Dirty Player - A Football Romance (A Maxwell Family Romance) Read online

  “Nope. People keep asking me when I’m going to settle down. It’s crazy. I am not at all interested in settling down at the moment. I’m way too free-spirited for that.”

  “People always seem to find it strange that I don’t have a girlfriend either. I have no idea why it’s such a problem to be on your own these days.”

  “Much easier to deal with just your own life. Girls just bring problems. I’m sure I’ll change my mind one day, but for now, I’m just happy on my own,” Axel said.

  “Same. Oh, but speaking of girls. Do you by any chance remember a pretty girl from our childhood? Very pretty. Right now she looks a bit like a young Bridgette Bardot, but with a more modern hairstyle. It’s bright red right now, but I’m not sure what it used to be because that is definitely not her natural color.”

  Axel frowned. “Hmm, I’m not sure. Do you have a picture?”

  I shook my head. “Nah, nothing.”

  “Why? Who is this girl?” he asked. “Anyone special?”

  “Just a new girl at school. I’ve been asked to do a project with her, and she just looks so familiar to me. And not just in the ‘I’ve seen her on TV’ sort of familiar. I feel like she’s someone I used to know. But I just can’t place it.”

  “Doesn’t ring any bells, to be honest. But, she sure sounds sexy. You have the hots for her?”

  “No, definitely not. Anyway, she has a boyfriend. And I really don’t like the guy. Doesn’t say about her choice in men.” I had been so surprised to find out that Derek was her boyfriend. I had seen him around before but didn’t really know the guy too well. Baseball players and football players often didn’t hang out all that often together. He hadn’t ever done anything wrong to me, and I didn’t know much about him, but there was just something about him that I didn’t like. Something off with him that I couldn’t place my finger on. And Candice seemed like such a nice girl. It was strange to see the two of them together, but I obviously had no idea who she really was. Perhaps I had judged her too quickly. Maybe she wasn’t such a nice person after all.

  “Oh well then, you’re better off without her,” he said.

  “Yeah, I guess so,” I said. I wasn’t interested in her, anyway. I had already decided long ago that I wasn’t going to look for girls for a few years. She was, however, very nice to look at and I certainly didn’t mind having her as a partner.

  We sat for a while longer, enjoying the beer and catching up. The boys had a lot of questions for Axel, as they always did. I chuckled to myself as I watched them. They seemed to hero worship the guy. I wonder if Axel knew. He always acted so nonplussed in situations like this, but I was sure that it must feel good to have everyone looking up to him that way.

  “All right, I better get going. Thanks again for coming to see me. It’s always good having you around. It was a lot of fun,” Axel said.

  “Yeah, it was great. Let us know when you’re doing another race. We’ll be here for sure.”

  “I’ll do that. See you all around!”

  As he walked off, I looked back at the guys and laughed at them. “You guys look at him like he’s a celebrity.”

  “Well, he sort of is, you know. I can’t believe the two of you are so close. Haven’t you ever thought of getting involved in drag racing too?”

  I shook my head. “Not a chance. Not my thing at all.”

  “And what about the motorcycle club? You still go? Can’t you get us in?”

  I laughed. “Do you guys ride?”

  “No. But does it matter? Just because we don’t ride doesn’t mean we aren’t interested in bikes.”

  I pictured them all going to one of the motorcycle club meetings and laughed at the image of them. “It’s kind of an elite group. I don’t mean to sound snobby or anything, but they will annihilate you if you show up and say you don’t even ride a bike. Not only do you need to ride bikes, but you need to own one too. They only want people who live and breathe for riding,” I said. Although as I said it, I realized that this was not at all what I was anymore. I had enjoyed the club at one time in my life, but there was no way I could do that and still maintain the same amount of energy levels that I did at the moment. It was hard enough also having to deal with college work.

  “Is that what you do? Live and breathe for bikes?” Harry said and punched me lightly in the arm. He knew this wasn’t me at all.

  I laughed. “Not anymore. Also, the club is great and all, but there’s a lot of pressure when you’re in it. And I don’t need that right now. I like to ride for enjoyment. Football has its own sort of pressure, but its pressure that I enjoy.”

