The days passed quickly, and then it was Friday, and Atlas was driving out of downtown toward Alex and Kayla’s home. The skyscrapers and condos were replaced by vast fields that seemed to go on for miles until a paved driveway nestled in the trees appeared. There was an impressive gate to keep out unwanted guests, and it slid open slowly once Atlas typed in the code. He followed the winding road up to the house and parked alongside a silver Porsche that he knew belonged to Alex.
Atlas looked around the property as he headed for the door, taking in the pristine lawn and flowers around the cobblestone paths. He had been to the Daniels’ residence several times over the summer but never tired of admiring its beauty. The door opened before he could knock, and Alex hauled him inside by the arm. The blond looked relieved to see him, half-dressed in a pair of form-fitting black slacks and an unbuttoned dress shirt.
“I’m so glad you’re here because now she can focus on you, and I can go eat,” Alex said, the words coming out all at once as the older man shoved him into the living room. The furniture was pushed back to make room for a leather pedestal where a stout figure kneeled over what looked like a toolbox. Atlas assumed they were the tailor and waited awkwardly to be noticed, unsure if he should say something since Alex had disappeared once the rookie was in place.
“You know, you can come in, yes?” The accented yet distinctly feminine voice caught him off guard, and he stumbled forward as the tailor rose to her feet.
“Sorry, Alex just kinda dropped me off.”
“Yes, I’m aware he’s a child, Mr. Graham,” she said, a small smile stretching across her face. “I’m Carmen, Alex’s personal tailor. It’s nice to meet you, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy working with you.” Atlas reached forward to shake her offered hand, noting the rough callouses on her palms, and looked down at her expectantly.
“Just Atlas is fine. Where do we, uh, start?” He asked, fiddling with his jacket as the woman observed him.
“Have you ever had your measurements taken?” Carmen inquired, motioning him closer as she grabbed a slim box from the couch.
“No, I usually just go to Men’s Warehouse,” Atlas admitted, stifling a laugh at the disgust that flashed across her face.
“Well, to start, I’ll need you to remove your shoes, pants, and jacket, but you can keep your shirt for now. You’ll be putting these on,” Carmen replied, handing him the box and a pair of slacks identical to Alex’s. “The shoes go on last, and be careful not to scuff them unless you want to pay for the replacements. I’ll be back in a moment. I need to make sure Alex hasn’t gotten anything on his clothes.” The rookie nodded quickly as the tailor turned on her heel and exited the room, leaving him alone. He eyed the items in his hand and then the uncovered windows warily, muttering about being so exposed as he toed off his Vans.
Atlas tucked his white tee in and buttoned the slacks as Carmen returned. Alex was in tow, wearing a fuzzy bathrobe covered in embroidered footballs and a paper plate in hand.
“Hm, looks like I’ll have to adjust the seat a bit,” she noted, moving around him with a critical eye. “Do you have any preferences, or should I do what I think is best? Obviously, anything can be changed if it’s uncomfortable for you.” The rookie glanced toward Alex, but he just shrugged.
“I trust Carmen,” he said helpfully, taking a large bite of his sandwich.
“Alright, do what you gotta do,” Atlas sighed, stepping onto the pedestal and praying for the best. Carmen got to work without another word, leaving the two men to converse mindlessly as she poked and pinned various spots. The tailor moved confidently as she recorded multiple things on a little tablet, and it was over quicker than the rookie expected.
“I have everything I need, so let's move on to the shirt and jacket,” she announced, pulling another white dress shirt and a navy blue jacket that Atlas hadn’t noticed. He dutifully traded shirts and slid the jacket on, rolling his shoulders to get comfortable as Carmen resumed her task.
“So, while I have you stuck here, I was hoping to talk about Savannah,” Alex began, smirking up at him from his relaxed position on the armchair.
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“I’m curious,” he defended.
“Curiosity killed the cat,” Atlas pointed out, turning away as Carmen pinned something at his collar.
“Yes, but satisfaction brought it back,” Alex retorted, shifting behind the rookie. “I just think you’re hiding something, and as your best friend, that hurts.”
“Have you considered that there’s nothing to tell you?” While the pair were certainly more than friends, they didn’t exactly have a label yet so he wasn’t technically lying.
“No, my wife agrees. You two gotta be dating; I mean, she was practically in your lap at dinner!” Atlas glanced down at Carmen, but she gave no indication she heard the blond. “Are you really gonna stand there and tell me you aren’t her Prince Charming?” He flushed as he heard Savannah’s new favorite nickname for him and was glad Alex couldn’t see his face from where he lounged.
“We’re not dating.”
