Chapter Two.

The next four days were a blur.  Lance had been visited by his team mates.  They had brought him the ball.  The one he had caught.  Someone had written the score and date on it, and then it had been signed by all of them.  It was in a plexiglass box on a counter in his room.  A room which now resembled a botanical garden from all the flowers and plants from well wishing fans.  It had gotten to the point that the staff had begun taking the still arriving plants to other less fortunate patients in the hospital.  His girlfriend was not able to see him, she was in Australia filming a movie.  But she had also sent flowers.  She had been emailing him periodically to check on him and to keep his spirits up.  She had even called him a few times, though he was largely unable to talk with all the swelling, his jaws wired shut and wrapped up.  He knew he faced surgery once the swelling subsided.  And he was still dealing with lingering affects from the concussion.

He was laying there watching Sportscenter talk about his Twins.  They were discussing what impact his absence would have on the Twins in their upcoming series with the Braves when some new faces entered his room.  There was an older gentlemen in a white coat, a dark haired woman he would have put at around fifty years old also in a white coat, and a very cute, girl next door type dirty blonde dressed in pink scrubs that appeared around his age, late twenties to early thirties.  They stopped at the foot of his bed.  He flipped the TV off.

The older gentleman was the first to speak.  He looked down and said “Mr. Wilson, I am Dr. Olin.  I am an orthognathic surgeon, and I will be your surgeon.  We will be doing surgery in the morning.  I believe it has all been explained to you.  This is Dr. Miller, she will be your orthodontist.  And this young lady is Megan, she will be your hygienist.”

Dr. Miller, the middle aged woman in the coat and apparently his orthodontist, said “Mr. Wilson, it is a pleasure to meet you, even if under these circumstances.  And while we will have a lot of time to get to know each other, I want to say what a fan I am.  And wow what a catch.  Just unreal.  Just know, we will take the best care of you.  You are in great hands.  And we will get you fixed up and good as new.”  As the trio left, Lance watched Megan.  He realized she had not been given a chance to speak.  He wished she had, he was curious what her voice sounded like.  He bet she sounded sexy.

The next day he woke up groggily from the anesthesia.  He looked around and realized he was in a private recovery room. He saw the younger woman from the previous day sitting in a chair reading a magazine.  He remembered her name was Megan.  Megan whose voice he wanted to hear.  He then remembered he had just had jaw surgery.  His lips felt dry.  He needed something to drink.  He looked over and saw a glass of water with a straw in it beside his bed.  He took the straw out, he hated straws.  He put the glass up to his mouth, where it hit something hard before it got to his lips.  He spilled water all over himself.

Suddenly, there was Megan beside his bed reaching for the glass.  She said “Mr. Wilson!  You are awake.  You surprised me!  Here let me help you.  But you will need a straw.”  She sat the glass down and picked up a towel and dabbed around his mouth and his chest where he spilled the water.  As she dabbed, he cut his eyes down.  What is that sticking out of my mouth he thought?  He looked at Megan confused.  She gave him a big smile, displaying a full set of metal braces.  She said “Mr. Wilson, with your headgear you can’t drink like normal. You will need to use a straw.  Here, let me help you” as she stuck the straw in the glass.  She guided the straw into his mouth and he sucked down the welcome wet liquid.  Once he got a drink she smiled at him sunnily and asked “better?”  He was still confused.  He put his hand up to his mouth and felt a facebow coming out of his mouth.  He felt around more.  He felt a second facebow coming out of his mouth.  He felt the top of his head and felt straps.  He then felt the side of his face and felt some weird plastic contraption with a bunch of elastics coming off it running to the facebows.  He felt the other side of his face and felt the same.  He looked at the woman, whose voice sounded as seductive as he had imagined, and asked “heageah?”

She smiled at him and said “yes!  Headgear.  It is attached to your surgical braces.  To help your jaw heal.”  She read the shock on his face.  She said “it really is for your own good.  And it will only be for 6-8 weeks.  You will forget it is even there eventually.  I know I did!  And I know you will too.  How do you feel?”