  “Well, you should still bring us around to the club one day. Just so we can see what it’s like.”

  I chuckled. “You don’t give up, do you? Okay, I’ll bring you along one day. But maybe brush up on your motorcycle knowledge in the meantime. At least look like you’re interested in getting one. Now come on, let’s head back. Today has been exhausting.”

  Chapter Six

  Candice

  I couldn’t wait to see Dominic again, especially now that I finally figured out where I knew him from. The whole thing felt so serendipitous to me, even though it was something I had never believed in. Fate was something that only happened in the movies, or that was what I had always thought. I didn’t tell Derek that I was seeing Dominic again. I didn’t think he needed to know. Besides, we were only seeing each other for the school project. It wasn’t like we were going on a date or anything. Derek was going to just have to get used to it. And if he had a problem with it, then he could go and speak to Professor Jackson about it. I laughed at the idea of him doing that. Professor Jackson would give him a mouthful.

  I hadn’t been at the school for very long, but I was already slightly besotted with the professor. Not in a romantic way at all, but in a very respectful way. He was someone that I knew I could learn a lot from. I liked the fact that he didn’t stop being himself, despite the looks he got from some of the students. He was unashamedly himself, and there was a lot to be learned from someone like him. I wish that I sometimes had the guts to do something like that. As I walked to the library, I passed a mirror and saw my flaming red hair. I liked the new look, but I knew I had only done it to try and hide myself. Sometimes, though, I wondered if I had only served to put a spotlight on myself. I should’ve gone a mousy brown rather than the bright red I had chosen. My father had gone crazy when I’d come home with that hairstyle.

  “Candice! What have you done?” he had gasped when he saw me.

  “Don’t you like it?” I said. My mother walked in and gasped too.

  “Your hair! It’s red!” she said, stating the obvious.

  “I thought it would be good for me to make a change. New school, new hair, and all that. And you’re always telling me to go after what I want in life. Well, I wanted this.”

  “I like it,” my mom had decided. She’d told me later on that she wished that she sometimes had the guts to do something bold like that. My father, on the other hand, was not impressed.

  “I don’t like it one bit. Where’s my beautiful blonde girl?” he said.

  I laughed. “Oh come on, Dad. It’s just hair. I doubt I’ll have this hair color forever. But it’s fun to have it now. I’m young, and it’s very rare that I ever do anything like this.”

  “I hope that’s not a sign of what’s to come. I want you to behave when you’re at the school. Remember, it’s not just your own reputation that you have to worry about.”

  I sighed at that. “Yes, Dad, I know.” And thanks for reminding me.

  He had gotten used to the hair, although I still caught him watching me every now and again. I knew that every time I came home to visit he would be hoping I would arrive with my old hairstyle. And maybe one day I would. For now, I was enjoying the red. It made me feel like a different person. It was amazing what a difference hair could make on someone too.

  I got to the library and took a seat. In my eagerness, I was early, so I got out my
notes and spread them across the table. Then I sat back and watched the people come and go. I often wondered how long the libraries were going to last. Would my own children be able to sit in a room full of books or would everything be based online? I hoped not. Things were easier now with the internet, but there was nothing quite like holding a book in your hand. And the library had always felt like such a special place. A room filled with stories and books and adventures and truths and lies. It housed everything under the sun. I saw a couple sitting in the corner, almost hidden by everyone else. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. For them, the library was a meeting place, a way to be together away from the crowd. I forced myself to look away and give them privacy.

  When Dominic walked in, I didn’t even see him. I was too lost in my own world. When he sat beside me, I jumped and then chuckled when I saw it was him.

  “You seem very far away,” he said.

  I smiled. “Yeah, I was people watching. Turns out the library is actually kind of a fun place for it.”

  “I love people watching.”

  “So do I, Nicky. So do I.”

  He looked at me, and his eyes widened in surprise. “Nicky?”

  “Does that ring a bell?”

  “Faintly.”

  “I always thought that Nicky was way cooler than Dominic. You agreed, and for a while, you were Nicky to me. I used to like that nobody else called you that. It was my name for you and nobody else’s.”

