7. Chapter 7

seven

Will

W hen Sunday arrived, I was a ball of nerves. The mix of anticipation and anxiety gave me a stomachache as my breakfast sat like a rock in my gut. Nathan had been texting me multiple times a day, to say good morning, ask how I was doing, and tell me how excited he was for our date. I loved the attention, but I couldn’t help being worried he was more into coming to a game than time with me.

The root of my trepidation would be answered in a few hours.

“Wilson, what’s got your panties in a wad?” My coworker, Maury, interrupted my spiraling thoughts and I realized I’d been staring at the giant screen over the stadium without seeing it for a while..

Maury was my former boss who I was now on equal footing with, and always had a way with words. I was pretty sure Maury was only a decade older than me, but he talked like an octogenarian.

“Classy,” I teased. Honestly, it was less crude than most of what was overheard in the stadium. We had a Human resources department, but they had bigger fish to fry with the players and team management. “Probably my big dick twisting my panties up,” I replied in kind, leaving my spot at the opening of the tunnel and walking into the stadium hallway under the stands.

“You still didn’t answer, Wilson,” Maury pointed out, following me towards the storage area where I kept my tools and fertilizer under lock and key.

While Maury was occasionally grumpy, always complaining about paying for his three kids to go to college or his wife’s gossiping, I did consider him a friend. He knew me when I first started working at the Seals, and had barely batted an eye when I came out and started transitioning. I was always Wilson to him.

“I’ve got a…” I paused in my explanation. Nathan said it was a date, but that remained to be seen. “…Friend coming today.”

“Friend, huh?” Maury asked and pumped his bushy eyebrows under the brim of his ever-present Seals cap. I’d lost some hair since going on T, but Maury had nothing left. “A special friend?”

“Hush,” I shoved at his arm and locked up the storage space. I did not need the whole staff knowing about Nathan before halftime. “You’re the gossip in your marriage, I swear.”

A text buzzed my pocket and I checked my smart watch to see Nathan had let me know he was arriving.

“Psh, I’ve got nothing on Karen,” Maury hedged, following me towards the guest entrance where I told Nathan to meet me. “You’re really not going to tell me?”

It wasn’t that I wanted to hide my sexuality, I’d told Maury I wasn’t into women back when he thought I was a butch lesbian, but I’d never brought a guy to work before. Maybe this was a bad idea for a first date? At least we wouldn’t be alone.

“Nathan will be on the field before the game, you can meet him, I guess,” I shrugged. “But right now you should go find someone to boss around so I can show him around for a few minutes.”

“I see, so he is that kind of friend,” Maury pumped his eyebrows again and smirked under his thick mustache. “You better find me so I can get the measure of this guy.”

“What, are you my dad now?” I shoved him again, wanting to open the door to see if Nathan found the right spot.

“Ha, you left me wide open for a dirty joke there,” Maury coughed to cover his laugh and I closed my eyes to pray he didn’t say his intrusive thoughts out loud. “I’m not going to touch that one with a ten-foot pole.”

When I reopened my eyes, it was to find Maury walking backwards with a shit-eating grin and two-fingered salute. I flipped him off and took a deep breath before opening the door.

Waiting in the bright midday sun, I found Nathan leaning against the wall. He looked even hotter in black denim and a gold Seals jacket, with sunglasses hiding his eyes. I licked my lips and finally remembered to speak when the corner of his lips lifted in a grin.

“Hi, you made it. You came,” I added like an idiot. “I mean, of course you did. You texted me.”

“I came,” Nathan repeated, and he didn’t sound stupid. More husky and like he wanted to say those words in a different context. Blood rushed to my face and dick at the same time and I felt lightheaded until he added, “Security guard was friendlier after I showed my ID.”

“Oh, shit, did Bob give you trouble?” I stepped forward and put my hand on his arm, hoping Bob didn’t do his usual overzealous frisking.

“No, he was cool,” Nathan gave me another smile and I felt a shiver run through me at having his undivided attention.

If anyone was going to feel Nathan up tonight, I wanted it to be me. Damn, I wasn’t usually so forward, even in my thoughts. Something about Nathan had me wanting to claim him… And with that possessive thought, I dropped my hand and stepped back to unlock the side door again.

“Let me show you onto the field before I have to get back to work,” I held the door open for him and he slipped by me close enough to smell. I took in his spicy scent, wondering what it was. An aftershave seemed unlikely with his full beard, so maybe cologne?

“You’re amazing for inviting me to do this,” Nathan thanked me while taking in the back tunnel. “This is so cool.”

As over the top as the team was on camera and in the locker room, the inner-workings looked similar to any building. I loved working here, and it was fun to see through fresh eyes. Everything was industrial, though painted in the team colors of black and gold, but it was the novelty he was referring to more than the sites.

“How long have you worked for the team?” Nathan asked as we approached the tunnel to go out on the field.

“Twelve years,” I answered, handing him the field pass I almost forgot he needed to wear. “Don’t take this off or they’ll cart you away when I’m not looking.”

“Got it,” Nathan chuckled and rushed to put the lanyard on.

The music was starting to get louder as we made our way outside. Nathan looked up in awe, and I watched him. He pointed out how big it all looked and grabbed onto my arm in excitement when he saw one of the coaches chatting with the general manager. Nathan felt warm through my long-sleeved shirt and I wanted him to touch a whole lot more, but he removed his hand and looked surprised to find it there.

“Oh, sorry.” I wasn’t sure why Nathan was apologizing until he leaned closer, “You’re at work, I should probably keep my hands to myself until after the game.”

Fuck, he was considerate while riling me up. I’d never had anyone but family and friends come while I was working, and they were all comfortable touching me without asking. But this was a whole new situation.

“Uh, yeah,” I agreed, though I didn’t want to. “Probably for the best.”

Leading him to the roped-off area where people with sideline passes could watch warmups, I bit my lip and handed him the ticket for his seat to use during the game. “You can’t stay here the whole game, so whenever you want to sit or go into the stadium for food and stuff, this is your seat.”

“Okay,” Nathan nodded and tucked the tickets into his back pocket. “You said you’re on duty for an hour after?”

“At least,” I admitted. “You don’t have to stick around and wait, though.”

“Hey, I’m here to see you,” Nathan took my hand as the crowd around us started yelling at the introduction of Seals players onto the field. He got close enough to speak right into my ear, “Take as long as you need. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Swallowing hard enough that Nathan could track the movement, I had to force myself to let his hand go and walk away. And it was a good thing there weren’t any turf emergencies during the game, because I walked around in a haze, constantly seeking Nathan on the home team's side in his seat.

When I found him waiting for me in the exact spot I’d left him over four hours before, Nathan didn’t look bored or distracted. Despite the professional football players being interviewed by famous TV personalities only a few feet away, he only had eyes for me.

He answered my question of his intentions, and the rock in my stomach turned into butterflies as I marched straight up to him. I didn’t bother playing coy. I took his hand in mine and led him away. I wasn’t usually the kind to kiss on the first date, but damned if I wasn’t hoping to change what I considered my normal behavior for Nathan.