Present Day
689 Words
Present Day
I stepped off the plane at Denver International Airport and walked to the baggage claim carousel. Landing in Denver was different when I was on my way home. When I was with the team, traveling to whichever state we were going to play next, the airports were like hotels; nothing like home. This time, DIA was my last stop before Laramie. The last stop before I saw my mom.
My phone rang, and I smiled when my mom’s name flashed on the screen.
“The flight was perfectly on time, but you knew that,” I said with a grin after answering.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on the website,” my mom admitted.
I chuckled. “Baggage claim, rental car, and a two hour drive, and I’m home. Not long now. I’ll call you as soon as I leave.”
“Be safe. God knows those cars you rent are nothing but a temptation.”
I laughed. “See you soon, Mom. Love you.”
I hung up. She was right. The cars I rented were a temptation to speed and go mad. But I had the money, and I had the taste, so there was no reason not to get the best of the best. And I wanted something spectacular.
My bag was one of the first out on the carousel, and I picked it up. It was a nice change to travel without my football gear. I had a whole month off where I didn’t need to worry about anything. Football was on hold, and I could relax.
After landing a football scholarship at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, my whole life had changed. Football had always been my dream, but being a professional player for the Florida Sharks had given me a name that the world knew now.
I was Bradley Williams, tight end for the Sharks, and my future was bright. At least, that was what all the papers said about me. And I had learned a long time ago that the papers didn’t lie. They twisted the truth sometimes, they left out facts, but they didn’t lie.
So, it had to be true; I was a star.
The last six years had gone by in a blur, and I had seen so much of the country that I had never seen before. My life in Laramie before I had become “someone” was inconsequential now, nothing more than the route I had taken to get where I was now.
The only reason I went back to Laramie at all was to see my mom. She was my number one fan. She supported me no matter what, believing in me when no one else did, not even me. She had been my rock and my strength, and I was looking forward to seeing her again. She was the family I went home to at the end of the season.
I found the rental car offices. The agent that I had spoken to over the phone was star struck, blubbering over me. He was tall and reedy, and after he handed me my keys, he cleared his throat.
“Can I bother you for an autograph? I’m not even going to lie and say it’s for my kid. I’m such a fan.”
I didn’t roll my eyes or groan. I wasn’t rude. I smiled politely and nodded because to me it was a scribble, but I could make his day. He produced a photo of me where I had caught a high ball against the Jets, the first time the world had noticed me, and I wrote my name with black marker in the corner.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Williams,” the agent said when I handed the photo back to him.
“Brad is fine.”
He beamed. I knew that to fans I was a big f*****g deal, but to myself, I was still Brad Williams from Laramie, Wyoming. Even though I had to admit it felt good to be a star.
I picked up my bag, and walked to the rental car. It was an Audi R8, and I whistled through my teeth. It was almost as fantastic as the latest Aston Martin I had just bought myself.
“Oh, yeah,” I said, easing into the leather seats. “This is what I’m talking about.”
This was when it was f*****g great to be a star.
Chapter 4
- Writer