“So, you wouldn’t be mad if we set her up on a date with one of our friends? I was thinking about Michael, you know? At least we know he’d take care of her,” Alex hedged, finally shattering the last of Atlas’ resolve as he whipped around, uncaring of Carmen’s sharp look. “Oh, not a fan of that idea? Is it because you don’t like Michael, or because you know she’d love every-”
“You will not talk about her like,” Atlas snapped, dropping off the pedestal with a dull thump. “You say whatever you want about me, man, but you can take your gross insinuations about my girlfriend and shove ’em where the sun don’t shine.” The room was uncomfortably silent as the rookie returned to his senses, and he realized what he had said when Alex’s expression turned smug.
“I knew that would work!” He yelled, pumping his fist in the air like a child.
“What?”
“Come on, you think I’d set your girl up with Michael? I just figured it would make you mad enough to let somethin’ slip, and I was right!” The blond crowed. Feeling foolish, Atlas let his head drop and rubbed his face tiredly.
“Look, Vanna, and I aren’t together, but we aren’t not together if that makes sense.”
“Not at all,” Alex replied quickly, staring up at him much like a dog would. “Are you sayin’ you guys are just sleeping together?”
“No, no, it’s more than that; there’s a lot of things to consider, and we don’t know where we are,” Atlas explained, though he already had a pretty good idea. “We wanted some time to figure stuff out first.”
“So, how long has it been exactly?” Alex inquired, leaning forward on his knees expectantly.
“A little under two weeks.”
“I’m surprised the media hasn’t gotten any worse since you two aren’t being that subtle,” the other man pointed out. “Savannah was caught leavin’ your place almost every day last week, so it definitely looks like something’s goin’ on.”
“I know, but, honestly, I’m just following her lead here,” Atlas confessed, letting his head fall back, eyes closed. “I thought it would be easier if we didn’t tell anyone for a bit, but it’s not that simple when the only thing I wanna do is tell the whole world that she chose me.”
“I mean, have you guys actually talked about your not-relationship?” The rookie couldn’t admit it hadn’t come up during their pillow talk, so he just shook his head instead. “Okay, there’s your first step. Communication,” Alex stated, clapping his hands as if he’d dropped some unheard wisdom.
“Are we done talking about our feelings now?” Carmen interjected, reminding Atlas that they weren’t alone and that she had seen his childish outburst.
“Yeah, sorry about that, Carmen,” Atlas replied sheepishly as he stepped back onto the small platform. The tailor was silent as she finished the last of her notes for the alterations, and another hour later, he was free to remove the suit. The rookie gingerly laid the jacket across the back of the couch as Carmen and Alex left to give him some privacy and slowly untucked the dress shirt before starting on the buttons.
“Need any help?” Atlas looked up, head cocked to one side as he took in his not-girlfriend
“What are you doing here?” Savannah approached slowly, a playful grin pulling at her glossy lips.
“Is that a no?” She asked in place of an answer, referring to her original question. Atlas dropped his hands, feeling his body relax as the redhead closed the distance between them and settled them on her hips.
“Not that I ain’t happy to see you,” Atlas began, “but why are you here?”
“Kayla invited me to look at dresses with her,” Savannah said simply, her fingers deftly working the buttons free until she could slide the fabric off. “I also got an invite to the wedding. Apparently, Alex had already put me down as your plus one.” The rookie turned away from her teasing gaze and withdrew his hands mournfully.
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“About that,” he muttered, chewing nervously at the inside of his cheek as she stared at him with concern. “I told Alex. I didn’t mean to, but he just kinda forced it out of me. I’m really sorry, Vanna.” Atlas expected her to be upset, a little mad that he broke their agreement, so he was confused by the soft chuckle that filled his ears.
“I know you told him.”
“Okay, I get that you usually know everything, but there’s no way you know,” he complained, his tone coming out like a petulant whine as she wound her arms around his neck. Atlas shivered as her sharp nails grazed his skin, unable to stop his body’s reaction no matter how hard he tried.
“Alex whisked his wife away as soon as we walked in, but I could still hear them from the kitchen,” Savannah grinned. “Honestly, I had expected you to tell him sooner. He is your best friend.”
“We agreed not to, and I shouldn’t have broken our deal.”
“Atlas, that was just setting boundaries. My previous relationships were deals. This,” she said, motioning between them, “is nothing like that. If you want to revisit our privacy agreement, I am more than happy to do that because I want nothing more than for us to work.” Atlas wanted to tell everyone they were dating, but he refused to push Savannah into something she might not be ready for just to get his way.
“It can wait,” he finally responded, dropping his head to kiss her as she melted into his arms. The young man basked in the feeling of her and wished they were back at his apartment so he wouldn’t have to let her go until their respective lives beckoned.
