Fake Out

"Down," I shouted. My offensive line set in their positions. I scanned the defense, the left defensive back was cheating towards the center of the field, tipping off that he was rolling to a zone defense. That meant the outside linebacker would be rolling into the flat to take the short out coverage. The play I had called would work against the defense they were throwing at us. "Yellow, 54Z, blast," I shouted to both sides of the line. Unless the color was red or black, the audible I called was a dummy. I looked into the eyes of the linebacker across the line. They gleamed with malevolence. "Hut! Hut!" The ball was slammed up into my hands by Jimmy Rogers, my center, the laces automatically in position across my fingers. I pivoted and faked a handoff to Lance Gaines, the tailback. Lance dived into the line and was tackled by the linebacker, taking both out of the play.

I rolled to the right, my eyes scanning for a downfield receiver. Leon Bridges flashed open and I brought the ball up to throw. As I started my delivery I saw the defensive back recover and make up the ground to cover him. I was just able to hang onto the ball as I pumped and brought it back in. "Look out, TD," I heard shouted to my left. I felt more than saw the defensive end bearing down on me. I ducked, his hand clubbed me in the head as he passed by. My time had run out, my protection was collapsing. "Fire! Fire!" I shouted to Fran Dreschetti, my left guard and personal blocker on this play. Fran took off downfield as I followed him. It was fourth and eight on Munchauk's 15, 15 seconds had remained on the clock before this play started. I estimated that I had used up five so far. Fran peeled off and took out the defensive back on the outside. I cut toward the middle and was drilled in the ribs by the safety. Fortunately, he didn't wrap me up and I stumbled forward until I was smacked under the chin by another players helmet, standing me straight up. Another player slammed into my legs on my right at the same time as a linebacker drove into me high from the left. We all collapsed into a pile, my face planted firmly into the ground, the stripe of the five-yard line under my facemask, as the whistle blew to end the play.

Dimly I could hear someone screaming "timeout" as the players began to climb off me. I was dazed and confused when the ref finally took the ball. Coach was on the sidelines waving me toward him frantically. "You okay, TD?" Fran asked, concerned. I shook my head to clear the cobwebs.

"Yeah," I told him then started over to coach. He looked at me funny for a second, turned and said something to the trainer. "TD, that's the last timeout. We've got five seconds left on the clock. We have to go for the end zone on this play." An acrid smell permeated my nostrils, I shook my head and glanced down. The trainer had popped an ammonia capsule beneath my zone to help clear my head. I nodded in response to coach and in thanks to the trainer. Coach Grant tapped his bridge pencil against the clipboard in his hand nervously. "I want you to roll toward the wide side of the field. Look for Leon on the quick post, if he's covered look for Harlon dragging underneath."

"Okay, Coach."

"Use trips left, and for Christ sake get the damn line to block. You almost lost your head on that last play."

"Okay." I turned and ran back to the huddle. "Snap. This is it guys, block your ass off and we party, you screw up and were done, got it?" The offensive linemen nodded. "Okay, trips left, K roll, on one. Gus, don't let them get me." Gus Fortney, my right guard, nodded at me. "Ready, break!" We clapped hands in unison and ran to the line of scrimmage. The team took their positions. "Down! Green, 48Q, brush! Set!" The linebacker covering the center began inching toward the line, they were going to blitz. I hoped Jimmy could pick him up. "Hut!" The ball hit my hands, and I turned to roll toward my left. I glanced toward the line and saw Jimmy had checked the linebacker, so I had some time.

Leon was covered. I pumped toward him anyway while I looked for Harlon only to find him covered too. Gus was out in front of me, looking for someone to block and ready to take off downfield. Lance came open for a step then tripped and fell, and I was out of options. "Fire, fire," I yelled to Gus. I took a step forward to get on his butt, the defensive back covering Leon changed direction to try to tackle me. Without thinking I zipped the ball Leon's way just as a helmet buried itself into my ribs.

Cheering and pain were the next things to register in my brain. The cheering was more important. Gingerly, I got up my ribs aching fiercely, and saw Leon in the end zone holding the ball high. I looked for flags, there were none. Then Gus grabbed and lifted me into a bear hug that took my breath away. "You did it! You did it! Way to go, TD. National championships, here we come." He dropped me to my feet.

"We did it, Gus," I told him when I could breathe again. Christ my ribs hurt. Leon was being pummeled by the rest of the team. I jogged over to the sidelines. I grimaced as coach yanked me into a hug.

"Great throw. I knew you could do it." I glanced up at the stands, the crowd was cheering lustily and dancing wildly. I saw Cherie with the cheerleaders, tears in her eyes as she blew me a kiss.

