Tough Tackle Read online

  I was a bit annoyed that my doctor wasn’t around and was not going to be here for some time. I just hoped Dr. Hill was as good as he is.

  I shrugged and just leaned back, flipping through the magazine without really paying attention.

  After a few more minutes, I wanted to leave already or perhaps go to another doctor in the building. I was getting quite pissed. It wasn’t turning out to be a very good day, after all, despite my supposed winning move during the football game.

  It was a good thing Alice suddenly spoke up. “Mr. Walton, Dr. Hill is in the building now and will see you shortly.”

  I felt a sharp pain in my ankle, as if the injury knew that the doctor was coming. I really had to get this attended to immediately not just to make the pain temporarily go away but also to find out if it really was just a sprain or something else. Furthermore, Coach would want me to report to him at once.

  When would I be able to play football again? I’d probably have to rest for a week or two. The thought actually comforted me. Maybe I needed a break—not to live like a couch potato or anything like that, but to explore something different.

  The door swung open even before I turned. I got up awkwardly on my crutches, eager to have the consultation and physical examination done with.

  The sight that greeted me took my breath away—literally. For a few seconds, I thought it was another patient.

  To my utter astonishment, Dr. Hill was a female doctor. And she didn’t look like any ordinary doctor. With a friendly yet professional smile on her pink moist lips and her golden brown waves cascading past her shoulders, she was absolutely stunning. She was clad in a maroon knee-length dress that partially showed off her well-defined, tanned legs. And she had on a classic white coat with her name embroidered in front: Dr. Georgia Hill, M.D.

  The name seemed to ring a bell in my head, as if I’d encountered it a long time ago. However, looking at this beautiful woman, I don’t think I’ve ever met her before. I wouldn’t have forgotten a face like that.

  Her blue eyes were warm and inviting, locking with mine at once when I stood up. They reflected a tinge of shock at seeing me, which made me wonder if she recognized me somehow. After all, my picture would appear on social media from time to time, unfortunately not in relation to any of my achievements but just in connection to my family’s wealth and fame.

  I was a few inches taller than her, but my big built would no doubt cover her slim figure if she were to hide behind me.

  “Hi,” she greeted. The look of bewilderment was immediately gone. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

  “You’re a woman,” were the first words that came out of my mouth. I wanted to take them back, but they naturally just stumbled out.

  “Ah, yes,” she said slowly, her smile widening. “Is there any problem with that?”

  “No, of course not,” I answered quickly, still not quite recovering. It wasn’t that she was a woman who was going to be my doctor until Dr. Anderson came back. It was more because I found myself actually staring, even admiring her appearance.

  It was both odd and awkward, the way I stood there sort of gaping at her and checking her out at the same time.

  “Just give me a sec and then you can come in,” she said, heading over to the private room inside the clinic. “Alice will let you know when. Thank you.”

  I simply nodded, rendered speechless by her beauty. She was probably around my age, quite young for a SEM specialist.

  When she disappeared behind the door, I took a long, deep breath. Whew. I seem to have it bad.

  After just a minute or so, Alice told me I could go in already. I could feel my bloodstream picking up, rushing to spread heat across my limbs.

  When I laid eyes on her again, I could feel my heart beginning to pound. I was undoubtedly very much attracted to this woman, for some reason I couldn’t explain.

  Dr. Hill was sitting behind her desk, her eyes scanning my file. She looked up when I sat down, her eyes meeting mine. It was slightly intense, and I shifted in my seat before speaking.

  “I’m a professional football player, and I had this injury earlier…” I said, my eyes automatically seeming to memorize every feature of her face.

  She must have found me intense, too, because she suddenly seemed to look a little bit uncomfortable. She leaned backward on her swivel doctor’s chair. “I am aware of it, Mr. Walton. I’ve read your file and apparently a medic had also called in to report your injury. How are you feeling now?”

  “Intense,” I murmured, then immediately realized what I’d just said. My eyes widened, ruining my playing-it-cool demeanor. “I mean, the pain’s really intense. It was earlier, but not anymore.”

  Damn. I wasn’t myself, definitely.

  “Okay, but it’s a good thing you stayed off it the past hour. You really should not apply any pressure on it for now as much as possible.” She stood up then and went around her desk to where I was seated. “Let’s take a look at it, Mr. Walton.”

  “Please call me Drake,” I said.

  She paused for a while, as if she was contemplating on it. The expression on her pretty face was unreadable. Then all of a sudden, she just smiled and motioned for me to go over to the examination bed.

  I shuffled toward it, kind of pissed that I had to meet a lovely woman in this kind of situation. I pushed away that thought as I struggled a bit to bring myself up.

  “May I?” she said, coming forward to offer her assistance. I nodded, anticipating her touch.

  She leaned so close to me I could smell her perfume, adding to the desire building up inside me. She helped me up to a lying down position on the bed, the feeling of her skin against mine causing electric shivers to run through my body.

