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Running into Coverage

By: ILmonamour



Welcome to the next chapter in the world of Cougars football and romance. Many thanks are in order to Estragon who can read through anything and sort it all out, making everything look that much better. Thank you for your very watchful eye. Words can't express the amount of gratitude. 

As always, thoughts/suggestions/feedback is always welcomed. 

Cheers

****

After circling the block to find a parking spot a street away, Hadley Wilkerson finagled the small Honda Civic into a slim opening along the street and glanced down at the paper holding her new address. With a deep breath she reached for her purse on the passenger seat and hopped out. The September air in Chicago was muggy and something she wasn't prepared for. After driving for seventeen hours and only stopping for coffee and a washroom, she looked like a mess. Her tranquil eyes took in the buildings that lined the winding streets in Wicker Park, as she made her way toward the steps of the apartment complex.

Making changes came easily to her and when several pieces of her abstract artwork had been sold to several galleries curators, she was able to break out of Seattle and try a new city. With most of her work being displayed in New York, she was still a small city girl, not quite ready to make that big of an adjustment. She had survived college in Portland, but moving cross country alone was something else entirely. Settling into the young and modern city of Chicago was the perfect in-between. Seattle was only a flight away, and getting to and from New York to check on her pieces was a helluva lot cheaper and closer from O'Hare than SeaTac. 

The old four-storey brick building had a small patio with cheap plastic chairs out front. A smile spread across Hadley's face as she saw how laid back this seemed. It was only a couple of months ago that she had come out to Chicago, looking for a place to stay and, while waiting for a cup of coffee, met a girl who needed a roommate. Of all the people to have bumped into, it seemed like she was heading into the right place. They talked for a bit at the coffee shop and then wandered back to the apartment so she could look around. The two-bedroom flat was small, but fully furnished, including a bed for her. The rest of the bedroom furniture she would have to buy along the way. Both girls had immediately hit it off, feeling oddly comfortable together and after Hadley filled out the lease paperwork and given the deposit, they had stayed in touch through email and messaging.

Walking up to the main entrance, she located the buzzer and called up to her new roommate.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Caitlin. It's Hadley, I just got here. Mind letting me up so I can get the keys?"

The buzzer sounded, Hadley let herself in through the doors and took the stairs up to the third floor. A young girl close in age was propped against the doorframe waiting with an expectant smile on her face. "Think you could have driven any faster?"

"Whew, those stairs are brutal!" Hadley exclaimed, her face flushed. "People are maniacs on the road here! I wasn't driving all that fast until I hit Iowa."

"Not a whole lot has changed since you were here, but you already knew that. There's a new neighbor down the hall who has a dog, but apart from that it's the same people." Hadley followed Caitlin into the apartment and actually took it in as her new residence. There was a faint odor that she hadn't recognized and noticed that there was incense burning near one of the windows overlooking the street. Dropping her bag near the coat rack at the door, she wandered in and got her eyes comfortable with the setting. The small kitchenette barely had enough space for the stove and refrigerator, let alone the banged up white cupboards. As Caitlin babbled about the neighbors and guided her to the bedroom, Hadley couldn't avoid the bubble of excitement that she had finally made it out and away from everything she knew. Granted, she knew one person who lived in the area, but apart from that she was able to use the new city to her advantage. To start fresh. She would miss Seattle and all of her friends, but was intent on succeeding with her artwork. The walls were painted a pale green throughout, reminding her of Easter, and as Caitlin pushed her bedroom door open, her mouth gaped. Instead of the pale green, the walls were bright pink.

"It's a tad excessive," Caitlin said nonchalantly.

Not one to be shocked often, Hadley laughed. "I should think so. What happened? It was white when I looked at this place."

"The landlord wouldn't give back Jasmine's deposit so she retaliated. Sorry about that, I think there's a hardware store down the street. We can get some paint for it if you want."

Eyeing the walls, Hadley walked in and shrugged her shoulders. "No, this should be fine. It may make my skin crawl, but it will keep reminding me that I'm a girl."

They both laughed, and before long Caitlin had to excuse herself to finish getting ready. She was a student at DePaul and had afternoon classes but also worked at a nearby bar, so she would be out for the rest of the night. The sounds of traffic on the streets drifted up and filled the quiet apartment. Taking a deep breath, Hadley collapsed on the couch and contemplated taking out her phone to call her family and let them know that she had gotten into town safely. It was only noon, and with the time difference everyone would be at work so she figured to leave them be. There was so much more that she could be doing with the time, like getting out and exploring the neighborhood. 

Her body angrily fought against her as she ambled up off of the couch, but she was bound and determined not to slow down until she was ready to crash for the night. Snatching her handbag and the keys that Caitlin had left on the two person kitchen table, she swiftly left the apartment and made her way back down to the street. 

Even at mid-day the sidewalks were filled with people walking around. With an abundance of shops and local businesses, she could understand the constant flow but was surprised. Before she got too far away, she checked the cross streets for where the apartment was located then walked off to where the traffic seemed to be flowing.

Everything around her took her breath away. She had been used to the smaller and spread-out Seattle, but Chicago seemed so much different. The buildings were shorter and simple. She was lost in the sounds of trains passing by and the thick traffic that seemed stuck in every direction, so unlike what she had known. The people in the streets said hello to her, where as she had always been used to being stone-walled. Back home she had always felt that if she didn't live in an artistic neighborhood, she didn't really fit in. Here it was something else. Everywhere she looked screamed 'look at me.' And she wanted to look at everything, but more importantly she wanted to experience it.

At twenty-five she had achieved more than anyone else in her family ever expected. College was a luxury and she had made it with the help of scholarships, something her parents wished they could have helped with but couldn't. With three courses shy of graduating from a small private college outside of Portland, she had moved back to Seattle on a whim to pursue her passion. Several of her art instructors had given some of her artwork to be displayed in galleries in the metro area but nothing had really taken off. When she moved back to Seattle, deep in her heart she knew that if she tried hard enough something could come from her creativity. While barely scraping by with two jobs, she had met a Manhattan gallery owner. The manager of the coffee shop in Fremont had encouraged her to hang some of her pieces up along the exposed brick, saying it would add local flair to the dull atmosphere. She figured he was cheap and didn't want to buy anything so she pushed him further, telling him that if her work was going up on the walls, they were also going to be for sale. A girl had to make a profit some way or another.

Right in the middle of a shift, the gallery owner had come in, inquiring about one of her more unique pieces. Until recently she had only used thick paint for her acrylics, but after taking a class offered at the university she had ventured into introducing metals to the paints. The marriage of the two was successful and had been an immediate hit at the coffee shop. The gallery owner ended up purchasing the only metal piece and had asked for her contact information. Hadley hadn't expected much from the man, but a little more than a month had passed when she received a phone call from him. He had returned to New York and shown her work around. Several of his contacts were interested in purchasing pieces she had yet to complete, and within six months she had enough money in the bank to set up her own studio or move. She chose to move.

At the end of North Avenue, she waited for the light to turn and remembered that there was an important phone call she needed to make. Pulling out her telephone, she searched through the listings until she was finally satisfied. Pressing send, she waited for the other line to pick up.

"Sam, it's me...."

****

The glass doors quietly shut behind him as Marcus left the Cougars training facility. The team had finished their practice early, but he had stuck around with a couple of the offensive coordinators to work on extra drills. Even though it was only the second week of the season and the Cougars had won their first game, he was still berating himself for his efforts, or lack thereof. The team opened their season in DC against the Redskins, and in the first quarter he messed up a PA pass badly, and in the fourth was taken down by one of the Cornerbacks. One mistake was one thing, but having two happen closely together prior to the home opener made him a wild card for the quarterback to throw to, and there was no way in hell he was going to get benched. Since the team had come back, he had been pushing himself harder and putting in an extra hour or two with the coordinators if they had time. He knew the coach would have his hid if he messed up again. Not when the coaches had been going at the team since late July in training camp, prepping for the Super Bowl. 

In the previous season, the Cougars had battled through a tumultuous year. The club was new, but the strong power behind the coaching staff and the players on the field had prompted several sportscasters to place them in the highly favored for the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, there had been several setbacks throughout the season that pushed and pulled the team one game away from claiming a spot into the playoffs.

Marcus Jennings had been drafted straight out of college and had never looked back. Football had taken the Sonoma native to Ohio State, where in his senior year the Buckeyes had taken the Rose Bowl and put him in the watchful eye of the NFL. From his first few years of playing with the Houston Texans, he was cut a break and traded to the Cougars last season. It had been hard being the new guy on the team, but he'd done best he could, and didn't need to prove anything to anyone but himself.

Even in mid-September, the humidity was a bitch to practice in, but he loved it. Given the heat, frustration only propelled him further. It was one more obstacle to get past. He could handle the screaming fans in the stadiums, but lately he hadn't been able to get beyond the antics raised by teammates and the players that actively voiced their intent to annihilate him. 

"Jennings, you're going to kill yourself if you push any further." A deep voice called out to Marcus as he was walking toward his Escalade.

Turning around, he scowled at the voice's owner. "You push me further and you know it. What are you talking about?" 

"Sunday is only the second game, everyone has hiccups. Don't let me catch you over doing it." The voice was dark, but held a hint of softness.

"I know what I'm doing. You sound like your lady."

Gabe Russell scoffed to the smart remark. As the coach to the receivers, Gabe knew exactly what Marcus was capable of and wasn't afraid to tell him. Last season he had spent several hours outside of practices coaching him, running him through drills utilizing his speed and perfecting his grace for capturing the ball and running routes. Whether or not Marcus retained anything was up to him. Gabe still offered to help him out, but his timing was split between rushing to meet his fiancé in between meetings and preparing plays for upcoming game days. "She'd tell you that you're holding your weight on the balls of your feet instead of the front."

"That's you talking."

"Bullshit that's me talking, she's just as harsh on you as I am."

Laughing, he had to agree. "Yeah, she sent me a message the other night after I dropped the ball. Asked if I needed to be tucked in for bed. She's a real smartass you know."

"Yeah, I know. If I ever catch you actually taking her up on that, I'll skin you alive."

"I don't know, it was a pretty legit offer. Maybe she's got a thing for me?"

"It's called babysitting, forget it."

Marcus laughed and shifted the heavy duffel bag with his practice clothes on his shoulder. For all their joking, Gabe's fiancée Samantha Morrison was a force to be reckoned with and even with all of her jokes, he was always welcome at their home. With his close relationship to Gabe, it seemed natural to form a friendship with her. She had become the sister he never had, which didn't necessarily mean he enjoyed it all of the time. On more than one occasion she had called to give him hell over breaking up with a girlfriend she had thought was perfect for him, or given him crap for not making it up to their cabin in Michigan for a weekend getaway before the season started. He knew that Gabe loved her more than anything and couldn't ever get over the fact that she was always the one to call him and he shrugged it off.

"Relax, I already told her that I wasn't interested." Gabe raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him. "I thought you were meeting up with Coach Soliano?"

"I met up with him first, but there's an investment I've got to keep my eye on. Slow it down, you're getting sloppy out there. I'm not saying what you're doing is wrong, because you're speed isn't the issue, but you're not listening to yourself or your teammates."

"I didn't ask to get a lecture—"

"Too bad, because you're going to get one. I sat and watched you for an hour tonight and you're doing everything we worked hard to knock out last year. Quit thinking and just listen to the plays."

Marcus' brows slammed together in frustration. "I can't help it, I don't like having loose hands."

"It's not your hands that are loose."

"Whatever it is, I don't like it."

"Look, I'd stay all night out here with you but seeing as Sam would kill me and then you for keeping me out on a school night I can't do it. She's got a parent teacher conference tomorrow so our dinner plans got scrapped. Before I hit the screening room, why don't we work on a few lines then?"

He nodded. "Thanks, Gabe."

Gabe shrugged his shoulders. "I know what it's like. Stop stressing and get your ass out of here for the night." With that he left Marcus and headed over to his own car.

If anyone else had tried to talk some sense into him, he'd shrug them off. Gabe was different. Marcus held a respect for him on and off of the field and trusted what the man always told him. He had been pushing himself too hard, but he didn't know any better. Always the best at everything he did, failure was never an option. A light tickle came from his back pocket. Marcus pulled out his phone and glanced down at the caller display. Recognizing the number he let the call go to voicemail, giving him a few minutes to get settled into his car before calling back. Since his latest and greatest pitfall of a girlfriend he had been screening his calls. Along the middle lot he pushed the button on his keyset for the alarm to turn off and the doors to unlock. 

As soon as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to his condo in the city, he listened to the voicemail. A wide smile broke across his face defining his square jaw as the message was a mixture of fellow teammates yelling and hollering in the background. Several of the guys were meeting up at a bar in the city and wanted him to come out and join them. 

Shaking his head, he got the number up on the phone and turned onto the Kennedy heading into Chicago. He might give himself a hard time for blowing plays but he damn well made up for it and trained harder. The guys all knew that and expected nothing less from him.

A deep voice boomed at him on the phone. "Jennings, my man! I knew you'd pick up."

"Yeah, yeah. What time is everyone meeting up?"

"We're all heading down after ten, and if you puss out like you did the other night I'm going to tackle your speedy ass tomorrow."

"That's if you can catch my ass. I'll see you in a bit."

Without waiting for a response, Marcus hung up and moved the car into the far left lane. The guys may not know he stayed late, but he did. This team was his family when he was in Chicago and he'd do anything for them. If that meant going out for a few beers, damn that-he'd meet them.

****

After a week had passed, Hadley was still getting used to everything. Caitlin had proved to be a decently quiet roommate, but was constantly asking her where she was going. It never occurred to Hadley to stay in on any night, especially not when she was so new to a city. There was so much excitement happening on any night. And every now and again, she just needed her own time to have a drink and get away. By the end of the week, she had yet to hear back from any of the jobs she had applied for. Cursing the pitiful job market, Hadley wandered down the street to one of the local coffee shops, completely disregarding the 'Help Wanted' sign in the front window.

As she was getting ready to order, that was when she saw a little sign with a handwritten note 'Got Baristas? ' 

"What'll you have?" A wiry man with thick bottle cap glasses and a stubbly beard called out to her.

Hadley stared at him for a second as the note registered to her. She was only a week into a city where call backs for jobs were dismal, even from a temp agency. Her depleted savings account was drooping badly. Shifting her shoulders, she smiled at the man behind the counter and did what she did best. "A job."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Oh, you heard me. I'll have a job." The man placed his hands on the rubbed down wood of the counter. "I'd like a cup of coffee too, but I could make that for you to show my qualifications. I saw your sign for a barista and I'd like to apply."

"You?" The man took in her current get-up. In the middle of September and the unusual humid morning, Hadley wore a form fitted black dress and an overstuffed striped shirt that she had ripped at the collar so it could drape over her shoulder. Because she didn't know the meaning of sensible, rather than wearing black heels, she stood in stiletto ankle booties that folded at the tops. In Seattle she had always stood out, but here in Chicago she was beginning to fit in. Of course, that depended on the neighborhood.

"Unless you're going to discriminate, I don't know who else is applying right now." 

The man didn't budge. "What kind of experience do you have?"

Tilting her head to the side, she gave a slow sigh. "I've been known to make a few things here and there courtesy of Mr. Coffee."

He snapped, "if you're wasting my time—"

"Look, let me behind your bar and I'll make you whatever you want."

"You're serious?"

"I'm not going anywhere, and could use a Red-Eye. Though, something tells me that you want something with a little whip."

A smile started to form at the man's mouth. "All right, miss. I want you to brew up a triple grande non-fat latte."


Running into Coverage Ch. 02



Many thanks again to Estragon for everything. Words can never fully express the amount gratitude for your help and edits.

As always, comments/feedback/suggestions are always welcomed.

Cheers!

****

"Dammit! How in the hell am I supposed to find anything?" Hadley exclaimed to herself while she was driving. "Give a girl some mountains, something!" She blew out a frustrated breath and looked down at the directions Sam had given her on how to get to the house. She had gotten off at the right exit, turned left, gone down four miles—she had gotten lost.

One of the traffic lights turned red, giving her a minute to glance around for landmarks. Spotting a Dunkin' Donuts and a small insurance company, she picked up the phone and called Samantha. The telephone rang several times and went unanswered. Of course it did, she thought. She's hosting a party and figured you'd find your way to her house. Shaking her head as the light turned green, Hadley reached down and re-examined the directions. Carefully glancing down and back up at the road, she caught her fatal mistake and had missed a turn off.

Looking for the nearest street where she could turn around, Hadley swiftly got back on track and within ten minutes finally pulled up into the long drive leading to the house. Expensive cars littered the drive and the paved area surrounding the house. Her trusty little Civic did her justice and got her from one place to the next, and she decided it was just as good as some over-the-top gas guzzler. She parked the car and got out as people were walking around outside. Loud voices were bellowing out from behind the house, so she assumed there was something happening back there. Music was playing but not blaring, as it seemed there were children running around.

Just as she started to walk up the front steps leading toward the house, a voice she would recognize anywhere called out to her. "You're late!"

"Yeah, well blame my den mother. She gave crap directions."

"I gave you the easiest directions ever!"

"Okay, yeah you did. How do you even get around here? I got lost." Hadley stepped off of the porch and walked to the woman.

Laughing, Samantha rushed over and hugged Hadley. "I am so glad you're here!" For several minutes, the two hugged, laughed and hugged some more. "I still can't get over you moved to Chicago."

Nodding, "It's crazy, right?"

"Crazy, but it works! I want to hear everything. You were whispering yesterday so I have no idea what's going on with your roommate."

"Oh my God, Sam. I need a drink first."

"That can be done, but first you have to come in so you can get introduced." Hadley raised a fine eyebrow at her friend. "It's standard, sorry. And please, as if you don't want to give Gabe a hard time!"

"It's my job. This is really your house?" She followed Samantha around the side of the house to where there were a gaggle of men and women lounging around with cups and beer bottles in their hands. The luscious aroma from the grill filled the air.

"Yes, but it still doesn't feel like I live here. Don't get me wrong, our stuff is scattered all over the place, but home is at the cabin." Samantha waved over to her fiancé and he amiably walked over to the women, a big smile across his face at the sight of Hadley.

As if he'd known her for a lifetime, but really only met a couple of times in person, Gabe Russell pulled Hadley in for a giant bear hug causing her to squeak. "You smell like coffee."

She struggled but managed to get out of his grasp, gasping she gave him a pointed look. "You smell like pigskin and it's giving me a headache."

If she'd expected to offend him, she should have known better. Gabe only laughed; "I'm not hearing any complaints."

Hadley shook her head and flapped her hands, "I just complained!" Laughing, she turned to Samantha.

"Don't look at me, I live with this."

"Glad you made it, Hadley. What are you drinking? And if you tell me something skim I'm handing you a beer."

"Wine would be fine, thanks Gabe."

Before walking away to grab a drink for Hadley, Gabe turned and gave a swift kiss across Samantha's lips. The sight of the two of them together made the humid air thicker to breathe. Samantha slipped her arm through Hadley's and walked her along the backyard, introducing her. Several of the people around had said their hellos, others nodded and kept on with their conversations. Grabbing the drinks from Gabe, Samantha steered them into the house where Hadley got the full tour. Pictures were scattered on the walls, some from Gabe and others from Samantha and then several of the two of them together.

The house was definitely comfortable, but she knew her friend all too well and understood immediately. Even though the couple had been living within the confines of familiar articles, the house itself seemed a little more closed off, something that was definitely a far cry from who the residents really were. As they made their way back down, rather than heading back into the backyard, Hadley followed Samantha to the front porch. Before they made it outside, however, Hadley froze in place causing Samantha to jerk slightly.

Hadley's eyes were riveted on a large picture that hung on the wall near the front door. Her eyes widened and her chest expanded. "This looks wonderful here."

Samantha rested her head on Hadley's shoulder. "I know, thank you for this one. I had this up at the cabin and made Gabe take it down to bring it here. There are just some things that you need to make a place feel like home, and this is one of those things."

Hadley had spent so many nights haunted by visions for the canvas she had painted for them. One night, she had been lying in bed when all of the sudden the idea came at her. Her friend had always loved flowers, so naturally she started to use the shape of a single stem as the foundation. In the hours of the evening, her hand became possessed, the colors combined to create such variations and textures that by the time she finished it—it was one of her finest. Her works had all bits of metal infused with the paints, but Samantha's was different. It was to embody a powerful union of people that was rich and true. Through deep reds and piercing ambers, the flower became a tree filled with branches extending out. Naturally abstract, it represented the life Sam and Gabe were creating. It touched her, that they had taken the canvas with them from one house to the next.

"Okay, sit. We won't get bothered out here." Samantha gestured to the glider on the porch and both women sat down.

"So how was your class yesterday?"

"Nope, this is all about you." Samantha took a sip of wine and glanced at Hadley from the rim of the plastic cup.

Hadley caved, and threw her hands over her eyes. "My roommate is crazy! I mean that in the nicest way possible, I really do." Encouraged by Samantha's laugh, she went on. "The girl is always at the apartment, and I mean that. I keep telling her to get out and do something, but she says school is more important. I just don't get her."

"It's only been a week, Had. You are a person of interest, I'd be curious too. "

"I'm no more interesting than she is. We talk, have coffee and everything else. I can't help that I want to get outside and look at the buildings or go to an art gallery. Which, by the way is it just me or is everyone ridiculously nice here?"

"What do you mean?"

"The other day, I was walking around and stumbled into this gallery and started talking with a curator. Well, one thing led to another and I sort of got invited to an opening for an artist from Paris. I guess he's coming into town for the event. Seems fun."

"It's not just you. It's how things are here. People will open up and tell you their whole life stories in minutes."

"That's just you!"

"Yeah, that is just me. I am serious though, you'll notice that more and more the longer you are here."

As the women got caught up, they both seemed to be drinking in each other's words and had not realized how much time had slipped by. An oversized SUV came roaring into the parking lot, pulling Samantha's attention away from their current topic of her upcoming nuptials.

"Here comes trouble." She muttered and took another sip of her wine. Hadley followed the gaze as a man who appeared in his later twenties shuffled up to the porch. Everything about him screamed sex appeal and international affair. Hadley took note of his designer jeans that hugged his muscular legs but left room for the imagination. With the heated September day, the man disregarded the warmth and chose fashion over humidity. He wore a stylish wrinkled button up that he'd left un-tucked from the jeans. A slim pair or silver rimmed sunglasses covered his eyes, which were focused on the two of them on the glider.

"Ladies."

Samantha sniffed. Instantly Hadley turned to her and laughed. Her friend had crossed her arms over her chest. "You have absolutely no excuses, Mr. Jennings, for being tardy."

"I'm not one of your students, Sam, I had things to do this morning. If your loving husband hasn't already told you that."

"He's not my husband yet, but that's beside the point. I'm still mad at you for how you just left that poor girl at the bar the other night." Hadley's eyes had gone back and forth between the two. She knew Samantha well enough that she was giving this man a run for his money.

"You set me up with a stalker, what else would you expect me to have done?" The man removed his sunglasses and placed them in the breast pocket of his shirt, his cool blue eyes slowly taking in Hadley.

"I didn't know she was a jersey chaser until you said something. She seemed so normal and fun."

"She's fun, I'll give you that. Normal, that's one I'd reconsider."

Realizing that she had completely forgotten Hadley, Samantha introduced her. "Sorry Hadley. This is Marcus Jennings, he plays for the Cougars. Marcus, this is my good friend Hadley Wilkerson."

Marcus nodded, his gaze held firm on her but he remained silent. Arrogance oozed from his stance, but Hadley recognized the trait and knew it all too well so she spoke for him. "Nice to meet you, Marcus Jennings."

Inside the house, someone shouted at the sight of Marcus through the glass windows lining the front of the house. Craning his neck, he looked beyond the women and shrugged his shoulders. Samantha shook her head at his quiet motion, "Oh just go! But do me a favor and bring a bottle of white wine out here will you?"

Marcus laughed as he climbed the stairs. "Why don't you get that lazy lug to bring it to you?"

"Because that lazy lug was with you this morning, and he needs a break. You on the other hand, don't get one."

"Sam, don't worry about it. I'll go in and grab the bottle." Hadley interrupted their friendly banter and started to rise. "I could use some water anyway."

Samantha teased her friend. "What's the point of having all of these guys around the house and you still end up doing all of the work?"

All three of them laughed, and Hadley followed Marcus into the house. As soon as he was inside someone pulled him into one of the rooms while she continued to head toward the kitchen. The house was definitely overwhelming, something Samantha had warned her it would be. It still surprised her to see both players and coaches spending so much time together, even off the field. Using the kitchen faucet, she poured a small glass of water and enjoyed a quiet moment. It seemed like a crazy lifestyle and she commended her friend for embracing it. Hadley found herself kind of glad that she didn't have to worry about game schedules and which of the wives to be friends with. Grabbing one of the bottles of wine from the refrigerator she quieted the clutter in her mind in order to let loose and have a little more fun.

****

Marcus was talking to a few of the guys, but couldn't give his full attention to the current conversation. While the guys were talking about the game the following day, Marcus' mind was occupied, thinking about the blonde sitting next to Samantha. Even though she had been sitting, he figured she couldn't be all that tall and was quite comfortable with herself. The blonde seemed like someone who walked around her own way, and could care less what anyone thought of her, especially anyone judging someone wearing cowboy boots on a humid day. It didn't surprise him that she was friends with Sam. Over the past year, he had become close to Gabe and Samantha, but still didn't the slightest clue as to who Hadley was.

A booming voice broke through his thoughts, "J—get out of the way for her."

Snapping his eyes, Marcus turned and saw Hadley trying to squeeze through the crowded front room with a bottle in her hand. A crooked smile kicked up at the corner of his mouth. Shifting his muscular frame to open some space for her, Marcus walked over to get the front door for her.

"You overwhelmed yet?"

Smiling, Hadley looked up into a pair of piercing eyes that were dancing with intrigue. "Not a bit."

"You sure about that one?" The tone of his voice filled with curiosity making the meaning questionable.

She saw right through his fake demeanor. "Didn't you know, I already got all of the boys in the back lined up for shots."

Marcus raised a brow and held the door for her. "You're serious?"

"Very. Though I didn't see you had signed up so I'm guessing you're the one who's a bit overwhelmed."

Very few times did Marcus get taken aback, but the woman had taken the words right out of him. Laughing, he shook his head ruefully. When he recovered, he pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "Those guys won't do anything with the coaches here."

"That's what the coaches said about you." In her cowboy boots, Hadley reared up on her tip toes which hadn't gotten her very taller, and dropped her voice. "Are you afraid of a little shot here and there?"

Without allowing him to respond, she gave him a wicked grin and turned on her boot heels, heading back out to the porch. Marcus stared for a good minute trying to know where in the hell that had come from. It wasn't often a girl had turned the tables on him. He joined in the conversation between several of the other players, which was not surprisingly being held together by Jamal Wallace, the Cougars' star safety. For a good while, he had gotten pulled into the jokes that were flying among the teammates.

Through the large bay window overlooking the front yard, he kept stealing glances out at the women sitting on the glider. The short blonde was gesturing with her hands and must have said something funny, as Samantha had tumbled over laughing hysterically. The girl--he had already forgotten her name, was shaking her ashy tresses and while turned in the direction of the house, caught a glance at Marcus as he was watching her. Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled at him. He should have been embarrassed, but was pleased that she had seen him. Women came easily into his life, and he'd never had any troubles with the ones that had come and gone over the years.

Patting one of his teammates' shoulders, Marcus spoke low. "I need a refill. Anyone else?" All of the guys who were huddled together declined the offer, so Marcus made his way into the backyard where the majority of the coaches were sitting with their families. It didn't shock Marcus that the groups were separated. It was as if the guys were being chaperoned, only the separate lines didn't bother him and he gladly crossed over.

Gabe sat in one of the many wicker chairs along the side of the house. Seeing an open chair next to him Marcus grabbed a couple of beers from the cooler and gestured one out to Gabe before sitting.

Nodding, the older man took the long-neck. "Thanks."

He took a sip from his own bottle. "Nice day for this. Thanks again for helping me out this morning."

Gabe took a swig of the amber ale. "Anytime. Sam was bustling around this morning, so I was more than happy to get out of her way. When she plans, it's like a storm hits."

"Isn't she planning a wedding right now?"

"Yeah, and I couldn't be happier that it falls right after the season." Marcus didn't believe him for a minute and knew that Gabe would be around to help Samantha out at any time.

