Chapter 17: Charging

Chapter 17: Charging

Charging: Bodily contact undertaken against an opponent in order to win or obtain possession of the ball. If done unfairly, it is a penal foul.

“YES!! Right there! Oh God! Fuck!”

Okay, so I’m not the quietest person in bed. And I’ve recently discovered I’m louder with Edward. Don’t ask me why, I just am. Not that he’s complaining. At. All.

“Baby! Shit! I’m really close...” Edward’s words come out out more like caveman grunts. I find it sexy as hell and it just gets me closer to Happy Land.

“Oh, damn...Yeah...I’m close...God...sooooo close!”

I’m currently on my back, with one leg around his waist, my heel pushing Edward’s beautiful ass towards me with every thrust. My other leg is hooked over his shoulder at the knee, his hand holding on to my thigh, while the other hand is holding his weight above me next to my head.

I usually have to do a little self stimulation to get me over the edge, but not tonight. This new position is helping him hit all the right spots, including that spot.

A few final thrusts that he angles in such a way as to rub against my clit, coupled with him hitting that spot inside me over and over again is enough to send me to another dimension. My orgasm is strong, stronger than ever. I see freaking stars.

He’s not too far behind and joins me as we orbit different solar systems for a few moments.

“FUUUUUUCK! Jesus, I fucking love you, woman!” he pants as he comes down hard from his grand finale. I love feeling the full weight of him on me once he’s completely spent.

The thing about make-up sex? it never gets old. At least, not with Edward. I might have to be serious about my suggestion to find ways to piss him off just so I can be a participant for this very pleasurable experience all the time.

I smile against his cheek and kiss the little spot right in front of his ear. His scruff is creating comforting friction against my neck, his lips spreading small kisses along my skin until he plops down next to me. He snuggles deeper into me, swinging his leg and arm over me like I’m his body pillow.

I’m not objecting. Not. One. Bit.

“You okay there, Soccer Boy?” I giggle.

“Mmmmm...” Incoherency always means he’s happy.

“Can I ask you something?” I whisper into the silent, dark room.

“Mmmm..”

Are you really okay with what I’m doing? I mean, with the whole undercover thing?”

“yuea, ufcoursh imokaywiffit...dunntwurry.”

“Um, what?” I giggle.

He finally raises his head slightly to respond, looking at me with sleepy iridescent eyes.

“Of course I’m okay with it. I don’t want you to worry. You just do what you think you have to do. I’m just concerned about you getting caught and what it would mean for you,” he says with sincerity.

“I’ll be fine. Just...you know, just remember, you might see me do and say things while I’m in character that...you know...you may not like,” I mutter, lowering my head to the side and diverting my eyes from his gaze.

He sighs. “Well, as long as you don’t hump the guy, I should be able to handle it.”

I chuckle at that image. “Ha. Um, no. I won’t be doing that at any point. Even I have my limits as to what I’ll do for a story.” I catch myself and realize I’ve said something that sounds pretty bad, but I can’t take it back now. And judging by the way Edward suddenly stiffens, I know I need to clarify right away.

“What I mean is, when I’d investigate for stories, there were things I was willing to do to get the scoop. I have tons of interesting stories from when I worked for the campus paper back in college, I’m sure Alice can fill you in. But, there are things I won’t do, sleeping with people being one of them. And this is not for a story, so it means all the more to me, okay? This is for you. I don’t want you looking over your shoulder all the time when you’re working and out on the field. You’ve seen how athletes never fully bounce back from an alleged steroid-use case. I don’t want that happening to you.”

Edward relaxes slightly at my explanation and we continue our snuggling.

“Thank you.” After minutes of silence, I thought he’s asleep. But his words are clear and quiet.

“You don’t have to thank me. I do this willingly. I love you.”

“I love you too.” And just like that, we fall into deep slumber.

~*~*~*~EtS~*~*~*~

The next morning, Edward and I are both up at the ass-crack of dawn. The worst part of sneaking around training camp as a fake PT is having to actually act like a PT, which means waking up at an ungodly hour in order to report at eight in the morning.

I need to spend a little extra time pulling my outfit together, including my wig. Edward’s stepping out of the shower, steam billowing around his form. I take a moment to appreciate the view. Naked, wet, Edward is always good. He actually looks like an angel...stepping down to earth from a puffy cloud, sans lire and wings. 

