His Leading Lady by Jean Joachim Page B

her. She nodded. “I guess we have more in common
that I thought.” He kissed her,then started the motor and put the
car in gear.
    About an hour after they arrived back at
Mark’s place, Megan called to say she wasn’t coming home. Mark
screamed at her, and she hollered back and hung up. He poured a
shot of scotch and downed it. Penny came up behind him and massaged
his shoulders.
    “Megan wasn’t a very popular girl in college.
She didn’t date much. Always had her nose in a book.” Mark ran his
hand through his hair.
    “Unlike you, right?”
    “Yeah. So, she doesn’t know how to handle
casual sex. I don’t want her to get hurt. Harley’s not looking for
anything more than a one-night stand. Meg’s not that kind of
girl.”
    “I understand. I know you love her, but you
can’t keep her under glass. Someday, she’ll get hurt, but she’ll
get over it. Didn’t you ever get your heart broken?”
    “Not really. I was the captain of the
football team in high school and college. I could date anyone I
wanted.”
    “You mean screw anyone you wanted.”
    “Almost. Yeah.” He leaned forward.
    “What if you’re wrong about Harley?” She
moved closer, digging her fingers hard into his tight muscles.
    “You think he’s gonna fall for her?”
    “You think she’s pretty special.”
    “She is. Smartest person I know. Nicest too,
except for you.”
    “Maybe Harley’ll feel the same.”
    “Maybe. He’d better not hurt her.”
    She bent her head to kiss his neck. “Hey,
handsome, how ’bout me? Am I chopped liver?”
    “Hell, no. You’re the finest, tenderest filet
mignon ever,” he said, returning the kiss. Standing, he grabbed
Penny, lifting her up into his arms. “Time for bed.” He carried her
into the bedroom and closed the door.

Chapter Five
     
    Megan’s visit seemed to fly by. Harley spent
more time with them than Mark would have liked, but he did seem
genuinely attached to Meg. He even showed up at the airport to kiss
her goodbye, despite Mark’s objection.
    In just six weeks, Penny and Mark had become
inseparable. They settled into a routine. When she wasn’t shooting
late, they’d be together. Penny cooked, or Mark took her out.
Sometimes, on nights with favorite television programs, they’d
order in. Most evenings they retired early to make love. The sheets
on his bed rarely cooled. Mark had never been happier.
    His calm frame of mind showed on the field,
too. Since Penny had come into his life, his confidence solidified.
He knew who he was, and he drove himself harder and harder toward
perfection, believing in his gut he could make first string. The
harder he worked, the more rattled his competitor became. Convinced
he was starter material, Mark let Darvin Sweetwater’s nasty
comments roll off his back.
    Mark got up happy every morning, whistled a
cheerful tune on the field, and went home to a gorgeous woman
almost every night, overjoyed to be with her. He was comfortable
with Penny—they played board games, did jigsaw puzzles, and shopped
at the grocery store together. He planned to make their
relationship permanent as soon as he got a break. He needed to be
making a first string salary before he made a commitment.
Everything was going so right until, all of a sudden, life went all
wrong.
    The day everything came crashing down on him
was October 8 th , a date he’d never forget. Mark walked
toward the locker room as usual on a Tuesday morning. A couple of
guys were coming out, and when he got closer, he noticed them
glance at him furtively then quickly look away. He wondered what
was going on. Can’t have anything to do with me. My life is
perfect.
    The closer he got to his destination, the
stronger his sense of dread, uneasiness running down his spine. A
couple of guys paled when they saw him and turned away. He whipped
his T-shirt over his head and headed for his locker until he
noticed a bunch of his teammates crowded around something on the
far wall.
    He heard someone mention