"Who's the girl that's sitting with her?" After speaking the words, he nonchalantly tipped the bottle to his own lips.

Gabe gave him a pointed look. "No."

"What are you talking about, no?"

"That's Sam's best friend, there is no way in hell you're going within ten feet of her."

Marcus raised his hand and shrugged his shoulders. "All I was doing was asking about the new girl that is at a party."

Gabe eyed the younger man for several long seconds, so long that Marcus didn't think he'd answer. "She moved here from Seattle. They've been friends for years. She's off limits."

Laughing at the bluntness Gabe was giving him, "Never any faith from either one of you. Here I was just asking a few questions."

"We've got faith in you, but you be the one to ask Sam about Hadley and see what kind of response she gives you. Your track record isn't very admirable. This was a fair warning."

"Fair enough." Marcus took another swig before venturing the topic that always made its way between the two men. "How do you think tomorrow's going to go?"

"It can only go one of two ways. Everyone's run through the plays more than enough times and you all know by now how to attack the Saints. We'll have to wait and see what happens on the field."

Marcus leaned back in the stiff chair and talked with Gabe. A few of the other coaches joined in before long and soon he found himself forgetting about Hadley and was enjoying himself with the people around him. Being around everyone brought him back into the mindset he needed to be in. The game tomorrow was crucial and he had to be in top form. Nothing could rattle him, and if it could, he couldn't afford it.

****

Later that night, Gabe was gathering the last of the paper plates and stuffing them into a garbage bag. Samantha was lounging in the house on the overstuffed couch, relaxing from a job well done. Together they had cleaned up for the most part, but she had put the cookout together so he sent her in the house and told her that he would finish up. Tossing the last garbage bag on the side of the house, he walked inside and was immediately hit with the scent of vanilla. Smiling, he followed the aroma into the living room to a waiting Sam who was curled up reading a book, several scented candles lit within the room.

"I'd say that was a successful day." As she spoke, Samantha put the book down and lifted up so Gabe could slide on the couch beside her.

Reaching around her, he tilted her chin with his thumb. "You threw a great party, sweetheart." Winking at her, Gabe dropped his lips and kissed her softly, nearly breaking away as she hummed with pleasure.

For several long moments, they sat quietly, taking in the quiet evening. Samantha snuggled closer into his chest, but Gabe was the first to speak. "You and Hadley seemed occupied today, I hardly saw her for more than a hello and then to say goodbye."

Raking her hands along his chest, she spoke quietly. "I know, it's been so long. She was talking about her roommate and then about some of the requests for a few of her pieces out in New York. We sort of lost track of time. I still can't believe that she only packed a single bag and came out here."

Gabe rubbed her side and kissed the top of her head, his lips lingering as he spoke against the soft hair. "What's she running away from?"

"I don't think she's running away from any person in particular, if anything it would be herself. I'm glad she's here, besides I haven't seen her this excited for a long time. Who knows, maybe this move is exactly what she needs right now."




Running into Coverage Ch. 02



"You think she needs something?"

Samantha tilted her head and closed her eyes, thinking the question over for a moment. "I think she needs to stop trying to be someone and start being herself. She hides behind walls and sometimes it's hard to break through her. Maybe by moving here, she will get a chance to see herself and really live for her."

"You don't think she was living for herself in Seattle?" Gabe was curious. From all of the conversations they had about Hadley, Sam had always been so concerned about her.

"She was, but there's always influences. Here, she's got only herself to turn to. It's going to be interesting to see how she works it. Hadley can make friends with just about anybody, but she does it in a way where she can also walk away without thinking twice. She's always been that way."

"You guys are still friends, she hasn't walked away from you."

"We are more like family, she knows I'll hunt her down."

Gabe sighed. "All you can do is sit back on the sidelines and see what happens, then."

Laughing, she twisted to look up into Gabe's face. "You would say something like that!"

His eyes twinkled, "What?"

"Don't give me that, what! Always the coach. Look at Hadley, she came here with the barest of things. I can't even go from one house to the other without our kitchen table and the picture she gave us."

His voice dropped low, tenderness radiating from every part of him. "Those things are part of our home." He dropped a feather light kiss across her pliant lips. "No matter where we go, they're coming with us."

"I love that you feel the same way I do about them."

"I'm a good guy."

Samantha squeezed him tight. "Don't get too arrogant on me."

Hearing her say that, made Gabe remember the conversation he had with Marcus. Stiffening up ever so slightly, he spoke. "Marcus seemed a little interested in Hadley today."

Samantha sat straight up and looked at Gabe in the eyes. "I knew he would. That guy, I swear he thinks about one thing only. Well, he can forget it. When we were outside she mentioned him too. I guess Marcus was trying to be his typical self in front of her. Anyway, she laughed it off and picked up on his cockiness." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I hate that she thought that about him, because he's not shallow at all. But the things he does sometimes, he's prone to come across that way."

"You know he only thinks about football, and the women throw themselves at him. They're only entertainment for him."

"I know. If Hadley ever, and this is a huge if ever, but if she ever got involved with him it would be a fast lesson to learn." Samantha noticed the hard look on Gabe's face and lifted her brow in a silent question.

"I told him she was off limits."

Laughing, she finally relaxed. "She's a grown woman, Gabe. But thank God you did say something because if he asked me I would have slugged him!"

"If she knew any of this, she'd hurt both of us. I don't care how small she is, she can hold her own."

"No, she wouldn't. She knows I love her and would always look out for her."

Pulling her closer so that she fell into his lap, he spoke against her parted lips. "You know who'll always love you?"

Smiling, she said "I do. I love you too." They lay on the couch for some time holding each other close, before Gabe carried Samantha up to their bedroom where he could love her properly. Knowing he would leave her early in the morning for the game, he wanted to spend enough hours to luxuriate in her body and stay beside her warmth.

****

Marcus stood under the shower in the Cougars' locker room, as the hot water pummeled his hair and ran down his face. The Cougars had pulled a victory against New Orleans on Sunday and Monday was the players' off day but he took advantage of the afternoon to run a few laps, something several of the other players did on their days off. Seton had thrown him several passes, and he was proud that he'd caught every single one without too much of a hassle. He winced slightly as he soaped up his side. Ruelcox from the Saints had taken him down hard and a bruise was forming, the skin tender to touch.

There were only a few other guys left in the locker room. Shutting off the shower, Marcus grabbed the towel and rubbed his hair down before wrapping the cloth around his waist. Several of the guys were blowing off steam at a local hangout and he'd said that he would meet up with them for a drink or two. After the win, he was still riding the high. His little 'hiccup' as Gabe had called it was a distant memory and he felt like celebrating.

"We're all meeting up at Bandidos, you know the place J?" Tim Mathews asked as he was leaving the locker room.

Tossing his shaving kit down on the counter, Marcus rubbed his hair. "Yeah, I know it." He knew it all too well. Many times had he gone to Bandidos to blow off steam from a shitty practice or a game gone wrong. Other times, he'd gone to confide in a coach that seemed to understand him in more ways than one.

"So we'll see you then, right?"

"I'll be right behind you guys." Marcus took his time shaving and getting ready. He hadn't planned on doing anything other than working out for a couple of hours and calling it good for the day. But who was he to say no to the guys?

By the end of the hour, he was dressed and ready to go. His body fresh from the shower, and as he did a last glance over, he sprayed himself with the cologne someone sent his agent. Apparently some fragrance merchant had wanted him to represent them, so they'd sent samples. The stuff smelled good enough so he sprayed himself a few times. If it smelled expensive, it drew people in.

Parking in Chicago was accessible, but not always easy to come by. He'd gotten comfortable with parking his SUV on a side street, but seeing as there were more cars on the street and the spots were dismal, he ended up using the valet at the lot. Unless he was dining in the Loop, he hated doing this and would rather park his SUV himself, but tonight seemed necessary. There must have been something going on in the city that he didn't know about.

Upon walking into Bandidos he immediately saw his group. If it weren't for the swarming mass of ladies that surrounded his teammates, he might have had a harder time locating them. Drawing in a deep breath, Marcus decided to put on the 'Marcus show.' All of his life, he had never had troubles with meeting people, so tonight would be no different. As he walked to the group, several people in the bar started shouting out at him. He waved as a courtesy and offered little nothings, but never let anyone in.

As he dropped an elbow onto the bar, he looked down for the bartender. He really didn't want to be there that evening, and would rather be studying game film and practice patterns, but that was the least of his problems. He didn't want to ward off women for the night or drink beers that would only make him run that many more laps around the field. Craning his head, he peered down and sure enough not five seats down from where he was, he saw a petite blonde woman hunched over the bar. There were several women scattered in the bar, but this one happened to be alone. He would much rather be sitting near someone on their own and wouldn't have to worry if they were going to drape an arm around his shoulder or thrust their tongue down his throat. If he wanted it there, he damn well would get it there.

A sly smile curled from the corner of his mouth as he watched her. She was thumbing through something on her telephone and writing notes on a napkin. Her hair was as straight at a board and her presence quiet. It was as if she had a sign that said, 'If you come on to me, I will gut you like a fish.' Marcus saw something else in her attitude, and decided to walk over to her, forgetting the bartender in the process.

Seating himself in the empty seat next to her, he spoke casually. "What's a pretty lady like you sitting by yourself in a happening bar?"

Slowly, Hadley's head lifted, taking in the unwanted interruption. "I'm sorry, what?"

"It's not very often someone sees a lonely woman sitting at the bar by herself, unless of course she's looking for trouble."

Cocking her eyebrow at him, Hadley wasn't falling for his cocky jargon. "First of all, I'm not lonely. Second of all, I could make you cry in three seconds."

"Three seconds?"

"Yup." Hadley took a sip of the beer in front of her.

Shaking his head, Marcus spoke condescendingly. "Yeah, somehow I don't really think so."

Never skipping a beat, Hadley reached over and grabbed his hand. She held it loosely but put a grip on a pressure point that caused him to jerk. His eyes snapped and a queer sound pulsed from his lips. With a sinister laugh, Hadley let go. "You're a sissy."

Marcus rubbed his hand and gaped at her. "Are you sure you're a woman in that body?"

Laughing, Hadley sipped her beer. "I'm all woman, or can't you tell?"

"I'm having a hard time with that one." They both laughed. The bartender came over and took Marcus' order, and Marcus gestured to refill Hadley's drink.

Waiving her hands, she signaled that she didn't want another but he denied her the chance. The luck of having her drawn into the bar was one thing, but the fact that she was still sitting next to him was something else entirely.

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she leaned her cheek against her palm. "What makes you think I'm taking a single sip from that beer?"

"The fact that you even feel the need to ask me that, is just flat out stupid. Nobody turns down a beer."

"What if I didn't like it?"

Marcus took her bottle that had very little left and took a sip. Licking his lips, his eyes squinted while looking at her. "It's an all right beer, but you'd be better off with a 312."

"A freeway?"

"No. It's local, but seeing as you aren't from here, you wouldn't know that, would you?"

"Listen, I don't have to take this kind of crap from anybody."

Marcus laid the barest of touches on her wrist, quieting any words that were forming in Hadley's throat. Something inside sparked at his touch, causing her temperature to rise and heat to spread up her chest. "I'm not trying to piss you off, I'm only trying to be friendly."

Sitting back in the bar stool, Hadley readjusted herself. "Seeing as you just got my drink, I'm going to use the washroom until it gets here."

Marcus watched her as she stood up and started to walk to the back of the bar. She was all confidence and swagger that made him smile. He'd never met a girl that seemed so sure of herself, and yet wasn't revealing anything. All of the women he'd gone to bed with or at least had pushed themselves upon him, revealed everything. And it wasn't much. This one kept him guessing.

While she was gone, he took the time to send a few messages out that had been left on his phone. One to his agent, the others to a few friends that were wanting to meet up if he had time free in between practices and games.

As Hadley made her way back to the bar, she made up her mind to play around with Mr. Hotshot Football Player. He was cocky, she'd give him that, but he had probably worked it out in his mind that he would take her home and she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of that. Instead, she might as well have fun with him. The bar was playing some fun flashy song that had her dancing through the sea of bodies in the bar until she sat down. She was wearing frayed cut off shorts and a billowy top, and instead of following everyone else by wearing flip-flops, she wore ankle booties. Every article was carefully chosen from her tops to her hair, a perfect definition of someone selectively constructed.

Marcus watched her as she sang along with the song being played overhead. It was as if she forgot that there were people all around them. He liked that she was so carefree.

"You never answered what you were doing in a place like this."

Hadley hooked her heel on the rung of the barstool. "A friend of mine told me about it, she said it was a fun bar to relax at."

"If you didn't notice, it's pretty packed in here. Kind of makes it hard to relax."

The ocean blue of her eyes twinkled. "I was doing just fine sitting right here until you decided to drop your dirty mouth on my bottle."

There was something about her that was familiar, but he couldn't place it. Marcus tried to think back to charities and nights out, somewhere he had met this woman. "If you say so." Hadley took a sip from the large glass of the wheat ale and looked up at Marcus. "You're welcome."

"I never said thank you, but that is pretty good beer. Do you come here often?"

He shrugged his shoulders and looked at the screens behind her where clips from Sunday's game were replaying, wincing at a replay. "Sometimes, it depends on the night. It's usually a good place though, people don't really bother you."

Hadley propped her elbows on the bar and leaned into him. "People bother you often?"

"More or less, again, it depends on the night." Marcus watched as Hadley ran a finger along the rim of her glass, before licking it. That little something in the back of his mind told him to probe her more. "So is your friend going to meet up with you tonight, or are you just hanging out by yourself?"

It didn't really bother her that he hadn't remembered who she was, actually she wasn't surprised. He was a professional athlete, people probably came up to him at the most inopportune times. The price of fame. "You don't remember me, do you?"

Marcus' eyes stilled on her, and for a fleeting moment he wasn't sure how to respond. Hadley sat staring at him, and then shook her head. "It's okay, I wouldn't remember me either. We met the other day, you're actually friends with a good friend of mine. Samantha Morrison."

The attractive blonde. The party. It all came back to him. How could he have forgotten who she was, let alone her sassy mouth that seemed destined to wreak havoc on anyone? "I'm sorry, I didn't realize."

"I know you didn't, that's okay. I'm sure women are hanging off you half of the time."

Marcus laughed, the sound deep and hearty and sexy as hell. Hadley sat up straighter in her seat. "Well, that's something else. I'm—"

"Marcus, I remember." She looked at him, her eyes wide and non-expectant. "Hadley." She brought out her hand and brought it forward for a simple handshake.

Tilting his head to the side, he wasn't used to a woman that was offering this type of gesture without flinging themselves at him. He accepted it and folded his large hand around her much smaller one, taking in her soft skin. "How long have you known Sam?"

"A while. We went to high school together, she was a couple of years ahead of me but we still had a few classes together. I can't remember how we started talking, but we did and we've been friends ever since."

"What brought you to Chicago? It's a pretty good ways from home."

"Not really, home is wherever you make it. It doesn't have to be one place, or at least I don't think so." Hadley smiled at the way Marcus was thinking about what she had just said. "Several pieces of my artwork are being displayed in New York. Being someone from a smaller city, I wasn't ready to make a move to a city that big so I chose the mid-way point."

"Chicago."

"Exactly. So I packed a bag and drove out. What about you, how long have you been playing for Gabe?"

"The Cougars, you mean?"

Hadley laughed, "Sorry. I'm terrible with sports and you'd think I'd know the name of the team by now, but it never stuck."

"Don't apologize to me, it's the people in this city you've got to look out for. You'd think football was a religion here." Marcus took a second to take a sip from the beer before continuing. "This is my second season here."

"So where does the mysterious man behind the gridiron come from?"

He couldn't hold back the snort that erupted from his mouth. "The Bay Area."

"Really? Huh, I'm actually kind of surprised."

"Because I'm not wearing Birkenstocks and listening to Green Day?"

"I wouldn't have judged you if you had been." Hadley laughed. "That was a horrible representation of the fine people of Northern California, by the way."

"Yeah, it was. I have no idea where that came from."

A large hand smacked the back of Marcus' shoulder drawing his attention to the man behind him. Hadley noticed that Marcus appeared calm and must know the man who had patted him down. That man couldn't have been much older than herself but had about one hundred pounds and a foot on her. It was times like these where she loved being small, or hated it. Seeing how the men were reacting, she was okay with it.

"Jennings, you gonna sit and talk with this chick all night? Or are you gonna hang out?"

Hadley interrupted before Marcus could say anything. "Unless you're talking about some other girl, this woman can hear you loud and clear."

The gorilla seemed at a loss from her remark. Marcus shook his head and chuckled. "Don't take offense Fabian, I'm thinking this is how she is all of the time. Hadley, meet one of my teammates Fabian Velesquez."

In a voice as sweet as pie Hadley turned and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Fabian."

"I'm almost scared to be standing over here." They all laughed, and before long several of Marcus' teammates made their way over to their now growing group. Tables were brought up and Hadley found that she was the only girl in the group.

"So how do you know Jennings?" Fabian asked, his voice booming over the crowd behind him.

"Technically, I kind of know you too." All four of the men instantly looked at her, their eyes widening at her declaration. Hadley waved her hands and smiled at the look of shock in their faces. "I'm not a groupie. Give me more credit than that. My friend is engaged to one of the coaches on your team."

The men relaxed, a smile spread across Fabian's face as he took in Hadley's current attire. "You certainly don't act like some of the girls that hang around."

Without thinking, Hadley started laughing. Marcus was watching the guys move in on her and decided to drop his arm on the counter so it draped lightly behind her. They had moved their seats closer to allow the group to stand close while they were talking. Hadley turned with his movement and smiled at him, as a tender twisting in his gut kept him interested.

"I'm not really sure if that's a compliment, but I guess I'll take it. Speaking of girls that hang around, you seem to have lucked out tonight. Nobody's coming up to you; when does that ever happen?"

Marcus cocked his head, "it's why we come here. It's about the only place where we can actually enjoy a night out, without being hounded."

Jamal piped up from the side. "Some of us like being hounded."

"Yeah right, your girl would have your ass if she heard you say that." Until then, Devon Grant had been quiet.

"She probably would."

A smile had been plastered to Hadley's face as the guys started going off about their latest conquests, the women they were dating and weren't dating. For a bunch of burly guys, they talked just like schoolgirls, and she was enjoying every second of their debate.

With the sight of her curious eyes, Marcus turned and whispered into her ear. "Hard to believe these guys play a violent game for a living, isn't it?" He lingered for a minute as the scent of her shampoo drifted into his nose. It was soft and airy, like honeysuckle in the spring.

While the men argued about one of the rushing plays during the game on Sunday, Hadley turned to whisper back to Marcus. She didn't want to interrupt the moaning and groaning of the group. "Yes, it is. I think I'm more curious that you're all still standing here."

"Why wouldn't we be?"

"I don't know. You all came to do whatever it is that you do, I don't want to be in your way."




Running into Coverage Ch. 02



"You're not in anybody's way. If anything, we took over your space." His mouth twitched at the corners, and Hadley found herself feeling more than comfortable around the wide receiver. Something she knew she shouldn't like, but was beginning to.

"That is true, I did come here to get away from my roommate."

It was the first real statement she'd made about herself, and Marcus took advantage of it. "What happened with your roommate?" She took a minute to answer, as she sipped more beer. "Something so bad that you needed a drink first?"

"It's nothing, really. I hardly know this girl, we've only been living together for a little over a week but I'm not used to living with someone so clingy." He laughed, the sound deep causing her eyes to widen. "You laugh, but you don't have roommates."

"I forgot that you just moved here. Why didn't you get your own place to start out with?"

Her shoulders shrugged, "Sam's the only person I know here. She's so wrapped up in Gabe and their wedding that I didn't want to always bother her. But I'm the kind of person that has to get out and do something, and coming home alone wasn't an option and I hoped to get a room with someone I could talk to. I'm kind of all over the place."

"And being in a bar with your head in a sheet of paper is going to do that?"

"I didn't say that. How did you know what I was doing?"

"I saw you first, remember? What were you doing?"

Hadley waved her hand. "Just a small sketch, it's nothing interesting."

"That's not very fair. You know what I do, what is it that you do?"

"Oh there are so many names to it. Some would say perpetual wanderer, others would just call it being creative." He gave her a look that told her she had not pleased him with her casualness. "I'm an artist."

"So is Madonna."

"Funny. Really, though. I paint; some of my work is starting to pick up. One of the bottles behind the bar caught my eye, and I started to draw it."

"Is your artwork being showcased here in town?"

"Not here, no. I have a few pieces in a small gallery in SoHo, but have mainly sold privately to clients."

Marcus raised his eyebrow. This woman was filled with wonder. "SoHo."

Nodding. "It's in Manhattan."

He shook his head and laughed. "I know where it is!"

They began talking with each other, disregarding the group surrounding them that seemed to be dispersing in search for other people. Or to seek privacy of their own as onlookers were seeking them out. Even as she spoke about her art and newest job at a coffee shop not far from where she lived, the way she was revealing information seemed guarded. Not that Marcus blamed her for blocking herself off. He was more than familiar with that notion. Far too many times he had gotten a little too close for comfort with ex-girlfriends and they'd slapped a paternity suit on him or never told him that they had dated teammates. He'd known all too well to keep things at the bare minimum. By the fourth round of drinks, he was tired and knew the early morning practice was going to chomp at his gut that was filled with beer.

Shifting in the seat, he saw in the corner of his eyes that Hadley began to cover her mouth to stifle a yawn. Leaning over to her, "I'm tired too. I've got class tomorrow."

A wicked smile broke across her pretty face. "Coffee awaits me. "

"And your roommate."

"Don't remind me." Reaching down for her bag, Marcus laid a hand on hers to stop the movement. The touch sent a shiver through her body. Looking into his eyes, she noticed that they had darkened to a deeper blue. All he did was shake his head and went about paying for the entire tab of his group and her drinks.

Knowing she was still getting used to the public transportation as she had professed her fear of getting lost, he offered to drive her home. Hadley had wanted to say no, but something deep within herself told her to shut up and go for it.

Her apartment complex was on the other side of town and as his SUV weaved through the late night traffic, both of them seemed content with keeping quiet. Just as Hadley's eyes started to flutter anticipating a deep slumber, Marcus pulled the car to a stop.

"Home sweet home, or I hope this is it. I can't see the numbers from here."

"Yes, this is it." Hadley grabbed her bag and started to reach for the door handle. "Thank you, Marcus. I...I had fun tonight."

"Me too, I guess there are perks for having a day off." Slowly, she got out of the SUV and walked around the front to get to the front door of the complex. Marcus realized that all evening while they talked, he had never asked for her number. They'd laughed and held conversations as if they had known each other for some time. Hadley had gotten along with all of the guys, and even pulled a few jokes on some. Quickly, he wrestled with the handle and bolted out of the vehicle. "Hadley, wait!"

Stopping just short of the front door, she turned and saw Marcus taking the steps two at a time. "Since you don't really know anybody in town, maybe you'd want to hang out some time. Might be fun to get shown around."

"Won't you be busy practicing throwing a ball around and getting caught up on daytime television?"

His voiced dropped low. "Smartass, I'm being serious. I have a life outside of football."

For a long moment, Hadley stared at Marcus trying to sort him out. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed the evening. He had been easy to talk with, and fun to be around. All it took was listening to him, in order to shut out his good looks. What harm could it be to know another person in the city? Since her roommate was slowly but surely turning into someone she definitely wouldn't be spending more than the minimum amount of time with. Giving in to the summer blues of his eyes, she told him her telephone number and started to walk into the complex.

Just as Marcus had reached his car, she shouted out to him. "Just because you know where I live and have my number doesn't mean you can stalk me now, Jennings."

Laughing, he shouted right back to her. "All is fair Ms. Wilkerson; you gave up the goods so it's time to pay the price." He sank into the soft leather seat of the SUV and took off while she gaped at him. It had been a while since he actually enjoyed himself around a woman. Hadley seemed to be filled with surprises. Mentally taking note of his practice schedule, he figured there could be one day that she could squeeze him in between brewing coffee and splattering paint.

****

Marcus started the following Saturday with a morning practice at the Mall of America Field in Minneapolis and was now lying on the hotel bed studying up on plays. Even during his time away from the field, there was always something he could be doing trying to perfect his game. The team had an away game and was facing the Vikings the following afternoon. A light rain had descended upon the Twin Cities and he was more than thankful to be indoors even though he was getting bored with looking over the same sheets of paper as if it were the bible.

As he punched the pillows for a little extra cushion a thought occurred to him and he wondered why it had taken so long to remember. Even in his busiest of weeks, he always remembered to call girlfriends just to give a friendly hello. Or to fill the time that was always so quiet when he was alone in a room. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he leaned over to the nightstand and grabbed his cell phone. Thumbing through the contact list until he found her number, Marcus quickly glanced at the clock and saw that it was still early that afternoon. Getting comfortable on the bed, he dialed Hadley and hoped she wasn't working.

"Hello?" Even though several days had passed, he remembered the sound of her voice as if it were yesterday.

"Hadley? It's Marcus Jennings."

"Oh...hi." To his own ears, she sounded winded and short. He wasn't deterred from the call, as she remained on the line.

"How is everything going?" A horn honked in the background and the screeching sounds of the EL muffled her words. "Or should I ask you where you are going?"

He was greeted with a breathy laugh, "Its going. I just got off from work, but have to be someplace in a few minutes. I'm surprised you called, Marcus."

Tightening his grip on the phone, he spoke. "Why would you be surprised, I'm your stalker remember?"

"That is so true! So, what's up?"

"Nothing, I'm bored and there's nobody else around that can entertain me."

Hadley scoffed, "So you call me...to distract you? That's typical."

Marcus was glad she couldn't see him smiling because he couldn't wipe the smirk from his face. "What else can I do before I head out for dinner?"

"Wait a minute, where are you?"

"Minneapolis, we have a game here tomorrow. I've been busy with practices all week otherwise I would have called you to distract me then, but it's been crazy."

This time, it was Hadley who paused. When she spoke she sounded unfocused on their call. "You don't have to call me for a distraction, Marcus."

"I can hang up right now."

"That's not what I meant. I know you are busy, I'd forget to call me if I was playing tomorrow."

"No you wouldn't." Encouraged that she had not hung up, he kept talking. "Where are you going?"

"I'm meeting up with a guy to look at a studio space. It's close to my apartment and cheap, how perfect is that?"

"I'm guessing pretty perfect. Why do you need a studio if you have an apartment to do your painting?"

"There are always fumes or fans going. I worry about my roommate and the people on the same floor. That, and I'm messy." Marcus sank deeper into the bed and laughed at her casual confession. "I'm being rude, but since you called me, I guess I shouldn't feel bad talking about myself. What is the typical day before a game like for you?"

"I'm watching reality shows on the television." Hadley laughed, but Marcus didn't have the heart to tell her that sometimes he really did watch horrible shows while he sat in the hotel room. Other times he would make calls to his agent, work out contracts for endorsements, or wander the streets. Wandering the streets never went over well, no matter which town he had gone to. People recognized the players, depending on their size or where they walked around. Dining out, he was always with groups and could care less. Playing ball was his job. He owed as much as an autograph or a warm smile to the people who got him this far. "I'm actually meeting up with a bunch of guys and we're going for dinner in a little bit. You should catch the game tomorrow if you're not working."

"It depends on what time the game starts. I have to work until three and was hoping to work on a new canvas."

"That's too bad. Good that you'll be painting. Bad that the game starts at one, so you'll probably miss it."

In a voice that sounded apologetic yet playful, she cooed, "Sorry, Marcus. I'm sure there will be someone in the café that will have updates going all afternoon, so even though I won't see your pretty face, I will get to hear all of the highlights."

"Very funny, you'll get to see a game one day. Hey look, that's not why I was calling though. Do you have any days off next week?"

"I'm pretty sure I have Thursday off, but will have to check the schedule. Why?"

"Hadley, you forget the reason I even started this call."

"Stalkery?"

"Yes and no. There's a new restaurant off Hubbard that just opened up. My agent took his wife there and said it was one of the better places in the city. Do you want to go?"

"I don't know, Marcus. With my job and everything, money is kind of tight right now."

Marcus dropped his voice and spoke lightly with sympathy and yet still firm. "Who said anything about you paying? I asked you. Besides, this gives you a chance to blow a hole in my pocket."

