Tripping Kennedy

LA Bar

KENNEDY

A few weeks had passed since I left Nash at the airport in Texas. I'd watched his game before we both had to leave to go our separate ways. Back to our destinations. On separate coasts.

I hated it.

That Saturday night in Dallas had been a little strained after Ruby Roe's performance, but we worked through it during the night. I admit that I had more to drink that night than I'd had in a long time. All my insecurities had made themselves known, but the fact that I finally took a stand had helped both my self-confidence and aroused Nash. He seemed to really enjoy the fact that I'd publicly claimed him.

Nash had played better in Dallas than he had in many of the prior games. I was so proud of him and so excited to be able to watch him play live again, even if it was just for one game. He ended the game with three goals and one assist and was named as the game's MVP. The difference in the way he played to the week before was substantial. It was to the point where his coaches even acknowledged the difference.

"Keep playing like that, Reed," they had instructed, "and we'll win this year."

Nash and I had traveled together to the airport and spent some time alone in the corner of some important travel lounge while the remaining Empires players spent time talking, reading, resting, or playing games on their phones.

"Babe," Nash had said and placed my hand over his heart, over his lucky clover tattoo. I knew what he meant. It was for me. He had played for me, his good luck charm. I had cried silently into his arms, while he held me close against him and placed soft kisses over my hair. There was nothing else to be said.

LA was the same as it'd been before my weekend in Dallas. Cory and I and most of our team had put in a ridiculous amount of time at the office ever since I got back from Texas. In addition, I spent many hours at the hotel room reviewing, organizing, and re-organizing everything to make sure we got back on track so that everything was progressing the way it should. The faster we got done, the faster I got back to New York.

The first commercials were released the Friday I met Nash in Dallas. They were a huge success. Several companies had reached out to us after that, looking to make contributions for equipment, or willing to lend a hand. Lance had even heard from a couple of other California cities that were interesting in running similar programs. He'd told me that if those deals went through, I'd be the one in charge of those programs as well. As much as I wanted to finish up and go back to Nash, that would be a ridiculously huge promotion for me. One that would be difficult to turn down.

I truly enjoyed the exposure the project was getting. Especially the fact that we'd be helping out and letting kids that may never have gotten an opportunity to participate in sports do so, while meeting and engaging with some of the top athletes in the country. It was a rewarding feeling and made me proud of the work I'd done. It was however getting harder and harder to be so far away from Nash and my friends. I felt like all I did was work, go for runs, sleep and start over. Oh, and drink coffee of course. Cory and I spent a ridiculous amount of time and money at Lydia's with Dylan making us coffee.

The media was well aware that Nash and I had been separated for a while. They'd been quiet for the first couple of weeks, but then it had picked up. Luckily for me, the focus was on Nash. The paparazzi didn't seem to know the exact reasons we were apart, but that only seemed to make them even more curious. I had tried my best to stay off all social media and avoid gossip on the news as much as I could, but I was neither blind nor deaf. I'd seen some of the pictures that were posted of Nash surrounded by beautiful girls after some hockey game. And of him having a beer at a bar that I recognized as O'Reilly's with Mitchell, but of course, there was some gorgeous bimbo next to him.