Lance looked at her and repeated through his wired jaw “heageah?”

Chapter Four.

The next evening Lance was dozing on his couch in his apartment.  He hadn’t really planned on it, but the prescription painkillers he was on made him drowsy.  And it had been a long day for him.  Getting discharged was humiliating.  Being wheeled out of the hospital in a wheelchair to his agent’s waiting SUV, he had not expected the large crowd that met him at the exit.  There was a huge cheering crowd assembled.  Obviously someone had tipped off someone.  Many had cameras, snapping photos.  He had felt mortified and vulnerable.  He was so self-conscious and embarrassed by the headgear he had to wear.  He had tried to jump into the back of the SUV and the protection it’s darkly tinted windows offered as quickly as possible.

Back at the apartment he kept during the season, his agent Mark had helped him get settled in.  After he had left, Lance was met with a silent emptiness.  It was 1991, before the time of smart phones and social media.  He did have a computer with dial up internet, but he didn’t feel like jumping on there.  And he didn’t feel like trying to hold a conversation on the phone.  Instead, he had simply flipped on the TV.  He had it on ESPN when his own bruised, battered face popped up on it.  But all he could see was the massive headgear he had strapped around his head. Someone had been there filming as the “Hero of the ALDS” was discharged from the hospital to the adulation of his fans.  Cringing, he quickly changed the channel.  He felt like anything but a hero.  He felt like an awkward middle schooler clumsily asking a girl on a first date.  Feeling defeated, he turned the TV off and stretched out on the couch and fell into a fitful sleep.  He was awoken by the ringing of the doorbell and a knocking on his door.

He tried to shake the cobwebs from his head.  He ran his hand down his face, stopping suddenly when he felt the headgear.  “Shit, that’s right, I have headgear.  Stupid, embarrassing headgear.” he thought.  He made his way to the door and looked through the peep.  He saw Megan standing there, her arms full with a box, her purse slung over her shoulder, smiling towards the door.  “God she is cute.  And sexy.” he thought.  And then he remembered she was scheduled to check in on him this evening.  He quickly opened the door.  Despite the condition of his mouth, and the infernal headgear he was wearing, he tried to smile at her.  He tried to sound cheery when he asked “hehoh, can ah hep wi tha?”  She gave him a big shiny smile and said “No!  I’ve got it.  But if you could hold the door for a lady I would appreciate it.”

She took a step forward and suddenly stopped.  She half turned towards him and sheepishly said “I am so sorry.  How rude of me.  Is it ok if I come in?  I have some hygiene products for you.  And some snacks.  Er, shakes.  May I come in?”  He smiled the best he could and joked “doh threatahn me wif a goo time, pleash come in.”

As he followed her in he said “shorry, it’s nothing fanchy.  I jus keep thish place here during the seashon.  Heh, we ah gone on roh haf da time anywah.”  She smiled and said “it’s nice.  Where do you want this?” motioning with her head towards the box.  He pointed towards the little dining nook and said “tahba ish fine.”

After she set the box down, she surprised him by giving him a quick hug.  It was a friend hug, but it was still a hug.  She gave him another smile. God he loved her little bracefaced smile for some reason.  She surprised him again when she asked “so, I guess you spend the off season back home in Arkansas?”  If his jaw had not been wired shut it would have dropped open.  He regained his composure and replied “yesh.  Buh how you know?”  She said “I have been a fan of yours since you played at Arkansas.  Heck, I even tried to model my swing after you.  Even if you did tend to dip your front shoulder on sliders down in the zone.”  Seeing the confused look on his face made her smile even more broadly.  She continued “I was a softball player.  All through high school, and then when I was at Florida, I kept up with your career.  And now, you are here!  In Minneapolis!  Playing for my hometown Twins!  But enough about me.  How about we take a look at that mouth of yours.”  She looked around and asked “how about here at the table?”