Forgetting all reason, Hadley snickered into the phone. "With an offer like that, I certainly won't say no. I'll have to check my schedule to make sure though. Can I call you back tomorrow?"

"I have a game tomorrow."

"Oh God, that's right! What about Monday?"

"I'm off Monday, so you can call anytime."

"Even at three in the morning? Don't answer that. I'll check my schedule and let you know. Marcus, I hate to cut this short, but I just got to the studio and have to take a look around so I should probably let you go. Good luck tomorrow at the match."

Marcus laughed on the other end; the girl knew nothing about football if she was referring to the game as a match. "Thanks, Hadley. Let me know how the studio turns out and don't forget about Thursday."

They hung up, leaving Marcus in his room to take in the conversation with Hadley. Considering they spent a few hours at the bar together, and they really didn't know each other very well, they made easy conversation. She was funny where he was dry, and she certainly didn't take any of his bullshit. Something he gave out often, but he was noticing she gave out just as much as she took. Fluffing the pillow, he closed his eyes and for the first time in his professional life, he didn't think about football.

****

Her boots clacked on the pavement as she made her way toward Lynx, the restaurant where she was to meet Marcus. A dinner that Hadley was fifteen minutes late for. Work had been an absolute zoo; one of the presses blew a fuse and stopped working close to nine—perfect timing for the morning crowd. By two the place was dead and she was able to leave a little early. Rather than taking that time to go home and rest up, she had rushed to the studio and completely lost track of time as she started to sketch out the base for a foil coated piece a client had requested. Before she knew it, the alarm on her buzzer went off and she had to run out in order to meet up with Marcus.

Eyeing the names of each establishment that she passed, she straightened her hair with a hand until she caught the knowing pale blue eyes of a waiting man.

"You're fashionably late." Marcus leaned against the side of the building, even as she walked up to him he appeared to be attracting the glances of several people around him, but remained unbothered.

"I'd say that I got lost, but you'd still harass me."

His eyes crinkled at the corners, a set of pearly whites slowly shone through the smile forming at his mouth. "I would. Busy day?"

Holding the door open for her, she walked into the crowded restaurant. "It was terrible, but still good. I think I spent more time grinding beans than I did actually making cups of coffee." Twitching his nose, he noticed the faint scent of coffee that hovered around her. As she looked up into his face, Hadley saw the curiosity that lurked in his eyes. "It's the coffee; I stink. I would have showered but I went to the studio to start a new project, and kind of got lost in it. Sorry I'm late."

The host stole Marcus' chance to get more out of her, and directed them to the booth that had been reserved for them. Hadley's eyes drifted from the other tables and booths to the bar at the front. The room was spacious and dimly lit by candelabras and soft bulbs in the wall sconces that were scattered throughout. The booths lined the restaurant while several tables were scattered in the middle. Rather than having proper chairs, the seats were wide, dark leather couches. Turning to look at Marcus, Hadley smiled at him. "You seem unfazed by all of this."

A busser placed a couple of glasses of iced water on the table before dashing off into the mass of people. "I go out a lot, but this is a nice place. Different."

"A good kind of different." Hadley took a sip of water before continuing. "What all did you do today?"

"Apart from waiting for you?" Beneath the table, she kicked him lightly with the tip of her boot. "I had a couple of practices, then met up with my agent."

Hadley dropped an elbow on the table and leaned her face into her palm. "And I'm sure your day was more interesting than you let on. Its okay, Marcus. You can talk to me."

Her eyes widened as he laughed at her authority. "Sorry, I'm not used to talking about everything." Seeing her lean into the table, he was pleased that she wanted to know more. "We had two practices today, they were brutal. Tealman took me down early in the first one when I lost my footing, but the second practice was better. I worked with Gabe on a few drills."

Hadley saw the very noticeable relaxing of his shoulder muscles, and heard the softening of his voice as he spoke. "See, doesn't that feel better?"

Marcus laughed so hard that Hadley reached forward and tried to cover up his mouth with her hands. While he was pushing them away, the waiter came by to take their orders for drinks. Normally, she would have asked for wine, but there was something about the ambiance that had her blurting out "Sparkling wine". On their way in, she had seen a woman sipping it at the bar and was intrigued. Marcus looked at her, and all she could do was tell him that the wine was a drink he wasn't allowed to steal a sip from. The unvarnished table was clear of any menus, which didn't stop Hadley from staring out the side of the booth looking for the waiter.

"You don't have to worry about the menus. Everything is taken care of for tonight." Marcus had been watching her anxious movements with open curiosity.

"If you're going to say that you ordered for me, I'm walking right out of here."

Laughing, "I wouldn't do that to you. The chef is putting together a sampling of the entire menu. Think of it as prix fixe."

"You can't be serious?" Marcus shrugged his shoulders and feigned ignorance. "It sure must be nice to be famous."

"It has its perks. When I called, the girl on the phone set everything up."

Within minutes the drinks arrived and Marcus stared at Hadley as she took a slow sip of the sparkling wine. She closed her eyes as she took the sip and took a deep breath, savoring the faint raspberry flavor. Never a woman to turn down an offer to go out for an evening, especially in a city she was still figuring out, it couldn't have been avoided. A small tinge of guilt tugged at the back of her mind for not calling Sam and letting her know what was going on, but she shushed it away. Knowing her friend, and herself, this outing was merely a chance happening. There were no expectations involved, especially knowing that a good portion of the patrons were well aware of Marcus' presence and wanted a piece of him. Amazingly, he held his own, and smiled at other patrons but made it very clear, without words, that his time was devoted to Hadley.

Marcus didn't say much until the first platter of antipasto arrived on the table. He was distracted by the way Hadley was mentally taking note of the textured walls. Her fingers trailed the seat beside her, feeling the soft leather. As he was extending a smaller plate filled with an endive, Granny Smith apple and goat cheese salad to her, he asked her a question.

"When you're working, do you use familiar objects as inspiration?"

"Usually. I try and make every single piece personal, which is why I much rather paint for clients. In getting to know them, I get to make something that they may never really think about, but is very significant." She took a bite and savored the sour of the apple being toned down from the cheese. "I've tried painting just to paint, but it just doesn't work with me."

"If I was to ask you to paint for me, what object would you use?"

"A fork." Hadley laughed at his dumbfounded stare. "I'm eating all of this salad, you have to at least try a little bit of it." Without thinking, she forked up some of the salad with her own utensil and brought it up to his lips. Marcus' eyes followed her movements, and as he was getting ready to protest, she shoved the contents in. The glow of the candlelight caught the glitter shimmering in her eyes, and a small laugh escaped her plump lips. Heat shot straight to his groin as the candle light flickered in her watchful eyes.




Running into Coverage Ch. 02



Thankful for the dim lighting, he shifted in the seat and shrugged his shoulders, trying not to choke or groan from her little trick. His voice a little more hoarse than normal. "I'm saving my calories for the good stuff."

Losing herself to the inevitable, and tossing being quiet aside, Hadley laughed. Everything he did was outrageous and she was really enjoying it. More plates started to fill the table as they were able to catch up about each of their weeks. When silences filled their table, they weren't awkward but more to catch a breath. They seemed to talk about everything from his most recent endorsement deal for a national auto campaign. Hadley made him promise her that he would only sign the contract if he had to drive a minivan in the commercial. And with his curiosity, the topics fell more frequently on her painting and getting used to the new studio.

By the time dessert came around, both were too full to eat anything else. While Marcus covered the bill, Hadley excused herself to use the washroom and freshen up. When she came out, he was standing near the entrance door waiting for her. His body was turned facing the street. He was so well put together and comfortable in his skin as he stood quietly. At the sight of him, something fluttered in her belly that she begged to go away. Or tug on it and rein it in. Walking up to him, she placed her hand on the small of his back and raked her nails lightly. Marcus turned and smiled at her. When he offered her a ride home, she couldn't find it in her to say no. A friendship was forming between the two of them, and she was curious to see what happened. It wasn't every day a woman got invited out for a luxurious dinner at a lavish restaurant with one of the city's most eligible bachelors. No, it wasn't every day.



Running into Coverage Ch. 03



Oh holy hiatus. Firstly, life happens to us all and turns days into weeks and side-projects into—well, side-projects. As always, there is much gratitude to Estragon who looked over these pages which sat in my inbox for ages. Your edits and support means the absolute world. There is much to be said for a lady such as Hadley, but I will let the next chapters cover that. As always, your thoughts, comments and feedback is always appreciated.

Enjoy

M

****

Over the next month, not a single day went by that she didn't hear from Marcus. They talked about his grueling practice or the shade of blue she managed to perfect. They talked in the morning hours, or late in the night depending on where either of them was. With the Cougars on back-to back-away games, Marcus had been tied up for most of that month, but had wanted to be there for Hadley. When he had been home, he would casually drop by the coffee shop to harass her or go to the studio. As the rains of October had hit, so did a leaky roof at the studio. Unfortunately, hers was up on the top floor and got the brunt of the water damage. One night when they were talking on the phone, Hadley had been voicing her concerns for some of her paints and paintings, and how the landlord wasn't making any progress. Having come from a working class family, he knew a few things about repairing leas, and had patched up part of the ceiling in an effort to stave off collapse, until the landlord fixed the actual problem.

On a sunny afternoon, Hadley dipped her fingers in some of the green paint and brushed them along the fresh canvas in her studio. When an annoying ring like a club hit echoed in the small space, Hadley figured it was probably Marcus calling since he was home and they were trying to figure when to meet up. She grabbed one of the cloths and wiped her hands. The number on the display was restricted but she picked it up anyway.

"Hello?"

"Yo, Hadley!" A deep voice filled the small device, Hadley pulled the phone away from her ear and stifled a laugh.

"I don't answer to yo's. Who is this?"

"Jamal, who else would be callin'?" The name registered immediately; it made her feel like such a schoolgirl over the fact that this big burly guy was calling her.

"A lot of people, Jamal. I'm worth way more than you think I am. How did you get my phone number?"

"I stole Jennings' phone earlier and got it. What are you doing tonight?"

"Painting, what are you doing?"

"Having a drink with you. A bunch of guys are getting together and we thought it might help—"

His voice was tight, but Hadley was no fool and caught on. "Oh my god! You want to use me to pick up girls?"

"Nah, it's not...okay, yeah. We're going to Brick, you know that place?"

"No, but I can't imagine too many places are named Brick or Wall."

"Damn, you are sassy. Come out for a drink, you know you want to."

"Maybe another time, Jamal."

"How about tonight? Seeing as you and Jennings are friends, we should be too."

Hadley had to laugh at that. "I can't even believe I'm considering meeting you." Truthfully, she had hit a hard spot in the current canvas she was working on and was craving a distraction. At a gallery near Lincoln Park, she had talked with a dealer, and managed to schedule time in a couple of weeks for him to view the canvas. How she was going to complete the piece in such a short period of time, was beyond her.

"It's one drink, we'll get Jennings to meet us. It's easier for the ladies to come up when there's already one there."

Hadley rolled her eyes and put the paints down. "What time are you all meeting up?"

Before she knew it, Hadley packed everything up and was on the next bus that would drop her off near the bar. Something she had quickly learned was that, with knowing Marcus, she got to know all of his teammates. It didn't surprise her that they called her or came with Marcus on his many visits. What surprised her was her immediate excitement in getting out for the night. Caitlin had been studying for mid-terms, and she didn't really want to be quiet in her own house.

As the bus came to a stop on Huron, Hadley grabbed her bag and dashed out of the back of the packed vehicle. Clutched in her hands was the address to Brick, and as she walked past several upscale eateries she knew she was close. A gust of wind blew into her face, forcing several strands to tangle and block her sight. Her fingers gently pushed the bangs out of her eyes when she saw the line forming outside of the restaurant. Her eyes took in everything. Even from outside, the restaurant was a hit. The plain building front had been painted black with very pale lighting in the entranceway. Hadley hated the idea of having to wait in any kind of line, but promptly stood behind a group of knockout blondes in dresses too skimpy for the cool October evening. She stood in line for fifteen minutes when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hadley, where are you? We been waiting on you, girl."

Hadley laughed, "I'm outside standing with the rest of the world who wants to get inside." There was a slight pause but then her phone went silent. She pulled the phone away from her ear and saw the disconnect notice and laughed.

Within seconds, the front door swung open and the Cougars' Defensive Tackle walked out into the evening chill. He scanned the line that stretched beyond the corner of the street until his eyes rested on a short blonde standing with her hands on her hips. Shaking his head, Jamal whistled loudly causing several of the people standing in line to look.

"Always surprised with you. Always." Jamal wrapped his big arms around Hadley and pulled her in for a hug. She laughed against his chest before swatting him lightly with her phone.

"You hung up on me."

Placing his arm on her shoulders, Jamal directed Hadley into the restaurant toward the rest of the group. At the table, glasses were scattered all over and several of the guys were in debate on who was the hottest girl at the table across the way. Hadley hung her bag up on the rung under the table and laughed as Brent Hammond gave a wounded look to the other guys as they disapproved his choice. A waitress came up to the table and took the order for another round which included a martini for Hadley. Soon enough, she joined in the great debate and found herself happy she had come out for the night with the guys.

****

Pulling the cell phone out of his pocket for what seemed like the fiftieth time since leaving the Cougars' complex in Rockford, Marcus checked for a missed call. The screen was just as blank then as it was before Jamal had asked him to come out tonight. A small part of him had hoped that Hadley would have called but he knew she was busy working on some new project that she wouldn't really tell him about, and kept referring to her reluctance as 'creative indifference.'

She wasn't like any other girl he had ever talked to, and he smiled thinking of her defiance. Hadley did whatever she pleased, whenever she pleased and didn't apologize for being herself. She spoke the words on her mind, but also had a compassion and generosity that he admired. More than once she had offered to cook a meal for him when he was cooped up on a couch nursing a strained hamstring.

The valet service outside of Brick was attentive as he drove up and got out of the vehicle. Handing over the keys, Marcus walked past the line and nodded at the man at the door. "Nice evening tonight."

The man uncrossed his arms and went to open the front door for Marcus. "Sure is, have a nice night Mr. Jennings."

Inside, the place was packed with swarming bodies. The heat from so many people instantly made Marcus comfortable enough and glad he didn't wear a jacket. Casually he glanced around until he heard a loud booming laugh cast from the side of the bar. Several tables had been pulled together and was over crowded with his teammates and a lot of women that either were or weren't girlfriends or new people they'd all met that night. Used to the typical night out with the guys, Marcus walked up to the table and nearly came up short as the conversation was riveted at a very particular blonde woman, he seemed to recall had been talking with him for the greater part of that month.

Hadley's arms were waiving around wildly as she proved a point, all of the guys started howling and laughing at her. Never being someone who couldn't give as much as she took, she simply laughed right with the rest of his friends. Marcus inhaled as his mouth opened to a wide smile. Jamal was the first to see him walk up and pounded his back for a greeting.

"Jennings, man! We were just thinkin' that you was going to blow us off for some of your beauty sleep."

Marcus scoffed, and looked over at Hadley who was pulling an olive from the toothpick. His eyes followed her motion as the olive lost itself in her mouth. He cleared his throat, a tightness forming in his jeans. "I told you I would be here." His eyes never leaving Hadley as he spoke.

The corner of her mouth curled and her eyes twinkled. "Well then take a seat pretty boy, we've all got you beat so looks like you'll be the designated driver."

Everyone laughed including several of the newer attendees who seemed more interested in making sure everyone near the bar knew who they were standing with. Marcus shook his head and walked over to Hadley's side. Tilting her head up, she blinked but smiled sweetly up to him.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Placing a hand along her hip and rubbing lightly, he ordered a beer from the waitress as she cleared empty glasses and bottles from the table.

From there conversations flew between everyone without any signs of reticence. At one point, Marcus was defending his love of hip hop music to how Fabian started to actually rap for their group. Hadley covered her face but didn't hold back her laughter and the others just smacked him or listened. They were loud, obnoxious and everything that made for a fun night out.

Feeling the cool haze of a vodka buzz, priorities were first and Hadley scooted off of the high seat and walked off toward the washroom. Marcus' eyes watched her as she made her way to the back of the restaurant. Why his gaze stayed with her, he couldn't explain. All of his thoughts were interrupted as Jamal shouted out to him.

"Your girl can use the bathroom if she needs it, man."

He cocked an eyebrow at the larger player. "She's not my girl, just making sure she got there okay. The crowd is wild here."

Fabian choked on his drink before looking up at Marcus. "She's been here with us without you for most of the night and you're not pissed?"

Marcus took a swig from the longneck. "No. You're all a bunch of assholes. And you know if you touch her, I'll break your arms."

Fabian laughed, while Jamal studied Marcus' face. "She's a good girl, Jennings. She calls all of my shit out at the front door. If you don't catch her, someone else will."

"She doesn't fall for my bullshit either." The men all laughed together but as Hadley came back to the table it was clear to Marcus that she had one too many drinks in her. She wobbled when she should have been walking straight, and held onto his side for support instead of sitting in the chair. Slightly alarmed, Marcus dropped his head to whisper into her ear so nobody else in the group could hear. "Do you want to get out of here?"

Hadley rested her head on his shoulder and nodded. Marcus took the lead and started to leave some money for the tab but Jamal stopped before he could pay for anything.

"This one is on me. Glad I could finally help the notorious Marcus Jennings out in landin' his lady."

"I already told you, we are just friends, Jamal. See you tomorrow." Hadley was walking out to the front entrance when Marcus came up to her.

"Thanks Marcus, I didn't think I drank that much." Her voice trailed and Marcus thanked God that the valet was quick in getting his vehicle. Hadley rested her head against the back of the seat and shut her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was quiet as if she hadn't realized she spoke out loud. "I don't want to go home."

Out of instinct or feeling the need to comfort her, Marcus rest his hand on Hadley's thigh and squeezed lightly. His voice, equally as quiet, "everything okay?"

Turning to face Marcus, Hadley kept her eyes closed. The fingers that were fidgeting with a necklace dropped, lightly brushing his hand. "Caitlin's studying, her books are all over the place. I just want to curl up on the couch and fall asleep. But I can't without disturbing her."

Marcus hadn't realized his hand was still on her thigh and put it back on the gear-shift. Even though they were only a couple of blocks away from her apartment complex, Marcus turned onto the next street and drove to his condo instead. When he shut off the engine in the underground parking garage, Hadley finally stirred.

Rubbing her eyes, she looked around at the unfamiliar area. "Where are we?"

Marcus opened the door and climbed out. "My house. You can't bother Caitlin here."

"Marcus, I don't...."

"To sleep, Hadley. I have more than one bedroom. Or you can sleep on the couch." He lifted a brow and gave a devilish smile.

They rode up in the elevator quietly. Of all the times that they had done things together, his house had been avoided. Something she should have thought about before, but honestly was never really bothered. They weren't dating, and he never made a big deal out of inviting her over in the first place.

His condo was on the thirty-eighth floor of one of the newer condominium towers near Lakeshore Drive. Everything inside was masculine, but very well kept. Clean and tidy, except for the coffee table which was covered with notes, pencils and game-film CDs. Instead of the plush leather couches she fully expected in his bachelor pad, he had large overstuffed love seats that accented the coloring on the walls which were covered with impeccable and stylish artwork. Hadley's eyes widened as she walked further into his condo and realized that even though their friendship had grown, she had judged him from the beginning and he didn't deserve that.

"Your house is gorgeous, I had no idea."

Hadley followed him into the spare bedroom. "I know, I don't usually bring people back here. It's kind of where I get to be free...of everything. There's a bathroom across the hall, when you need to leave wake me up and tell me. I'll drive you. You are not taking the bus."

Hadley tried to laugh but was caught up in an intense yawn. He opened up the bedspread as she took off her boots. "Thank you for everything, Marcus. I don't have a shift tomorrow so I may just sleep in if that's okay?"

A light smile blessed his parched lips, he ran a tongue over them. "I have practice at nine, you can stay for as long as you need."

Curling deep into the covers, Hadley nodded. It took every ounce of Marcus' willpower to not drop a kiss on her forehead or her bare shoulder as she lay so peacefully in the bed. It took even more strength to leave the room and get into a cold shower.

****

A light tapping against the window woke Hadley out of a light sleep. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she reached over to her nightstand in search for her phone but didn't find it. Pulling the sheets down, she looked at her dress and realized she was fully clothed. Awkwardly, she rolled out of the bed and went to the dresser against the wall to see if there was anything she could scrounge up and use for nightwear. There were more framed photos than anything, but she managed to find an old college t-shirt.

Stripping down, she put the t-shirt on which dropped to her knees and went out to get some water from the kitchen. As high up as the condo was the light of the city and moon kept the space well lit. Hadley was able to find her way into the spacious kitchen and quietly pour a glass of water and walk back to the room. She didn't remember the room as dark as it was, but she didn't want to curse the light by turning it on and started to crawl into the bed that seemed larger than the one she had been laying in. As she buried herself under the covers closer to the center, her leg bumped against something very warm. A movement from the far side of the bed shifted and it was then that she took in the faint scent of cologne in the air.

A gravelly voice spoke out from the darkness. "Hadley?"

"Marcus?"

"Who the hell else would it be?" He turned and flipped the light on and inhaled sharply at the sight of Hadley lying beside him. "Are you...?"

"Oh—uh...I thought this was the other room." As Hadley sat up and let the sheets pool at her waist, Marcus noticed that she was wearing his shirt, which had bunched at the exact place the sheets had fallen. He went from soft to hard in record time and shifted to hide his secret.

"It's not."

"I can go. I mean, I will go to the other room. I should go."

With a hand held out to where her knee was, Marcus squeezed it lightly just as he had in the car. "You're comfortable, you can stay here." He looked around the bed then back to her, "it's big enough."

Her eyes were big pools of the midnight skies, "okay."

"Okay, as in, we are going to sleep."

Hadley laughed, "you don't want to spoon with me?"

A deep rumble erupted from his throat as Marcus took in her sass. Even at two in the morning, she was still giving him shit. "It's the other way around, Had." Without another word he reached over and turned the lights off. Hadley lay as still as she possibly could but found it increasingly difficult as the deep and steadied breaths of Marcus filled the air in the room as he drifted into a deep sleep. The bed was comfortable, and warm from both of them lying beneath the covers. Blinking rapidly, she fought the sleep that ached to control her. Giving into the inevitable, her eyes fluttered shut and she sank into sleep.

Always able to get up early, Marcus often awoke before his alarm went off. That morning wasn't any different. Groggy from the sleep, the morning sunlight crept into the room from the corners of the blinds. He was sleeping on his side, something he never did but was curled into the backside of Hadley. His hand resting lightly over her side, their hands clasped together. At some point in the night, he must have turned to her. Her hair tangled at the nape of her neck and Marcus wanted nothing more than to move it so he could nuzzle her, but feared waking her. Or pissing her off.

After a few minutes, her hand eased out of his and her entire body rolled over in frustration. Still completely asleep she covered the back of her head with her hands. Marcus took full advantage of the break and turned his alarm off so it didn't disturb her sleep and slid out of bed to take a shower. When he was all done shaving and getting ready, he came out of the bathroom ready to head out for practice only to see Hadley sitting upright in the middle of the bed.

Hair everywhere, black eyeliner smeared at the corners, in his t-shirt. "I feel like hell and you look fine, how fair is that?"

"Good morning to you too. You don't look all that bad."

"If I can't run my fingers through my hair, I look terrible."

"Wiseass. Take a shower, you'll feel better. I have to go to practice, so do whatever you have to do. There's plenty of food in the fridge."

Hadley scrambled out of the sheets and followed Marcus to the door, completely unaware that she was only in his t-shirt. "Protein shakes and spinach."

Shaking his head, he glanced down at her bare legs and smiled. "Take or leave it, babe."

"I'm way too tired to even comment on that."

"At least this way, I can say I slept with you. And offered breakfast."

Hadley's mouth gaped as Marcus walked out the front door of his condo. She stood in foyer for several minutes before falling onto his couch laughing at everything. He was right, they had slept together.




Running into Coverage Ch. 03



****

A neon 'open' sign in the front window flickered as Samantha Morrison walked into Negru in Wicker Park. The small sushi eatery was busy for the evening, but among the patrons she saw Hadley sitting at the bar. As she walked up to her friend, she whispered "boo", startling Hadley from her focused concentration.

"You scared me."

Samantha removed her jacket, placing it on the chair before sitting down. "Sorry I'm so late. Traffic was awful on the Kennedy." Hadley smiled at her. The bartender came up to take an order from Sam, who surprisingly ordered club soda.

Hadley raised an eyebrow, "Not drinking tonight?"

"There is an early start at the school tomorrow. Some kind of all-teacher meeting, otherwise I would say yes, please." Since she had moved in with Gabe, Samantha had requested a transfer from the school in Hinsdale to one closer to Rockford. As each of the districts began falling under hiring freezes, she opted to work as a substitute instead. There were days where she missed having her own full curriculum, but didn't mind foregoing that for a shorter commute. Now she was able to accept assignments that were closer to where they lived and keep working full time in her profession. She and Gabe had planned on spending the off-season up in Michigan rather than splitting their time, so she was currently trying to get certified according to the standards of that state.

"I love this place."

Samantha nudged Hadley's shoulder with her own. "I knew you would. It's eclectic but still swanky."

"They have takeout, but it's nice to eat inside here."

The bartender dropped off the club soda and took their orders for a variety of rolls. Samantha was the first to ask some questions. "I am dying. How is the Caitlin situation?"

Laughing, Hadley sipped her own water. "Not too bad. We've fallen into a good groove but she definitely has a thing for my peanut butter. You said something about a frame the other day. Sorry, Sam but I have no idea what you were talking about."

As the food got served, they both laughed. Samantha sobered. "I ramble. Gabe is going to make a frame for your painting."

"Are you serious?"

Nodding, "I can't wait. When I made him pack a few things from the cabin, he grumbled the whole way about it. How heavy the table was, why we didn't need an extra stand. I know he loves having some of the cabin around."

Taking that to heart, Hadley had just stuffed a piece of spicy tuna into her mouth when Samantha brought up another hot topic her friend seemed to be avoiding. "I saw Marcus the other day."

Covering her mouth with a hand, she spoke. "How was he?"

Samantha raised a brow and rested an elbow on top of the bar, "you tell me."

"Oh my god, Sam. We are not dating. It's just a weird friendship."

"Random if you ask me."

"It is random. To be honest, I was kind of nervous telling you about seeing him after that first night at the bar." The words were true as she spoke them, she had been nervous. When she called Samantha, she was unsure how her friend would react. Their meeting had been completely coincidental and was relieved as Samantha was supportive. What threw her off, and something she should have expected of her dearest friend, was that Samantha figured if Hadley ever went to Bandidos she would run into a few people from the team.

"Hadley, it's your life. Who am I to say who you can or cannot go out with. Even if you are just friends, I can tell you for a fact though that he is not dating anyone."

Laughing, "It wouldn't matter. How do you even know that?"

"I know the language of kids and worked it out of him the other day when he dropped by the house."

"I don't get him. People are constantly coming up to him wherever he is; wouldn't you take advantage of it? When he gets bored, that's when he calls me."

"He calls you when he's not bored too, give him a little credit."

"Okay, he does deserve more than that. But think about it, if all of these women throw themselves at him, that has to feed his ego. I'm someone who doesn't feed it, so why bother?"

Samantha listened but knew Hadley was saying all of this nonsense to try and convince herself that her friendship with Marcus wasn't turning into something that was more than she expected. She believed this as Hadley began asking questions about his visit at the house.

"Did you ask him about us or something?"

"I couldn't. Gabe had just gotten home for a quick dinner before a late strategy session. They have this strange camaraderie that I wonder about."

"What do you mean?"

"Marcus stops by occasionally, the door's always open for him. Considering Gabe comes home for dinner now, that's when he comes by. Gabe says that they only talk about football and plays but I don't know sometimes."

Hadley snorted, "Maybe he needs Godly advice."

The conversations shifted away from Marcus, as more plates were placed on the bar in front of them. Even as Samantha was talking about the class she had been substituting with for the past week, Hadley found her thoughts drifting back to Marcus and his nightly visits. She wondered if he were lonely, but shrugged that off quickly. He made friends easily and was readily available to go out, so his visits had to have been football related. Gabe had a wealth of knowledge, so maybe he really was always thinking about his game. What she didn't understand was that for the past month, this was the first time she found out where he had been some evenings.