I had met her in the quadrangle the first day of my freshman year. She was fresh, innocent and gorgeous. I'm tall, dark and handsome. She was a cheerleader, I'm a quarterback. It was cliche, it seemed perfect. For four years it had been.

"Way to go, TD," she squealed in her sexy cheering voice. How the hell could I break up with her tonight, after all this, after four years together? But I had to. I wasn't looking forward to that. The last thing I did was look at the scoreboard to confirm what I already knew. Shinington State 27, Munchauk State 26. We were conference champions and qualified for the Division two playoffs.

The locker room was wild with players yelling and screaming. Jimmy was grinning from ear-to-ear, in his mouth the toothpick he always was chewing on since he quit chewing snuff. "Great game, TD. You coming to the Kappa Sig party tonight?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Great. Gonna be a hell of a bash. Too bad you're hooked to Cherie, you'd have your pick of any woman on campus tonight."

"Yeah." I grabbed a towel and headed toward the showers. My ribs still ached, and now I had a headache to go with it. I showered, dried off, and headed back to my locker. Cal Bennet, the trainer was waiting on me.

"You okay, TD?" he asked.

"Yeah. My ribs hurt and I've got a headache, but I'm okay."

"Let me just check to make sure." He took out a flashlight and shined it into my eyes. Then he began probing around on my ribs until I winced. He handed me two tablets. "Doesn't feel like anything's broken. Probably bruised pretty good though. You tell Cherie to take it easy on you tonight," he laughed. "Take those ibuprofen and see me when you wake up. I'll be at the field house."

"Okay." I dressed in my pullover shirt and jeans. My chin hurt too, I forgot to tell Cal about that. It didn't really matter, there wasn't much treatment you could do for a sore chin. I tossed my bag of sweaty clothes into the laundry bin as I headed out of the locker room. "See you tonight, TD, some of my teammates called after me.

Cherie was waiting for me outside the door. I knew she would be. "You were great, TD."

"Thanks."

"We going to the Kappa Sig party?"

I shook my head. "Cherie, we need to end this, it isn't working. I think it would be best if we broke up."

She stared at me with her mouth hanging open in surprise. "You… you bastard," she screamed, her hand flashed out and caught me flush against the cheek. Her eyes gleamed hotly at me. "You aren't that hot shit, Tony Dominici. I can't believe you'd do this. Shit," she said softly, then buried her head in her hands. Around me teammates and others were staring at us.

"I'm sorry…"

"Yeah you are. I don't know why I stuck with you. You aren't even that good in bed. I faked half of it."

That hurt. "Look, there's no need to get personal."

"Hah! You started this shit. It's all about personal. You think I'd just walk away like a good little girl, you've got another thought coming." I started walking away from her and the Tragicomedy of our relationship. "Don't you walk away from me, you bastard. I'm not done!" But I was. I listened to her voice become more and more shrill until I climbed into my car. The car had been a gift from my father when I broke the school record and passed for 3,000 yards my senior year in high school.

I went back to the athletic dorm and rested for a bit. I really didn't want to go to the Kappa Sig party and risk another confrontation with Cherie, but I had promised. Reluctantly, I went. The party was in full swing, and much to my relief, Cherie was nowhere in sight. I gravitated toward the kitchen and the keg, accepting congratulations along the way.

I talked with friends and teammates while we drank a few beers and caught a good buzz. The beer got rid of the headache that the ibuprofen couldn't kill. Larry came into the kitchen all excited. "You should see the bitch that just got here, man. She's hot, got a body that will knock you out."

"Is that right," I smiled at him.

"Yeah, hey listen, I saw you and Cherie break up, you mind if I try for her?"

"I'd give her a few days to settle down. I don't think she's going to be in a loving mood for a while."

"You got that right, she was still screaming at you when you drove away. But it won't bother you?"

"Nope. I'm comfortable with how things are."

"Good, you better check that woman out before someone grabs her."

I headed into the living room. Someone had already grabbed her and was dancing with her. I found a vacant armchair and collapsed into it while I watched her moves. She was dressed all in black, like a ninja. Her body was lithe and moved in ways that would make a dead man hard. She was simply gorgeous. Black hair, her lips a deep red, long black fingernails graced her hands. I quickly became infatuated with her.

She danced for maybe fifteen minutes, all fast tunes, her body gyrating wildly in concert with her partner. I wanted her desperately when she was through, just like every other man in the room. I went back to the kitchen, got two beers, and came back to the room. She was talking to her dance partner about an economics class. She didn't look familiar, I couldn't recall ever seeing her before on campus. I handed a beer to her, she looked at me curiously while her partner glared at me. "Thanks," she said, turning to talk to me. Dance guy glared one last time then went off. "What's your name," she asked. Her voice was soft as velvet. It felt like a gentle caress.