“See something you like?” he smirks.

“Plenty, actually. Can we just skip this whole day and stay in and have wild and crazy sex?” 

What? It’s a reasonable request...right?

He saunters over in all his naked glory and wraps both arms around me from behind. Feeling his hardened cock against my ass is not helping my resolve, and he knows it.

“Mmmm....we could, but then I couldn’t flirt with the new PT and show her a good time.” His breath is hot against my skin as he nuzzles me and rubs his cock up against me.

This may work out well for everyone involved.

“Oh, Mr. Masen, I never pegged you for the role-playing type,” I coo. 

“Trust me, I’m just full of surprises,” he replies with a wicked grin.

“Should I be worried you’re harboring some deep-seeded sexual deviance?” I gasp in mock apprehension.

“No worries. The degree of my sexual deviance is only proportional to how much clothing you have on,” he wiggles his brow a few times, and I laugh out loud.

“You’re such a dork. Get! You need to go do your little exercises and kicks and wear your cute little soccer shorts and stuff so I can ogle the star player’s legs and stellar ass from the windows of the training room,” I say, smacking his ass lightly as he makes his way out the door after dressing. We kiss as we depart separately in order to arrive at different times, all in an effort to avoid suspicion. 

Today should be interesting.

~*~*~*~EtS~*~*~*~

Upon entering the training room, Jonathan, the head PT guy, smiles widely and walks towards me, reaching out his hand to shake mine. 

“Good morning, Ms. Jones, ready to start? I’m just going to go over the basics in terms of protocol, show you where all the supplies are and stuff. The guys should be arriving in a bit. They’re doing their early morning runs outside, so we usually don’t get anyone in here until about ten. Make yourself at home.”

I simply nod and follow along, making mmhmm  and a-ha sounds throughout his orientation, careful to take notice of several cameras placed strategically in the corners of the ceiling. My eyes roam to the windows, where I can see that the team is in fact doing their run around the field. I spot Edward immediately. It’s not like you can miss him with that shock of copper hair, and the sight of him still makes my heart flutter.

“So do you have any questions for me?” I’m knocked out of my daydream by Jonathan’s voice.

“What? Oh, yeah...yes. Everything’s perfectly clear,” I say, clearing my throat.

“Awesome!” he exclaims, suddenly look over my shoulder and out the window. “Hey, looks like they’re coming in now. Good luck!” He pats my shoulder lightly and walks away towards his office. As he does, a couple other PTs I recognize from lunch the other day walk in, smiling sincerely and offering their warm welcomes. They seem pretty harmless, but you can never be too sure.

Another person walks in as well, and I notice that I haven’t met him yet. He wasn’t at lunch, but the other girl...Brianna...sees him enter and gleefully locks arms with him, practically dragging him towards me.

“Hey, Sarah, I wanted to introduce our newest PT...well...second newest, after you, of course,” she giggles. “This is James Hawkins, he started a few weeks ago. James, this is Sarah Jones, she just officially started today.”

James is tallish, with light brown, stringy hair. His eyes are hazel, but beady and shifty. I’m immediately on guard. He eyes me unabashedly up and down with a creepy smirk; definitely not The Smirk that sets me on fire whenever I see it on Edward’s lips.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Ms. Jones. I’m sure you’ll fit in just fine with all of us here,” he says, suggestively as he licks his lower lip. Yuck. Does he really think that’s sexy? Dude, you’re trying way too hard, and it’s frankly, a little sad.

I have to remain impassive and keep up appearances. “Oh, it’s a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Hawkins.” My response is slightly on the verge of flirty and sickly sweet. His hand extends to meet mine, it’s cold and clammy as it squeezes mine. The gesture, I’m sure, is meant to swoon, but all it manages to do is make me nauseous.

He tries to keep our hands united a beat too long just as the players make their way into the locker room. A couple of them are obnoxiously loud, making crude jokes and such as they enter the door to the therapy room, which connects to where they came from. When James is momentarily distracted, I draw my hand away from his and move towards the towel racks, making myself look busy. 

More players come in and the PTs begin leading some who are complaining of different muscle ailments to tables and massage chairs. I see Emmett walk towards me with a sly little grin, which worries me, because I’ve heard from Rose that he’s quite the joker when he wants to be. I glare at him, silently challenging him to fuck this up for me. My death stare must be enough to scare him off because he mouths “sorry,” replacing his evil grin with an apologetic one. The corners of my mouth turns up in acknowledgement. 