Looking back to nights where she would meet up with Marcus, he never mentioned where he had been and typically shrugged off the answer. The most she ever got out of him was that he had been meeting up with friends, which technically was true.

Samantha lightly tapped the back of a chopstick against the back of Hadley's hand, jarring her from her thoughts. "You eat the last one, I've eaten most of this roll."'

Shaking her head, Hadley placed her own chopsticks down. "No, I have eaten most of this roll. You hardly touched much of that one anyway."

"It was not my favorite. So, what are you up to this weekend?"

Hadley moved her plate to the side, "I have to work on Saturday and was hoping to finish up a canvas Sunday but I'm not sure, why?"

"The Cougars have a home game on Sunday, you should come. You've been spending so much time in your studio, and we haven't really had time to hang out. It would be fun, we can sit up in one of the sky boxes."

"I don't know, Sam. I really should finish the piece so it can dry and set before my appointment."

"Okay, well the offer stands because you know I'm going. You don't have to go and watch Marcus, Had. It's something you haven't done here yet. It's insanely loud, and you can have a beer."

"I'll think about it."

****

Hours later, Samantha sat with her knees curled to her chest on the couch. The fire had been going but sleep eluded her. The rumbling sound of the garage door opening relaxed her and she dropped her legs down, waiting for Gabe to come into the house.

She smiled to herself as he let himself in and kept his noise quiet while taking off his shoes and putting a few things away in the kitchen. Hearing the fire, he walked into the living room and leaned against the wall. "Hey, you."

Samantha tugged on the blanket and beamed at him, "hi."

Gabe walked into the room and sat on the couch, Samantha leaned into him as he kissed the top of her head. "It's past midnight, you didn't have to wait up."

Running her hands along his thigh, she spoke lightly. "I wanted to." They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes before Gabe broke the quiet air.

"How was dinner with Hadley?"

"It was okay, she seems distracted lately."

Gabe leaned back a little and rubbed his eyes, the lateness of the hour and the weight of the day catching up with him. "You said she has been working a lot at her studio, she probably is distracted. Working so early at the coffee shop and then heading straight over to paint, she is bound to be exhausted."

Turning her head, "That's not what I mean by distracted."

Knowing his fiancée all too well, he wasn't fooled by her statements and laughed. The sound was tired. "Sweetheart, you grilled Marcus the other night and know there is nothing going on. What else do you need to know?"

"I'm not fully convinced. I think they're both not letting on as much as they want."

"Do you now?"

"Yes, I do. So I asked Hadley if she wanted to come and sit with me on Sunday." Samantha brought her legs up to rest over his thighs as he sat listening to her. "I think they're seeing each other, but she's so tight lipped about him, this is a first even for her. We talk about everything. Even Marcus won't say a word. You swear he hasn't said anything to you?"

"Not since she first moved here, but I already told you that." He spoke with a smile on his face, "Sam, if they're seeing each other, then they are. This drives you crazy because you don't know what's going on."

Samantha threw her head back against the plush cushion, "I know! When did I get so nosy? Don't say a word."

Pushing a strand of her wavy hair away from her face, he kissed her lightly before continuing. "You're not nosy, you care about Hadley. Marcus is a good kid, if anything I'd worry about him. She's a tough girl."

"Not all of the time. Underneath all of those layers, she's just as soft as the rest of us."

Gabe moved forward to nuzzle Samantha's neck, he spoke against her warm skin. "Let them figure it all out."

His breath tickled the sensitive skin, and she rolled back pulling him with her. "That's not very fair."

Dropping feather light kisses along her collar bone, he massaged her sides with a free hand. "I could get used to you being up waiting for me when I get home."

His statement weaved through her lust for him, making her remember exactly why she had been up that night. Placing her palms on his chest, she pressed on him so he would lift up and they could see each other clearly. No words escaped her mouth, so he spoke for her, "Have I told you that I love today?"

Tracing his stubbly jaw line, she smiled at him. "Yes, but feel free to tell me as often as you like." Gabe leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"I don't think so, but I'll check the list on the refrigerator before I go shopping tomorrow."

"Funny."

Her fingers stilled on him. "Have I told you that I love you too?"

"Hmm, yes but I'm beginning to question that one. Have I told you that seeing you in here made my whole day?"

Caving into the very depths of his words and the warmth of his body, she sighed. "Have I told you that I'm pregnant?"

His entire body went stiff as he stared at her with wonder. His mouth opening to speak only his voice disappeared. Samantha's eyes searched his face as she waited for him to take in what she said. "Really?"

She nodded and blew out a breath, "I got sick yesterday so I went out and bought a test."

Gabe shifted to sit up, Samantha looked at him as he eyed her belly. Placing a large hand over her abdomen he brought another up to cup her cheek, "is it mine?"

She gave a whoop of laughter and swatted his chest; Gabe leaned in and kissed her lips. Samantha held onto him and fed off of his strength. He pulled away first, "I'm glad we're getting married in a few months, not that it matters."

"This—"pointing to her belly, "is about to get huge."

Gabe grinned as excitement flooded him while sweet visions of Samantha filled his mind. Images of her body swelling with his child. "I can't wait." Samantha started crying out of happiness and excitement. Together they stayed on the couch for a little while longer before they drifted off into their bedroom to celebrate properly.

****

The roaring cheers from the crowd filled Pendicon Field and echoed down the empty streets in Rockford. Every bar was full as the Cougars took on St. Louis for a sold out game. Marcus stood on the field, his muscles twitching and ready to go the minute the ball turned over. The game was well into the second quarter, they were up by seven but were in the Rams' zone. His eyes darted back and forth as the ball glided through the air and was taken another four yards closer to their goal. The defense had been magnetic but the Rams seemed to be a step ahead of them. Coaches were screaming into their headsets as other players around him were studying up on the next set of plays that could be used.

Tapping his cleat on the grass, Joey Seton the quarterback came up to him. "We need to break zone coverage, when we get out there I'm throwing to you. I need you to try and run twelve then five and goal. We need another fucking touchdown to get them off of our backs."

Marcus looked up onto the field, nodding his head. Velesquez rushed the quarterback for the Saints as his hand went back, and sacked him; the ball tumbled out of his hand. Both teams were flinging themselves to gain possession. The whistle blew. As each man gestured that his team had the ball, the outcome lay in the ref's unpacking of the scrum. The cheers of the stadium stilled until the referee waved his hands in the direction of Rockford. He spoke into his microphone and announced the turnover. Screams and chants bellowed around the players and echoed in the sky.

Snapping his helmet back on, he shouted back to Seton as they ran onto the field together. "Kill it, man!"

The players lined up in shotgun formation. Seton shouted out the signal and Marcus started his route as he searched the field. He dodged a linebacker and ran the agreed five yards out. Seton spotted him exactly where he'd asked Marcus to be and pulled his arm back to throw. The outside linebacker came up from the side, forcing him to run to the side and delay the pass. Seton ran to the sideline, trying to find Marcus, who was running farther, avoiding the safety and creating an open spot. Seeing the gap and Marcus in it, Seton threw the ball hard just as he got hit hard from the behind by the Saints' three-hundred pound tackle.

Adrenaline fueled him; Marcus caught sight of the ball and jumped up to complete the pass. His body angled up sharply, and in a short second he prayed to God to hold onto the ball. With a grace that confounded the crowd, he caught it and landed on his feet. Twisting awkwardly to avoid the impending tackle, he ran farther. Everyone in the stands rose to their feet as he ran closer to the goal line. The Saints' safety nearly caught up with him, but Willhouse was right with him to protect his side and blocked for him. Marcus gasped as he ran faster through another gap, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Irving gaining on him. Running faster even, knowing exactly where he was as Irving lunged for him taking him down as he broke the plane, he held onto the ball and the whistle blew signaling the touchdown.

The cheers exploded around, finally breaking through his concentration. Irving helped Marcus up then smacked his arm, "You run like a bitch, but that was a good one."

Marcus nodded, then ran off to jump into the stands right behind the goal posts to celebrate. Several people touched his gear and helmet, it was a silly tradition that most of the players did. Falling back down, he ran to the benches where everyone around patted his back and congratulated him on the score. Marcus went over to Seton and the two smiled at each other. It was Seton who put the ball cap on Marcus' head. "That's what I'm talking about."

High up in the stadium, Hadley turned to Samantha and couldn't hide her grin if she wanted too. "This is crazy."

"I still can't believe it's taken you until mid-season to catch a game. It gets kind of rowdy."

Even in the private box where they were watching the game with several coach's spouses, celebrations and cheering was going on. After her shift the day before, Hadley had gone to the studio but couldn't regain her focus. Her thoughts were stuck on Marcus, whom she hadn't heard from all day. Since they had been friends, she knew how he was the day before a game. Not as if she waited for him to call, but he explained to her that he kept to himself preparing, and catching a decent night's rest. Rather than painting, she phoned Sam and asked if the invitation was still on.

"Mid-season or first game, it doesn't really matter. I'm busy too."

"Give it up, Had."

"Oh no, I'm not even defending this again! You made a good point, I'm not a huge sports fan, this was something new to try."

Shaking her head, Samantha turned her attention back to the field as the players rushed off signaling half-time. "That is a very good point. I don't care what brought you, I'm just glad that you are here."

Just before she left to meet at Sam's house, Hadley had sent Marcus a text message. Her fingers tingled as she hit the send button, but figured he would want to know that she was going to the game. He had given her a hard time the week before when he talked about a different game that she hadn't thought to watch. Mindlessly she pulled her phone out of her handbag and checked for any missed calls or texts for what seemed like the fiftieth time. The screen was blank—no calls from Marcus.

Samantha glanced over and spoke low so the others in the room wouldn't hear her. "He's playing a game, Had. Did you let him know you were coming?"

A light color filled her cheeks as she turned to face her friend. "I wasn't checking for just that. I'm waiting for an email with color suggestions." Samantha dropped her chin into the palm of her hand and waited for her friend to finally accept her feelings and open up a little bit. "Fine. Yes, Mom, I texted him to let him know I was coming. He never responded so I doubt he knows."

"Don't worry about it, Gabe never answers his phone on a game day. Besides, Gabe does know you are here so maybe he will say something. Maybe not, I don't know what it's like in the locker room. Nor do I want to know!"

"We're just friends, but I kind of wish I had said good luck to him. God I sound like such a tool."

Patting her friend's knee, Samantha knew what she had meant. They sat there through the rest of halftime talking about other things. She didn't want to make Hadley open up if she didn't want to. By the end of the game, the Rams had managed to get a touchdown but fell behind by fourteen points. As the last of the crowd left the field, and the stadium workers began the clean-up, the women began to rise and collect their belongings. A telephone call broke the rustling of their jackets. Samantha reached for her cell and answered immediately.

Hadley moved back over to the glass to watch the cleanup as Sam congratulated Gabe on the win. The email she had been waiting for finally came through but she had yet to hear anything back from Marcus. Her conversation was brief, and Samantha came over to Hadley.

"Gabe's about ready and will meet us at the restaurant. Are you ready?"

Nodding, Hadley smiled over at Samantha. "Of course."

Sensing a shift, Samantha walked over and tilted her head at Hadley. "Are you okay?"

"Perfect, thank you for bringing me today."

Samantha pulled her friend in for a hug and together they began walking down the corridor to leave the stadium.

****

Below in the locker room, several of the guys were still shouting at each other in their towels. Others were making phone calls and putting together plans for going out and celebrating the victory. With the win, they were all granted a day off from practice on the next day. Marcus stood in front of the mirror and was ruffling gel into his already messy hair when Gabe walked into the room. As he made his way through, he congratulated everyone as he always did.

Seeing Marcus, he moved over to talk to him quickly before leaving for the restaurant. Something that was a part of his own post-game traditions.




Running into Coverage Ch. 03



"Good game, kid."

Marcus blew out a frustrated breath, "It could have been better if I'd caught the last pass."

"You caught two earlier ones and scored so that's all that matters. We won, you got a few points; all in all it was a good night."

"Yeah, it was."

"I've got to head out and meet Sam and Hadley for dinner, but wanted to congratulate you."

Marcus turned to face Gabe, who was rubbing the back of his head. "Sam and Hadley?"

"I figured you knew. Hadley came to the game today; she sat with Sam to keep her company since Ernie's wife is at home with the baby."

Shaking his head, he tried to keep cool. "No, I didn't know anything." Leaving the area he went over to his locker and pulled out his phone, Gabe wasn't too far behind. Skimming through the messages, he saw the one left by Hadley earlier that morning. Sure enough, she let him know she would be there. "Where are you guys going to dinner?"

Gabe was smart enough to know what he meant. "I'm supposed to meet them at an Italian place not too far, but I don't think they left yet."

One of the guys shouted out to Marcus as he walked out of the locker room, reminding him to meet up with everyone at Brick for a drink. It would be swarming with fans but even he felt like celebrating. Instead of answering anyone, even Gabe who was by him, Marcus dialed Hadley.

"Hello?"

"Hey, I'm an ass and just got your message. I didn't know you came to the game."

Marcus was greeted with a lofty snort, "it doesn't matter, it was a last minute decision. You were a little busy winning anyway."

"It does matter. Are you still here?"

"We're just about at the parking lots, why?"

"A bunch of the guys are going out to celebrate the win, do you want to come?"

There was a pause, Marcus thought she might have gone into a dead zone and lost coverage on her phone until she spoke. "Sure, where do you want to meet me?"

Marcus told her to wait by the parking lot and said that he would walk with Gabe to meet them. As he ended the call and grabbed his coat, he finally looked at Gabe. "I'm stealing her so you can have the rest of the night with your fiancée."

Gabe shook his head and whistled. He saw Samantha first and Gabe walked up to her. Hadley stood off to the side, taking in his clean appearance and nodded. "I'm not really dressed for a night out."

"It doesn't matter." He wanted to reach for her hand as Gabe had done with Sam, but knew she would smack him if he tried. Instead he drank in the sight of her and figured she looked more than appropriate for a night out. In the time he had known her, he'd never seen her in casual attire. Even for the game, she was wearing leggings and knee high boots. Her jacket was a stylized blazer covering a shimmery tunic, which was long enough to cover her backside.

"Marcus, you'll have to drive her over to our house to pick up her car."

He turned to Hadley who was buttoning up the jacket. "Is it okay if we do that first?"

All she could do was nod at him. She didn't like how all of the sudden she was nervous around him. Breaking the spell, she said goodbyes to Gabe and Samantha and walked off toward the SUV. Music blared when the engine started up and Marcus quickly turned the volume down. They rode in silence back to collect her car, and as he drove behind her into the city he felt a whole new game was about to begin.

Over the course of the forty minutes it took to get to her complex, he had calmed his nerves and was glad to be driving alone. After every game, he was always on edge. If the team lost he was irritable. If they won, he was quiet and thought over every play, dissecting his own movements. Tonight, he might have brought in two touchdowns, but there was still much work he needed to focus on. In the fourth quarter, he barely touched a pass which should have been easy, but it was intercepted and turned over.

He parked the truck in front of a fire hydrant and waited for Hadley to park her car, not the best area but he knew she wouldn't be long. Sure enough, she came around the corner and climbed into the cab.

"What does a touchdown feel like?"

Marcus drove off in the direction of the bar and laughed at her question. He found himself relaxing as she was with him, and started talking about the game. Telling her about the high from scoring the first time and doing it again in the third, it all seemed comfortable. They pulled up to the restaurant, which had people lined up far outside the door. Marcus tipped the valet and held the door open for Hadley. As they walked through the cramped space, people congratulated him and shouted out. Some of the players called out to him from the back as they heard the noise at the front of the bar when they entered. Hadley walked in front of Marcus, who placed his hand to rest in the small of her back.

Someone handed a shot to each of them as they got to the group. A few female onlookers shot disappointed looks to each other because Marcus was not alone. Feeling the rising tension in the air that was also burning in her belly, she raised her glass up and toasted the group.

"Cheers for baseball!"

All of the men laughed while she downed the liquor, several players wrapped around her for a hug. Somehow she became a welcomed friend to the entire group and Marcus couldn't have been happier. Drinks started flowing freely between everyone. Guys started to sneak away with a few of the newer guests who had walked up to the group. The initially busy crowd began to thin as the celebration went on beyond midnight. A cool buzz swept through Marcus and he turned to Hadley who had been having a conversation with Velesquez. She looked up at him and smiled brilliantly, reaching down she tugged at his fingers that were resting against the bar. The dim lights only accented the mischievous twinkle in the blue depths.

He lifted a brow at her and leaned down, "You want to get out of here?"

"Oh yeah." Alcohol propelled her response, but she had never felt so aware of him as she did that night. For the past month she had been telling herself repeatedly not to like him. As he stood next to her and his masculine scent swirled around her, she was doomed. Whenever they were close, they each snuck chances to touch each other. A brush of a wrist there, the tip of her boot on his calf. When he lightly rubbed her side, she gave up the fight and said to hell with it. Mentally she told herself it wouldn't be a big deal, he probably had many women before. She wasn't a saint and had been with a few guys, but didn't have to fend them off on a daily basis. Fend them off, or put another notch on his bedpost.

Shushing off her thoughts, she didn't care and was tired of deflecting her attraction to him. It felt like forever before the valet brought the SUV around. As he drove off into the direction of her house on habit, he reached over and started to run his hand up and down her thigh. Her breathing became raspy at his touch and heat exploded within her. Lucky for them, there was an available spot on the opposite side of the street where he was able to park. Shutting off the ignition, Marcus looked over at Hadley. Up until that point, they hadn't really spoken all evening. Reaching over, he cupped her cheek with his palm and searched her face for any sign of resistance. Or fear of her slapping him in his own. When she did neither, he leaned forward and brought his lips to hers. Fireworks blared in his ears, but it could have been coming from the sirens across the street.

A heavy sensation filled his head as he was finally able to claim her mouth, which remained tightly closed. Tilting his head, he nibbled at her bottom lip coaxing it to open. Bringing her fingers to rest on his hands, they tightened as she gave into the light stroking of his tongue. Her mouth was warm and welcoming, a sound erupting between them. Not knowing whether it came from himself or her, they both pulled away to catch their breath.

"I think we should go inside." His breath tickled her face. Not willing to let go just yet, she sucked on his lower lip before releasing him.

"Okay."

Even as they walked up to her apartment, and despite having him at a distance from her; Hadley felt as if he were right against her skin which was burning with want and need for him. Quietly they crept into the apartment, carefully trying to not wake her roommate. Her apartment was closer to Brick than his condo, and as she held a hand over her mouth while he nibbled her neck once inside of her bedroom he realized they really should have gone to his place.

She quickly moved around him to turn on the light near her bed, and then faced him. "Are you sure?"

He chuckled and moved closer, dropping his skilled fingers to the buttons on her jacket and flicked it open. "Yup. You?"

Standing up on tip toes, she brought her arms up and around his shoulders. "Definitely." She pressed her lips against his and stole every ounce of his courage to keep going. His hands roamed her back and pressed her closer to feel the heat of him.

The intensity of the kiss and the haze of the alcohol made Marcus to sit on the edge of the bed. Never releasing his mouth, Hadley crawled up and straddled his hips. Marcus' hands worked at her thighs as her hips moved against him, rocking against his arousal. A groan escaped his lips into her mouth and she held him tight. Pulling back she looked at him, her chest heaving. Her lips were swollen from his kisses and her cheeks rosy. She looked sexier than ever as she peered down at him.

Marcus reached out and pushed her arms out of her jacket and slowly raised the shirt over her head. The free skin was hot to the touch and she shivered as his lips dropped down to taste her. Hadley's eyes fluttered close as Marcus licked a special trail from her collarbone down to the tops of her breasts. The undeniable pulse of his erection below her kept her body abuzz. His hands molded the soft skin tucked behind a frail layer of silk. Keeping her eyes closed, her body hummed with excitement and took her a minute to realize he had stopped.

Curling her fingers around his bicep, she opened her eyes to see why he stopped. His eyes were concentrated on her breasts that he had exposed from her bra. Her lips parted at his intent gaze, and she squirmed from the soft touch of his fingers at the slope of her breast. Looking up into her eyes, Hadley touched his lips with a finger. Playfully, he nipped her finger and ran a nail along her burning skin.

Marcus shifted causing Hadley to roll over on the bed, while he stood up to shed his own clothes. Lifting up to her knees, she reached forward and helped raise the shirt. Taking his incredible body in with appreciation as every muscle rippled by his movements, her fingers trailed over the taut skin and stopped at the top of his pants. Dropping her gaze, her deft fingers took to the button and undid it. The zipper struggled as she lowered it over his powerful arousal, her hands stilling for a minute causing Marcus to groan from the growing pressure. With the zipper halfway down, Hadley surprised him by leaning forward and dropping her lips to the straining fabric beneath.

With teeth clenched, he reached down to cup her head softly as she slowly unzipped and lowered the pants down his sturdy thighs. As the fabric dropped down to his ankles, she felt the trembling of his skin and risked a glance up to his lust filled face.

He growled to her while still cupping her head, "I want you so bad."

She stammered, "I know. I need you too."

Marcus drew his boxers down and shucked them off with his pants. Hadley drew a shaky breath at the sight of his imposing arousal in front of her. Pushing her back against the bedding, he worked on removing the rest of her clothing. Lowering himself down and wanting to feel her smooth skin against his own, he started kissing her all over again. Small sounds escaping her lips as his hands kneaded a unique pattern against her side.

Speaking against her open mouth, "You have to promise to be quiet."

In a voice equally as strained as his own, she responded before stealing another kiss first. "Oh god, I can't. You feel too good." He pulled away and arched a powerful brow, daring her. Reaching down, she needed to touch him, feel the powerful strength of him. As her fingers wrapped around his pulsing arousal, he made his own sound of approval. "Be quiet, Marcus."

From there, the two of them began playing a game scored by silence. Marcus would nibble a soft spot between her thighs, causing Hadley to hold her breath. She would turn the tables and lean over him, dropping her mouth on the thick sturdy strength of him to keep him hard and ready. Both sizzling with unabashed sexual appetites, but neither willing to break first.

Feeling the need to sink into the heat of her body, Marcus crawled over Hadley and looked down into her eyes. She widened her legs to accept his muscular frame and smiled up. Slowly running a finger up along his side until she brought her whole hand to his face. "Please, Marcus. Oh, please."

Not wanting to disappoint, he got ready to enter her, but something in the back of his mind registered. In their haste to get into her bed, he forgot an important question that could put a serious damper on their activities. "Fuck. I don't have a condom."

Breathless, she looked up at him. Her hand grasping his hip urging him on. "It's taken care of, don't worry."

Marcus' eyes widened, and for a second Hadley thought she felt a freight train pass through the bedroom. "What do you mean, taken care of?"

Hadley pushed him off her and reached for the sheet to cover her nakedness. "Nevermind, this was obviously stupid to have started..."

He silenced her with the swift stroking of his hand on her shoulder. "I get hit with paternity suits, Hadley. I want to be inside of you right now, but I need to know."

Marcus dropped a kiss to the area that he had just touched on her shoulder blade. Whispering, she told him. "I...I didn't think about that. Um, it's not a pill but something else that prevents pregnancy. Kind of like a condom that works for five years. Only, it's already in me."

He took the sheet from her hands and slowly moved it back down. "So you can have sex without a condom?"

"Yes, with a trusted partner."

A wicked smile broke out on his face, whispering he moved back to settle in between her legs. "Do you trust me?"

She waited for a minute to respond, yes she did trust him but did he feel the same about her? "Do you trust me?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't, Hadley." He dallied with the swollen folds at the center of her being, Hadley bit her lips to hold back her scream of pleasure. Separating her silken sheath, he leaned down and kissed her while dipping a finger inside to test her. Her hips moved against him and she wrapped her arms back around his shoulders, bringing them closer together. Their tongues melded in an orgy of sin. She was slick and ready for him and without saying a word, he removed his fingers and guided his arousal into her smooth opening.

She was so tight, but kept moving to get more of him inside of her. Tendons started to bunch in his neck from the pressure of holding back, giving her time to adjust to his size but she was having none of it. Gripping his back, she dug her nails into his backside and bit down on the skin in the crook of his neck. Marcus nearly groaned from the pain and sheer pleasure, but remembered their initial game of silence. Instead he gripped her hips angling deeper and drove hard into her. Her mouth opened to cry out, but closed at the wicked gleam in his eyes. Arching her back, she pressed her breasts into him and they began moving in a steady rhythm. What started slow quickly turned impatient with need, her muscles tingled and he thrust further into her. Overcome by the sensations, her body quivered and before she would have liked she gave up to an orgasm.

More than anything she wanted to scream out, as he kept thrusting into her prolonging the immense shivering but he hadn't issued a single noise and she wanted to beat him at their game. Lifting her knees up, he sun farther, sweat clung to his shoulders and covered his backside. With each thrust, her pelvic muscles milked him, tugging him back even as he drew so far out. Below him, her head thrashed to the side as she began to surrender once again to the overpowering shuddering. This time he wouldn't send her alone. Perspiration trickled down his temples, and kept the sin between her breasts damp. Thrusting erratically, he dropped his head to her neck and growled loudly before spilling himself inside of her.

She cradled him through his aftershocks and even kissed his shoulder. The sheets were a mess, but he had been cast under her spell and couldn't move. Making sure to keep his weight off of her, he rolled to the side and caught his breath. Just as he was starting to fall into a light slumber, the bed jostled with her movement and he found himself being covered by the sheets. She curled into his side, kissing his chest as he draped an arm around her.

Whispering to him, he felt her smile against his skin. "You may have won on the field, but I took home the trophy."

He hoped to high hell that her roommate had not heard them, and hated how he lost control at the very end. She felt so good that he couldn't help it.



Running into Coverage Ch. 04



Who doesn't know (or love) a walk of shame...I do, I DO! Estragon, you know where we stand. You are a godsend, and know football way more than I do. The shame! As always, your thoughts, comments and feedback is always appreciated.

Cheers

M

****

Sleep crusted at the corners of his eyes; they burned as he rubbed them. Yawning, Marcus looked around and for a moment forgot where he was. Glancing to the side where his alarm clock sat on the dresser, he was surprised to see a shoe instead. Instead of a glass trophy placed behind it, there was a picture frame. Reality came crashing at him as he realized that he was not in his own home, and this definitely was not his bedroom. The last thing he could remember was....

From the other side of the bed, the sheets shifted. Up until that point, Marcus had not realized he had been chilled since all of the fabric was covering the small sleeping form next to him. Reaching for a corner of the blanket, he tugged. Hadley twisted in her sleep to face Marcus; a smile crept over his face as he watched her sleep with the sheets tangled around her. His hand itched to rest against her hip, but fully knew she would give him ten kinds of hell for even trying.

He still couldn't believe the turn of events with her earlier that evening. When they had been in the bar, something passed between them apart from the drinks and they each gave up denying their sexual attraction. Marcus had wanted Hadley from the beginning, he didn't know why, but when she played with his fingers without anyone noticing, he knew she was finally willing to go through with it. And was he ever glad she was. She had given everything she had and it was one of the better nights he had with a woman in a long time. He couldn't remember feeling such raw energy that was as open and unabashed. With a wriggle of her nose, Hadley stretched out a leg and bumped it into Marcus' thigh. He gave an 'oof' of surprise causing her to wake from sleep lazily.

"Wimp." Her voice was heavy and deep from the rest.

Raising a brow that was hidden by the darkness, he answered quietly. "Bed-hog."

Clutching the sheet that she had stolen at some point during the late hours, she sat upright and looked around the bed. Taking in Marcus, who had pulled the ratty comforter up to cover his legs, she laughed. The sound brought warmth into his chilled body. Untangling the sheet, she covered up Marcus so that he could warm up and stay comfortable.

"Sorry about that, I don't share well with others."

Marcus sat up a little and leaned on his elbows facing Hadley. "You don't have to share, I can be a mattress. You need a clock in this room."

He was greeted with a lethargic snort. "I have one, it's on my side. It's..." She stretched her body over the side of the bed, Marcus would have loved raising the sheet to watch as she moved. He felt like a pervert. A pervert that needed to stay on his side of the bed and lift up his knees as heat started to travel down his body. Regardless of what they had shared not long ago, a voice in the back of his head told him she was not the cuddling type. She may have been every inch of a woman, but she was also a champion at that. "Four-thirty. I didn't set my alarm, what time do you need?"

"We don't have practice so I can sleep in. Don't you have a shift?"