After snapping on a pair of latex gloves she looked in his mouth, pulling and prodding somewhat uncomfortably.   He felt like a science experiment.  Or a piece of livestock being judged at the fair.  She had apologized several times when she had noticed him wince.  Once she was done she said “everything looks good.  I imagine you are sore.  And those poor lips of yours.”  She pulled a jar out of the box and unscrewed the lid.   She dipped her fingers in it and said “this will help.”  As she gently applied the salve, it felt like medicated vaseline to Lance, he felt a tingle in his loins.  This was all so intimate.  And she was so adorable.  And she smelled good.  But, he knew she was just doing her job. 

Once she had put the ointment on his lips she asked “better?”  He had simply nodded his head up and down, feeling the hated headgear straps pulling on his hair.  She said “good!  Now, put this on when you wake up in the morning, at lunch, and before bed for the next two weeks.  Now, let me go over what I brought.”

After she was done going through everything, she asked “any questions?”  He shook his head back and forth.  She smiled and said “I knew you would be a quick study!  Now, how about we go to the bathroom?  I will help show you how to brush.  I will do it for you.  So you can see.”  She gathered up several things from the table and said “lead the way sir!”

As he led her through his bedroom towards the bath she squeeled “is that it?  Is that the bat?”  He looked at her confused.  With her free hand she pointed to the aluminum Easton bat that hung on the wall of his bedroom.  She asked “is that the bat you used to beat Texas to win the College World Series?”  He smiled and said “it ish.”  She looked at him, beaming, and said “that is so cool.”  As he led her the rest of the way to the bathroom, he was even more intrigued by this woman.  She was gorgeous.  Adorable.  Sexy.  And she apparently knew baseball.

Once in the bathroom Megan sat her collection of brushes, toothpaste and mouthwash down on the counter.  She looked at him apologetically and said “I am going to go ahead and apologize, but this might be a little uncomfortable, at least as first.  But ya’ got to do it.  Each morning and each evening.  But I will be along with you on the journey to help.  So, let’s get to it.”  As she worked in his mouth, explaining what she was doing, and thus what he would need to do, he felt the earlier stirring in his loins.  And at times, it did hurt.  But for a reason he didn’t understand, he liked it.  Or he liked the fact that Megan was the one who was doing it.  After about ten minutes he looked down at the mess they had made in the sink.  She noticed him looking and said “you are doing SO good.  Just incredible.  And it is a bit of a mess.  And there!  Done.  If you want I can clean this up.”  He gently took her hand and said “I wi hep.”  She turned and looked him in the eyes, her gaze lingering for a moment he noticed, before she said “thank you!  That is sweet.”  Once done, she said “so, that’s it.  Let’s move back to the dining table.  Or the couch.  And I will answer any questions you have.”

Sitting a responsible, professional distance away from Lance, Megan turned her body towards him and said “you are doing SO good.  So much better than I did after my surgery.  Do you have any questions?”

He thought a second.  He was embarrassed to even mention it, despite the fact he was wearing it.  And even worse, video of him wearing it had been broadcast around the world.  But he bit the bullet so to speak and asked “hah do I deal wi thish heageah.  Ish sho embarrashing.  There is no way I can leave this apartment.  How am I supposhed to deal wi thish?”

She looked at him and answered “you are silly.  It is not embarrassing.  No, it is just a medical aid.  If you had knee surgery and had to wear a knee brace, would you refuse to leave your apartment?”  She didn’t give him a chance to answer, instead answering for him “no, of course you wouldn’t.  Thish is no different.  And it is only for six or eight weeks.  When I tore my ACL and had to wear a knee brace for 4 months, 16 weeks, I didn’t hide away. I couldn’t.  And when I had my jaw surgery last year and had to wear headgear for 8 weeks, full time, I didn’t hide away.  I couldn’t.  And you don’t either.”

He looked at her and said “buh thish is different” pointing towards the facebows and straps encircling his head.

She shook her head and said “Lance, every single woman, and half the married ones, in this town would crawl through broken glass just to say hello to you.  Headgear or no headgear.”  She went silent a moment.  She said “hang on, do you mind if I use your bathroom?”  He shook his head and said “nah, go rah ahea.”  She smiled and said “be right back.”  He noticed she grabbed her purse as she went by the dining nook and disappeared into his bedroom.