"Tony Dominici, but my friends call me TD."

Her eyes narrowed. "You play ball."

"Yeah, a little."

"I'm not enamored of jocks."

Christ, this wasn't supposed to be this hard. I thought it would be a sure thing. Now I was going to have to work. "I'm not fond of them myself, actually. But they tend to hang around the football field."

She threw back her head and laughed, it was as pure a sound as I had ever heard. Cherie could laugh like that when she tried, but she hadn't tried much toward the end. I made up my mind to do whatever it took to get this woman.

"A jock that doesn't like jocks, that's a first. Tell me jock, you any good at the game you play?"

"I do all right."

"Uh-huh. I'm very good at the games I play," she told me, licking her lips sexily. "And I play them all if I can find someone able to keep up with me. My name's Gretchen."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Gretchen."

"Hmmm, no obvious comeback at my double entendre, you sure you're a jock?"

"Last time I checked." I watched her throat bob as she swallowed some beer. Everything she did was sexy.

She looked at me appraisingly, then sat her beer down as if she'd made a decision. "You better not disappoint." She took my hand and led me toward the front door.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Someplace you'll be familiar with. You've got a car right?"

"Right."

"Give me the keys."

"Look, I'm…"

"Give me the keys, or I go back inside and find someone else." I handed over the keys. "Good, you're doing well. Which one is it?" I pointed the car out to her. She walked over and got in the driver's side, pressing the button to unlock my side. I got in the car beside her. "Buckle up, I don't want anything bad to happen to you," she told me as she started the car. I was familiar with the town and the college, once we reached campus I knew she was heading for the football stadium. She didn't stop at the gates. Apparently the campus cleanup crew had forgotten to close them. She drove straight onto the field and parked at the fifty-yard line.

"This is where you do your jock things?" she asked.

"Yep."

"We'll you're about to remember it for something else. Get out." I got out of the car and she did the same. I could smell the plastic melting on the Astroturf field from the heat of the catalytic converter. Gretchen smiled at me, then pulled her black pullover blouse over her head and tossed it away. Underneath was pale white flesh that glowed softly in the moonlight and breasts contained by a black bra. She kicked off her shoes, unhooked her slacks and wiggled out of them, revealing black French-cut panties. "You waiting for an invitation?" she asked.

I quickly stripped down to my briefs. She smiled. "Them too," she demanded. I removed my briefs leaving my cock to bob in front of me in the cool night air. "Impressive," she commented, then unfastened her bra and let it drop to the turf. Jesus, they were gorgeous, coral pink nipples topped breasts that made my mouth water. She hooked her thumbs into her panties and slid them over her hips and let them fall to her feet. She was completely shaved and her lips glistened slightly in the pale moonlight.

"If you catch me, you can fuck me," she said, then took off running. I chased her for ten minutes finally tackling her in the end zone. The heat of her body a bright contrast against the cool night air. "Fuck me," she moaned. My cock was rock hard as I aligned myself with her then slid inside. Her legs came up and wrapped around me. I grimaced as they squeezed my ribs, but hips moving in unison quickly distracted me from the pain. We both moaned at the pleasure. She rolled me over and took top, grinding herself against me in little circles until she shivered atop me. I took advantage of her and rolled over again, stroking franticly inside her.

When she recovered she came back to me, arching into me with each stroke. "Fuck, fuck," she chanted with each stroke. I could feel myself getting close when she erupted under me, her body tight and hard as the tremors took her, and took me over as well. I stayed inside her until I couldn't support myself anymore. Then I collapsed beside her on the turf.

She propped herself on an elbow and looked at me. "I imagine this might disrupt your concentration if you thought about it during the next game."

"Just slightly."

"Get dressed, we're going back to my place."

We did, and for the rest of the night it was heaven. Her body responded to mine like we were made for each other. We collapsed into sleep sometime around 4 in the morning.

I awoke beside her around 10 in the morning. She was awake, watching me, and smiled when I noticed. "You were great, that was the best ever."

"You weren't faking it?"

"Struck a nerve with that one, did I? I've never faked it, TD."

"Good."

"When you broke up with me, even though we planned it, it hurt. I was so mad at you I could barely get myself to come to the party."

"Was it what you wanted?"

"Oh, yeah. When I told you I hated jocks your face fell, it was priceless. The game was fun, but I don't think we'll play it again."

"Good. I've got a game I want to play."

"Seems fair. What is it?"

"It's called marriage, will you marry me, Cherie?"

She climbed onto me, planting her lips tightly to mine. "I'm not fond of jocks, but in your case I'll make an exception."

"Forever," I whispered.

"Forever," she agreed.

ENDS