Hitting the buttons, she made sure the alarm wouldn't go off at the typical five and set it for herself. "It's not until nine." Hadley turned to face him, a questioning smirk on her face. "Did you just check me out?"

"No."

"You're lying. You just did!"

Moving quickly, he covered her mouth with a free hand. "Shhh! You're going to wake your roommate." Hadley batted off his hands.

"She's already awake, because she's crazy. Don't dodge the question, Marcus Jennings."

"If the goods are offered, I'll look. Unfortunately for me, the sheet blocked my view."

The evil eye she had been known for with previous boyfriends and her family, faltered. Somehow this smooth-talking, over-confident man had weaseled his way into her very guarded heart and that made her incredibly nervous. "Thank god. I seriously doubt my ass meets your expectations after your lady friends of the sports world."

"Forget it."

"What do you mean forget it?" Hadley turned to lie back in the sheets and faced Marcus.

"There's no way in hell I'm answering that, or even saying a word. I'm a guy, but I'm not stupid. If you want a compliment, I'll be the first to say one. But comparing is not happening."

"You don't have to compare anything; I'm only speaking the truth." Hadley lifted a brow that dared him to comment.

Clucking his tongue, Marcus blew out a breath of air and knew she was fishing for a response from him. "Why put yourself down so hard?" Absentmindedly he reached around to grab her behind as she was facing him. "Your ass could probably beat a few people I know."

Hadley smacked his chest and laughed at the wounded look in his eyes. "You are such a creep!"

The bed shook as he laughed. "An enthusiast, maybe. But not a creep."

"I don't know if I should laugh or kick you out."

"Laugh, sleep and then kick me out."

A yawn escaped her lips as exhaustion caught up with her. Marcus pulled the sheets up to cover both of them, making sure to rake his fingers lightly up her thigh. "Oh, fine. But stay over there on your side."

"Somehow I don't think that's going to happen."

For a short while, they continued to bicker back and forth playfully until Marcus had enough and leaned in for another taste. Hadley hummed softly against his lips and gave in to the powerful craving for him. Rather than moving as they did before, their thrusts were slowed as they indulged on deep strokes and intoxicating kisses. Completely worn out afterward, Marcus drifted off to sleep first. Hadley rolled to her back and tried to regain her emotions before getting ahead of herself. She chose to sleep with him, as he did with her. Right now he was in her bed, tomorrow he may be in someone else's but for now—she was okay with the way things were. Or at least she told herself that.

As she curled her legs up for warmth, her knee lightly rested next to his hand. He seemed to be a deep sleeper from his heavier breathing, but fidgeted his thumb against her skin, making her wonder what he was dreaming about. The light tapping felt timed, as if he was nervously waiting for something. The movements stilled for a minute while his finger lifted away from her skin. Holding her breath, she prayed to god that she didn't wake him again. Her luck kept on as he blew out a gust of air and brushed his thumb against her knee. A slow smile spread across her face as she closed her eyes. He was probably dreaming about football.

****

By six thirty his internal clock went off, jostling Marcus in the bed. He nearly fell out of it trying to stay still or stay on, since Hadley had nearly taken up all the mattress. Gathering up his scattered clothes from the ground, he dressed quickly while keeping his eyes on her. The sheets were a tangled mess around her legs, her bright purple painted toenails peeking through one end. Before he slipped out of the room, Marcus lifted the comforter and covered her. The door squeaked as he shut it, and just as he was at the front room a small voice startled him.

"Busted." Caitlin, was curled up on the couch wrapped up in several flannel blankets. Her coarse hair sticking up in every which direction.

"Morning to you too." Marcus ruffled his own hair, knowing he was about to leave without so much as a glance at his appearance.

"I'm glad that someone had a good night."

Even the air felt awkward, and he wanted nothing more than to get the hell out, instead of having a heart to heart. "It was okay. You really can come out every once in a while, instead of being cooped up in here all of the time." Marcus reached for the handle of the front door and opened it.

In a wistful tone, she spoke as if he talked of a fantasy. "Someday. You might want to dampen your hair a bit; it looks like you barely survived a tornado. Or Hadley."

Leaning down by the mirror in the entranceway he frowned at his appearance but figured he'd rather get out of the apartment than fix his bed tousled hair. Caitlin laughed as he shrugged his shoulders. "It'll do. See you later."

Walking out of the apartment complex and over to his SUV, all memories came rushing back from the time at O State when he had spent the night at a girlfriend's house by accident. He remembered sneaking out of her room and almost got all of the way out when one of the housemates handed him a sock he'd tossed on a stair landing in getting to the girl's room. Walking out of Hadley's apartment just then, that same walk-of-shame feeling crept up the minute he heard Caitlin's eerie voice.

It shouldn't have surprised him to see her on the couch, and he tried thinking the best of her. Often times he would drop Hadley off and Caitlin would be by the window. She seemed like a nice girl, but was highly reserved or just plain shy. From talking with Hadley, he knew the girls got along but definitely kept to their own ways. That was probably Hadley's doing, with having her own art studio and being as independent as she was. She didn't know how to really let people in. Last night he saw a whole new side of her and wanted to explore it. Little by little, he was breaking through this tough little artist and sooner or later she would see why.

Feeling better about the morning, as he got to his SUV and frowned immediately. Perfectly nestled beneath the wiper blades was an orange envelope with the insignia for the city of Chicago. With great annoyance he grabbed the paper to check the damage. Caught up in desire, he hadn't paid for the parking spot and sure enough was being fined nearly seventy dollars.

Tossing his jacket on the passenger seat, he sat down and turned over the ignition. Not even a parking ticket could take away from his good mood. Not for a second. Instead, he took out his phone and started to text Hadley, completely disregarding the horn honking Accord waiting for the spot he was currently resting in.

Your roommate is weird. The next walk of shame is from my house.

Waving his hands, knowing the idiot in the car behind couldn't see through the heavy tinted glass, he maneuvered the vehicle out and made his way back to his condo. The team may have an off day, but there were slips in his follow through and he needed to get to work on tightening up his tactics.

The next game was against Dallas and he didn't intend on being a repeat offender, missing a pass that couldn't afford to be missed. Last night he had lost nine yards which could have cost the game; luckily he pulled through and got back on track in the third. Despite the team being second in the division, he was playing like a minor athlete. His timing was off and the coaches knew it. When Gabe shouted at him in the fourth to snap out of it and get back in the game, he couldn't figure what was causing him to fumble balls and give away completions.

Earlier in the week, he had gone over to Gabe and Samantha's for dinner. Mainly he had been there so he could get more tips from Gabe outside of the practice fields. The two had spent hours sitting on the couch arguing about his reading the zone coverage and how he had not been on the same page as Joey Seton lately. He remembered it all too well as Samantha piped up from her paperwork at the kitchen table.

"Marcus, you do seem different out there. What's up? Or maybe I shouldn't ask."

"Nothing's going on. There's a problem, I'm working on it, end of story."

Gabe wouldn't let him get away with such casual candor. "That's a bullshit answer. I'll tell you exactly what's going on. You've got your head in your ass and have been avoiding Seton. We're four games in. It's a new season, who cares what happened last year. When you guys start communicating and listening to each other, everything will work and you'll stop playing like you need to be benched. That's the end of the story."

"What the fuck gives, man? We run through the plays beforehand."

"Then get your feet in fucking order, and stop expecting the ball to come to you at the same spot on the field. Each move is a lifeline, listen to the game."

"There is too much testosterone in this room. Marcus, I love you but Gabe has a point."

"I give up. Everyone has an opinion on this."

"I'm not everyone. Besides, mine doesn't count. Listen to what Gabe is saying it makes sense. How can you play effectively if you're going into a game blindly? Right?"

Gabe looked up at Samantha as she gathered all of her papers to move into their bedroom for a little peace and quiet. Or to get away from all of their obscenities as they argued. "Sweetheart, you don't have to leave."

She waved a hand at him. "Its fine. You guys have a lot to figure out, and my students need their reports graded correctly. I doodled a football, so it must be a sign to get out of here for a bit." Walking over to the men on the couch, she kissed Gabe, then left to finish her work.

Her words had struck a chord and stayed in his thoughts since that night. For the practices he intended to have some of the guys change up the routines and throw high and low balls so he could work on his motions. Before everything, he planned on sitting down with Joey to figure out the best way they could keep working together. They had been a good team before, there was no reason they couldn't make a seamless one again.

Confidence raced through him and he found himself getting excited to get to the practice fields. Hopeful to turn his game around, Marcus knew the actions that needed to be taken and it started with the quarterback. There were three days until the game against Dallas; that was more than enough time to pull it together.

****

The coffee shop had been chaotic for each of her shifts. Luckily Hadley had managed to sneak away a few hours each night to the studio and keep up with some of her canvases. One of her clients in New York had sent her an email with the descriptions of what they wanted, so she had been sketching with a charcoal pencil as a slow start. Hours had gone by but one of the canvases had remained bare. It wasn't working until the banging of hammers from the construction site down the street broke through her concentration. Her fingers moved effortlessly and guided the pencil as she etched in several abstract lines. To the beat of the banging and clanking of metal, lines turned into the shapes, which formed the outline of what she would paint.

The client had requested something urban, so it seemed fitting that Hadley's inspiration was motivated by the construction. By Saturday evening, she was anxious to start painting to give it a bold, almost masculine appeal. From what she could tell from the emails that had been going back and forth between them, the client wanted something to represent strength and success. His words were short but very pointed, giving her bullet points of what he expected. He was precise and openly disagreed with some of her suggestions. Nothing scared her, and rather than feeling stressed or pressured, she reveled in the request. Determination to succeed for the client consumed her and flooded the canvas. Creative forces sped through her veins, urging her hands to move.

As she stood staring at the canvas resting on the easel, her head cocked to the side. Distinctly, Hadley recalled the man instructing her on which colors she should use. They went against everything that she had sketched. He wanted black and silver, whereas now that she had created a portion of the piece, she knew otherwise. With fingers tingling at her sides, she dipped one in a rich green and started to layer it on. Skin roaming the canvas, the cool paint lightly coating over the etched lines. Something deep inside her told her to start with the green. She would cover it up with a coat of black, or maybe even a deep purple, but the piece needed to begin with the green.

Her eyes glazed and she soon became possessed by the power of her passion. Flecks of aluminum were glued in the corners, small slivers of glass scattered throughout. Heavy smears of paint pulling everything together. Minutes turned into hours and night became morning. A faint sound interrupted her hypnotic trance. Grabbing a towel, she wiped her hands clean as best as she could and reached for the phone. There were numerous calls and several missed messages. Scrolling through it all, she stopped at a message from Marcus. Since their night together, they had talked on the phone but had not had a chance to see each other. Between practices and then flying out for a game that weekend, and her irregular schedule, a phone call was all they could work in.

His message brought a smile to her face; it was simple and stupid but made her body itch to be around him again. Realizing that it was Sunday, she was dumbfounded that he had considered her on a game day. A thought replayed in her head but she couldn't bring herself to phone Sam and see if they could watch the game together. A nagging feeling irritated her that she even considered watching, but Hadley couldn't fight her feelings all of the time when it came to Marcus. He had become someone she looked forward to talking to, and since their night together she definitely was anxious for him. But even though she wanted to open herself up to the idea of him, there was so much more to everything than she cared to admit.

Ever since they had met, something caught fire within her and as she began each new painting she was fueled with inspiration. On Wednesday, she was scheduled to present one of the latest pieces at a gallery and couldn't have been more excited. It was her first real showing in Chicago and was unsure how her art would come across. Hadley was confident in the work but had visited many galleries since moving, and nothing she'd seen made a perfect match.

The appointment could go either way, so she was mentally preparing for that by keeping her expectations very low. As the paint dried she figured a distraction was needed, and what could be better than Marcus on a television screen.

Flipping the switch on the smaller fan, Hadley set the speed and made up her mind to sit in a bar with the rest of the Chicagoans and become a fan.

****

The Cougars took down the Cowboys, and remained second in the division as they rode into the sixth week of the season. Hard work paid off, and though he didn't outrun the Cowboys' fine secondary for a touchdown, Marcus did complete several passes and gained important yardage. All of the guys were grateful for the win, but kept calm on the late night flight back to Chicago.

The plane had just landed and was waiting to pull into the gate. Marcus sat shaking his ankle impatiently, waiting to get out so that he could call Hadley without having his conversation overheard. While in the locker room after the game, he saw a text from her. She had taken a picture of a beer and sent it to him with a message to follow that she was indeed watching the game. A good confident feeling came over him as she warmed up to his job.

He sent a message back to her, to which she immediately responded. They had gone back and forth up until the minute the team boarded the plane. The last message he sent was more of a question. Coming in late from the flight, practice would get delayed until mid-afternoon. She had mentioned that she didn't have a shift but was getting her piece ready to present at the gallery. They hadn't seen each other for a week and he was hungry for her. The phone remained blank and he scrolled through the messages trying to backtrack to see where he went wrong.

As the front doors opened and the players started to exit, Marcus took a deep breath and put the phone in the breast pocket of his suit. Shaking his head, he figured he crossed the line and got ahead of himself with her. All of the players' bags lay in a heap near the gate, as he reached for his own loneliness curled through him. Sharing a room with Velesquez for the past two days, was definitely nothing but business.




Running into Coverage Ch. 04



Defeat washed over him as the SUV coasted along the Kennedy. Just as he got within the city limits, the front of his phone lit up. He'd forgotten to turn the ringer back on after the flight and glanced down only to release his foot from the gas as Hadley's name appeared. Marcus immediately grabbed the phone and answered.

"Hello?"

"Are you back in town yet?"

"Yeah, I'm almost home. I figured you fell asleep or something." He tried to keep his demeanor cool to see how she would react.

"I couldn't sleep. I was wondering if you might possibly be driving along Division on your way home."

The corner of his mouth kicked up. Division was nowhere near his condo. Glancing up at the exit signs on the freeway, he figured he had a mile to go in order to get off on North and do a drive by Hadley's apartment. "I think I have something to drop off right around there, so I would be in the neighborhood."

"What if you had something to pick up?"

Her statement threw him off and he repeated it to himself making sure he heard her right. "Slumber party?"

He was greeted with the familiar laugh that relaxed him to the core. "If you're lucky, I'll paint your nails."

This time it was he who snorted. "Whatever happened to showering together or sharing a hot bath?"

"This isn't a porno, it's a sleepover!"

"Well I sure as hell don't want you painting my nails." He was brimming with mock annoyance. Hadley couldn't hide the eruption of giggles as they escaped her mouth.

"I don't want to paint your nails, Marcus."

The SUV made its way up Division and turned off her side street. "Then what exactly do you want?"

"Your bed."

It was close to two in the morning and she sounded more awake than she did at noon. The corner of his mouth twitched, as if he could possibly deny her let alone deny himself getting drunk on her body. No sooner did he pull up to her apartment complex than he found her standing on the street waiting for him to get her.

As she climbed up into the cab, Marcus was about to lean over and kiss her but came up short when she crawled over and kissed him hard. He returned her kiss with fervent passion. Holding her tightly, he groaned into her mouth. Hadley was the first to pull away from their kiss. Resting her forehead against his, she whispered to him. "This has been the longest week, ever."

Marcus squeezed her tightly until she squealed with a sort of giddy excitement. "I see you packed light."

She nodded at his reference to her bag. "Of course. It doesn't take much to make fabulous happen."

All he could do was laugh and kiss her before she moved to sit in the passenger seat. A telephone could only go so far with Hadley's personality, and being so close made him realize just how much he missed her. The roads were completely cleared apart from the occasional police car patrolling the neighborhoods. Shortly after getting her, they pulled into the underground lot and found themselves heading up to his condo.

Hadley clutched her bag as they rode the elevator in silence. It wasn't as if she were nervous, because fear had nothing to do with the constant buzz her body had been feeling ever since the previous week they were together. Even as they spoke on the phone, heat exploded within her and she ached to feel him inside her again. She ached to be close with him; it was something that terrified her, and still set her reeling regardless of the consequences. The ride up in the elevator; felt like an eternity. Glancing up to see which floor they were passing, Marcus nearly groaned in protest as they were lifted above the third floor. Next to him, Hadley felt the same frustrations and looked up into his face searchingly.

Wanting nothing more than claiming her, he moved her bag to the floor. Marcus leaned down and pressed Hadley against the side of the elevator as they continued moving up. He was impatient and didn't want to wait any longer, their mouths acting on their own mission to devour each other. Hadley wrapped her arms around his shoulders; because of their height differences he stretched up taking her with him. The skirt restricted her from wrapping her legs around his waist so she settled for letting them dangle where she was able to feel his steely erection press against her middle. A burning heat rippled through her, claiming every ounce of her judgment. With skill and precision, his tongue glided across hers and was still aggressive, never giving her time to take control.

Thrusting a knee in between her thighs to hold her up, he felt her heat through his dress pants. Moving a hand lower, he kneaded her bottom and started to lift the short skirt. The elevator rocked as it came to a stop; Marcus issued a cruel curse and lowered Hadley so she could stand. Collecting her bag, she followed him to the entrance of his condo. The hallway was quiet in the early hours of the morning but she knew that inside his walls, they would be far from quiet and drip with sex.

Following her inside, Marcus took the bag and tossed it in a corner. Hadley sunk her fingers into his arm and followed him as he walked backwards toward his room, stopping every other step to pull her forward and tease her with his tongue. Moaning with every kiss, she laughed as he dodged a side table.

"We don't have to worry about roommates here."

Releasing the grip on him, she floated into the spacious room, kicking off her ankle booties. "Definitely not."

Stripping off his dress shirt, his voice dropped to a husky tone as he saw Hadley unbuttoning her jean skirt. "I kind of had my heart set on a manicure."

Her fingers stilled on the button tab, as her entire body began to shake from laughter. Risking a glance at him, she saw his brilliant blue eyes glimmering with mischief. Sauntering over, Hadley accepted his hand as it was offered. Marcus pressed each finger against his plush lips, bringing weakness to her knees. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Hadley stepped in between his splayed thighs and began exploring his mouth with open curiosity.

The skirt remained unbuttoned and as their tongues danced to a symphony of pleasure, the open fabric brushing the skin on the back of his hand, bringing some sense back to him. With her hands running through his hair, he worked the zipper and lowered the fabric down her thin legs. The room was filled with their heavy breathing and deep groans for each other. Being free of her skirt, Hadley sagged against Marcus. She felt high with an urgent need for him and felt no shame as his own body trembled. Slowly she dipped her lips to his, when he leaned forward she leaned back, eyes fluttering close when she ran her tongue along his lower lip to nibble on the moist flesh.

The instant he felt her nibble, the pressure of his arousal broke through. He wanted her, and needed to have her right then. Leaning back into the bed, Marcus pulled Hadley on top of him. She wriggled to the side as his hands groped her. Both still not completely undressed, Marcus laughed at their own rush in getting on the bed. Hadley dropped her hands and let them roam over the smooth skin of his chest. The pads of her fingers ran over his firm nipples, only to drop her lips and rake her tongue across each of them following her map of sensual travels. Marcus reached for any part of her that was closest until she scooted away. Wondering why she stopped he looked up and could have died right there.

Somewhere in her exploration, Hadley had shed her shirt and was leaning above him on hands and knees. His eyes fought the lust filled glaze as he took in her bright pink bra and grey boy shorts. Without thinking, he raised a hand and brought it to the cotton of the briefs, a finger slipping beyond the elastic band. Hadley dropped low and kissed the corner of his mouth. She took immense pleasure in playing with his mouth while his hands seemed to roam her lower half. As she delved for a taste, he would let her feast on his mouth. When she came up for air, he would stroke her breathless with the light touch of his finger on her most sensitive spots. Her body quivered with need and began to perspire from the excitement.

Letting her have enough fun, Marcus wanted to please her as much as she had pleased him. He was about to explode from her titillating kisses. His chest heaved and body shook from holding back, he managed to roll over her body and relished in her whimper of frustration. Nipping the sensitive skin of her ear, he whispered devilishly to her, "It's my turn to play."

And did he ever want to play. Hadley moaned at his words and succumbed to the very skilled caresses of his hands. "Should I start here?" Marcus licked along her collarbone while his thumb traced her jaw. "Or down here?" Hadley arched into his hard body as he got to her breasts and dropped little love bites over the firm mounds. For being as small as she was, it was often joked that she missed puberty and never grew into her own cup size. Marcus indulged on her flesh and made her feel things about herself she had never before. Before she would have hidden behind a bra during sex, now with him, she wanted him to feast on all she offered.

Unhooking her bra, he released the small mounds and brought his lips to them immediately. Out of a raging impulse, Hadley reached down and ran her fingers through his thick hair as she started to lose control. Her skin was dewy with need and he lost himself in the sweet taste of it all as his mouth closed over a tight bud. Hadley squirmed beneath him as Marcus suckled hard, almost forgetting what he wanted to do most. Releasing her breast, he moved further down the bed and lifted her legs up to his shoulders so that he could remove her panties. If the timing was different, he would have laughed at the garment but desire had gripped him and he said to hell with fun and games.

The underwear made a 'swoosh' as he flung it across the room without caring where it landed. Hadley's eyes were as dark as the late night skies, and as he looked down at her a crooked smile crept up at the corner of her swollen lips. Her legs fell to the bed but he was as quick as on the field and moved in between them, kissing her inner thighs. His tongue ran a short path up to her velvety core and when he dropped his mouth to claim her, she cried out in ecstasy.

Short frenzied pants escaped her lips as Marcus tortured her in the sweetest way. Her legs shook while her belly contracted. It was all too much for her with his deliciously brutal assault. Through his devils play she babbled nonsense and gripped his hair, her forceful pull taking his breath away.

"Don't stop! Oh please, don't stop...."

As her voice trailed and the constant flutter of her muscles, he knew she was close. With his tongue feasting on her rich nectar, a finger delicately stroked her swollen folds. Hadley's hips buckled and she cried out as an orgasm consumed her. Without giving her time to calm down, Marcus settled his weight between her thighs and slid into her welcoming body with a smooth thrust. They both groaned together at the sensation. Wrapping her legs around him, it encouraged him to angle deep. Together they created a tempo that went back and forth between each of their needs. He ached to drive deep so he gripped her bottom to find a perfect spot and she grappled his back with her nails practically drawing blood with each of her aftershocks.

With her last set, her muscles were tugging him back in as he pulled out of her. The air was thick from his grunts and her wails. With a guttural moan, he looked down into her eyes that had fluttered shut. Missing their closeness Hadley opened them to see a confused look on his face, without thinking she blinked and reached for his cheek. Marcus turned his face into her palm and surrendered himself in the sea of her body and the welcoming of her eyes. Thrusting erratically, time stopped as they shattered together. Crying out as one, Marcus gripped her hip and spilled himself inside of her.

They remained still for several long moments before he had enough presence of mind to shift his weight off of her. Sweat clung to their skin, the moment of silence was broken by Hadley's gentle laugh. Marcus looked over at her through half-slumberous eyes. "What's so funny?"

Words escaped her because she was laughing too hard. Following her gaze, Marcus looked over to the nightstand and began to fall into laughter with her. Dangling off of the Offensive Rookie of the Year award were the grey panties.

****

As the later morning drew on, Hadley woke to the aroma of food cooking. Sometime after another thrilling session of who could top who, they fell asleep against the pillows. The clock displayed it was almost ten. With great reluctance she crawled out of the huge bed and followed the delicious scent down the hallway. The television set was turned down low and naturally fixed on Sports Center.

A broadcaster could have been speaking gibberish for all she knew, but it captured Marcus' attention as he stirred eggs in a frying pan. Even from the kitchen he grumbled to the announcer as if he could be heard. "You try breaking through that line when you're not getting any blocking. Fucking idiot."

Hadley had a quiet stride when she walked and for some reason, she wished her feet had been a little louder coming into the room. Marcus had a stream of obscenities for the announcer and turned to face the screen waving a wooden spoon, but came up short at the sight of her.

She leaned against the wall leading into the kitchen, wearing his pale blue dress shirt from last night. The buttons were all together except for a sweet opening at the base of her throat. Instead of ranting at the screen, he dropped his hand to his side the spoon and spoke wickedly.

"Sleep well?"

Sauntering over, she smiled up into his face before looking at what he was cooking. "Meh, it was okay. I kept getting woken up."

Marcus wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck as he stirred the eggs, making sure everything was cooked through. His lips were nipping a tender spot he had been obsessed with in bed, a spot that she would kill him over if it had a mark later that day. Or maybe dig her nails deeper into his skin the next time. Pressing her back into his chest to enjoy the warmth of his body around hers, all of her typical responses were lulled by their open display.

"Funny, I did too."

"What are you making?"

"I was making breakfast in bed, but seeing as you're up that defeats the purpose."

Marcus handed her the wooden spoon while he fetched her a cup of coffee and refilled his own. "Sure does."

She gladly accepted the coffee before he guided her away from the stove and made her sit at the bar so he could plate up the scramble he'd made. Even at the stove, he moved with a grace she associated with him catching passes on the field. As he sat at her side, Hadley's eyes kept glancing over at the clock on the wall and back to Marcus in their breakfast nook. Today was the only day where she had a full day to brush off the canvas and make sure the painting was gallery ready. A familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach kept her from eating much more than a couple of forkfuls while he scarfed down two plates.

When he came back to the bar to refill her coffee, he finally caught on that she was a million miles away. "Earth to Hadley."

"Hmm? I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Marcus laughed, "I was asking when you needed to get to the studio. You did say several times this week, and I quote, 'today was the day of no distractions.'"

Shaking her head, she laughed at his imitation of her. "You are such an ass. I did say that didn't I?"

"Yeah you did. Can I see the painting when I drop you off?"

"You want to see it?"

He shrugged his shoulders while washing the pan. "Sure, you've been talking about it for a couple of weeks. It's important to you."

It was important to her, but she wasn't about to admit that to him. "You aren't going to like it, I can guarantee it."

Marcus turned to look at her searchingly. "It doesn't matter if I like it or not, you worked hard on it. You hate sports but you'll watch a game."

He had her, and knew it. All week she had been venting to him about whether or not her work would get shown in her new city. Confidence wasn't something she lacked, but this was her first presentation in Chicago and she didn't know what to expect. When Marcus asked if she wanted him there for her at the appointment she stalled, only to say no. it wasn't like her to fall back on anyone and she didn't want a single person, especially him, to see if she was rejected.

A little over an hour later, Marcus stood behind her as she unlocked the doors to the studio and slowly let him inside. The last time he had been to visit was when the roof was leaking, and that had been several weeks before. Since then she had finished a couple of pieces for clients and shipped them off. For the gallery display, the painting was something she had to create on her own without other peoples' ideas or anything but her own personal visions. She had dug deep within herself, pulling from every creative corner, making something that represented raw freedom and a personal sense of beauty.

The studio itself was small, so small that Marcus felt out of place. Standing over six-two with two hundred and five pounds that was all muscle but could glide easily, he felt cramped. Standing in the cramped space filled with easels and small tubs of paint, he couldn't help but think that he had invaded Hadley's mind. His eyes darted from side to side, catching glimpses of paint flecks on the ratty wood floors. The walls were impeccably white; the sight made him smile and then also laugh at the random canvas that hung on the wall where she smeared excess paint from each of her bushes. While she went to grab the gallery canvas, he looked over the different strokes of paint. Several types of green roamed down the ridged material. On the floor lay a cup filled with several different sizes of brushes that were amazingly clean.

In the kitchenette, she had converted the little space into a cleaning area. Brushes lined the countertop on paper towels to dry. Every inch was used, whether as a cleaning section or a color creation spot. Hadley did not believe in wasting anything. As he took in this small studio, Marcus felt as if he had entered the guarded mind of the one woman he desperately wanted to keep unguarded free.

Huddled in a corner, Hadley was struggling with moving a three foot long canvas that held a medley of colors. Marcus rushed over to her when she cursed out loud. Together they leaned the painting against the wall. Hadley stepped walked away to grab some paper to wrap around the piece, protecting it while she got from the studio to the gallery. As she had her back turned away, Marcus took a minute to take in the brooding picture that was displayed.

Heavy colors covered the canvas, deep browns and morbid reds slashed down the matting. The painting was filled with anger and frustration but brimmed with an explosion of something new. In the center, thick aluminum pieces were bunched together, the harsh panels of red that poured out of the gold foil reminding him of scarlet ribbons trailing a textured balloon. Marcus stared at the piece and couldn't believe that it had come from Hadley, someone who embodied life and was the exact opposite of what she had created. His concentration was jarred as she blew out a breath behind him.