  Afterward, she gently removed the bandage around my ankle. I was quite speechless as I watched her the entire time. She was going on and on about common ankle injuries in sports, but I wasn’t really listening. In my mind, I was running my fingers through her hair, rubbing my thumb along her luscious-looking lips.

  At that very moment, all thoughts and worries had left me. I’d completely forgotten about my dad. All I could focus on was her touch and how much she affected me.

  “Drake,” she called my attention.

  “Uh, what was that again?” I asked awkwardly.

  There was a twinkle of amusement in her eyes, but perhaps I’d only imagined it. “Does it hurt here?” she asked while pressing gently on a portion near my ankle. I honestly don’t remember how many times she’d been asking me. My mind had drifted far.

  “It stings a bit,” I told her.

  She went on to explain some more medical stuff before calling in an x-ray technician to assist me in the other room, which was also part of the spacious clinic.

  Dr. Anderson had been my doctor since college. He’s actually a good friend of my parents, and was the best in the medical arena of sports and exercise within Windfield. But from the looks of it, Dr. Hill would surely give him a run for his money. Besides, she was beauty and brains rolled into one.

  I’d be a fool not to admit that I wanted her around for long. Whatever it was that Dr. Anderson was attending to, I’m hoping he’s not going to be able to come back soon.

  CHAPTER 4

  GEORGIA

  Alice had briefed me on the patient while I was on the way to the hospital. When I’d gotten her text message, I’d immediately dropped what I was doing at home to come over at once. She had mentioned it was a high profile client who shouldn’t be kept waiting, but she’d failed to mention the name.

  Imagine my shock when I came face to face with the boy my parents and I were just discussing earlier. He’s now a grown man, of course, but I would never be able to erase his teenage appearance from my memories. The agonizing recollection of prom night had seared itself solid onto my brain.

  To make matters worse, I had to actually touch him. I was, after all, a SEM doctor. His SEM doctor. It’s what I do.

  I paced back and forth in my office as
I waited for him to return from the x-ray procedure. A part of me wanted to reveal my identity, to remind him of how he’d humiliated me on what was supposed to be an unforgettable evening of my high school senior year. But what good would that do?

  It’s just to appease my hurt ego, I told myself. For me, it was enough to see the shock on his face when he realizes that the nerdy girl he’d picked on was now a whole lot different. Someone he would never be able to stomp on again, even if he was filthy rich.

  I was pacing toward the door of my office when it suddenly opened. I stepped back instinctively and seemed to lose my balance for a while. He reacted at once, placing one arm around my waist to steady me. But the sudden movement had caused one of his crutches to drop, which made him lurch forward unexpectedly toward me. Luckily, the bed was right behind me, stopping our ultimate fall from happening. That would have been extremely embarrassing.

  I was able to regain my balance, but not before feeling his body pressed onto mine and taking a whiff of his manly scent. Not before I got to admire his striking features.

  After the minor incident, we brushed it off awkwardly, uttering our apologies. But I was already perplexed, at times losing myself in the powerful gaze of his deep gray eyes. I found myself getting distracted by the way strands of his sandy blond hair would fall onto his eyes every now and then.

  “Are you… okay, Dr. Hill?” he asked at one point. We were actually trying to have a casual conversation while waiting for the x-ray results, but it seemed to be going off in all directions.

  “Yes, sorry,” I said. “I was saying you ought to be extra careful on the field. I mean, if that’s actually possible for a football player.”

  “You’ve never watched football?” he asked in surprise.

  “Uhm, maybe bits and pieces, but not an entire game.”

  “I see,” he said, a faint smile playing on his lips. “That’s a little strange for a doctor who decided to specialize in sports and exercise.”

  “Well… not really,” I answered, glad that he seemed to be relaxing with me. There was less tension in the air. Sort of.

  “What sports are you into then?” he wanted to know, leaning forward and surprisingly making my heart beat fast.

  “I… I’m a fitness buff, actually,” I admitted. “It started when I entered medicine school. My way of keeping healthy amidst all the late nights, strong coffee, snacking, and stress.”

  “Yeah, must be tough,” he agreed. “So you’re not involved in any sport?”

  “Running, if you could consider it a sport,” I answered. “I’m not into contact sports, but I’ve developed a liking for treating people who get injured doing them.”

  He actually chuckled. Quite rare. Even in high school, he was the brooding, mysterious type who hardly smiled.

  A knock came on the door. I was suddenly reminded of why we were here in the first place. He was my patient, so I had to act professionally and just do my job.

  After explaining the results, I told him, “Congratulations, Drake. You’ve got an ankle sprain. Consider yourself lucky.”

  “Wow,” he said in a sarcastic tone. “How long before I can play again?”

  “Ten days to be safe,” I told him. “But do see me after a week. I’ll give you a prescription now, though…” I took out my pad and began scribbling. “Let me know if there’s any problem or concern. Just give me a call.”

  “I will,” he promised, still looking like his usual serious self.

