Jay's Loelife Ch. 08

I grab his hands in mine. "What if you post one of our hands instead?"

"Then you will definitely be named by morning. A lot of people have seen us together during the last six months, so it's going to get out regardless. But feet will make it harder to confirm."

I watch Loren crop and edits the photo. When he's finished, it looks like a professional photo. It has a romantic, snuggling-by-the-fire kind of feel with the blankets draped in such a way. He loads the photo, writes the caption, then looks at me for permission.

"Go ahead. I don't even care if they figure it out."

Once the photo is posted for the world to scrutinize, he sets the phone down, curling into me, and slides his hand under my shirt.

"Five weeks, huh?"

****

Week one of the five-week countdown ends in a massive blowout against the Jaguars. Our favor. We play an almost flawless game that leaves me grinning from ear to ear. At the end, before the turf is flooded, I look at the crowded seats where Loren and his friends are sitting. I can't see them but I know they're there because the jumbotron spotted Loren earlier in the game.

I wonder if the reason he'd stayed away all season is because he didn't want to get mauled by people the whole time. I decide to see if I can get him into a suite next season.

Week two is wildcard weekend. We don't have the play but we do study the teams who are. The whole weekend finds me and my teammates glued to the TV's. When we're not studying or practicing, we're being passed around the media circuits. A few of us are flown to California for talk show appearances. There's a lot of chatter about our odds at not only NFC Champions but Superbowl contenders.

Week three of the five-week countdown is the divisional playoffs. The schedule is set and we play Tampa Bay. If we win, the next game is for the NFC Championship. If we lose, the season ends. We haven't made it past the wildcard round in seven years so the pressure is real.

The night before we fly to Florida, Loren comes over and prepares dinner. He goes all out. The table is set to the nines and the food is five-star. He doesn't talk about work and doesn't ask about football. When the food is gone, we stand side-by-side as we clean up.

"How would you feel about getting away?" Loren asks. We're curled up on the sectional and there's a Denali documentary playing quietly in the back ground.

"I can't go anywhere right now."

"When the seasons over, dumbass. I was thinking we could take a week away."

I like the sound of that. It's something I've thought about many times but I assumed Loren would say no, so I never brought it up. "Yeah, I'd like that. What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I don't know. Something private. Quiet."

"Do you want to plan it? If not, I can have David do it," I offer. My assistant sets up the annual Mexico vacation every year and each year is better than the last. He knows all the good spots and is great with discretion. Depending on how the next game goes, David is going to plan a last-minute stay for a dozen people and I have no doubts it will be great.

Loren stretches next to me, slinging his muscled thigh over mine. His wide shoulders adjust as his arms snake around my body. He'd already pushed my shirt up so he could borrow against me skin-to-skin. "Either way." His voice soft and content.

I rub my cheek against the top of his head and I watch as my hand glides over his perfect muscled ass.

As good as David is, I want to know what Loren's ideal vacation for us would look like. I want to know where he'd go and what we'd do. "How about you plan it?"

He nods into my chest and we spend the rest of the evening throwing ideas around. The one common denominator is privacy. When he asks about budget, I tell him I'm open. I don't imagine him doing anything too crazy but privacy comes at a cost and it's something we're both willing to pay for.

"Two weeks left," he says before leaving for the night.

"God willing."

****

We scrap by for a win against Tampa Bay. The list of errors is a mile long but a win is a win. In the underdog story of the decade, the LA Rams beat the Steelers. It's their first time making the playoffs in twenty years. Before that, it was 1951. On one hand we feel confident. The Ram haven't been a contending team in years. On the other hands, they've had a good year and should not be underestimated.

Week four of the five-week countdown and David found a cool hotel conversion that he was able to snatch up for a price. Marcus, Shawn, Garrett, and I are splitting cost which lessens the pain a bit.

"You're coming, right?" I ask Loren for the hundredth time.

"You didn't really give me a choice once you told Corey and Isaac they have tickets. I have a meeting the day you want us to come up, I'll land a few hours later then everyone else."

"That's fine as long as you're there."

I want him there, in the stands, looking sexy as hell in my jersey. If all goes well, I'll have him naked and under me in less than two weeks.