In a soft voice that was hardly recognizable, she spoke. "What do you think?"

He didn't know how to respond. If he told her what his thoughts were, she would slug him. If not, he knew she would gladly reach for several of the paint brushes and shove them down his throat. Instead, he attempted in keeping his thoughts vague. "It's interesting."




Running into Coverage Ch. 04



Turning around to look at her, he was stunned to see her looking so unsure. Her eyes were focused on the painting, one of her hands toying with the horseshoe charm on her necklace. Several minutes of silence passed between them before she looked up at him with wonder in her eyes. "Go ahead, say what you really think."

Bringing a hand to the back of her neck, Marcus rubbed the soft skin and continued to look at the art. A part of him wished he held back, but the other part wanted to explore her. "What were you thinking about when you painted this?"

The muscles in her neck were tight, his fingers massaging the skin only made it tighter. "A bunch of different things. I kept thinking about the way things were before and then starting over. In heartache comes rebirth, I guess I wanted to show that, only it came out in such a dark way. I made another piece that's over by the window, but this one is bolder. It has a voice."

The piece itself was much more than that, but she didn't want to say out loud just how much it meant to her. She had struggled her entire life, and for a long while she had been living for everyone around her. Helping people who struggled to get by, but damn little did anyone do for her as she experienced hard times. This piece represented her own breakout, the power of taking charge. There was something about Marcus that made her feel comfortable to her bones, she fed off of his confidence that was sure and true and used it to release hard feelings she had kept within. When she started this canvas, it had been blank. One night he called her from a fundraising event to have her cheer him up, something in the phone call broke through with her and that night she stayed up sketching. That sketch turned into the piece she would be showing.

"I don't have a lot to compare it to, but...." He stammered trying to word his thoughts properly. "It's really sad."

"What do you mean sad?"

Marcus pointed to the vibrant reds falling away from the crinkled gold aluminum in the center. "It's beautiful, Hadley. It really is."

"Then why did you say it looks sad?"

Looking down at her he tried to read her eyes that were pained. "I don't know, the colors of it maybe. They're cut deep, it looks like a world of hurt."

Her shoulders slumped, breath pouring out of her. "You don't like it."

"It's not that I don't like it, I do."

"Don't sugar coat it, Marcus. Say what you mean."

Raising his hands up at her, he took a step back. "I just did. I like it, Hadley. I can't believe you made this, it's unexpected, that's all."

Her brows bunched together in frustration and worry. "That's it?"

Pointing to the piece by the windows, he spoke forcefully. "That one looks like the day where this one is more of what goes on at night." She stared at him and couldn't figure out where she had gone wrong, if she had at all with the painting. Was it sad?

Gathering her in his arms, he held her close and dropped his face to her neck. She smelled sweet and spicy; a scent that he couldn't seem to get enough of. Her body remained firm in the embrace. "Stop thinking about putting yourself down, it's provoking." His breath soft against the skin caused her to shiver. "They're going to love it."

****

The cab ride out to the gallery in Lincoln Park took forever. Hadley's heel tapped the back of the driver's seat until they finally pulled up. With a deep breath she got out of the cab and screamed as it started to drive away before she could open the other side and grab her artwork. The driver shrugged off her verbal assault and she hoped that nobody heard her antics apart from the people walking along the street.

The canvas was heavy, and being as small as she was, she was thankful for the cab. There was no way she would have carried that thing around on a crowded bus, no matter how desperate she was. Marcus had left shortly after his confession about the piece. After hearing his thoughts, she wanted to cry. He didn't know how to censor himself, or maybe he didn't want to. Rather than walking him down to his SUV, she left him at the door without so much as a kiss goodbye. Tears streamed down her face as she worried about whether or not to believe he liked the painting. An hour went by before she had to leave for her appointment, which she spent standing in the doorway mulling over the artwork.

Now she entered the stylish gallery and was told by a man at the front desk to wait by the benches at the front. There were contemporary pieces along the wall that seemed standard for an entranceway. Leaning the covered canvas against the bench, she casually walked around to take in the pieces. One was filled with flowers painted in vibrant pinks and deep greens. Her fingers itched to trace over the textured paint. With her head close to the painting, the owner called out to her.

"Ms Wilkerson, there are several of us who are ready to view your artwork."

Drawing a deep breath, Hadley calmed her nerves and brought herself back to reality. She had painted the picture and was proud of the piece. It grew from her hopes and fears; why shouldn't she feel confident to present work such as that? She followed the well groomed man to a room in the back of the gallery that had been closed off. While she was looking over the paintings at the front, the man from the front desk had picked up her piece and taken it back.

"Would you like to remove the paper, or shall we?" Several other individuals came in and she immediately figured that they were collectors, or partners in the gallery.

Hadley smiled to the group and walked over to the easel. "Please, let me." Her fingers trembled as she carefully undid the paper packaging. Folding it lightly and placing it on the floor against the easel, she stood back and waited for the reactions.

Two of the people viewing began taking extensive notes on a notepad; one of the men kept moving his head from one side to the next. Another man faintly whispered to a woman next to him, her lips parted before whispering back. Sweat trickled down her spine but she stood still and waited for what felt like an hour, but was, when she noticed, fifteen minutes. One by one, the group left the room leaving Hadley standing there. She felt awkward and didn't quite know what to do next. There were no questions, no thoughts or words passed aloud among them. After several minutes of being alone, Hadley gathered up the paper and began to cover the painting. The door opened behind her as the gallery owner came in with a business card.

Taking a last glance at her piece that was half covered by the paper, he handed the card to her. "Thank you for showing us your works, Ms Wilkerson. Your use of different textures is impressive but does not quite flow with our current displays. In three months there will be a different display and I would encourage you to call back for an additional viewing for consideration."

With that, he left the room without as much as a goodbye. Without thinking of his words, she blindly placed the gallery business card in her handbag. The man from the front desk politely helped her carry the canvas outside of the gallery where she hailed a cab. The hands in her lap shook terribly, her breaths short and choppy. Defeat wanted to claim her, but she would wait until she got home to get upset. A light vibration came from her bag and she dug through the contents in search for her telephone. She hoped it was a message from Marcus, but knew he was in practice and wouldn't send anything. Instead it was an email from her client in New York. She had sent him multiple angle shots of the canvas to make sure it was what he was looking for. The email was enthusiastic and she was given the go ahead to ship, at the very end of the email was the final amount of the check he would have his assistant send out immediately upon arrival. At least the whole day wasn't a bust.

She struggled to get the canvas up the stairwell and when she finally got into her apartment, Hadley crashed on the couch and started sobbing. She cried for the entire process of getting the canvas to and from the gallery, the looks on each of the spectators' faces as they tried to distinguish the strokes of paint. Lastly she cried about what Marcus had said about her painting and figured he saw exactly what everyone else did. He saw something that she couldn't.

Hours later, Caitlin walked into the apartment after her classes and noticed Hadley sitting silently on the couch, and, deciding to give her space, she went to her room to study. Hadley's eyes were swollen from rubbing them over and over as she stewed about the turn of events that day. By ten that evening, she still had yet to hear from Marcus and hated that she kept watching her phone for his call.

Knowing she had a morning shift, she left the couch and crawled into bed, only to get woken up by a text message just after midnight. It was a text from Marcus, he was asking how the appointment went. His late night text brought a whole new wave of frustration over her. Turning the phone over, she ignored it and tried her hardest to go to sleep.

****

The following morning Marcus' head felt tight as he woke up with the remnants of a slight hangover. Rolling out of bed for the early morning practice proved to be a hell of a lot harder than he thought, so he grabbed a bunch of aspirin and figured anything would help. Yesterday had been a whole world of interesting that started at Hadley's studio. He never meant to hurt her feelings or upset her after saying all he did.

The truth was it wasn't the painting that startled him. It was the way she acted in showing him, and then how quiet she got afterward. He knew she was bothered but more than that it was the fact that she wouldn't say anything or express herself. When he left for practice, it pissed him off how she shut him out, so he steered himself away from her for the rest of the day. Practice had been brutal and more than anything he had wanted to go home and stay home.

Unfortunately for him he had to make an appearance at a fundraising function for KEEN, a local group that made a conscious effort in getting kids exercising. The event was held at an upscale restaurant on the north end and he wound up having a great time with a few other teammates who were advocates for the organization. Even while he was standing up on a stage and helping with the auction taking place, Marcus couldn't get Hadley out of his thoughts. He wanted to know how the rest of the day went for her. Once the function was over, the restaurant closed and opened its doors for the public. That was when he let himself loose. It had been awhile since he had partied with some of the guys, in a lively place like that. He'd never been one to over-party, but knew when to put rules to bed and have some fun.

By the fifth drink he wasn't having near as much fun as he wanted and broke down to text Hadley. She was so damned stubborn it didn't surprise him that she never responded. Not even when he got home and checked his phone for the last time of the night was there a missed message. The pounding in his head made getting ready unbearable, but some of the medicine was kicking in and he was beginning to feel a little better, if not less queasy. When he pulled the Escalade out of the parking garage, he nearly coughed up every last one of the aspirins as Hadley's name filled the screen. Holding the phone in his hands, he wanted to give her a piece of her own sass and not answer. Who was he kidding, he picked up after the fourth ring, but didn't greet her.

"Marcus? Are you there?"

"Hey."

A deep in drawn breath filled the speaker on the phone. "I was such a jerk yesterday, you didn't deserve that." When he didn't say anything she kept talking. "I just...I don't know what happened. Do you hate me?"

He hadn't expected her to say that, but she did deserve to know he wasn't pleased. "No, I don't hate you."

"What are you thinking?"

"I've been wondering why you didn't believe me that I liked your work. And you practically kicked my ass out of your studio."

She paused for a moment trying to figure how to say what she felt. "I can't explain it, when I have shown my work to people up until now--they have always been so generous with their thoughts or suggestions. Yours were hard for me to take in."

"So you kicked me out without talking about it?"

"That's why I'm calling you now, jackass! I can't lose control in front of someone if they say something I don't want to hear. It hurt so I needed to calm down and do that alone."

"I'm not just someone, Hadley..."

"I know, but it's still hard. I'm not used to opening up so much to anybody."

"I'm not going to rip you a new one every time you act like a girl, Hadley. What exactly were you mad about?"

"I wasn't mad, confused more than anything else. I figured anyone looking at that piece could see that it's not supposed to look angry at all, it's only...oh...I don't know."

"No, go on. You know exactly what you want to say, stop bullshitting and say it."

Anger boiled within her depths and from the very center of her core, she blurted everything out. "It is sad! Life is not easy. Do you think anyone wants to do half of the things that get shoved on them? No, they don't. I didn't want any of it, but I did it all and kept a great poker face for everybody. That painting, that's what it's all about. We have dark times, but even at our lowest points, it can only get better. I wanted it to look dark and broody, but have a center that was radiant...because I still believe it can happen."

On the other end Marcus was speechless. For the first time since they had met, she was able to let go of all pretenses and speak what was on her mind. Granted, she always spoke out but this was far different. By having her lash out just then, he saw her for who she really was. The woman he knew she was, but she was afraid to embrace. In a soft voice, he spoke coolly. "It will happen. I believe in that."

"Thanks, Marcus but you're only being nice."

He scoffed, "I mean that. Since you didn't answer my text last night, how did your appointment thing go?"

Hadley was glad he couldn't see her; she covered her eyes and held back the tears that longed to drop. "Nothing important, the canvas doesn't match with their displays right now and the owner told me to call back."

Marcus heard the tremor in her voice and wished he didn't have practice so he could at least support her. "I'm so sorry, Hadley. Chicago has a million galleries to try for."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Hey, you still were able to paint something that you wanted. I'd say that's winning."

He made her smile, but also remembered the email from the client. Treading lightly, she decided to tell him about it. The phone blasted from his boom of laughter. "See, have some faith. You may not have won over some artsy gallery here, but you did wow a client somewhere else."

Finally after what seemed like a lifetime, she started to laugh on the phone. Marcus reveled in the sound and savored every second of it. The little bit of his hangover that he could feel wasn't that bad at all after hearing her. "Has anyone ever told you that you are like a cheerleader?"

"Of course they have, I have an outfit at my house."

"No you don't!"

"That's something you'll have to figure out for yourself then, I guess."

They talked for the remainder of his drive to the Cougars' practice field outside of Rockford. Hadley hadn't realized how much time they had been on the phone as she had asked Rob, the manager of the coffee shop for a fifteen minute break that turned into her entire lunch hour. He told her about the night out and she told him she wished he would throw up during practice. By the end of the call, it felt as if their short estrangement was over. The muscles in her back relaxed and for the remainder of the day she often smiled and joked around with several of the patrons. Feeling like herself again, she was more than happy that things were back to being okay between them and was excited to see him later that night for a dinner date.



Running into Coverage Ch. 05



The common trend for this is a one, Estragon. Thank you x ... I seem to have lost count! As always, your thoughts, comments and feedback is always appreciated.

Enjoy

M

****

Pendicon Field was packed to the brim with raging fans as they waved crimson banners and silver flags, chanting cheers and toasting beers. The Cougars were playing the Lions and it was expected to be a bloodbath. The underdog of the season managed to creep up to third in the division, making them only two games behind the Cougars. With the playoffs in closing, every game counted more than the last. Being on home turf, Marcus knew they had the advantage. He stood on the sidelines, tapping his cleats on the grass, anxious to get on the field as the anthem was being sung. His helmet dangled at his side, the words barely trickling from his mouth as he focused on the first run of plays.

With his mind cleared, Marcus waited for the Lions to kick off, before rushing the field with the rest of the offense. He knew the game was going to be tough to the bitter end, but something kept him focused and confident that the Cougars would come ahead. Up in the stands, his parents had flown in from Sonoma and were sitting mid-way up off the forty-five yard line. It wasn't often that they were able to make it out for games, but when they did, it made all the difference in the world. When the Buckeyes had gone to the Rose Bowl, because it was televised his parents had decided to go. While playing for Houston, they never made it down to catch his first seasons in the NFL. Resentment didn't fill him, but he often got tired of them never coming to watch him play the game he loved. They worked hard and wouldn't accept anything from him so they could retire early if they wanted to.

A sliver of amusement coursed through him as he thought about what was going on over by the forty-five yard line. Not only were his parents in town to watch the Cougars play, but Hadley was sitting with them. Closing his eyes, Marcus had to fight the urge to smile at the current state of affairs. Three weeks had passed since that dreadful day and yet their 'friendship' was something more to them than either would openly admit. Even though they weren't officially together, both didn't see anyone else, openly or on the side, or even talk about the subject. Hadley knew he was constantly being bombarded by women wherever he went, especially with the Cougars winning and heading into the playoffs. Even so, she never let it show to him that she was upset. Nor did he, fully knowing that she was out meeting with more people as she started networking on days they weren't able to meet up. At the end of each day, if they weren't sleeping in the same bed, they at least made the effort to call or text to each other. It might have been an unwritten agreement between the two, but it was definitely an agreement.

As Pelton signaled the fair catch and caught the ball, Joey Seton patted Marcus on the back of his shoulder pads and together they ran out onto the field. Even if the Cougars lost against the Lions, they were still guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, which could make breathing in the locker room easier. Nothing in the world could shake his confidence right then. He stood in the formation waiting, and as the ball got snapped to Seton, he ran to a potential gap, passing one of the defensive linemen and jinked to the sideline. A Lion rushed him, pulling at his jersey until he fell close to the forty-third. Seton passed the ball to Tjenko, and the pass gave the Cougars fifteen yards to play with.

As the plays went on, Hadley pursed her lips and took another long sip from the light draft. Seeing Marcus taken down with no penalty called was enough to make her want to drink; after watching enough hours of Sports Center the game started to make sense. She would never admit it to him, though she was willing to bet that he already knew that.

Marcus' parents had come into town that Friday evening, and she had taken the Sunday off in order to come to the game with them. Unfortunately, because of her erratic work schedule she wasn't able to meet up with them the night before for dinner, and had to meet them at the stadium. She had openly displayed her annoyance with her job and Marcus when he simply laughed at her work schedule. Rather than being upset, he had been understanding. Something that she would never get used to with him, even if he gave her a hard time with it all. He always had a casual view of things; however they turned out, it seemed like it didn't matter to him.

Taking the bus up to Rockford had been long and interesting. She sketched out a few lines that could be a start to something new, but kept them in the sketchbook in her bag. When she sat on the bus, she knew she was in it for the long haul with devoted Cougars' fans. While she drew on her sketchpad, her ears opened up with natural curiosity for the ranting and raving of the fans sitting all around her. When Marcus had mentioned his parents coming to town, she didn't think anything of it. The other night as they lay in his bed together, she could see right through him and how important it was for her to be there with them. It prompted her to talk to her boss and switch shifts.

Meeting up at the entrance to Pendicon Field could have gone one of two ways. Marcus had prepped her to walk into the stadium being bubbly and energetic. He said any other way, would only cause his parents to wonder what he was doing in his spare time. Hadley knew that Marcus was being a smartass about it all, but he also only saw things with a black or white mentality, never seeing the grey in between. Hadley lived off that, and as she walked up the front stairs leading to stadium, it was the only option available to her. There she saw a man who looked nothing like his son except for his body structure and a woman who bore a strong resemblance to his physical features, causing her to step back for a moment. They were both well-dressed and laughing with each other before she got to them. Much like his son, Norm Jennings was tall, but lanky where Marcus was muscular. To prepare for the cold, he wore black dress pants and a warm wool jacket. Felicia Jennings was also wearing dress pants but rather than a big jacket, she wore a thicker blazer and added a crimson scarf to keep her neck warm. But also to show support for her son.

Hadley recognized them immediately and walked up without thinking about how she would introduce herself or what they would talk about for the entire game. The bottoms of her boots clacked as she walked over to the Jennings'. Predictably, she was wearing a short frilly skirt but kept her legs warm with a pair of lacy tights. Her small feet were tucked away in a pair of grey boots she had treated herself to as soon as she sold an art piece in Chicago. It had happened on a whim, and she still couldn't believe her luck. One of the regulars at the coffee shop mentioned a website that promoted local artists from fashion to painting. Hadley got home that night and reached out to the group, sending pictures of her work. Within a couple of days someone purchased one of her smaller pieces and she was able to buy something nice for herself, in the form of another pair of boots on sale.

As she walked up to his parents smiling, it was his mother who laughed outright causing Hadley to falter. Norm quickly responded to ease the air, extending a hand to her, "you must be Hadley."

Hadley nodded while Felicia apologized, "I'm sorry, excuse me." She glanced over at her husband and lifted a brow before turning back to Hadley. "We're twins."

Not understanding her, Hadley stood in confusion. Felicia walked over and patted the arm of her crimson cropped jacket. It took her a minute to connect the pieces before she started laughing. Looking at both of Marcus' parents she spoke in between laughs, "Team spirit!"

Now with it being half-way through the first quarter, she sat next to Felicia on the far end and watched as all-pro Tremaine Jackson sacked the Lions' quarterback. With it being a full blown Chicago winter, the air was freezing. Hadley was still adjusting to the temperatures and climate differences from Seattle and felt no shame in laughing at the shivering antics Norm griped about.

Patting her husband's knee, Felicia spoke to Hadley. "I always forget how exciting the live games are."

"Believe me, I'm not one for sports and can't get over the fact that I'm missing work right now for one." The women laughed together as the ball traveled thirty yards in favor of the Cougars. Norm smacked his own knee in approval.

"Marcus mentioned this morning that you were going to come to dinner this evening."

"Yes. I had wanted to meet with you all last night and didn't want to miss another while you are visiting." As the words left her mouth, Hadley was a little shocked at herself for saying the truth out loud.

"He talked a great deal about how you were out at an opening or something last night. Were you showing your own works?"

"Unfortunately, no. I had heard about another artist who was displaying several pieces and was curious about what their theme was or if they had one. It was supposed to be a night of meeting fellow artists I guess, but I ended up paying more attention to the art on the walls."

"I imagine it must be difficult finding representation or a place to house your artwork."

"It shouldn't be all that hard, people keep telling me it will happen when it's right. I'm not really bothered and am sort of enjoying exploring the art scene first."

"I take it you have seen Marcus' condo."

"Oh yes, it surprised me at first but now I'm used to it."

Norm dropped his elbows to his knees and leaned forward, "the poor kid, Felicia would take him all over to look at some pieces."

Hadley laughed as Felicia playfully smacked his shoulder. "You were right there with him on plenty of those visits, Norman, and you know it."

"Sure was, thank god they served wine."

Raising their son on the sunny side of Sonoma County had its many perks. There was a valley of vineyards, however the towns in between were eclectic; each holding a creative charm that brought out the inner enthusiast in many residents. Often Felicia would pack her son and husband in the car on a weekend and they would drive along the coast, stopping at different towns, rummaging through shops and picnicking at parks. Once Marcus was old enough and began playing sports on a higher level, those trips slowly ended. The family would spend time watching him play, or figure how to get him to the next level for the state championship. She and Norm had worked very hard in making sure they could provide for Marcus so that he could get selected for a good college. Getting to actually watch games was difficult with their schedules, as they both seemed to work more than a standard sixty-hour week. When he was drafted, Felicia hired an assistant for a few days so that they could attend a game when he played for Houston. Since he had been playing for Rockford, they had only made it out for a single game last season before attending that Sunday.

"Marcus has always had a great eye with everything he does. It shouldn't surprise us that his job is to actively find an open spot on the field and run to it."

"That would be difficult too, who would voluntarily place themselves in the line of three hundred pound tacklers?"

Norm laughed at Hadley and was enjoying how uninhibited she was. She spoke what was on her mind, but was also very welcoming and genuine in regards to not only his son but he and his wife. During half-time all three got up to stretch their legs and walk around the stadium. All of them claimed hypothermia had settled in. Hadley found herself completely relaxed around Marcus' parents and couldn't believe that when the game ended there had not been a moment of unwanted silence or one uncomfortable moment. As they stood near the closed concession stands, keeping warm and talking about the 23-10 win over Detroit, Hadley's phone started to ring.

"Congratulations, Marcus."

She was greeted with a warm laugh. "Thanks. You survived the bloodbath."

Hadley scoffed at him, the noise interrupting a conversation his parents were having. "The game wasn't that bad, you won."

"Bloodbath Jennings. How did it go?"

Keeping her voice low, she laughed before speaking. "It's a wonder they survived you. Are you almost ready?"

In the background she could hear a bunch of lockers slamming shut and guys shouting back and forth to each other. "Yeah, you can start walking down to the private lots. My parents have the passes to get in, but call me if you have any trouble."

"Yes, sir. We'll see you in a few minutes."

****

Marcus stood by a cement pillar with his arms crossed over his chest waiting as everyone came down to meet him. Even he couldn't believe the turn of events in the game causing the Cougars' victory. The Lions had gotten the first touchdown early in the second quarter and kept the lead up until the half. Coach Soliano went over several tactical errors in the locker room and got the guys amped to get back on the field and on track. By the third, the defensive line was able to read through and break down the Lions' offense with several unexpected interceptions. Mid-way in the quarter the Cougars finally got up on the score board with a touchdown, which quickly became two. By the end of the fourth it was the Lions who aimed for a field goal just to earn extra points for the game even though it was a lost cause.

When he saw his parents walking with Hadley, a tightness formed in his chest, finally admitting to himself that he liked seeing the three of them together. They were talking about something until reaching him; Norm came around and clapped his shoulder before hugging his son.

"Great game, Marcus. One more to go."

Marcus nodded at his father; Felicia stepped around to hug and congratulate her son. Hadley stood behind them watching until he wrapped his arms around her for a quick embrace. All day he had ached to see her, and knew some of his tension of not seeing Hadley added to his focused game on the field. Several times during the drive to the city, he had wanted to reach over and hold Hadley's hand but didn't.

He did however, kiss her neck when removing her jacket at the restaurant. Hadley shot him a death look but he played dumb by shrugging his shoulders. A reservation had been made at Boka, a highly prized eatery that was expensive and still casual. He picked the restaurant not only because it was one of his favorite spots in Chicago, but because he knew Hadley would love it. The exposed brick on a few of the walls were carefully decorated with single votives, the off-balanced drapery made the interior feel whimsical. Soon enough the table was filled with a couple of starters and a bottle of wine as they all relaxed from the tension of the game. Oddly, the topic of football was barely discussed until dessert.

"Now Marcus, have you figured out whether you want to go to Kathy's restaurant opening in March?"

Marcus took his time sipping the whiskey before answering. Both he and Norm had chosen to drink something other than wine. "I don't really know, I will probably end up going. When does she need to know?"

"She sent you an email a few weeks ago; I would think she'll need to know by at least sometime after the first of the year."

"I didn't get anything from her, but I'll write her tomorrow before I drop you guys off at the airport."

Marcus dropped his hand to Hadley's thigh and rubbed lightly. She turned up and looked at him, "Who's Kathy?"

Smiling, "my aunt. She's—"

Felicia interrupted before Marcus could explain. "My closest friend Kathy is opening up a small eatery outside of St. Helena. It's going to be attached to a vineyard, so there will also be tastings in a wine room. She's invited the family for a private party before it opens to the public."

"That sounds amazing. I didn't realize your whole family was so entrepreneurial." During the game, Felicia had talked about her job of running a financial consulting firm, and Norm had his own construction business.

"It should be, knowing Kathy. She's been working with her lawyers for how long?"

Norm leaned back in his chair. "Two years. It's been a serious hassle for her. It's looking pretty good though, your Mom and I drove past it the other day."

Hadley tried her hardest to listen to Marcus talk about his 'aunt' Kathy and her restaurant but was transfixed by the warmth spreading from her thigh. After the entrees had been served, he lowered his hand to rest just above her knee. She thanked God they were sitting because she would have been weak kneed to begin with. Throughout the dinner, they had exchanged glances numerous times. When she left to use the washroom, he stood up and pulled her chair for her. Hadley felt like they were on an actual date, only his parents were there. That should have added pressures to her, but she felt fine with them. Her own family was all over the place in a world of dysfunction, and to see other stable people calmed her. As soon as she got to the bathroom she forced herself to take deep breaths to relax and snap back to reality.

Friends do polite things for each other. They go out, meet each other's friends and families. Repeating that over in her head and applying fresh lip gloss, she returned to the table only to find her glass of wine refilled. Placing the napkin back in her lap, she decided she had been polite enough to Marcus for the night. "I didn't need another glass of wine."

His hand fell back to her thigh. "You sure about that one?"

She thought it over for a minute. "What if I wanted a martini or something else?"

Felicia and Norm were watching their son with open curiosity. Hadley laughed at the inscrutable look on his face. "It could have happened, you know." She took a sip of the chardonnay. "Thank you for the wine."

Marcus leaned to whisper devilishly in her ear, "You can always make them take it back."

Shaking her head, she said softly. "No. This is perfect."

Hadley chose to sip the glass of wine instead of dipping a spoon in the table's shared white chocolate panna cotta. Felicia was savoring the pomegranate flavoring before she spoke. "Hadley, did Marcus ever tell you about his grandfather?"

They had talked about their families before and she remembered him briefly saying his grandfather was an inspiration but never fully said why. "A little bit but not too much." Marcus' hand stilled as he leaned an elbow on the table.

Felicia reached over to her son and patted his hand. "Playing in the NFL is in his blood. When Norm's father was young, he played for the Rams when they were in Los Angeles. Norm, you should tell her the story, you always tell it best."

As Norm cleared his throat, Hadley dropped her hand to Marcus' and curled her fingers around his. "My father grew up outside of Long Beach on the LA side, tossing around a ball like everyone else did. A year or so after high school, he got to play for the Rams as a walk-on. It was a fluke really, he was late to meet with someone about a construction job and wound up talking some guy's ear off while paying for gasoline."

Marcus nodded his head and added, "He always could talk to anyone."

"Anyways, somewhere beyond Mary Janes and probably women they started talking about football. It turned out that he was talking to the General Manager of the Rams at the time. He walked out with an invitation for a tryout that he eventually did well at. Next thing anyone knew he played two full seasons for the Rams. It didn't last though, as he got drafted for the Korean War and had to quit."