I also notice Edward is now in the room, and I swear every time I see him, everything else freezes, like some sappy romantic movie. He gives me a side-glance, wiggling his eyebrows along with The Smirk. To anyone else, it looks like Masen is just up to his old tricks with the flirting. I return his grin and continue folding towels. 

Edward disappears into the locker room again, and everything seems normal. When James comes closer to me, I instinctively stiffen. But I keep my cool as he reaches over, albeit unnecessarily close enough for his side to graze mine, to reach a towel. I guess I should pretend I’m flattered and smile, since I’m supposed to get on his good side...but I’m not looking forward to it. So I smile coyly.

“Wow, is it always this loud?” I start.

“Oh, yeah, it’s even louder during games. The players can get a little out of hand with the girls in our group, so if you feel uncomfortable at all with any of them, I’m here for you,” he explains with an expression that I figure is supposed to be sexy. He also squeezes my shoulder, once again lingering just a bit too long.

I want to gag.

“Oh, thanks. Good to know I have a friend looking out for me. I guess some of the players have egos that should have their own zip codes, huh?” I fish.

“Pfft! You have no idea,” he comments as he leans closer. Someone needs to introduce him to mouthwash...or an Altoid. “They’re all a bunch of jerks. They think they’re the best thing since sliced bread. Dude, it’s not like they’re playing for the European clubs, it’s just the MLS. No one in the States gives a crap, am I right?”

I nod slowly. “True. But I think the MLS is trying their best to bring some big-time players back here, right? Like McCarty, and um...Masen, for example. Weren’t they just recruited from Arsenal?”

His reacts with surprise to my knowledge of the game and its inner workings...douche.

“Wow, you certainly know a lot about what’s going on here. Are you actually a fan of the game? I don’t mean to offend, but it’s just hard to find PTs who are actually into more than providing therapy.”

I can add patronizing and condescending to the list of reason why I hate James.

“Actually, I grew up around soccer. My stepdad is a coach for a minor league team on the West Coast, and well, I guess when this job opened up, I jumped on it.”

“Hey, that’s cool. You actually just won points with me,” he says, once again way too close. Jesus, what did this guy have for breakfast?

Moments later, someone calls for James and he saunters away, and I’m thankful I’m able to breathe again. But my breath hitches for a completely different reason when a very familiar, velvety voice is at my ear. The heat of him radiates right through me, and I instantly relax, as he “accidentally” grazes my back with his body.

“Excuse me, Ms. Jones, but I’m really sore and stiff from all the running this morning. I need some work done on me, if you have a moment.” His voice is pure sex, but he’s mocking me because he knows I can’t react the way I want to....and I want to jump him.

“Oh, sure, Mr. Masen, it would be my pleasure to help you out with your...soreness. Where exactly are you feeling this...stiffness?” 

Edward chokes slightly on the swish of water he’s gulping from his bottle. His eyes widen, but he quickly recovers and glances to see if we have an audience. When he sees that no one has caught on, he smiles.

That’s right, Masen. You wanna play? I’m game.

“Actually, it’s pretty much all over. I’m sure there’s something you can do,” his eyes dance mischievously.

“Well, then let’s get you over to one of the tables, and um...work on you, shall we?”

We both walk over to a table, where Edward proceeds to take off his sweaty jersey. The sight of this man’s sweaty, chiseled chest nearly causes me to pass out...in a good way. He’s such a bastard, because he knows. Edward wipes a hand towel over himself and lies down facing up. He bends his knees and waits, The Smirk permanently plastered on his face again. Asshole. I love him.

When I’m bending over to reach some heat packs underneath the table, he whispers so only I can hear, “Are you okay with this? You don’t have to do this, you know.” I glance up to see his serious, worrying expression and I wonder if he’s talking about therapy or something else.

“You mean, you don’t like having an excuse to have my hands all over you all day?” I try to make light of it, but he simply smiles timidly and responds. “That’s not what I’m talking about, and I would never, ever complain about having you near me all day. But, I still don’t have a good feeling about all this sneaking around to get whoever’s fucking with me. I don’t feel comfortable with you doing this. I thought I was ok with it this morning when you asked, but seeing it happen...If you were caught...I don’t know...”