“Kayla invited us to stay for dinner,” Savannah mumbled against his lips, the sweet gloss smacking between them as they parted to draw much-needed air.
“And you said?”
“We’re having lasagna,” she responded, giving him an innocent smirk as she swiped her thumb over his mouth.
“Tell them I’ll be out in a minute,” Atlas confirmed, nudging her out of the room. The rookie dressed quickly without distractions and went to the dining room, guided by his friend’s bellowing laughter. He could hear the Daniels’ personal chef pittering around in the kitchen as he stood at the entry and leaned against the doorway to observe the scene before him. Alex was telling a joke he had heard numerous times before, and his not-girlfriend looked perfectly content to laugh alongside Kayla in their woodsy dining room. The singer caught his eye and motioned him over, and Atlas was more than happy to plop down and hold her hand above the table.
“Alex told me the good news,” Kayla singsonged, her voice eerily similar to her husband’s. “I did lose the bet, though.”
“What bet?”
"100 bucks that you two wouldn't get together until Christmas," Alex supplied helpfully. "I said you two would be dating before Thanksgiving."
"Not sure how I feel about you betting on my love life," the rookie mumbled, gaining a barely there smile from Savannah. "On a totally unrelated note, will you be joining us in Denver this weekend?" Kayla shook her head, a less-than-pleased look on her face.
"I'm prepping for trial all day on Saturday, so I won't be able to fly out in time."
"Don't worry, I can't go either," Savannah added. "I have meetings on Sunday that can't be moved for some reason, so it looks like we'll both be stuck here." The lawyer's eyes lit up, and both men shifted nervously at such an expression on the diminutive woman's face.
"Why don't you come over after your meetings? We can have a girls' night!" Atlas watched the surprise flash across the singer's face, quickly replaced with a brilliant smile that made his heart stutter wildly inside his chest.
"I'd love to! I should be done by six, so I can be here before kickoff." The young man felt something settle inside him as he watched her grow giddy over a quiet night in and wondered how often she got to do something so normal before their friendship. Savannah had been in the spotlight for so long, so it was fair to say that she missed a lot of traditional experiences for people their age. The singer only had a few close friends, and the joy radiating from her over Kayla's simple offer was enough to break his heart just a bit. Sitting in his best friend's dining room, watching her talk animatedly and unashamed, Atlas vowed to do anything to see that heart-stopping smile again.
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The couple stayed in one of the Daniels’ guest rooms, neither willing to drive back after seeing how late it was. Atlas had slipped out of bed before the sun was up, moving quickly to silence his alarm before it could Savannah. He left her bundled in the comforter with a gentle kiss on her forehead and headed downstairs to get a ride with Alex to the training facility.
Savannah and Atlas returned to his apartment after practice, take-out in hand, as they utilized the service entrance to avoid the crowd that had started gathering outside his building every morning. They lounged around for the rest of the day, so the rookie was well-rested and in high spirits when he had to leave for Denver on Sunday morning. Savannah kissing him until his lungs ached might have helped a bit.
Atlas lingered near the back of the group as they headed into the stadium. He clicked Savannah’s name as he ambled behind them, hoping to catch the singer at a good time. It rang for a moment, the sound echoing through his head, and he breathed a happy sigh when she picked up.
“I take it you landed, okay?” She asked, accompanied by the tapping of keys.
“Yep, we’re already at the stadium.”
“Will you be back tonight?”
“Probably not,” he replied apologetically. “Coach never flies back the same night if we play a late game, so I’ll probably be back around ten tomorrow morning.”
“So, breakfast at yours, then?”
“I’d like that,” Atlas said softly, glancing around the empty tunnel. “Is it weird that I miss you?” He heard her quiet laugh, the sound muffled as she covered her mouth.
“No, because I miss you too,” Savannah confessed. “I’ve never been like this, you know, the stereotypical girl losing her mind over a guy.”
“I don’t mind bein’ the guy that drives you crazy,” the rookie replied awkwardly if only to hear her giggle at his attempts at suave.
“Atlas, let’s go!” He looked up, watching Alex’s mop of hair disappear back into the locker room, and sighed.
“I gotta go, but I’ll call you after?”
“I’ll be waiting,” Savannah promised, putting a goofy grin on his face. “Good luck, Atlas.” The line went dead, and the young man took a second to regain his bearings before joining his teammates. Alex stared at him as they donned their uniforms, the rookie humming happily to a song only he could hear, and shook his head.
“I don’t know if I like you better as a lovesick puppy or not,” he professed with a calculating hand. “On the one hand, I’m real happy for you, but on the other, your little heart eyes are kind of gross.”