No wonder Marcus was passionate about playing for the Cougars, or playing at all. Utterly bemused, she asked what position he played. It was Marcus who squeezed her fingers back. "He was an end, a pass-catcher, like Marcus. After Mom passed away we moved him closer and he started watching Marcus play. It's a damn shame he didn't live to see the Buckeyes win."




Running into Coverage Ch. 05



A little later the SUV pulled up to Hadley's apartment complex and Marcus got out and walked her to the front entrance. The frigid air caused both of their hands to remain in their pockets; the shrill sound of his mother's laugh filled the path as his parents laughed hysterically trying to sort out the seatbelts.

Shivering from the cold or from something else, her voice stammered. "Today was too much fun, thanks Marcus."

Bending down, he wrapped her in his arms and held close for a minute. "Of course, I'm glad you were able to get the day off."

"Me too." Looking up, she wanted to stand on her toes to kiss him but didn't think she should. "You should get back to your parents to make sure they're alive in there."

Wanting nothing more than to follow her into her apartment, he sighed with reluctance and nodded. Dropping his lips to hers, they kissed briefly, the action bringing warmth to her cheeks. "I'll call you tomorrow."

She tore herself away from him and left before either could get swept away. Marcus walked back to the SUV, and already knew the conversation that was in store. Felicia waited until he was buckled up to say anything at all.

Rubbing her husband's thigh, she said. "She's wonderful, Marcus."

Heat crept up from his neck and filled his own cheeks. "She's a real smartass, but I like her."

Norm laughed at his son. "It takes one to know one. I for one would like to see more of Hadley."

That was the thought that burned deep in his own mind, because Marcus had wanted to see more of Hadley too.

****

"You thinkin' about who you're inviting for Friday night yet, Jennings?"

Hot water splashed down Marcus' face, and trickled down the drain in the locker room. Fabian's voice boomed in the large space as he shouted from another side and still Marcus didn't hear it. They had just played the last game of the regular season against Indianapolis and were both showering the grime from the game. It was a close game, but the Cougars managed take the Colts down late in the third and come ahead 30-27. He turned in the shower and let the scorching water run down his back, soothing a deep red mark that was bound to turn into a large bruise.

It was from a bone jarring hit from the side and he fully intended on taking more Tylenol than needed, but it got the ball down the field thirty-one yards, enough yardage to score a touchdown with the next set of plays. There were loud catcalls and bottles popping throughout the locker room, but none of the noise registered past the pounding in his body. The tackle was fierce and he was thankful the team would have a week off until their next game.

Shutting off the taps, he heard Fabian call out again. "J—you hear me, man? Are you takin' anyone Friday?"

Fabian was referring to a function that all of the players had to attend in support of the team coming in first in the Division. The coaches came into the locker room with the players right after the game to congratulate them for a comeback season. They mentioned the practice schedule for the week in addition to the gala. Because the following weekend would be devoted to weeding out other teams for the wild card, the Cougars would have another bye week. Practices would continue of course, except for the two-a-days which wouldn't happen in the post-season. The gala was a black tie event, which meant he would need to rent a tuxedo, something he wouldn't mind doing.

"I'll see if Hadley can make it out."

Rubbing his coarse hair with the towel, he thought it over and hoped she didn't have anything planned for that night so she could go. Much of the fun with being involved in a sports club was the celebrations for all of the team's hard work. If she could go, she would be able to see all of the players and coaching staff having a good time outside of the madness on the field. Several of the guys had already met her on multiple occasions, so it wouldn't seem so unusual to ask.

"I don't get you guys, man."

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Marcus walked off of the tiled floors. "What's not to get?"

Fabian shut off his own shower. "You guys act like you're together but you're not."

"I already told you, we're friends."

His teammate scoffed at his casual response and knew his friend better than that. "Friends with benefits."

"What the hell, Fabian. What does it matter to you?"

"Because she's cute and feisty as hell. If you don't do somethin' someone else will."

"No one is fucking doing anything with her."

"Then why the hell aren't you?"

Marcus ran a hand through his drying hair, trying to remain calm. Whenever he thought about this subject it always pissed him off. Hadley was so damn independent, he didn't know what she would do if he started a relationship conversation with her. Last week when she spent the day with his parents and then sitting at dinner, something changed between them. Since then, he was anxious until they spoke. All throughout the week, she had sent him messages or started calling him before he got the chance. The Cougars' last games were at Pendicon Field, so he was able to drop by her apartment or studio whenever practices and meetings let out. They were friends but it was more than that, the way she gripped his hand at the dinner table that night reassured him.

"Look man, I don't want to piss you off."

"It's nothing I haven't thought to myself, don't worry about it. Hadley's different from any other girl I've dated, slow works with her."

"Then do what you gotta do."

****

A light knocking on the front door interrupted the girls as they sat on the couch watching a reality show. Hadley placed her tea mug on the coffee table and dashed to answer it, figuring it was Marcus. Usually he sent a text after leaving the complex letting her know he was on his way only this time he didn't. The door swung open swiftly, blowing her hair off of her shoulders. Marcus stood on the other side and looked just as good as he did the night before.

Hadley grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. "Hurry and get in here! Close the door will you?" Mystified, he did as she asked and watched her run back to curl up on the couch. Laughing he started to speak. "Commercial, I'll tell you then."

Figuring he would be there for awhile, he took off his coat and draped it over one of the chairs near the kitchen. The jackass in him wanted to walk in front of the small television screen to see how both would react, seeing how they were completely engrossed with the action taking place. He sat down on the mismatched chair off to the side and shook his head as he recognized what they were watching. Some god awful show about housewives.

Caitlin piped up first during a segment, "I seriously need to branch out and make new bitchy friends. This is just depressing."

Hadley reached for the abandoned tea mug and took a sip while still staring at the screen. "Oh my god, I would slap these women if we were friends!"

His eyes darted back and forth between them until the longed-for commercial break finally happened. Hadley looked over at Marcus and laughed at his bewildered expression. "Guilty pleasures are sinful, and yet so delicious." She was greeted with a heavy rumble of laughter. "I didn't think you would stop by, you didn't answer my text."

It was true, and guilt hit him for a minute. After leaving Pendicon Field, he couldn't muster the energy to text her back and contemplated just going home rather than stopping by. A bunch of the guys were out partying at a bar in the city but something else drove him away from the celebrations. While on the Kennedy his SUV had other thoughts and soon enough he was pulling off of the expressway at her exit.

"It was crazy tonight, I forgot to check my phone."

A sly smile spread at her lips as she crawled off of the couch and walked over to him. "I'm sure, congratulations on the win, Marcus. You made number one; that has to feel incredible."

Not as incredible as you. The thought startled him and he pushed it to the back of his mind for now. Reaching for her, he caught her hip and drew her closer. Hadley giggled softly, dropping her hands to his shoulders before kissing the corner of his mouth. The grip of his fingers tightened, but she wriggled out of his hold on her as the commercial break ended. Marcus' head fell back against the pillows of the chair. For the next half-hour, Hadley kept sneaking suggestive glances at him and when the show ended he gladly walked over to her and shackled her hands. Caitlin laughed at the two of them as she left for her own room so she could study for the night.

Leaning into him, Hadley wrapped herself around him, running her fingers up along his back. He always smelled so good after a game, everything was fresh and clean. Perfectly crisp. Marcus lowered his head to nuzzle her neck, his fingers pushing strands of hair away so his lips could brush the soft skin.

Shivers rippled down her body like a sneaky fire she never wanted to put out. "Hmm, can we stay at your house tonight?"

With his lips brushing the tender skin, he nipped her collarbone at the request. "Go grab some stuff."

With an urgency he'd never seen with her before, she pushed away from him and moved to her room where she could pack up a small bag. Taking a few minutes he wandered around and stopped near the refrigerator looking at the calendar they kept under several magnets. Hadley's chicken-scratch was scattered all over the sheet of paper. He scanned it for the gala's date and saw that she had an early morning shift but there wasn't anything else written down. There were a few things like the name of several books and a wine night she hadn't mentioned before.

"Keeping tabs on me?"

"You have no idea."

The ride to his condo wasn't as long or brutal to sit through as he weaved through the city. To his amusement and pleasure, Hadley unhooked her seatbelt and scooted closer to him as he drove. Curling up next to him she rubbed his chest and nibbled the skin on his neck. Her breath was wickedly cool against his hot skin, and when she bit down on his earlobe, he groaned. With a free hand he stroked her thigh and enjoyed the sounds of her choppy breaths, each exhale filled with anticipation.

He nearly picked her up when they parked in the lot and made their way up to his floor. On a rare occasion, one of the other residents would ride the elevators with them putting a quick damper on their mood. Unfortunately for both of them, there was a couple sharing the small space with them then. Marcus kept his hand at her neck and rubbed the skin, setting her insides on fire. Getting inside his condo took more effort than either would ever say out loud. Struggling with getting the key in the lock, Hadley took advantage and stroked Marcus through his dress pants. Almost to the point of sagging against the wall, he finally managed to get the damn key through the lock and growled at her to get inside.

He didn't say anything more to her and walked back to his bedroom. Caught under his spell, Hadley followed him after she took off her boots. Stumbling into the room, she held her breath as he knelt next to the fireplace with his pants undone to ignite the fire. His imposing erection shot heat right to her very core, her own hand was fidgeting with the skin at her neck. Hearing her enter the room, he turned to look and found himself reaching a hand out to her. A sweet smile filled her beautiful face as she went to him. Slowly she sank down onto the floor with him in front of the fireplace, wrapping her arms around his strong neck. She kissed him softly, warmly, a kiss filled with everything. The Hadley he knew was there deep down. Something about her warned him to back off and go slow but not with this, not now. Making love with her was different.

Their tongues mated in a wild orgy that was so wrong and yet still so very right. Tilting his head, he took her deeper into his mouth and was rewarded with a low moan. Releasing their lips, Marcus was hesitant to move but did in order to grab the heavy blanket from the bed and brought it back to the floor. Laying it down, he smiled at Hadley knowing she would understand why he got the blanket. Tonight with the game, her apartment and now the fireplace--it was the perfect place for them. The space in front of the fire was warm; it was a place where they could be just the two of them.

Straddling him, she raked her fingers slowly up his chest only to undo each of the buttons with unbelievable patience. With her mouth, she marked the skin leaving little love bites causing him to break out in gooseflesh. Sweat started to bead at his temples but he refused to move. He distracted himself from the short pants of Hadley's breath as he trailed a finger along her thighs. Hadley leaned back and licked her lips. Marcus pushed her gently so he could sit up, slowly he lifted her long shirt over her rib cage until she stripped it off. Her breasts were pliant in his hands as he played with the flesh. Arching her back at his touch, he released the hook in the back freeing her. Her hips rocked in his lap as his powerful arousal pulsed below her.  

Twisting them, Marcus rolled on top of Hadley and held her legs up against his shoulders to remove her leggings. Short pants escaped her open mouth. With a skill she knew he had all too well, he removed her panties, leaving her naked below him. His eyes raked over her body, and as they roamed she felt as if his hands were stroking her skin instead of his eyes. Covering his arousal, he pressed down to keep control without ending the contact. Hadley bit her lip when Marcus lowered her legs and lay down next to her. Reaching over he stroked her face with the back of his hands before pulling her close for a deep kiss. Her hands were all over him as they lost each other in the kiss, grappling the opening of his pants and thrusting the material down over his hips. Wanting to feel his pulsing manhood, she pressed on his chest to roll out from under him. Above him, she removed his pants leaving him naked. Running a finger down his slick abdomen, she held him quickly and traced the thickest part of him. A guttural sound poured out of him at her touch and she kept on with her exploration. Soft trails along the skin followed by sweet kisses kept his body trembling with need. When he couldn't take anymore, he rolled back on her and in between her legs.

Boring deep into her eyes, Marcus lifted a brow seductively and slid a finger inside of her, testing how ready she was. Hadley cried out at the sensations swirling around her and rocked her hips to the rhythm of his hand. Pushing deep, his finger was slick from her wetness, and every muscle started to contract as he glided another finger inside and moved faster. With a great cry that came from her belly, Hadley held him tight as an orgasm washed over her.

While she was shaking beneath him, Marcus positioned himself and entered her smoothly. They both groaned together as their bodies mated. Together they moved with leisurely strokes. Their connection was carnal but remained sensuous. As he gripped her thigh to press deeper, he sunk his teeth into the crook of her neck. Normally she would claw his back; now she arched into him, kissing his shoulder. The cords at his neck bunched while his entire body began to shake. Pulling back from her neck, his hips drove hard and he growled out to her, "Fuck."

His unravel brought a wave of foreign emotions and excitement to ripple through her. Placing her palm against his neck, Hadley looked into Marcus' eyes as he started to lose control. It was when he hit her hard, they fluttered shut and she gave herself up to those emotions. Wailing out to him, "Marcus!"

Giving in to that sweet release, he plunged once more before fully losing himself inside of her. Hadley cried out, feeling the sweeping rush between them and held him close. Several long minutes passed as he lay above her. The weight was heavy, but nothing in the world could make her push him off. Marcus kissed Hadley's neck as her legs cradled him, tiny tendrils of hair stuck to her damp skin.

Later she draped herself over his body, enjoying the warmth of the fire and their closeness. With his hand lightly stroking her soft skin, Hadley shivered. Marcus dropped his lips to the top of her head and whispered, "Are you cold?"

The hair tickled his nose when she shifted to look at him. "Not at all."

Out of habit he raked a thumb near the slope of her breast, bringing a soft hum of pleasure. "Do you know what you're doing Friday night?"

"I think I have to work in the morning. Why?"

Marcus shifted to the side so that he could look at Hadley as they talked. Her fingers caressed the skin under his arm, causing ripples of memory loss. "There's going to be a party up in Rockford to celebrate our season." He traced her jaw with his thumb. "Would you be my date?"

"Is this an everybody kind of thing?"

Knowing what she meant, he smiled at her. "Sam and Gabe will be there, same with the rest of the team."

"That's why you were looking at my calendar."

She was greeted with a devils grin. "Yeah. What do you say?"

Hadley thought it over but knew her answer even before she told him she would go. A day or somewhere that she couldn't pinpoint, he had cracked through her guarded exterior; because of that she would do anything for him. They didn't talk much about the gala for the rest of the night. Being together in their little nook was far too special to disregard. In between light dozes, they would tenderly kiss each other and then claim their bodies for more.

****

The week breezed by as Hadley anticipated going to the Cougars' formal gala. The coffee shop had been a complete mess when several of her co-workers had called in sick, so she had been asked to pick up a few extra shifts. While it was nice to get extra money in a paycheck, it wasn't so great when she often fell asleep without putting paints away or talking to Marcus, though he wouldn't say anything to her and gladly let her pass out in his bed when she was there. After he invited her to the event, she immediately phoned Sam, who wasn't surprised to hear that she would attend. The two talked about dresses to wear and when they would meet up in the event space. Before she knew it, she was opening the door for Marcus as he came to pick her up.

Standing in front of her, he looked incredible, and as comfortable if he had been wearing jeans. He was dressed in a fitted black suit, the wider black tie silhouetted by a classic white button up shirt. What really stood out was the gold handkerchief that peeked out of the breast pocket; it screamed elegance and masculinity. His typically mussed blonde bed hair was styled into a short sexy peak. A drop dead grin snapped all thoughts back into her body and she invited him in.

"We don't have that much time, are you ready?"

All she could do was nod, the air thick and filled with anticipation. For the event, she had found a strapless mini dress at one of the local boutiques in Wicker Park. The tanned silky fabric angled down from above her right breast and fell just shy of her knees. A light trail of gray traveled down one side accenting the way the material bunched in the chest. Marcus expected to see straightened locks, and nearly dropped his jaw taking in the light waves that was held in a messy bun at the nape of her thin neck.

Slipping on a coat, she noticed that one of his hands was behind his back. For a change, she was several inches taller with the high heels and leaned into him. "What are you hiding?"

Casting a wicked grin, Marcus stepped back. A hand extended up with a gardenia for her hair. It took Hadley a minute to register why he had brought the flower, and then she remembered a day long ago when they were out at a bar. He joked about her apparent style that stood out from others and would be surprised if she didn't do something to a casual dress. Hadley had laughed him off saying that casual would be in the form of adding a flower somewhere. Warmth spread through her as he dropped a kiss to the corner of her mouth while sliding the stem behind her ear. Laughing at the placement, she quickly moved the flower so that it accented the bun.




Running into Coverage Ch. 05



On the drive out to Rockford, Marcus nearly crashed the SUV when he felt Hadley's hand creep into his own. She brought their laced fingers to rest on her thigh while they sat in comfortable silence for the majority of the drive. His body ached from the personal pressures he had been putting on himself beyond the standard practices and accepted the relaxed mood. Even though the Cougars had the week off from a game, not a single member of the coaching staff nor the team took it lightly. Game film was studied on a daily basis after each practice, they all lifted weights and hit the field to keep their bodies buzzing and ready.

The entranceway to Verdi Hall was boasting crimson and grey streamers. The paths leading to the reception gallery were decorated with twinkle lights. Marcus held Hadley's hand as they walked through the masses of people to get inside. The freshly waxed wooden floor gleamed from the low lights above and would surely be dull by the end of the night. Tables overflowing with floral arrangements filled the room. Several of his teammates were scattered throughout the room, giving greetings or holding jubilant conversations. Hadley's eyes were giant pools of wonder and curiosity as they moved across the floor. She heard a low mumbling from her side and realized that Marcus was speaking; through the excitement she was temporarily deaf. For a person who had always been self-assured in every way, she was way out of her comfort zones. Knowing she had already met several of Marcus' teammates, she still felt an overwhelming ripple course through her. Instinctively she tried to look through the crowd to find Sam, but realized it was a lost hope for now. Looking out into the group like driving through a serious fog bank. Her line of vision was limited. Following his gaze, she realized that Marcus was taking her to a group she knew all too well.

"You're gonna make my girl jealous. No shots tonight!" Jamal Wallace pulled Hadley away from Marcus and into his arms for a big hug before twirling her around in a playful manner.

Laughing, she said. "Oh please! I don't know, shots may be needed. It's still early." Jamal's own laugh boomed within the confines of their group at her teasing remark. Until just then, she had been swimming in a sea of nerves.

A lot of the guys began introducing Hadley to their girlfriends and dates for the evening; Marcus knew everyone for the most part and made small talk on the side. One by one she learned a little more about each of them. Something that made her speechless for the first time, was that for all of Jamal's trash talk about everything, he was nothing but comforting to his longtime girlfriend Sheree. Sheree stayed in Texas because of the house they shared, and would be in town through the playoffs. It didn't surprise Hadley to see Fabian with a young woman clinging to each of his arms. Joey Seton walked over with a sports model that took everyone's breath away.

Marcus leaned down and whispered to her. "It's kind of a lot to take in."

"A little bit, yeah."

"I'm getting a beer, do you want something?"

"A shot of tequila."

The corner of his mouth kicked up. "How about a wine glass filled with tequila?"

The laugh that escaped her lips interrupted the group surrounding them and brought all attention to them. No matter where he was, the shameless nature in him always made an appearance. "Wine would be fine."

When he came back, Marcus stood next to Hadley but the intimacy they had shared driving over in his SUV stayed there. Not once did he reach for her hand nor did he wrap an arm around her shoulder, as she had gotten used to. In the corner of her eye, she saw Gabe and Samantha walk in and turned to Marcus, letting him know she was going to talk to Sam for a bit. He didn't say much other than nod, which she found strange. Making her way across the floor, she was greeted with a low whistle from Gabe.

Extending his hand out to her, Gabe pulled her in for a hug, something that she was beginning to get used to; all of the constant embraces. "You look beautiful, Hadley. Glad you could make it."

"Thank you kindly."

"She gets beautiful and I get nice."

Gabe dropped his lips to Samantha and spoke lightly, "you get a whole lot more than that and you know it." Nodding, she kissed him back.

Their love was so apparent it made Hadley look away until they separated. Samantha beamed at her as she took in the flower resting in her bun. The women shared excitement over their dresses and the room before turning to face the entire crowd. Gabe kissed his fiancée again before making the rounds on the floor leaving the two alone. It was Samantha who spoke first. "So, this has been going on long enough. How's life in the NFL, Hadley?"

"You tell me, Sam. You're marrying into it." Hadley spoke in between gentle laughs.

"Oh no, I've kept quiet about this but now it's time to speak up."

With a great deal of reluctance and a slight roll of her eyes, she finally opened up to her friend. "I will admit that yes, we have been seeing each other."

"Hadley, you're at a team function. It has to be serious. Gabe brought me to a dinner at the beginning of our relationship. Look at us now."

"There's no need to get ahead of anything, Sam. We've been hanging out a lot lately and haven't talked about it yet. Talked about it. God, listen to me!"

Samantha laughed at Hadley as she stammered over what to say. "Whatever you guys are—it brought you here tonight, and I am so happy."

"So you can mock me?"

"No, so I can have someone to talk to!"

"How does this work? Or did I cross that duct tape line in a room between kids and adults?"

"There isn't a line, Had. You should go where you really want to go."

With a wistful look over at Marcus, she stayed with Samantha for some time while they caught up. The DJ was playing a mix of songs from country to hip hop, bringing a wide range of people to the dance floor. Hadley found herself getting caught in conversations with Sam and several of the other coaches' spouses while catching glances at Marcus as he moved from one group to the next. Occasionally he would look over at her and return a smile. When Gabe came back to Samantha to steal her for a while, she decided enough was enough and she would stop hiding from Marcus and go be with him. But use the washroom first.

Pacing herself throughout the night, she drank a few too many glasses of water that went right through her. Luckily the stalls were open and she was able to get in without waiting for too long. Right as she was readjusting her dress, a group of girls came into the washroom. When she was unlatching the lock, they started to talk.

"Cameron and Marcus look good tonight."

The sound of a purse hitting the countertop filled the small washroom. "Yeah they do. Cameron was out at Juxtapose last night and told me to meet him here."

Her fingers stalled on the lock. She had known that she would come face to face with Marcus' devotees sooner or later; she just hoped that it wouldn't have been that night. She knew he got hounded, but seeing really was believing for her. Whenever she met up with him out and about, people kept their distance. Every now and again, someone would come up to their table or talk to them at the bar. Not since they had been talking did she recall a time where she had seen him mingle with women. Of course he talked to anyone that came by, but holding an actual conversation was something he kept for her. Or maybe he had and she wasn't paying attention because it wasn't her place.

The girls continued to talk near the mirrors, the annoying clacking of their gum sounded like nails down a chalk board. "Well I saw Marcus at Bandidos and he didn't say anything about bringing anyone tonight."

"That girl who was standing by him is probably with the staff. Did you see her talking to other women by the coaches?"

"No." The owner of the voice was preoccupied with the contents of her purse.

"She was, besides he's been all over tonight talking to everyone. That doesn't mean he's here with her."

Bile turned in her stomach. Hadley and Marcus had talked every night that week and he never mentioned anything about being out at the bar. They had spent three nights together and still not a word. All that he told her was that he had gone over and met with Gabe for a little bit the other night and then he sent a text to her late last night. Racking her brain, all it said was that he was headed home. She sank down on the toilet seat and waited for the girls to leave the washroom.

Drawing a deep breath, she tried to sort things out. Her mind moved in a million different directions trying to dissect the conversation that had just taken place. She knew deep down that he wasn't the type of guy to play those kinds of games. He had a good poker face, but it was all bullshit. But there was still something that bothered her. Stepping out she walked numbly to the sink before standing in front of the mirrors looking herself over. He was here with someone, and she was that someone. He wouldn't have asked her if he didn't want her with him, not one of those other girls. After the end of a Division game, it was her apartment he came to. Frustration burned in her gut for feeling any doubt for him and herself for thinking differently. Nodding at the reflection, she knew she was right. It was time to stop fighting her feelings for him and just let them be, even if it meant pissing off a few others who were at the function.

Marcus watched the back of the reception room where he'd seen Hadley disappear. He gave himself a mental kick in the balls for not going over to her while she and Samantha talked but figured she needed a little space. It wasn't every day she was surrounded by a group. Even if they were a bunch of teddy bears underneath their padding, the gridiron was still intimidating. He chatted with a few people in the group until he felt the warmth of her hand at his back. One of his teammates hooted at a joke and he took great pleasure listening as Hadley chimed in, adding more humor. What took the breath out of him was when she again reached for his hand that night and held tight.

Almost as if she was waiting for him to look down first, she lifted her face up to his. Their eyes locked for a solid moment before she turned back to the group. Even in mid-conversation she would casually glance around the room looking out for any girl who was trying to make a move on Marcus. Several beauties had joined their somewhat large group but he paid no attention. He caught her wandering eyes a few times and lifted a curious brow at her, but she was too preoccupied to notice. It was well after midnight before they left and headed back to his condo in the city.

The pain in Hadley's feet caused her to shuck the shoes off the minute they walked in the door, Marcus loosened the tie at his neck. The lateness of the hour brought extra gruffness to his voice. "Have fun tonight?"

"Oh yes. I admit at first it was daunting but after awhile it all felt fine."

"It's different meeting out at a bar or having dinner with a few of the guys. Putting everyone together in a room is like witnessing a train wreck."

Nodding, she moved over to the couch to rub out her sore feet. Sitting on the opposite side of the couch he propped his feet up on the coffee table and watched her curiously. "Everything okay?"

"Mmm hmm. It's just late."

Rubbing the back of his head, he watched her intently, knowing she was thinking about something else entirely. "What's really going on over there?"

She gave a nervous laugh he'd never heard before. Dropping her feet she looked up at him. "Nothing, why?"

He shrugged. "You've been acting funny. I'm curious."

"No I haven't, where is this coming from?"

"Nevermind."

"Now I want to know. What are you talking about?"

"It's just that tonight, I don't know, you seemed off for a bit."

"Seemed off?"

"Yeah."

"Um, okay. The last thing I remember was that we had a nice evening. When did that change? Jesus, Marcus."

"Forget I said anything, it was a good night."

Curling her legs up and under her, she shifted, annoyance brimming in her voice. "No, I want to know what you meant by that."

"Fine. When you came back to the group you were acting different."

"I can't have a good time with you and the rest of your teammates?"

"That's not what I said; don't put words in my mouth. I just noticed a change towards the end that's all."

"Was that before or after you stayed with the guys instead of talking to Sam with me?"

"I thought you might want a break from it all."

She scoffed, "A break? She's my friend, Marcus. Yours too, you could have come over."

"I talked to her and Gabe later. Why don't you come right out and say what's really on your mind because this is a helluva a lot more than me coming over to see Sam."

"Okay. Where were you last night?"

"What the hell does last night have to do with anything?"

"It may not mean anything, answer the question."

"At home. I met up with a few of the guys for a round of drinks first."

"Why didn't you say anything in your text?" Her voice was filled with accusation.

"It was late and you didn't ask!"

"That's it?"

"Hadley, be straight with me. What the hell?"

With her body shaking, she looked at him square in the face and spoke without thinking. "I found out you were at the Bandidos from some girls in the bathroom. They were gossiping about talking with you last night. I need to know, Marcus, what is it you are doing with me."

He stared at her as if he misheard what she had said then. "I can't fucking believe you'd even ask that! Of all the people, I thought you were better than that. Going to charities and public functions is a part of what I have to do. Sitting in a bar with my teammates was something I did to make up for choosing to be with my girlfriend after a Division win instead of being with them. I don't like half the people who throw themselves at me, but I have to save face and play nice." Girlfriend. Had she heard him right? "When you came back to the group, your claws came out. I didn't know why you grabbed my hand but I can see it now. I would have liked to think my girlfriend thought better of me. I don't give a fuck who else comes up to me, Hadley. You were the prettiest in the room, and you were with me."

Twice! He'd said it twice. Hadley took staggering breaths trying to comprehend what he was saying. "Marcus...I...didn't know."

"Of course you didn't. You made up your mind from whatever bullshit some girl said in the toilet." He barked angrily.

"No, I mean I didn't know that's how you felt about...me."

"There's nobody else, Hadley."

"...it's just that, we never talked about it and I...."her tough girl attitude fell to pieces on the floor. He answered her as her voice trailed.

"Don't see me as your boyfriend."

"No...."

"I get it. So all of this was for nothing then?"

"Not nothing, no, Marcus."

"Grab your stuff, I'll drop you off at your apartment." Leaving the front room, he went by the door to put his shoes back on.

When he came back into the room, she saw such raw uncertainty in his features and didn't want to think how she looked. "Please, Marcus. Can we talk about this?"