“Stop,” I interrupt, looking around to see if anyone’s watching. “Everything’s fine. I’ve done stuff like this before, I already told you. And this is a cakewalk for me. I’ve seen PT’s at work, I can totally fake it, don’t worry.”

Edward grins again, “Have you ever...you know...faked it...like, with me?” He looks like a little boy. I giggle slightly. 

“With you? Never....EVER,” I assure him. He nods silently and relaxes on the table again.

I proceed to place heat packs on places where Edward swears he’s sore. I think he’s just monopolizing my time so he has me all to himself. I play along, of course. Just then, James walks by and puffs out his chest. “We okay here?” he asks, eyeing me, then Edward, with narrowed eyes.

“Everything’s great, James. Mr. Masen’s a perfect patient,” I say, looking at Edward. He’s staring back at me. 

“Yes, Ms. Jones is quite talented. She has a way with her hands,” he adds, finally sparing a glance at James.

“Well, good. Let me know if you need any...assistance, Sarah.” James glares at Edward again. Edward merely smiles appreciatively. 

Once James is out of earshot, Edward whispers, “I don’t like him. I don’t like the way he looks at you. It’s a total eye fuck. Be careful, Bella. If he lays one finger on you, so help me God, I will destroy him. I don’t care what happens,” he growls.

“Shhh. Calm down, Masen,” I whisper. “I won’t let him get too far, but you have to trust me. I have to let him get close so he’ll confide in me. It’s all a game, sweetie. It will be okay...TRUST ME,” I assure him. That seems to placate him for the time being, and I go back to massaging his legs. This is going to be fun.

He closes his eyes as I straighten and stretch his legs, kneading his beautiful calf muscles, one at a time. The hair on his legs tickles my fingers and palms, and I look up to see an expression of bliss on Edward’s face. As my hands find their way up to his thigh muscles, I can also see a slight bulge forming and twitching as my fingers reach higher towards his groin area. I notice his breathing pattern increase, his muscles tensing under my hands.

“Shhh, you need to relax, Mr. Masen. Your muscles are really tense. Think of something else, like um...a naked old lady or something,” I whisper that last part as his eye dart to me in surprise. But I think he understands that if he keeps up his little sexual fantasy while I’m touching him, everyone around us is going to know he’s...a little too...excited.

I go back to massaging his thighs, appreciating the cut and feel of his muscles there. I follow the massage with a heat wrap, changing focus to his neck and shoulders. Walking around him so my stomach is at his head, I place my hands at his shoulders, slowly pinching and kneading the tension away. He suddenly opens his eyes, staring at me from his upside-down perspective. His emerald gaze takes a second to look at every part of my face, almost as if memorizing it. For a moment, I’m held hostage by those eyes as he looks on with so much love that it’s almost too much emotion for me to take. I gasp for a breath, exhaling slowly. He mouths “I love you” and I die a little.

I’m called over to assist another PT with moving a player who has an injury, so I leave Edward to rest. I discreetly pat him on the head, combing through his hair with my fingers as I walk away. A little later, while I’m helping another player stretch, Edward grazes me and whispers in my ear, “storage room down the hall...twenty minutes.” I freeze slightly as I feel the heat of his voice and suggestion travel right through my entire body, resting at my base of my belly. He’s being a naughty boy.

Minutes later, I walk into the locker rooms to tidy up some of the training equipment left out, and I come across James. His back is to me, and I realize he hasn’t noticed I’m in the room. When he turns slightly, I realize he’s on a cell phone, speaking in hushed tones, and I’m very very curious to know who he’s talking to.

When I inadvertently make a noise while picking up equipment, James startles and yelps like a little girl. 

“Shit! You scared the crap out of me!” His eyes shift around the room. Damn it, he’s hiding something.

“Oops, Yeah, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I was trying to be quiet since I noticed you were on the phone, I didn’t want to disturb you.” And I also wanted to listen to the conversation.

“Oh, that’s okay. No blood no foul, as they say,” he laughs nervously.

“Is everything alright? I mean, the conversation must’ve been intense. You’re a little keyed up, everything okay? Shit...never mind, it’s none of my business, you don’t have to answer...” And just as I was hoping, he chimes in.