“Oh, shut up,” Atlas grumbled, but his friend’s ribbing did nothing to quell his happiness.
“Should I expect another impressive game then?” The receiver grinned at his friend, the shark-like expression looking out of place where his genial smile usually sat, and the mood shifted as the clock hit seven.
Once the game began, Atlas hit the field with nothing less than his best, egged on by the roaring fans braving the brisk Denver chill for them. The rookie ran on autopilot, dipping between defenders and throwing himself after the ball. Despite the late hour, he was energetic when he finally escaped the locker room. He had pulled his phone out, finger hovering over Savannah’s name, but paused when he found a young girl waiting for him in the tunnel with an old school recorder clutched tightly in her hand.
“Hi, could I get a word, Mr. Graham?” She asked, staring up at him with such a hopeful expression that he couldn’t deny the request.
“Uh, sure, who are you with?” The girl faltered, and for a second, Atlas was worried that he had just agreed to the wrong interview, but then she visibly steeled herself and straightened up. She barely reached his chest, drowning in a patched jean jacket, and gave him her best serious face.
“My name is Veronica Kim, an aspiring journalist, and I write a sports blog.”
“Okay,” he shrugged. “Do you care to walk and talk? This hall is about to be filled with fifty large dudes, and I’ve been hit enough tonight.”
“Of course!” Veronica readily agreed, falling into stride as he slowed his pace. “I want to say thank you for taking the time to speak with me, but I honestly wasn’t going to let this go until you did.” Atlas smiled to himself as they strolled down the tunnel.
“I like the dedication. What questions you got for me?”
“Well, to start, what has life been like since the draft? This is your rookie season, and it really sets the tone for a player’s career, but it seems like you have nothing to worry about there.”
“My life kinda got turned on its head after the Lightning chose me,” he confessed. “Everything moved pretty quick once my contract was signed, and it hasn’t really slowed down the closer we get to playoffs. I’ve just been trying to focus on being the best player and teammate I can be.”
“You’ve been playing football since middle school, correct?” Veronica checked, pulling out a notepad from inside her jacket.
“Yep.”
“Was it always your dream to play for the NFL?” It was the only dream that he knew. Atlas had started playing at a young age, and having that path to follow was the only thing that kept him sane.
“After I started playing, yeah, but I had the usual childhood dreams before that. Wanted to be a rockstar for awhile, but I learned real quick that I cannot sing too well.” Veronica cracked a smile as they paused by the entrance, a few of the adult reporters snapping shots of them until Atlas stepped in front of the girl. “How long have you been doin’ your blog?”
“Uh, since I was thirteen, about five years now.”
“And do you just write about sports?” He inquired politely, watching as she slowly started to relax.
“Yeah, I want to be a sports journalist. My dad was an athlete his whole life, so we always watched some kind of game on the weekends. I don’t have any brothers, and my sisters would never watch with him, so it became our thing,” Veronica responded softly. “He’s been sick for a while, so he couldn’t be here with me today, but he’s a big fan of yours! He knew I wanted to get a real interview for my blog, so he bought me the season pass for my birthday, hoping I’d get my chance.”
“How exactly did you get in the tunnel then?”
“Better you don’t know,” she replied, making the rookie chuckle. “I should let you go. I can make my article work with what I have. Thank you again, Mr. Graham.” The rookie glanced over his shoulder and noticed two security guards in their obnoxious yellow vests searching the area, and he stared down at Veronica as he debated his options. The teen turned to make her quick escape, but something about the dejected look in her eyes made him call out.
“Hold up.” She paused like a deer in headlights. “Can I borrow your notepad for a second?” Veronica practically shoved it in his hand and watched him curiously, wide-eyed, as he scribbled a phone number beneath her chicken scratch.
“This is my agent’s number. I want you to give her a call and set up a time so I can give you a proper interview without having to duck security, okay?”
“Wait, really?” She asked, her expression both confused and awed as she took the paper.
“I think that if you’re gonna risk gettin’ a lifetime ban, then you obviously want it bad enough,” Atlas reasoned, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I hope to see you soon, Veronica.” With that said, she gave him a teary-eyed smile and then disappeared into the next group of fans as they passed by. The rookie shook his head as he finally exited the Colts’ stadium and got into the waiting Uber with a mumbled apology about having to wait.
Atlas watched the buildings and people they passed curiously as he called Savannah, but she had his full attention when her voice came through.
“Hey.”
“You’ll never guess what just happened, babe,” he began and settled into the seat as the athlete recounted his surprise meeting with the tenacious Veronica Kim.