A SURPRISE AT NIGHT

LOLA

With my heart hammering hard against my chest, I hurried through the lonely path that led back to the stadium where the rest of the family ought to still be.

I was sure practice had ended, and me missing right in that moment wouldn't look too good. The plan was to get there first, and then, Connor could come later.

Standing before my father-in-law, all sweaty, my breathing giving away the fact that I had jogged all the way back, I thought of the best response to a question he had not even asked.

"We had been done for a while now. We were worried," Greg spoke, his eyes scanning every inch of my body in a way that felt rather uncomfortable.

Struggling to keep my breathing steady and my shoulders up, I looked from my father-in-law to Eddy — his face was locked in an expression that told me just how much he wanted to say and how he was just waiting for the right time to come at me.

Freddy was standing behind them, arms folded across his chest, skin glazed with sweat and his gaze sending a message.

Swallowing, I tried my best to keep my focus on the two men in front of me, biting down on my teeth because it suddenly felt like the hardest thing to do.

Even if it was just practice, I wanted to give Freddy an after game hug like the old times, run my finger through his damp and curly hair and inhale his sweaty neck while he cups the mass of my ass with his hands and twirls me around a small circle.

I swallowed, getting my thoughts together.

"I had to use the restroom, and totally missed my way back," I exhaled sharply, "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting,"

"I am sorry, Eddy," I said again, turning to look at him, but with the negligence of a vegetarian towards meat, he looked away. My breathing caught in my throat.

"That's okay. We can go then," Greg finished as he turned and began to walk towards the exit.

I glanced at Freddy. He was still standing there, in the same posture, like he never even blinked. One thing was different though — he was staring steadily at me, a small smile curling against his lips. I wondered what he was up to.

Standing right there with Eddy and Freddy felt wrong, like something was bound to happen. My throat felt too tight and itchy.

I had pulled my hand up to massage the skin of my neck, but my fingers had barely even touched them when Eddy cleared his throat, causing me to freeze. My hand fell back to position beside me.

"Why do I feel like you are the reason my father insisted on this journey?"

Before I even thought of what to answer, his voice pierced through the silence of the night sky, straight to my ears, repulsive but insistent. I fisted my hands tight to the effect, fighting the urge to shut my eyes too.

"Isn't it strange that Connor isn't here too?"

Eddy went blunt, and straight to the point. His words too confident, I was scared of even denying anything.

From behind him, Freddy's expression straightened, his brows arching with curiosity.

I swallowed, my heart thumping so much that if I had spoken in that moment, I would sound incoherent and that could be another ground opportunity for Eddy to ride on.

"Can we sleep together tonight?" I forced the words out of my mouth, ignoring how much saying them pierced my chest.

I watched Eddy's expression fall through layers of confusion, his gaze drowned in shock, disgust maybe. I wasn't sure what the aftermath of this would be, but I was happy it was a good interruption.

"You must be drunk!," he deadpanned, looking me head to toe like I was some threat that needed to be neutralized and he didn't want to be the one to do it.

He didn't say another word before storming past me in the same direction Greg had taken.

When I was sure he was gone, I heaved a huge sigh of relief, my eyes fluttering through the film of blur scaled over them.

Freddy cleared his throat, as if reminding me that he was still there. 

"Freddy, please! I am too tired to talk about anything at the moment," I started, waving him off before he could even start.

"You don't seem like that, to me," he insisted.

Inhaling sharply, I turned my body to face him squarely, my palms still sweaty from having to handle Eddy.

"Can I touch you?" Freddy asked, his palms already halfway to my shoulders. I gasped when they finally rested on them. 

They were heavy, and cold, his face in front of me oozing with that after game aura that makes you want to cuddle up in bed, just to be convinced that you had him in the end with the lots of people around the world probably wishing he was theirs — it's petty, but it was one of my favorite things about him.

I swallowed, shaking his hands away against my desire. 

"Don't act like you don't want it. I can see it in your eyes, hmmm?" Freddy insisted, proceeding to stare hard into my eyes. I blinked away.

"Not possible, Freddy. Let's not even start it," I said flatly, moving a step backwards.

He covered up the space. My stomach dipped, and my body stiffened to the adrenaline rush that swept through me.

"Freddy!" I called out, my voice buttery and pleading as opposed to the message I meant to convey.

"Wait for me in your room, just like old times," he dropped, reality pressing down on me like a load I had been destined to carry forever.

"Deal?" he asked again, his voice low and tempting.

I nodded, and he chuckled in response.

"Let's go. The others would be waiting."

---

It was a hotel close to the stadium, and somehow we ended up in rooms on the same floor. I was relieved Eddy didn't room with me.

Still on my bath rob minutes after showering, I paced about my room restlessly, wondering if Freddy would truly keep to his word.

I was tired, and needed a good sleep, but more than that, I needed a good s*x. Fragments of the moment with Connor in the players' kitchen floated in my head, and I wouldn't mind to satisfy the urge it built.

A knock broke against my door, causing me to immediately turn in its direction, my feet racing over to unlock it.

Room service.

I exhaled sharply. "I didn't call for anything," I shot at the young woman standing in front of me with a small box, and a smiley face.

"This was ordered to be sent here, ma'am," she said through her smile.

Sighing, I took the box from her and pushed the door shut.

"An apology for cancelling, I guess," I muttered, tearing the box open to reveal the cup cakes arranged with a frosted icing design on top.

I skimmed across the lines until my eyes met one that looked rather plastic.

My gaze lingered on it for some seconds before I pulled at it, my gaze widening at the red material that rolled out of the shaped cup.

A net lingerie that had no business being classified under clothes.

Immediately, another knock broke out against my door.