“No, no. It’s no biggie. I was just chatting with my cousin. He’s all the way in London. He plays soccer over there, or football, as they say in the rest of the world.”

I sit on a bench. “Yeah? What club? One of the big ones or something minor?”

“No way! He’s too good for the minors. He plays for Arsenal.”

“Really? Just like McCarty and Masen, interesting. Is he American?”

James’s expression darkens at the mention of my boys. “Yeah, they played together for three years, actually. You may have heard of him, Alec Hawkins?”

“Wow, THE Alec Hawkins?” I feign excitement. “Dude, he’s like one of the best players on the team? Didn’t he get recruited for the MLS with McCarty and Masen too?”

“No way, Alec would never give up playing for a team like Arsenal to slum it with the likes of the MLS, he turned it down,” he scoffs.

LIAR.

“Yeah, I can totally get not wanting to leave a club like Arsenal. So you just spoke with him just now? That’s so cool.”

Looking nervous again, he affirms, “Yeah, he called to see how....um...my first few weeks on the job were.” His eyes shift away from me and he’s fidgeting with his fingers. This guy’s tells are so blatantly obvious, I’m surprised he hasn’t gotten caught yet.

“That’s great. So you guys are close. Family’s important. It sucks that the MLS isn’t stronger or more popular, He could’ve been here closer to you.”

He looks at me blankly an adds, “Um, yeah, that would’ve been cool...but no...this place can’t hold a talent like Alec, he’s better off where he is.”

I’ve seen Alec play. He’s mediocre, at best. Emmett and Edward can run circles around him. As a matter of fact, I think I’ve seen them do that back in London. It was quite funny.

After an awkward silence I sigh loudly and stand, starting to make my way to the door. James stops me, placing his clammy hand on my shoulder again.

“Be careful with that Masen guy. He’s got a reputation for, you know...scoring off the field more than on, if you know what I mean.” He looks thoroughly disgusted by Edward. I don’t know if it’s information that Alec’s fed him or what, but I want to slap him right then and there. I control myself, however, and smile appreciatively. 

“Thanks for the warning, James. I’ll try to remember that,” I say, squirming from his grasp and walking away.

Looking at my watch, I notice it’s already twenty minutes later and I can barely contain my excitement just thinking about what’s waiting for me in that storage closet.

Edward’s smart. I notice this particular hall doesn’t have cameras, I guess because there’s not much going on here except a few storage rooms. Walking through the hallway, I immediately catch on the room’s doors cracked open. I smile, getting close enough to open it and enter the pitch-black room. My waist is grabbed by needy hands

and my body recognizes their warmth and strength right away. The length of his body moulds against mine as he presses it against my back, pushing me up against the closing door. His mouth swiftly makes its home in that spot under my ear, the sensation sending chills up and down my body. I shiver, but not from the cold. I’m far from cold right now.

“What were you doing to me out there Swan?” he breathes against my neck, pecking hot, wet kisses all over, finally nibbling on my ear lobe. I can only respond in unintelligible unfs and moans. Edward presses his very hard cock against my back after moving me away from the door and towards what feels like shelving. It’s so dark, I can’t see a thing, heightening every other sense. His hands skim my shoulders down my arms, until his fingers thread through mine. He guides my hands to rest on either side of the shelf. “Hold on and don’t let go. You’ve been a bad bad little girl. Teasing me like that, knowing there was nothing I could do at the time. But now, it’s time for payback, don’t you think?” he growls in my ear. The sound of his husky voice makes my thighs squirm and press together. I haven’t seen this rougher side of him really since that fateful night in London...back when it was just a fuck. Now, I couldn’t even imagine thinking of him as anything less than my future...the love of my life. 

“Oh...Edward...” I moan a little too loudly.

“Shhh,” he whispers hotly in my ear, “You have to be quiet, baby. You don’t want to blow your cover. Can you be quiet?” 

“Mmfff, yes....just...please...” I plead as I press back against him. Edward makes wonderfully quiet sounds against my neck at the feel of me, and his hands travel down to the hem of my shirt. They finally find the skin at my midsection; one travels up towards my breasts, the other under the waistline of my pants. Edward’s hands are magic, as they massage and stimulate all the right places. My body moves involuntarily to find the right friction, and there are no words...just feeling...just sounds...just love.

