Overtime

6

I finally headed back to my car around six. I signed a year's contract with May and gasped when I saw my salary. Almost double what I made at the college, and I had free will to take whatever pictures I wanted.

I wore a smile almost too big for my mouth. I am going to love this job. I just had to break the news to Vanderbilt that I could no longer work for them.

Five days a week I'd be able to spend with my camera. And I get great perks, which my friends will love.

I put the exit doors open and breathed as I stepped into the parking lot. "Julia," a voice says. I jump, turning to face the voice.

Miles pushes off the wall, walking towards me. I bite my lip as I take him in. He's showered, and he's unfortunately in dry clothes. At least his hair is still wet. "How'd you know I was here?"

"Not every day we have a hot chick on the field."

I blush, "I didn't know people were watching me."

"Talk of the locker room."

I look at him wide-eyed, "Miles, please tell me you're joking." I didn't think he saw me. I didn't think anyone saw me. I didn't make eye contact with any of them. No one spoke to me besides the other photographers.

He chuckles, "What are you doing now?"

He's asking me what I'm doing. I'm going to throw up. "Going home."

"You wanna grab dinner?"

My heart is going to explode. I wish I knew how red my face was now. "Where?"

"Do you like Chipotle?"

I tuck my hair behind my head, "I love Chipotle."

"You wanna ride with me? I'll bring you back here after." I bite my lip and nod. "Alright then, let's eat." The girls are going to flip out. I need to tell them, or else Amber may think I died.

Miles leads me to his very expensive-looking truck. It was blacked out, and I have to remind myself he makes millions a year. He will probably laugh if he sees my Honda CRV with the giant key scrape down the side, courteous of the girl my ex-boyfriend was cheating on me with. She thought she was Carrie Underwood.

He opens the door for me, and I almost push him up against the truck and kiss him. The fantasies won't stop.

I set my camera bag in the back seat, looking around his car for hints of a woman. I see nothing. There is hardly a speck of dirt in here. The only trash is a half-drunk water bottle in the cup holder.

He begins to drive to a Chipotle, which is different from the one I go to. I keep forgetting he's a celebrity. "Do people bother you when you go to eat?"

He shrugs, "I try to go to the same places so they are used to seeing me. Most of the time, people don't notice. I don't think most people around here are hunting for football players. They want a country singer."

"If I'll be honest, I didn't really even know Nashville had an NFL team. I never hear about you. I usually just watch the Eagles and teams like that."

"What do you think this giant stadium was used for then?"

I laugh, "I don't know. Soccer?"

He puts his hand over his heart, "That kind of hurts, you know."

"Don't worry, my world will now revolve around the Titans."

He smirks, "So you're gonna work at the stadium?"

"Well, they made an offer I couldn't refuse. Made my old job seem quite pathetic. Thank you, by the way, for the idea."

"Good. I'll enjoy being able to see you." My heart.

"Apparently, so will everyone else," I grumble, and he laughs.

We pull into Chipotle, and only two cars are in the parking lot. When we walked in, the workers stared at Miles for a second too long before returning to work. When we get to the counter to order, a younger guy comes to greet him, "Hey, Miles. Good to see you. You want you usual?"

He nods, "Yes, please," he looks at me, "and whatever she wants." He's paying for me. Is this a date?

I don't notice how close we are until our eyes meet, "thank you." His arm wraps around my back and rests on my shoulder, slightly squeezing it before letting go. His touch. I've never felt anything like it. I didn't want him to stop touching me. But he did. I suddenly wish we were still in his truck, imagining him touching me.

I sat across from him at a table in the corner after we received our food. He makes me nervous. "Am I going to get in trouble for being seen with you?"

He thinks for a moment, "Honestly, I have no clue. They never said we couldn't."

"You don't normally take the photographers out to dinner?"

His cheeks turn pink, and he laughs, "Good one." He sips his drink, "You know I really enjoy hanging out with you."

Now, I'm the one who blushes, "It feels easy talking to you. Maybe it was because I told you I wanted to watch you strip the first time I laid my eyes on you."

"Well, you truly know how to make a first impression. Couldn't stop thinking about that for days."

"I tend not to think when I drink alcohol. Which is probably a bad thing."

"I like your honesty." He stares at me deeply as I try to calm my heart rate down, "What are you thinking about?" I take a deep breath, looking down at the table to gather my strength to look back at him. "Don't be shy now, Julia."

I suck in my bottom lip. No way I'm telling him that I'm wondering if this is a date. Too soon. Way too soon. Make something up. Damn it, Julia, speak. "I'm thinking about what you'd truly look like on a stage now that I've seen you in your tight practice gear." He leans back in his seat, shocked at my words. "What are you thinking about?"

He crosses his arms, staring at my breasts through my tight blouse, "What you'd look like only in a bra and panties." Oh my God. I'm melting. I don't even know how to respond. My mouth opens, but no words come out. He clears his throat, "I should take you back so you can go home."

"Okay," I squeak out. Why so quiet now, Julia? You don't like when a man flirts with you? You aren't the only one who can flirt. He makes me nervous. He doesn't know how wet I am for him. I wish he knew I liked it when he talked dirty to me.

We cleaned up our trash and walked back to his truck. We climb in, and I think of anything to talk about. "Where do you live?"

"I live outside of Nash. I've got some land near Greenbrier. It's about twenty minutes from town."

"Are you from here?"

"I'm from Knoxville. I played at Tennessee for college. Did you go to school?"

"I went to Vanderbilt."

He looks at me with an annoyed look, "Really? Vanderbilt?"

I laugh, "Full ride."

"Fair, but Vandy annoys the absolute shit out of me. Do your folks live here, too?"

"No, they moved to Murfreesboro after I graduated high school. The city got too crowded."

He pulled back into the stadium parking lot, and I almost groaned. I didn't want to leave him. He was so nice to talk to. "I'm assuming that's your car?" The only one in the parking lot.

"Yeah, don't judge. I plan on getting a new one soon."

He laughs, "Yeah, I just got this. I drove my Chevy until it wouldn't work anymore." He pulls up next to my Honda. I grab my camera bag out of the back seat. His hand caresses my arm as I turn around, "I had a great time, Julia. See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow, Miles."