“I feel like I’m being branded.”
Her smile grew as she grabbed both my hands and twirled me around, then with a playful wink said, “Darling, that’s because you are.”
Later, on the way over in her car, Shyla explained, “It’s a bit of a club, and there is a hierarchy that will become apparent as you watch. Most of the women are nice and inviting, if not a little shallow. But there is a huge difference between being a wife and being a girlfriend. The wives have commitments and are more involved with the organization than the girlfriends.”
“Why is that?”
“Because the girlfriend isn’t committed to sticking around.”
“What about you?”
Shyla sighed, and her shoulders dropped. “Well, this is where Davy and I are at a crossroads,” she said. “I’m on vacation right now, which is why I’m down here staying with him. We try to alternate and find time to see each other when we can. But in-season is very hard for both of us. I’m an emergency room doctor at a metropolitan hospital in Chicago. It’s not like I have a lot of free time to jet around to his games, nor is it easy for me to get the time off just to come down here.”
She glanced over at me as we turned into the parking lot. I nodded in understanding. “To be honest, we are at the point in our relationship where the distance is becoming a problem,” she continued. She followed the attendants, motioning for us on where to go to park. “He wants me to move down here. But honestly, I like living in Chicago. And besides, he doesn’t know how much longer he has in the league. What if I uproot myself from Chicago and move down here to start over in a local ER, and then he gets traded or decides to retire?” She shook her head. “Anyway, it’s an impasse.”
It brought up the nagging reminder of my situation with Shaw and the way it lingered like an unanswered question. What would happen after this weekend?
Even when we were in heaven, snuggled in his suite, I missed my boy and was looking forward to going home to more familiar ground.
Charlotte was the road I could’ve traveled if things had worked out differently. But my reality was Aaron and the life I was rebuilding back home. However, part of that rebuilding had become Shaw living next door. He’d become an integral part of our lives—a cornerstone.
But the status quo wasn’t possible any longer. He was needed here. I was needed there.
When we pulled into a parking spot, she said, “Enough talk. Let’s go have a good time, drink some beers, and cheer on our boys!”
I walked into the WAGS suite and was suddenly surrounded by a wide range of beautiful women who were hugging and gossiping like old school friends. I tried hard not to cling to Shyla.
Although there was a wide range of beautiful women, they all had one thing in common. Whether it was their eyes, their hair, their shape, their smile, their intelligence, or their confidence, something about each of these women called to a man whose job required a lot of grit, perseverance, and talent.
Shyla introduced me around to a few women, even though I had little hope of remembering everyone. Darius Stoker’s wife, Tasha, was the unofficial welcome committee. Darius was the quarterback of the team. He and Shaw had a good connection, both on and off the field.
“So, Darius hasn’t told me much about you, except that you are an old girlfriend from high school Shaw reconnected with while he was recovering,” she said. I couldn’t glean her sincerity and glanced at Shyla. “Let’s get a drink, and you can tell me the full story. Come on, Shyla, I’m sure you have some dirt on this already. I love a second-chance romance.”
She walked over to the bar, which was stocked with a variety of drinks, including beer and vodka seltzers. I grabbed a soda while the other women went for the vodka seltzers. “Come on, have a drink,” Tasha said. “We can get you a ride back to Shaw’s, I’m sure.” She quirked an eyebrow. “You are staying at Shaw’s, right?”
“Yes, but I have to be up early for a flight tomorrow, so I’m going to take it slow. Maybe later in the game, I’ll have one.” Besides, I needed to keep my wits about me.
“No worries,” she said, ushering us to seats by the full wall of windows that looked down over the field. The team had just come out to do warm-ups. “Some of the women have gone down to wish their boys luck, so it will get more crowded in here in a bit,” she said, popping open the can. “Darius doesn’t like the distraction.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m surprised Shaw didn’t have you come down for a good luck kiss.”
“He said something about it, but I told him I was afraid I’d get lost,” I joked. “Besides, I want his head in the game. It’s his first time back since getting hurt.”
“Yes, I heard you were his physical therapist. Is that how things happened with you two?”
“Oh, no,” I said, not wanting her to think I was unprofessional. “It didn’t happen like that at all. I?—”
Tasha giggled and took a deep draw of her drink. Shyla rolled her eyes. “She’s pushing your buttons. Stop it, Tash.”
“What?” Tasha’s eyes got wide with mock innocence. “One day, Riley is here. Shaw is injured, and she disappears in the wind. Then he comes back here with a physical therapist as a girlfriend. Rolling rocks gather no moss, I guess.”
Wow. That was about as bitchy as any woman had ever been toward me.
“Tash, what is wrong with you?” Shyla stood and pulled me with her. “Let’s get some food, Kelce.”
“I was a news reporter. Did you know that, Shy?” Tash said over her shoulder. “When I met Darius, I was working for the local channel around Miami.” She turned in her seat to follow me as I walked away. I stopped to listen to her. She took a healthy sip from her can. “I had a chance to be an anchor, possibly in New York or DC.”
She took another sip of her drink. “But then I fell in love with Darius and came down here. I thought I’d get a job locally. I mean, it's Charlotte, not LA or something.” She ran her hand through her beautiful, thick black hair. “But here’s the thing. When you marry the player, you marry the organization. The team comes first, especially in season. There are charity events, and social events, and networking…” She counted off on her fingers. “Pop out the babies, sit on charity boards, plan events, and smile on his arm. That’s what I’ve become.”
Shyla and I side-eyed each other. Clearly, this wasn’t Tasha’s first drink.
