you going to-”
My phone rang. Luke’s ringtone. She let me answer.
“Hey, how’s training today?”
“Not great, Cam.” My heart dropped. I heard it in his voice. Something was wrong. “I’m waiting for the team doctor. He’s a few minutes out. I pulled something in my chest while I was on the rings. Made me fall off. I’m sure it’s nothing, but it would be nice to have you here. Do you mind coming?”
“Yeah, I can take an Uber and be there-”
“I can drive you, Cam.”
I covered the phone. “You don’t have to do that, Erika.”
“Oh, fuck. That’s right. You’re with Erika. Nevermind, Cam. It’s fine. I’ll be fine.”
“No! I’ll come.”
“Tell him it’s not a big deal, Cam.”
“She says it’s not a big deal.”
“I heard.”
“It’ll be good to see him, and he can see my big belly and say hi to the baby.”
“If she’s fine with it, I’m fine with it. It will be good to see her. See you in a little bit. Love you.”
“Love you more.” I hung up.
“He sounds good despite the circumstances,” she said.
I nodded, but noticed I had texts from Shane.
Shane: He’s lying. It’s not nothing.
Shane: He can’t lift his left arm. I think he tore something.
I felt the hairs on my neck stand up and a pit formed in my stomach. Fuck.
“Shane thinks it’s bad.”
Erika stood up. “Well, let’s get going.”
I went to clear the plates and grab my glass. “Leave it. It’ll be here when I get back or I’ll make my mom get it later.”