Edward continues to cover my skin with kisses and licks and nibbles while he very quickly undoes the buttons to both our pants. Soon our underwear is disposed of and I can feel his length at my entrance. Without much fanfare, he enters me, pressing me against the shelves, both of us moaning at the sensations.

His movements are slow and deliberate at first. But after a few minutes, we both realize time is of the essence and his pace quickens.

“God, I love you, Bella. I love you so much...” he whispers and I start to feel my muscles tighten and clench after just a few thrusts. His hands snakes to my clit and the added pressure sends me over the edge instantly. Edward buries his head between my neck and shoulder as he comes moments later, his hot breath coming out in erratic pants.

“I love you too, you know,” I turn my head to kiss his hair after a few moments of silence pass. I feel him smile against my skin before his lays gentle kisses along my shoulder and up my neck until he reaches my mouth.

“I know. I’ve never been more sure of anything else in my life. Bella...” he hesitates, “I want you to know that whatever happens...you know, with this whole cluster-fuck, it’s just you and me. It’s always going to be you and me. Okay?”

I turn around in his arms and focus on his face. My eyes have adjusted to the darkness, and now I can see the sincerity and emotion in his eyes, and I smile.

“You and me. We’ll be okay....Are you worried?”

“I’m not gonna lie. I’m a little worried about something going wrong. I don’t trust James, and I definitely don’t trust Alec.”

“But do you trust me?” I ask in hushed tones.

Edward looks at me square in the eye, and I can see the moment where his expression changes to one of determination.

“Totally.”

“Good. Now let me go and do my job,” I say as I kiss the tip of his nose and then his lips. We both dress and exit one at a time with about three minutes between us. 

~*~*~*~EtS~*~*~*~

The rest of the day is uneventful as I tend to the players and get to know them and the other people I work with....well...pretend-work with. I continue to cross paths with James from time to time, always trying to start conversation and steer it towards Masen. Storing some more towels into the locker room, James sees me struggling to balance them on the shelf and immediately comes to my aid.

“Geez, thank you!,” I exhale loudly before flopping down on a bench. James laughs. 

“No problem. Glad I was here to come to the rescue. Consider me your knight in shining armor.”

I give him a fake laugh.

Not a chance, buddy. Not even close. 

I steer him yet again toward trash talk of some of the players; who’s bangin’ who, who’s got a DUI on his record, who’s cheating on their wives and/or girlfriends. He considers it his job to clue me in on the office gossip. 

“What about Masen? I’m sure he’s got a few skeletons in his closet, right?” I urge.

“That guy?” He scoffs. “That guy’s clean as a whistle...”

“But isn’t he in the middle of some crazy steroid scandal or something? I think I read that somewhere...”

Please say it please say it please say it please say it.

“Yup. He’s finally gonna get what’s coming to him.”

“What do you mean? I thought you said he was squeaky clean?”

“Well, he is...at least he believes he is. But he’s not the nicest guy, according to some.”

“Who’s the some?” Dammit, will he just say it already? I nonchalantly straighten my polo, making sure the digital recorder will pick it all up on the little mic perched next to my collar button.

“Well, I’m not really supposed to talk about it, but I think I can trust you,” he lowers his voice before taking the seat next to me, a little too close, of course. I lean in with interest, and to make sure the mic picks everything up.

“I’ve heard stuff, from my cousin, Alec...about when they played together at Arsenal. The story is he stole his girl right from under his nose, pretty much. Decked him during practice too. The media was all over it, made Alec look like the asshole. Masen’s a dick, in my opinion. Alec said he was pretty much in love with the chic...”

I’m speechless. Alec is a douche, plain and simple. We slept together one night. It was the very definition of a one-night-stand. And I made it pretty clear the night of the gala that I wasn’t interested. Maybe that’s what he’s referring to as Edward “stealing” me from him, since we pretty much eye-fucked each other the entire evening and proceeded to have some of the best sex of my life.

“So wait, then you think this is all karma then? For all the obvious shit he’s done to your cousin?” I ask, agreeing with him for the sake of garnering more information.

“Karma? Nah. Karma had nothing to do with it....Um, again, this is between you and me, but um....I kind of did Alec a solid.”

“I don’t understand,” I glance at him, confused.

“Well, he asked me to do him a favor, just to fuck him up a little. I think his ego was pretty bruised when the MLS didn’t pick him over Masen...”