  He didn’t make an attempt to stand up to leave, so I went first. I extended my hand automatically, and when he shook it, I felt a teeny bit of electricity shoot up my arm. “Thank you for coming, Mr. Walton. Take care of yourself.”

  He gave me a smile. Another rare moment. It made his gray eyes light up, which immediately grabbed my attention. I didn’t say anything.

  “It was a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Georgia Hill,” he said, gazing at me with no indication whatsoever that he had any clue who I really was.

  “Same here,” was all I said.

  He was hesitant, but he eventually turned around to leave. I slumped onto my chair, heaving a sigh of relief when he was finally gone.

  But I’ll be hearing from him again, of course. I’ll be seeing more of him, for sure. It gave me a thrill somehow, but at the same time, I dreaded it, too. Only two days back in my hometown, and already my past was catching up fast.

  CHAPTER 5

  DRAKE

  The booze was already in full blast when I got to my house. I was greeted by a bunch of my teammates who were all holding bottles of imported, expensive beer.

  I couldn’t believe my dad had actually organized this and was tolerating such in his own house.

  Before I could even locate him, I was sidetracked by a couple of bulky Warriors who were proudly wearing their jackets. They had some skanky women with them, none of whom I recognized.

  “Hey, Drake!” one of them called out. “Where’ve you been? We’ve been having so much fun, thanks to your cool, super rich dad.”

  I didn’t comment on that, of course. Weren’t they surprised that it was only now that they’d encountered my father? Perhaps it’s just not a concern for them, as long as they were having plenty of fun—for free.

  “Did you see him?” I simply asked.

  “Who? Mr. Walton?” the other one said. Then he pointed to my father’s private office. “He’s waiting for you, I think.”

  Without another word, I stormed through the crowd as fast as I could, given my condition, my mood rapidly changing. Along the way, I saw a few good friends chatting and enjoying the lavish buffet that had probably been prepared by our own in-house chef.

  When I finally reached the white luxurious door of my father’s office, I turned the knob without knocking. He immediately looked up from the screen of his desktop computer.

  A wide smile spread across his face. “Drake, son!” he greeted, standing up and heading over to where I had halted. “Did you see Dr. Anderson?”

  “He’s not there. Someone else took his place.”

  “Really?” He seemed surprised at first, and then something dawned on him. “Oh, perhaps he has finally traveled to Asia to take care of his family business matters. So who’s the new doctor? I hope he’s just as excellent.”

  “She seems to be,” I answered curtly.

  “Hhhmmm… a woman… interesting…”

  I wanted to get straight to the point. “What’s this all about, Dad? Why are you doing this? Why did you even come to the football game today?”

  He raised a hand to silence me. He was still the business tycoon I knew. “Hold on, son. Can’t it just be about a father who wants to see his son play football?”

  I actually gave out a snort. Yeah, right, I wanted to say. He’s lucky I still had some manners. “Tell me the truth. What do you need from me?”

  He paused for a few seconds and then sighed. “Okay, you got me,” he finally said. “It’s a business move, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t want to see how my son’s doing. I hardly know you anymore.”

  “That’s not my fault, is it?” I said sarcastically, not being able to hold back any longer.

  He frowned. “It’s not fair, Drake. You know how it is running a business empire. And that’s why I wanted to see how you’re doing. If football is really what you want to do for the rest of your life, then so be it. I want to see for myself that you’re happy and fulfilled.”

  I was listening, but not responding. I waited for him to go on.

  He leaned back on his desk and folded his arms across his chest. Looking at me intently, he went on. “From what I’ve seen, you have the talent. But football doesn’t make you happy.”

  “How would you know that from watching me play one game?!” I demanded.

  “I’ve watched several others in the past,” he countered. “And I’ve caught a couple of TV coverages.”

  “So what are you implying?” I asked. I was admittedly curious. He’d long given up on trying to
push me into business. It seemed to me the winds were changing.

  “Get involved in our business, Drake,” he said. “You have it in your blood. I know you’ll make a fine businessman.”

  I was silent. He watched me for a while before walking toward a nearby closet, opening it, and bringing out a bottle of red wine. He took out two wine glasses and poured some for both of us.

  “Think about it, at least,” he urged, extending a glass of wine for me.

  I took it and downed the content with one big gulp. I shrugged. “Whatever,” I muttered. “Why are you even asking?”

  “I figured I’m not getting any younger. Your mother, too, has been complaining of health concerns, due to the daily grind of our business. And your older sister has gone on to become a full-time housewife in another country…”

  “So?”

  He stepped forward and looked at me earnestly. “Son, I don’t want to lose this business. I built it from the bottom up—for my children and future grandchildren. If you don’t want to help me or yourself, at least think of what this business can do for your future family. Think of the thousands of employees that rely on us.”

  I was somehow taken aback, as I pictured the many employees I’ve seen during the parties and gatherings I’ve attended in the past. I’ve seen some of them with their kids. I’ve watched some of them get older and get promoted in our company. And I’m even friends with a few of their children.