Hudson.” She looked around the room as if noticing it for the first time. “We sure picked an interesting room to hang out in.”
“Oh yeah, Brad, uh, Lowry,” I said, reading off the name tag on the desk, “probably won’t mind that we’re hiding in his office.”
Mack chuckled. “No, I don’t think he’ll find out after all.”
I put my hand on her knee, softly. “You’re sure you’re OK? I don’t know what to do in a situation like this.”
“Yes, Hudson, I’m fine, thank you for asking.” She closed her eyes. “Can we change the subject?”
“We sure can.” All I knew about was football, and for some reason I didn’t want to talk about that just now. “How’s your father been, these last few weeks?”
The look of gratitude on Mack’s face at the change was visible. “He’s alright, you know how it is, you lose someone and you take it hard.”
“Yeah. We haven’t seen him around the facility in weeks.”
Mack smiled sadly. “Yeah, he’s been mostly holed up in his house, mostly in the library. He really misses her.”
“I can imagine. They were together…30 years?”
“35 years, yeah.”
“That’s a long time.”
“My father would say it wasn’t long enough by half. And as he’s said before, he’d give a billion dollars to have one more hour with her.”
And John Mayfield could easily afford that billion dollars. “It must be hard for you, too, Mack, losing your mother like that.”
Despite the subject matter, Mack’s face was all strength. “Yeah, it’s been tough,” she whispered, “but I get through the days. Work helps.”
“Yeah, when my father passed away a few years back I threw myself into the season and didn’t think about anything but football till it was over.”
“I remember that year,” Mack said. “You made the All Star game.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I did.” It had been one of the highlights of my career, and though it had been borne of such sadness, I was incredibly proud of it.
“My father was so happy when that happened. He always loved having you on the team.”
That warmed my heart. John Mayfield had always been a quiet man and often it had been tough to know how he felt about a certain player. Only in the last couple years had I realized that the only reason I had managed to stay a Patriot my entire career was because John had appreciated my performance and everything else along with it.
“He took a chance on me, a long time ago, and I’ve never been able to thank him enough for that.” I said, my voice losing stability as I tried to get the words out.
Now it was Mack’s turn to put her hand on my knee. “It’s OK, Hudson.” She smiled. “He knows.”
I covered her hand in mine. “You wanna go back out there?”
Mack sat straight up. “Yeah, that sounds good. But not back to the party.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I’ve had enough of that for one night.”
I furrowed my brow. “Then…?”
“Can you take me home?”
“I can do that.” I took her hand and we both stood up. Mack was a little unsteady - the alcohol was still hitting her. “My place is close by, you can sleep it off there, sound good?”
“Yes.” Mack said, then thought more about it. She smiled wide. “Yes, that sounds like a great idea.”
Ooof, now I was in trouble. A happily tipsy, beautiful woman that I worked with, and in a way, for, and she was dressed to the nines and coming to my place.
“One thing, Hudson.”
“Yes?”
“Can we leave by the side exit? I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”
“Sure thing, Mack, no problem.”
“Then lead on,” she said, her eyes closed as she found her balance.
I started walking, in the opposite direction from where we came, guessing there was an exit we could use. When we passed the room where the confrontation with Steve had occurred, I gripped Mack’s hand a little tighter, and I smiled when she squeezed back.
The room was empty - Steve had
“Oh yeah, Brad, uh, Lowry,” I said, reading off the name tag on the desk, “probably won’t mind that we’re hiding in his office.”
Mack chuckled. “No, I don’t think he’ll find out after all.”
I put my hand on her knee, softly. “You’re sure you’re OK? I don’t know what to do in a situation like this.”
“Yes, Hudson, I’m fine, thank you for asking.” She closed her eyes. “Can we change the subject?”
“We sure can.” All I knew about was football, and for some reason I didn’t want to talk about that just now. “How’s your father been, these last few weeks?”
The look of gratitude on Mack’s face at the change was visible. “He’s alright, you know how it is, you lose someone and you take it hard.”
“Yeah. We haven’t seen him around the facility in weeks.”
Mack smiled sadly. “Yeah, he’s been mostly holed up in his house, mostly in the library. He really misses her.”
“I can imagine. They were together…30 years?”
“35 years, yeah.”
“That’s a long time.”
“My father would say it wasn’t long enough by half. And as he’s said before, he’d give a billion dollars to have one more hour with her.”
And John Mayfield could easily afford that billion dollars. “It must be hard for you, too, Mack, losing your mother like that.”
Despite the subject matter, Mack’s face was all strength. “Yeah, it’s been tough,” she whispered, “but I get through the days. Work helps.”
“Yeah, when my father passed away a few years back I threw myself into the season and didn’t think about anything but football till it was over.”
“I remember that year,” Mack said. “You made the All Star game.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I did.” It had been one of the highlights of my career, and though it had been borne of such sadness, I was incredibly proud of it.
“My father was so happy when that happened. He always loved having you on the team.”
That warmed my heart. John Mayfield had always been a quiet man and often it had been tough to know how he felt about a certain player. Only in the last couple years had I realized that the only reason I had managed to stay a Patriot my entire career was because John had appreciated my performance and everything else along with it.
“He took a chance on me, a long time ago, and I’ve never been able to thank him enough for that.” I said, my voice losing stability as I tried to get the words out.
Now it was Mack’s turn to put her hand on my knee. “It’s OK, Hudson.” She smiled. “He knows.”
I covered her hand in mine. “You wanna go back out there?”
Mack sat straight up. “Yeah, that sounds good. But not back to the party.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I’ve had enough of that for one night.”
I furrowed my brow. “Then…?”
“Can you take me home?”
“I can do that.” I took her hand and we both stood up. Mack was a little unsteady - the alcohol was still hitting her. “My place is close by, you can sleep it off there, sound good?”
“Yes.” Mack said, then thought more about it. She smiled wide. “Yes, that sounds like a great idea.”
Ooof, now I was in trouble. A happily tipsy, beautiful woman that I worked with, and in a way, for, and she was dressed to the nines and coming to my place.
“One thing, Hudson.”
“Yes?”
“Can we leave by the side exit? I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”
“Sure thing, Mack, no problem.”
“Then lead on,” she said, her eyes closed as she found her balance.
I started walking, in the opposite direction from where we came, guessing there was an exit we could use. When we passed the room where the confrontation with Steve had occurred, I gripped Mack’s hand a little tighter, and I smiled when she squeezed back.
The room was empty - Steve had
Similar Books