"Talk about what? You aren't serious about me so what's there to talk about?" God she was serious about him and wanted to tell him that but like everything else in her life she held back and ran from her feelings. He was right, for a minute there that night she had thought the worst of him and should have never thought anything less than what he had been giving her. She stood mute next to him trying to speak up. "You can't even answer a simple question because you're afraid."

Out of instinct she relied on her quick defenses. "I'm not afraid of anything!"

"Then answer me. Instead of dealing you drop everything and get away. Isn't that what you did in Seattle when you moved here? And now this."

"I'm not running, Marcus!"

"I'll believe that when you stop and admit to yourself that we are something important to you and stick around."

"You have some nerve! You don't know anything at all! I left Seattle because it was too hard to stay and wanted to start over. I don't have to justify that with anyone."

"No you don't, but maybe you should come to grips with it for your own sake. I didn't push putting a label on this because I knew you'd run fast and far."

"I don't have to listen to your crap. Save your gas for someone else, I'll catch a cab."

"If you walk out, I'm not following you!"

"I'm not asking you to, Marcus!" Reaching for her bag, she opened the door and looked over her shoulder at him. In a voice that chilled his bones, she whispered. "I was serious about you, believe me or not, I was." With a whoosh, she slammed the door behind her and left his condo.

Marcus stood there staring at the back of the door before slumping down on the couch. An ache inside craved whiskey to numb out his anger but he wouldn't cave. He didn't do anything wrong with her. Quickly seeing the major tactical mistake of never discussing their relationship, that was the only thing that stood between them. She made it more than clear that she didn't trust him, and that was on her. Anger washed over him as he sat on the couch, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. For once in his life, he didn't know what the hell to do.



Running into Coverage Ch. 06



The next day at practice everyone noticed the tension that stuck to him like glue, and gave Marcus a wide berth, leaving him alone. He stormed into the locker room wearing the same angry scowl that had kept with him all night. Barely sleeping an hour, his body was high on adrenaline and anger. On the field he was silent except for the occasional nod to the coaches and whatever teammates he noticed, as plays were shouted out. He took the practice field with a relentless mission to occupy his mind. As Seton threw a ball out to him from the thirty-nine and Willhouse tackled him before he could catch it, it was clearly pass interference, and his anger boiled over. Getting up, he threw himself at his teammate and started pulling at his jersey. Whistles blew and the coaches tossed down their clipboards, running out while the players on the field jumped in to stop the fight. Velesquez grabbed his jersey by the neck and pulled him aside, yelling his ear off.

Marcus winced as Coach Soliano pushed him in the chest, causing him to stagger, and told him to hit the showers. He was acting recklessly, "like a damn rookie playing with the big boys and you can expect to get rewarded with a heaping fine for this shit display!" Soliano screamed. It should have been embarrassing; instead, the only feeling that crept into his body was rejection. Gabe stood on the sidelines where the fight broke out and shook his head in disgust. It was easy for him to shrug off a fight, he wasn't the one fighting more than a teammate. A lot of men would have let things go when a relationship went sour, but he wasn't one of them. Normally he could separate the different facets of his life on the field, but Hadley had waltzed into his world like a tornado and shook it all up. When Willhouse rushed him, all he could picture was the way she stormed out of his condo.

She was a natural born runner. It was easy to walk away from something before having to pick up the pieces and put it back together. A part of him liked to think that she would run with him instead of away. The frail sound of her voice as she left stuck with him, haunting him and making him doubt everything he'd shouted at her. At the same time, he cursed himself wishing that Hadley would stop fighting the world and herself. Underneath all of her stubbornness and cheeky retorts, she was soft and vulnerable. If she had built a wall up to protect herself from something in her past, she should be able to take it back down. And what if she was willing to do that? That same question burned in his gut as he made his way out of the Cougars' complex and to his SUV. She deserved to be free of that kind of mental handcuffs, even if she didn't realize it.

The sun beat down hard but didn't shake the chilly breeze that cut through him like ice. Cursing the sun, he pulled the baseball cap lower over his eyes and tried forgetting about last night. He didn't want to be this upset over a girl and knew eventually he would get over her. Hadley was different though. She saw straight through him from the beginning and didn't feed into his own protective shell he'd created and often hid behind. She saw him. So why, then, did she have to be so stubborn? He was afraid, but he wasn't a coward, and he was willing to take her on no matter how hard she played. Fending off his own self deprecating thoughts, he brought his focus back to the road and decided he wasn't settling for second best. If she couldn't get over her own insecurities to see what they had was worth it, he would kiss it and her goodbye and move on.

Tired of everything, he sped off and decided that regardless of the week ahead, the only thing he needed for a little comfort was a chilled glass of whiskey.

****

Getting home last night had been nothing short of a distant thought. She barely remembered asking the cab driver to drive past an ATM machine in order to pay for his services before being dropped outside of her complex. During the ride, she had completely broken down and started sobbing. The man opened the clear plastic partition to hand her a handful of tissues. Outside of the building Hadley stood there staring blindly feeling as if her whole world had collapsed and she didn't know how or which direction to move forward in. She took a few steps up the path only to stop mid-stride, realizing that she wasn't ready to go inside yet. At nearly two in the morning and the air threatening her with hypothermia, she started to walk down the street to the studio.

The intense chill and constant chattering of her teeth curbed the clatter in her mind until she unlocked the door and flipped on the light. The landlord had slipped several pieces of paper through the mail slot including a few checks that needed to get cashed. Inside the studio, the fumes were still heavy from a drying canvas but she didn't care. Dropping down to the floor, she leaned her back against the tiny island separating the kitchenette from the room. A tear escaped the corner of her eye dropping onto the silky material of the dress. Her eyes clouded as emotions overwhelmed her and her body began to shake. She had completely blown it with Marcus. That same angry voice that always stayed at the back of her mind shouted out to her that what happened was inevitable. Sooner or later she would have ended things between them, but she didn't want to hear that voice. What jarred her most was that she never wanted to end things with him. She had blamed him for his carefully constructed barriers against people but understood why they were there. He was a public figure and would need a way to keep some things private. What little cracks he had in that barrier spread far and wide with her when he let her into his life.

Seeing the defeat and dissatisfaction on his face when she couldn't even tell him what she was feeling would stay with her until she died. She felt miserable for screaming at him when all he was doing was trying to figure her out. Not only figure her out, but also establish a relationship. Even though they were inside his home, she had humiliated him by throwing his affections back in his face. Hearing the girls in the washroom had started ugly ideas in her mind that were unnecessary. She'd created out of her own uncertainty—emotions that he had done nothing to encourage, and she should have been disregarded.

She didn't need to prove anything to anyone about what her relationship with Marcus was. They were alike in so many ways, so she couldn't understand why she resisted the idea of him for so long. It was when she stood in the stall overhearing a conversation that things changed. No, she changed, and it wasn't for the better. They had gotten the best of her and for what? To one up each other over a man? Marcus wasn't just any man, he had been her man but she was too scared to accept him. When they were arguing at his condo and he blurted out girlfriend, at first she wanted to punch him. They hadn't ever talked about acknowledging their relationship. It wasn't that she didn't want to, it simply didn't come up. Looking back at everything, she understood why. Marcus was right in every way. She would have bolted had he said anything at all. Being with anyone for a long period of time terrified her. Growing up, her family had been disruptive enough that she avoided them and the idea of commitment with them. When her friends' parents were celebrating anniversaries, her Dad was dealing with parole. When others' brothers and sisters were graduating, she was trying to make rent. She was taught from an early age to never rely on anyone, but since moving to Chicago she had begun relying on the fact that Marcus wasn't disruptive. He was a person that she could count on.

Wiping away the tears that had fallen, she crawled over to the door and grabbed the unopened box that had been left the day before. Because of her shift and the craze to get to the Cougars' function, she hadn't had time to open it. Glancing at it brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes. Reaching for the box cutters from the countertop she delicately slid the razor along the creases where the box had been taped. Slowly she lifted the flaps one at a time and took a deep breath at the contents, inside lay a folded sheet of paper. Carefully unfolding it, her lips moved as she read the note.

That nagging voice screamed louder at her, and for once in her life, she was able to silence it. She needed to make this up to Marcus, had to. He deserved so much more than her walking out without explaining herself. He may have seen her exactly for who she was, but now it was her time to accept the truth. She was a coward. Over and over she had rejected the notion of making out her relationship with Marcus or everyone else in her life for anything different than what it was. With him, he saw what was there between them but put her fears first. In all of the times where she would have walked away from him, he stayed patient and didn't push her anymore than what he thought she could take. In her heart of hearts, she wanted to believe that he was waiting until she was ready. Ready, what joke. She was more than ready for him and tired of battling herself.

Doing what she knew must be done, Hadley walked over to the windows and grabbed the sole empty canvas she always kept in reserve, and lifted it to rest on the easel. Mindlessly, she started to mix several colors together on a pallet before tracing anything on the blank board. Her eyes glazed just as they always did before she began a new piece; she began dissecting the empty space figuring placement of lines objects. Before she began, an idea occurred to her that seemed absolutely perfect. It was the only thing that could possibly be right when everything else was so tragically wrong.

Marcus might never forgive her, let alone listen to her words that now seemed immature and based on hurt and fear, but maybe she could give him something that could ease his anger. Using a sharp knife she kept for trimmings, she began cutting deep into the center of the matting. The thick material separated by layers, she measured out a six inch square and hollowed it out. As she blew away the excess, a single tear traveled down her cheek. This piece would not be easy to make, but it was important. If she couldn't speak the words that were so true to her heart, she would show him with the help of a canvas that would be created only for him.

Hours went by, as she became possessed by the strokes of her hand. The sun began to rise but she paid no attention and kept spreading the copper paint. It wasn't until six that the alarm on her telephone interrupted her. The alarm snapping her out of an intense spell magnified by emotion. Wiping her hands she grabbed the phone and called her manager letting him know she wasn't feeling well, fully knowing that she could not stop painting until the canvas was complete. Everything else around her lost its meaning.

A typical canvas took her several days, if not weeks to complete. It all depended on her availability and focus on her artwork. With her mind swirling around, she was determined and didn't care how long this would take. Every stroke of her wrist brought back visions of them laughing together. A smear to highlight a corner made her think of his confidence. He was a man who was aggressive and yet unobtrusive. She admired the way he carried himself and defended his beliefs. More than anything, she admired his ethics and knew that if he cared about her, he would hear her out.

As the sun began to set, a yawn broke from her mouth. She stepped away from the canvas and wiped her hands on the tanned silk of her dress. Glancing down, the dress had been covered with specs of blues and copper. The dress itself looked more like an abused smock rather than a unique fashion trend. Retracing back to the night of the Cougars' event, she remembered something bothering her. Now as she stared at the completed canvas she pieced it all together and figured out exactly what it was. Up until meeting Marcus, she had held herself back. For so long she honestly believed that she was on her own and that was why she kept running away from the people she desperately wanted to be close with. This piece captured the connectivity from one person to the next and all of the emotions in between.

Completely exhausted, she set the fan to oscillate, and gathered everything up. Now that she had finished his canvas, she was ready to go home.

****

Marcus sped along Lakeshore Drive on his way home late Tuesday afternoon. As he got in the elevator to his floor, he scratched the stubble on his chin. Since the blow-up he couldn't care less if he shaved or not and supplemented dinner with alcohol. While walking up to his front door, he thumbed through the mail when his foot bumped into a large package leaning against the door. He blew out an angry breath. Normally the cleaning staff brought packages inside his condo rather, than leaving it outside. The paper wrapped package was heavy as he took it inside. Taped to the front was a blank envelope. Without hesitating he opened it and inhaled sharply as he recognized Hadley's handwriting on the paper.

Marcus- If you can't forgive me, I understand. I am so sorry.

I never meant to hurt you or doubt anything that we were.

You were right in every way, I was so foolish. Good luck

against New York.

H

Gripping the package, he ripped the paper off impatiently and nearly lost every breath in his lungs once he saw the contents. With a shaking hand, he leaned the canvas against the wall and took it in. Thick layers of blue were raised above the matted canvas, covering the entire board. Thin slivers of copper and gold were smeared to accent the blue. His finger followed the deep ridge of the paint and knew that her finger had pushed the paint, making sure the design was curved perfectly. His eyes moved to the center of the canvas and he stopped breathing altogether. In the hollowed space were carefully placed squares of a material he would recognize anywhere. Without thinking, his finger glided over the golden speckled pigskin that had been set with glue and mixed with aluminum painted in gold. Extending out from the center were golds and marigolds disrupting the powerfully bold blue. The focal point was the abraded leather and as he took a closer look, he saw the initials that were penned in from so many years ago.

His body fell to the floor and took the painting in. In the center of her work was a ball that had been given to his grandfather. His grandfather had been presented the ball because one of his passes had given the Rams a lead against Cleveland. He signed it the day he received it and the ball had been in his family ever since. Tears burned the back of his eyes, fighting to be released as so much history stared at him in the face. He'd never felt as emotional over anything in his entire life as he did just then. Rubbing his eyes, Marcus reached for the note and read it over several times. The canvas was her peace offering. He was furious and still angry as hell, but she was trying.

It was late but he didn't give a shit. Grabbing the keys to his truck he left his condo in a rush and made his way to Hadley's apartment complex. When he got there, he stood in the freezing cold and pressed every single apartment's buzzer except Hadley's figuring someone would let him in. After fifteen minutes nobody did. Blowing out his breath, he tried all over again before one of the residents exited. Quickly he reached for the door and held it open so he could get inside. Warmth overwhelmed his body at first and he welcomed it. With the wind chill it was cold enough to cause amnesia. Taking the stairs rather than the elevator, he raced up to her floor, and stopped just shy of pounding on her door.

A sudden nervousness slithered up his spine. Without giving in to what eluded him before, he raised his hand and knocked on the door. On the other side, he heard feet pattering and a bump against the door. Knowing she would look through the peephole first, he covered his hand over the glass so she couldn't see who was at the door. When she didn't answer, he called out through their thick barrier.

"I heard you walking to the door, Hadley. Open up."

For a moment the air was still and he couldn't hear so much as a creak from the floorboards until the lock unlatched and the door began to open. Through the small opening, he saw Hadley standing in front of him wearing a pair of crimson sweat shorts and a gray t-shirt. In all of their time together, she had always been put together. Even when they slept together, if she wasn't in his clothes she would be wearing something that was highly stylized. Now she stood in front of him with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, deep rings under her eyes and looking drabber than ever before.

She spoke first, "Marcus...I—"

Before she could continue, he cut her off. "Where did you get the football?"

"What?"

"Where did you get it?"

"An antique shop."

He scoffed, "That's bullshit. Where?"

"Marcus...." When he didn't budge and waited, she spoke quietly that cracked with emotion. "Your mom."

He stood in the doorframe looking at her, trying to comprehend what she had said. "When did she give you the ball?"

"That day I met them for the game, your Mom and I exchanged emails. She had wanted to see pictures of my work. We started messaging and she sent out the football about a week later, I guess." When he didn't speak, it encouraged her to keep talking. "After we...I left...I couldn't sleep and went back to the studio, sick over what happened. I saw the box she sent and knew what I had to do. I called out of work and locked myself up in the studio and couldn't stop my hands. I didn't mean to cut up the ball, I swear...but, it seemed perfect. Just right for...you."

Staring at her with wild eyes, "You thought it was necessary?"

"I had to. For you."

"Me?"

"Yes. Football runs in your blood, Marcus. But so does everything else. Life, family...everything. The colors of day and night matched brilliantly with the Rams when your grandfather played."

"I should take you apart for damaging something so valuable." She nodded, tears beginning to drop from her eyes. At first upon seeing the football cut up, rage consumed him. Marcus had wanted to throw the artwork to the floor and rip out the pieces. When he sat there on the floor his anger was pointless; the ball may have been in his family but had also been kept in a box in storage for as long as he remembered. It wasn't ever on display, what Hadley had done, was showcased it. Seeing her as vulnerable as she was, he couldn't take it and stepped forward. "Hadley...."

His voice was so soft, tenderness stroking his cool blue eyes. He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek. Hadley leaned into his palm and looked up into his face. "Marcus, I am so sorry. I didn't know where we stood and tried to protect myself."

"And failed miserably."

A smile broke through her tear smeared face. "Yes. You were right, I was scared. Am scared, but didn't know what to do. You live in such a different world—"

"Stop. We live in the same world. People come and go, but the ones that stick are the interesting ones." He stepped closer and wiped the tears falling down her cheeks and dropped his lips to hers. Hadley molded her body against him, wrapping her arms around his waist savoring his warmth and strength.

In a low voice, he spoke the words they needed to get out in the open. "I want to be with you Hadley, but I need you to be on the same page as me. It's either all in or nothing at all. That's the way it is."

"All or nothing?"

"That's right, take it or leave it."

She looked deep into his eyes and saw the sadness lingering as if he didn't know how she would answer. She hated that because of her own doubt—he doubted her. Removing herself from his hold on her, she stepped back. Marcus took a deep breath and started to look away.




Running into Coverage Ch. 06



The corner of her mouth curled and she reached up to touch his chin. "Okay then." His eyes flung back to her, searching her face. "I'm all in." Marcus stood mute so Hadley repeated herself, enunciating each word.

"Really?"

"Yes. I promise to do my best with this...us. But—and this is a really big but. If I see some skanky girl trying to latch her claws into you, the circus is on."

"You'd fight some girl?"

"If she's going after my man, hell yes!"

Marcus laughed and kissed her hard. "Amen." Hadley tugged his clothes so he would move inside. Glancing around the empty space he looked at her suggestively. "Where's Caitlin?"

"At her boyfriends for a few days, I guess I'm broody when I'm upset."

Laughing, Marcus followed her into her room but came up short when she walked over to the bed. Walking up behind her, he put a hand on her shoulder so she would stand still for a moment. A hot flame burned up her body, wondering what he was doing. As his fingers traced over her bottom, she nearly fell to the floor.

"Fifty-two, huh?"

Turning around she threw her arms around his neck, his hands lingering on his jersey number that was printed on her shorts, resting against her luscious backside. When he lifted her up, instinctively her legs wrapped around his hips and she spoke quietly into his neck. "I'm your number one fan, didn't you know?"

Laying her on the bed they drugged themselves on deep kisses and passionate strokes. He moved within her exactly how she loved and she gave back to him in a way that made him quiver. Afterward, they lay breathless and content; she opened her eyes and kissed the damp skin on his chest before snuggling closer and relaxing next to his side. Marcus moved, lifting her chin up so she could see his face. Speaking with a devils grin, "Hadley, will you be my fulltime girlfriend?"

In her small bed she curled up against him and laughed. As if she would ever say no to him. Comforted by the sound, he held tight and knew they were okay. He had his lady by his side and intended on keeping her there.

Epilogue

Marcus steered the rental car along Highway Twenty-Nine as they drove out to the restaurant opening. The warm spring air filled the car as both he and Hadley kept the windows down. His hand rest comfortably on her thigh as she leaned forward to look out of the windows; her eyes taking in several vineyards as they drove past. A lot had happened since that day back in January. The Cougars had gone into the playoff game against the Giants with momentum, but came up short in the fourth. New York had sacked Seton for a record breaking three times and overturned the ball, scoring a touchdown to win the game. When the team stumbled into the locker room, the coaches were inside toasting with champagne. They had come so far from the previous year, that even though they didn't make it to the Super Bowl, they had still come out of the season 13-3.

Right after the season ended, Hadley was cleaning out her bag and found the business card she received after showing a piece in Lincoln Park. As it turned out the curator had given her the number for another gallery that suited her work. Upon finding the number, she called immediately and was able to get several pieces showcased by the middle of February. It hadn't taken long for a few local enthusiasts to take note of Hadley's artistic impressions. Requests had started coming through and she was able to change her shifts at the coffee shop to on-call status. Marcus smiled against the sun remembering her voice as she spoke adamantly to him about keeping some regularity to her daily schedules.

They had traveled up to the little village in Michigan where Gabe and Samantha lived outside of the football season to attend their wedding just after Valentine's Day. Hadley had served as a bridesmaid wearing a pale yellow dress, she later told him that Samantha had chosen the garment because it was the same color of the dress she wore the night she met the man who caught her heart. During the reception, he dragged her out on the dance floor where she tugged at his tie and together they danced the night away.

The traffic began to thicken on the two lane highway just as they drove through Yountville. Hadley turned to Marcus and laughed as he was mouthing the words to a song on the radio. With the flip of her hand, she turned the radio up and smiled. Since they had decided to become official with each other, their relationship had only grown for the better. There were still times when she would get frustrated with him and he with her, but instead of turning a blind eye they made a strong vow to talk to each other and keep their communication open.

Her poor bedroom was probably collecting dust since she practically spent the majority of her nights at Marcus' condo. Occasionally if she was stuck in the studio, he would come over to her apartment and they would cook dinner. They both excitedly toasted a drink when they managed to get Caitlin out of the apartment with her boyfriend for a double date. Meeting up with the couple made Marcus wonder how on earth his girlfriend lived with such a timid girl. By the end of the night, Caitlin and her boyfriend had scampered off early leaving the two of them laughing and cuddling up in the big booth.

The car turned off of the highway and into the parking lot of Benedine Vineyards in Rutherford. As they got out, the warm air of late March hit them both. For the party, Marcus wore deep gray dress pants with a white button up shirt. Because of the California heat that he wasn't accustomed to, he wore a tank top underneath and undid several of the buttons. Hadley chose to wear an off-white summer dress with shimmery sequins scattered up the front and strappy heels. Not knowing whether or not it would be cold at night, she brought a matching linen blazer.

Marcus reached for her hand as they walked up the front steps and opened the door. His Aunt Kathy shouted out from the back and made her way to greet Marcus. She squeezed him tightly and kissed his cheeks before turning to Hadley. "So this is Hadley."

"Kath, meet Hadley Wilkerson. Had, my Aunt Kathy."

Extending her hand, Kathy pushed it aside and pulled her in for a hug. "It is very nice to finally meet you, Hadley."

Glancing over at Marcus, he merely shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Nice to meet you too, thank you so much for having us here."

Kathy waved her off. "Family is family. Come in and get yourself settled. It's completely relaxed tonight so forget about asking me to get you anything."

All three laughed and they walked into the dining room where tables were intricately placed. Each table decorated with elegant plates and freshly lit candles on top. The lighting in the room itself was dim, only adding an intimate feel for any diner's experience. Felicia Jennings came over with a glass of wine for Hadley while Norm brought a glass of scotch and water for Marcus. They chatted for a bit before Hadley scooted away to look around the restaurant and tasting room. When she stood, Marcus kissed her briefly and watched her walk towards the back of the room.

The oak walls were stained to a deep brown; the varnish was somewhat fresh and tickled her nose as she took in its scent. Running her fingers along the wood, she figured it needed another full day to dry and hoped that nobody else in the party was going to touch the walls. Kathy seemed to have impeccable taste as each accenting wall boasted colorful works from artists she had no clue of; Hadley wondered if they were local. Following the trail of pieces along the wall brought her to the entrance where the hosts would stand. They had flown in that afternoon so her body was still sore from the seats; rolling her neck she turned her head to the side facing the roadway and faltered.

Straightening, she moved closer to get a better look. Staring back at her was one of the pieces she had sold from the gallery in SoHo back in January. Her mouth went dry with wonder before Marcus dropped his chin to her shoulder from behind and kissed her neck. Whispering to him, "I don't understand?"

"Do you remember sending pictures to my Mom?"

"Of course, but I don't get it."

"She loved them and showed Kath your work. Kathy saw this one in the email and knew she wanted it in the entranceway without having the space fully built up."

Turning to face him, she looked at him trying to sort it out. "But how did she find out how to get it?"

"Your refrigerator is a wealth of knowledge."

Smiling up at him, she faltered. "Oh my god...I have to return her money."

Marcus tipped her chin and kissed her lips, "she didn't buy the piece, Had. She told me about it and I purchased it for her. This way you have as much inside of this restaurant as I do."

"What?"

"Family is family."

Marcus leaned down and kissed Hadley with everything he knew. Tears poured earnestly from her but she didn't care. At one point in her life she may have run away from her fears, but for this day, it took her to where she was supposed to be. Leading her to the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and exposed her work from one coast to the next. As Marcus held her tight, she realized that she had everything exactly as she had ever wished for and couldn't be happier. That was of course, if the Cougars took the Super Bowl the following year.

****

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

And so this is the end to another story—a short one, but a sweet one nonetheless. Many thanks are in order to those who sent emails and messages reminding me that you were interested when my thoughts were focused on something else. Thank YOU. Love doesn't have to be an epic story or a raunchy tale every two pages--though, some of us wouldn't issue a complaint for a little extra fun. These characters were wonderful to explore, thank you Estragon for your editing and also all of your notes for this piece. Everything you say does not go unaccounted.

As always, your thoughts, comments and feedback is always appreciated.

Thank you for coming along on this crazy journey called...Romance.

M



Running into Coverage



Hadley nodded. She followed the direction of the man's hand and stepped behind the bar to get a feel for where they kept all of the equipment. Luckily it was late morning and the shop was silent apart from the dishwasher running in the back kitchen. Looking at the grotesquely large espresso machine and the sink to the side, Hadley knew this set up was smaller than what she was used to. Her confidence kicked in, she had his drink—and was ready for whoever else would come in the front door.

Reaching behind her, she grabbed a washcloth and wiped down the area in front of the machine. The man cocked his head and moved to the side to watch her movements. Like when she painted, she was graceful but still quick in processing his order. She tapped the espresso, tipped the spoon for the cream, and even said hello to a young woman who entered while she was pouring the coffee into one of the many mugs left for patrons sitting in the café.

Back in Seattle, it only seemed natural to work in a coffee house. It was the last thing she had wanted to do, and almost cringed at the prospect of doing so. But a job was a job, and she needed steady income to keep her in the city. Handing over the coffee to the man, she turned to the young woman waiting near the register.

"What'll you have?"

"Vanilla chai. Do you have any blueberry muffins today?"

Hadley's eyes glittered, out of habit she had caught sight of the bare pastry display. "Um, I think the last one went about an hour ago. There might be a scone in there though. Same thing, kind of."

"Okay, thanks."

A smile broke out across her face and Hadley turned to face the man, he stood with his eyebrows arched up. "I can make the chai, but that thing scares me." She pointed a freshly painted black fingernail in the direction of the cash register.

"Don't worry about it." The man walked over and rung the young woman up, but before he had enough time to give her change Hadley snapped the plastic lid on top and handed the drink over to her. 

The man watched the young woman leave with both the drink and the pastry and turned back to Hadley. "Mr. Coffee, my behind."

She shrugged. "Hey, never underestimate a coffee maker."

"I damn well won't. You're hired, when can you start?"

"I'd say tomorrow but have plans. How about Sunday?"

"Sure, let me get some papers from the office for you. Fill them out and bring them back with you then."

By the end of the hour, Hadley walked out of the coffee shop and smiled to herself. If all else went south, she always had a back-up plan. In the middle of Rick's brief description of how the coffee shop started and the hours of operation, she stood behind the bar and took orders. It felt natural to make the different beverages. Something seemed so right for her to stop into that particular coffee shop, and to talk with that man. Who knew what it all meant, but for now she had a job that would be flexible with her painting schedule, something she had been lacking in since she'd gotten into town. 

Hadley had been hoping to spend the entire weekend alone, drawing, in one of the parks, just to get back into her groove. After she had talked to Samantha the day before, her plans had changed. Since she'd gotten into town, they had not had a chance to see each other. Even though they talked almost daily, Sam knew her attention was focused on getting a job and trying to arrange for a cheap studio space. When they had talked the day before, Sam had reminded her of a cookout that she and her fiancé Gabe were hosting at their house just outside of the city. Without hesitating, Hadley had accepted because she had wanted to see her closest friend and of course give grief to the man who had swept her off her feet. 

From the stories that Sam had always told her, the cookout was bound to be interesting. For the first time, she would be submerged in the good ol' NFL, something she knew absolutely nothing about. She came from a city where almost all the major sports were played, but the town would have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude with the teams, given the recent loss of a national basketball team. Nothing ever shook Hadley and if anything, she was more than excited to get into something new. But of course, she was glad to get into something new with someone she actually did know. Talking to Caitlin was one thing, but sitting with a good friend was something else entirely.