  He sat back and stared at me, and I watched as the pieces of the puzzle slowly began to form in his mind. He smiled, and I knew that he had remembered.

  “Candy?”

  “You refused to be the only one with a nickname,” I said.

  “I used to say that you were as sweet as Candy. Oh my God, is it really you? No wonder you have looked so familiar to me. I knew that you were someone I used to know. Wow, this is crazy.”

  I smiled. “Isn’t it?”

  “What made you remember?”

  “It’s been bugging me since I met you. I ended up asking my mom if she knew anyone named Dominic Aarons and she told me that you were the boy that rescued me when I was eleven. Then it all sort of came tumbling back. It was such a long time ago. I’d forgotten about that part of my life. And, you look, well . . . you look different.”

  He grinned. “I should hope so. It would be kind of weird if I was still walking around looking like an eleven-year-old.”

  I chuckled. “Yeah. That would be odd. But I still recognized you, so that means some of your eleven-year-old self is still lurking.”

  “Yeah, but that means so is yours. I thought you looked familiar too. You’re gorgeous,” he said and then immediately looked embarrassed for saying it. “Sorry, I mean, well, you were cute at eleven, but you’re all grown up now. And your red hair threw me off,” he added in quickly to try and move away from the compliment that he had just given me. I didn’t mind. It was very sweet of him.

  “I actually only changed the color to come here. I sort of wanted a fresh start.”

  “I like it. Your dad couldn’t have been happy though,” he said.

  I groaned. “You remember my father.”

  “Of course I remember him. How could I forget? He didn’t exactly like me very much.”

  “I’m sorry about that,” I said.

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “I know. But I’m still sorry,” I said. I still felt deeply embarrassed by the whole thing. My father had hated how close I was to Dominic back then. The whole thing was ridiculous because we were so young. We were good friends, but there was nothing romantic about it. Although, I did recall once telling my parents that I would marry Dominic one day. I wondered if that was what had set my father off in the first place. My father had very specific ideas of the type of guy he wanted me to be with, and Dominic was not that guy.

  “It’s okay; it’s not your fault. And anyway, back then there was very little that we could do about the situation. We were so young. And when my parents decided to move, there was very little that I could do about it. Wow, I had no idea that you were still living here. As you can probably tell, I’m very out the loop when it comes to political things. I’m so focused on football and my studies, that sometimes I don’t really see what’s around me.”

  “It’s good to be focused. And it’s always nice to talk to someone that isn’t into politics. It makes for a nice change.”

  He smiled. “I’m sure. Oh wow, I still can’t believe that I’m sitting here all these years later talking to you. This is crazy, Candy.”

  I groaned. “Is that what you’re going to call me now?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Well then, Nicky, two can play that game.”

  “Still think Nicky is a cooler name than Dominic?” he asked.

  “Nah, I think you’re cool enough as it is now. Look at you. You’ve turned into this big football player now! Who would’ve thought that the scrawny boy I knew all those years ago would transform into this guy in front of me? Although, I probably shouldn’t be surprised. You were always into football. Even back then. Remember all the posters on your wall?”

  He smiled. “Oh yeah. And I remember you telling me that one day my own posters would be on the walls of younger kids’ rooms. Wow, I can’t believe it. I had forgotten about all of that.”

  “When did you move back?” I asked.

  “A few years ago. It was weird coming home, but I always wanted to come back for this university. It was the best place for me to play football. If I wanted a shot in the NFL, then I knew this would be the place for me to get it.”

  I smiled. “And here you are.”

  “How about you? I’m surprised to see you here. I figured your dad would homeschool you.”

  “He did. I had all the best tutors in the world. And then, out of the blue, they decided that school would actually be good for me. I cannot tell you how much I didn’t want to come. I had planned on doing all my studies online.”

  “Really? You preferred homeschooling?”

  “I guess I just didn’t expect to leave home, that’s all,” I said. “And to get thrown into the deep end like this was very daunting. But you know my father: when he wants something, he gets it.”

  Dominic chuckled. “Don’t I know it. So, how are you liking it?”

