“Is this news? You rarely ever got pussy,” Ballinger, a defensive player, chimed in playfully.
“We’re a team,” Darren added. “That’s all that matters. We’re a team. We play together, we stick together, and we fucking win.”
There were claps and cheers. Some guys whispered among themselves and didn’t celebrate with us. I could tell they didn’t like this new development at all, but I forced myself to shove them out of my mind. I didn’t have time for negativity. There were things to figure out. I knew management wanted sensitivity training for the team and things like that, which I really fucking didn’t want. And yeah, shit would be hard, and fans would be pissed, but right then, none of that mattered. For once, all I wanted was to look toward my future.
Chapter Forty-Four
Weston
I still wasn’t sure what I thought about the conversation Anson and I had while Darren was in the room the other night. We hadn’t talked much the last few days. While I had a couple of cancellations in my schedule, he’d been busy with football.
I was now in San Francisco, at home, working, when my phone buzzed. I knew without looking it was Anson, and a smile immediately curved my lips.
Bashful: What are you doing?
Me: Working. You?
Bashful: I was hoping you.
Warmth spread through my chest, and yep, my smile grew. So large, in fact, it almost felt like it didn’t fit on my face anymore. I stood.
Me: Is that a fact? What if I wanted to do you?
Bashful: Then I’d give myself to you. Don’t you know by now, baby? There’s nothing I don’t wanna give you.
I didn’t know how I knew, but I did. I pulled the door open, and he was there, standing on my porch with his arms crossed. He had a ball cap low over his face like he always did when he came here, and a duffel bag in his hand. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to see you. I only have a day. I have to be back tomorrow afternoon. Think you could invite me in?”
I laughed. “Are you a vampire who has to wait for an invitation?”
“Ha-ha.” He came in, turning his hat around backward as he did, and pressed his lips to mine.
He dropped his bag, and we stumbled upstairs, kissing and touching, grabbing, pulling, rough hands and eager, hungry mouths.
He did give me his ass, and it was fucking perfect.
After we both came, we fell into a sweaty heap of come-covered bodies, tangled up in each other, clinging and breathing heavily.
“Not that I’m not happy, but what are you doing here?” He was quiet for a moment, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “Is something wrong?” But no, that didn’t feel right. He wouldn’t have come in smiling and let me fuck his brains out if that were the case.
“Nothing’s wrong. Things are right, and they’re getting righter by the minute.” He pulled out of my arms and sat up, naked, red-faced and messy-haired, looking perfectly debauched. “The other night, when we got off the phone, I came out to Darren.”
Oh. While I was proud of him, I was surprised he’d come in person to tell me that. “That’s good.” I sat up too. “Good for you.” I wrapped my hand around the back of his head, tugged him closer, and kissed his forehead. “I’m assuming it went okay and I don’t have to kick a football player’s ass?”
He laughed. “Thankfully, Darren is safe. It went really well. He apologized for anything he might have said in the past, wants to meet you, and said he’d have my back, which is what helped me to…to come out to my coach and the rest of my team. I’d already told my agent.”
Now that I hadn’t expected. At all. I was quiet, trying to wrap my brain around it. This was happening. This was really fucking happening. “How did that go?”
“As good as it could, I guess. I’ll be honest with you, my agent isn’t happy. My coach and most of the team are supportive. Some guys couldn’t care less, but a few were uncomfortable with it. It’ll take some adjustment…and of course, the timing could be better because…” Anson sat up straighter, and I knew what he was going to say before he said it. “Because I’m coming out publicly in a few days. We’re having a press conference. I know you don’t think it’s a smart decision, West, and I’m sorry for keeping you in the dark about it, but this is important to me. I don’t want to start another season lying about who I am. I want to win that fucking ring as an out gay man, and I will. I promise you that.”
I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. God, I did not deserve this man. I didn’t know how I’d been lucky enough to find him.