“Wait wait wait,” I interrupt. “I thought you said he didn’t want MLS...I thought he was perfectly happy in London.”

His eyes shift uncomfortably as he replies, “Yeah, he says that...but I really think he’s pissed about it. Masen’s always had all the media on him, he’s the Golden Boy, you know? So whatever...I did him a solid. He asked me to mess with his...um...vitamins...”

“What do you mean, mess with his vitamins?” Damn it, boy, just say it already. My palms are sweaty, and my heart his pounding so loudly, I’m surprised James can’t hear it.

“I put the ATD in his vitamins....but I’m telling you...you say ANYTHING to anyone, I’ll pin it on you, you got it?” he says, suddenly very threatening. I push away instinctively and gasp, covering my mouth with my hand.

“YOU did that? You could get into so much trouble, James! Are you insane putting yourself on the line like that?” Because seriously, you’re a moron.

“SHH!!! Be quiet, damn it!,” he hisses, looking around for witnesses and finding none.

“I know it wasn’t very smart, and looking back, I probably should’ve just told him to fight his own battles...but I was here, and I wanted to fuck with Masen a little for what he did. It was stupid, I know...but now, I have to keep things going. He re-tests next week, so I’m gonna have to do it again.”

I can’t believe this guy.

“So what are you going to do?”

“What I did the last time, I have the master keys to all the lockers. I’ll just replace some of his pills with mine.”

“What about the cameras? Won’t they catch you?” I ask in fake awe.

“Nah, I paid the dude in the surveillance room off to delete the footage.”

Son of a motherfucking bitch. 

“Wow. Why do it again, if it was such a stupid thing to do from the beginning?”

“Because...Alec’s counting on me. Plus, he promised he’d get me a job in London with the club if I see this through,” he says shyly.

“So that’s who you were talking to this morning when I walked in here?”

“Yeah, he had to talk me into it...I almost said no.”

“This is crazy...I...”

“Sarah, I swear to God if you say anything...”

“Yeah, I know...you’ll accused me, I know.”

“It won’t be pretty.”

At that moment, the locker room phone rang and he stands to pick it up, claiming it’s the front desk, needing him for something, and leaves.

What a stupid, stupid boy. The good news, I think I got all I needed from his very own mouth. I check my recorder, well hidden under my bra. I play back the entire confession with a huge grin on my face. As I walk out of the locker room, my eyes meet pure evergreen ones full of concern and affection. We are some distance apart but I manage to give him a reassuring smile, and it’s all he needs to know that it’s done. It’s time to talk to Rose.

~*~*~*~EtS~*~*~*~

Rose listens with apt attention to the entire recording, her mouth open in shock. After the recording stops, she looks up and smiles. 

“Well Well, B, I think we have ourselves a case.”

She thinks the best course of action is to take the recording to the head honchos at Red Bulls headquarters, which is fine by me. The call is made and the meeting is scheduled. It’s all going down tomorrow morning. 

Edward sends me a text to see if all went well with Rosie. I respond with just a smile and a little message.

It’s done, baby. Everything’s gonna be fine. C U at ur place tonite. Love you xoxo -B

I spend the evening with him, eating, drinking wine, talking about what occurred. He’s surprised James was stupid enough to divulge all that information to me, having only known me one day. What can I say? He’s not very bright, and I look very trusting...must be the wig.

I remind Edward that James pretty much threatened to implicate me as the person who did it, even though I wasn’t employed with them until a couple days ago. Again...stupid assmuncher. But I went along with it, and got what I wanted: a full confession...recorded.

The next morning, Rose and I are front and center in the Big Wig’s office. The short, stocky gentleman with the shiny bald spot can’t believe I’ve managed to bypass all their security measures once I reveal to him who I really am. It’s also a bit of a blessing that he’s so far removed from the players’ private lives that he has no idea how I’m connected to Edward...at least for now.

Once he hears the recording, he summons the rest of his administrative team; most of them look exactly like him in suits and glasses. Unfortunately, a look at the security cameras yields nothing. Everyone agrees that more than likely, my recording will not be admissible for most legal proceedings, but it doesn’t mean they can’t set him up with the help of their security team and maybe even the police. Calls are made, conversations buzz, a flurry of activity erupts as Rose and I take a moment to view the big picture before us. 

We did it...

Edward’s in the clear...I think.