  I shrugged. “It’s nice. Not the easiest place to meet people, though.”

  “Yeah, I can imagine. Everyone has their own little groups. You have Derek though,” he said.

  I felt uncomfortable talking about Derek, especially after the last exchange. “Uh, yeah,” I said. “I guess that helps.”

  Thankfully, Dominic seemed to sense that I didn’t want to talk about him because he quickly changed the topic. “Uh-oh. Look at the time. We didn’t even look at our notes.”

  I looked up and saw that it was time to head to the next class. I gathered my notes and laughed. “Oops. Sorry, my fault. I had to let you know how we knew each other.”

  “I’m glad you did. It would’ve bugged me forever. It was . . . it was a tough time, back then. Leaving you. I didn’t want to leave. I hope you know that.”

  I smiled and nodded. “I didn’t want you to leave. You saved my life. I could never forget that,” I said as a memory of him came flooding to the forefront of my mind. I hadn’t thought about that in such a long time. “And I didn’t want you to leave either. We got close so quickly. The two of us were inseparable back then. It’s . . . well, it’s good to have you back.”

  “Friends reunited. There’s no way I’m going to let you go this time,” he said and grinned at me.

  A warm feeling rushed over me at the thought of having him back in my life again. “Does that mean I finally made a friend at school?” I said and laughed.

  “Candy, you and I were meant to be friends.”

  I laughed. “I’ll see you around, Nicky. Maybe next time we’ll actually get some work done.”

  I walked off feeling good about the exchange. It
had been fun thinking about old times, and I was glad that he wanted to stay friends with me. We had so much catching up to do. Years and years to fill each other in on.

  Chapter Seven

  Dominic

  I had a dream about Candice. In the dream, we were the age we were now, but it was many years ago. I was sitting in her room, cross-legged on the floor while we discussed life. We were acting like we were kids, on the cusp of teenage life, even though we looked the age we were now. She had music blaring, and I remember thinking how pretty she looked. Then, her dad walked in and told me to get out his house. I stood up and told him that I would not get out. I told him that Candice was my best friend, and I would never leave her. In the dream, he had respected me for standing up for myself and had allowed me to stay. He left the room, and I looked at her and wanted to kiss her. But then I remembered I was only eleven and that I didn’t like her in that way. I woke up and chuckled at the dream, thinking about how crazy it was that she was back in my life. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed her until now.

  I didn’t have many friends back then. I wasn’t sure why, but I always felt like nobody truly understood me. I was eleven going on fourteen – all moody and unsure of myself. And then I met Candice. The two of us had gotten along from the very start. I couldn’t believe that she didn’t have any friends; she was so nice and so pretty. I thought she’d laugh at me when I tried to become her friend, but she hadn’t. The two of us had become inseparable from the very start, and I thought that we would be friends forever. Why hadn’t I stayed in touch with her? I tried to think back to how it had felt to leave her. My family wouldn’t let me go and say goodbye to her. They hated her father just as much as he hated them. We were too poor for him, and I wasn’t good enough to be hanging around his daughter. I had hoped she would get in touch with me, but she hadn’t. Only now, looking back, did I realize she might have been hoping I would do the same.

  Later that day I made my way to The Benson Bar to meet Axel. I hadn’t been there in a long time, and I was greeted with the familiar smell as I walked in. The place hadn’t changed at all. Benson’s was a popular bar, with ties to the motorcycle club. Because of this, the place was always well-liked, with bikes outside, and the inside filled with men from the club. I wasn’t sure if this was still the case, but when I arrived, I immediately spotted a few men that I knew from back in the days. They nodded my way. Some of them knew me; some didn’t. I was very young compared to most of the men in the club, and I wasn’t all that involved like they were. I was a member by family association more than anything else, and I knew that some of the resented me for it. But, for the most part, they were good guys. They just didn’t understand how I didn’t share their intense love for the club like they did. I was a little early, so I walked over to some of the guys to say hello and to find out what was happening in their lives. Quincy, one of the most prominent members of the club, immediately launched into a tale of some trip he took recently. He got out his phone to show me the photos he had taken and did not stop talking until Axel arrived.