Taking the W: Sunday Night Lights Series by Autumn Wilds

Author:Autumn Wilds [Wilds, Autumn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2023-09-06T16:00:00+00:00

5

Rue

I don’t speak to Rick even though I see him down the hallway or on the practice field at various times throughout the week. Instead, I focus on his teammates, getting their feedback on his retirement, if he’s cut out for married life, and any relevant gossip they might have.

Many of them say that he’s loyal to the bone, having avoided potential trades to stay with the team. Some speculate that he wanted to stay in the city, whether that be because of family or a flame or simply enjoying its night life and scenery.

They’ve never seen him with a longtime girlfriend, but he talks about one woman from his past fondly. No one knows her name or if she’s even real, since it’s not something Rick opens up about often.

It seems that our superstar really does have one regret in life.

Me.

I can feel his stare from across the field. Find his eyes on me through the glass wall as I interview his teammates inside conference rooms. I’d even go so far as to say that he’s buying my coffee in the mornings, but every time I ask the cashier who the generous patron is, they wave it off and tell me not to worry about it.

We might not be together, but he’s still present everywhere I go. His name becomes background noise to my life, appearing in work meetings at the station, popping up in news articles on my phone, echoed throughout the hallways of the team’s training complex.

I write the article and submit it to my boss, who admits it’s not quite what she expected, but it will work.

So much for my career-changing story and upwards trajectory.

A month passes and the article is published amongst dozens of others spreading rumors about a mystery woman and the NFL star’s pending retirement. With no concrete facts about his dating life, or lack thereof, it looks like Rick Chase will sign another contract at the end of the season.

Another month goes by, and I’m scanning rival news stations for any updates on Rick’s love life.

I shouldn’t care, but I do. Seeing clearly photoshopped photos of him with other woman sets my teeth on edge despite how fake they are.

I start to dream of a life we never knew, with a two-story house, a dog, even a daughter.

A pink diamond ring, because he knows that’s my favorite color.

I’m scrolling through the latest gossip articles when my phone rings early one Saturday morning.

“Ms. Thompson,” the voice says, “this is Leon Jones, PR rep for the team. We believe you’ve left one of your recording devices here. We’ll leave it at the front desk for you to pick up.”

“I haven’t left anything,” I assure him, “and I haven’t been back there in over a month. It must be someone else’s.”

“It has your name and station on it,” Leon says with a huff, “so come get it or we’ll throw it out next week.”

The call ends, and I stare out my window as the breeze rocks the trees.

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