She returned a few minutes later.  He was shocked when he looked up at her.  Coming out of her mouth were two facebows.  Like he wore.  And wrapped around her head and hugging her pretty face was an Interlandi headgear.  Also like he wore.  Despite her words from earlier, about it being no big deal, he could tell she was a bit self-conscious and embarrassed.  But strangely, it didn’t repulse him.  Instead, the adorable look on her face made him want her more.

She sat back down where she had been sitting earlier.  He could see her force a look of confidence to her face.  Looking at him she said “I had to wear my headgear full time for 8 weeks after my double jaw surgery.  Now, I just have to wear it 12 hours a day.  I wear it at home, I get a lot of my time in when I sleep.  I don’t wear it out in public.  Except I am now.  I am going to wear mine home.  To prove to you that it isn’t the end of the world.  No big deal.”

He scooted over beside her.  He said “thah ish sho shweet.  But pleash doh.  Pleash take it off.”  He could see that this last statement had hurt her feelings.  He said “no, I didn mean it like thah.  You loo incredible.  Sho cute.  I jus doh wah you doin it on my account.”

The hurt look on her face faded and a slight smile came to it.  She said “thank you.  I thought you were saying I was ugly.  I mean, despite talking a good game, I am dying here.  Wearing my headgear in front of Lance Wilson.”  She looked down towards the floor and then back up to him and asked “so you don’t think I look ugly?”

He reached over and put his hand on her arm.  He was in a daze, time had slowed down again.  He shook his head back and forth and said “no, nah ugly.  You are the prettiest, sexiest thing I have ever seen.”

This flustered Megan.  She said “oh…. Goodness…. Thank you… oh gosh…. I need to leave…. Really…. I need to be professional…”. Despite saying this she did not get up.  Instead she remained firmly seated, looking into his eyes.  Feeling the touch of his rough, calloused fingers on her forearm.

He said “no, ya doh have to leave.  I hope ya won’t.  Ya have showed me how to brush.  But I have no idea how to kish wearing thish… thing.  Ish it even possible?”

She softly said “I only know one way to find out” as he leaned in and she closed her eyes.

I second TimeandBrace, really liking it so far.

Chapter Five.

The next day was a hard one for Lance.  He was going stir crazy shut up inside his 3 bedroom apartment.  In addition, despite the pain medication he was on, he had  been dealing with a dull pain through out his whole head the entire day.  Looking at himself in the mirror he realized the swelling was even worse than the day before.  The surgeon had warned him of this, but it was still disconcerting.  He realized the next six weeks were going to be a long six weeks.  And he was hungry, so hungry.  He knew he was getting the nutrients he needed.  But he wanted to bite into a big cheeseburger so badly.  To make things worse, he had spoken with his girlfriend on the phone.  Despite his condition, and his inability to enunciate words, the call had devolved into an argument.  While both had eventually calmed, the call had not ended well.  “What the hell” he thought “today is just a shitty day all the way around.”  The only bright spot in his day had been thinking about Megan.  He didn’t understand it, but there was just something about her he found irresistible.  For the first time that day, he smiled when he heard the doorbell ring at 6 pm.

He didn’t even look through the peep before opening the door.  He found Megan standing there.  She was not wearing scrubs.  Instead, she was wearing an incredibly sexy black dress.  Glancing quickly down at her killer, fit legs he saw she was wearing heels which raised her up a couple of inches from her normal 5’ 6” height, just a little closer to his 6’ 3” eye level.  Her hair was up and she had done her make up.  She was wearing gold earrings and a simple matching gold necklace.  She had a small matching purse slung over her right shoulder.  He thought she looked incredible.  Except for the expression on her face.  She had a very serious, almost dour look on her face.  She looked at him, not speaking or smiling.  A pit formed in his stomach.  He tried to smile and said “you look incredible.”  He then thought about it and realized it was Friday evening.  He thought she probably had plans that he was interfering with.  That was probably why she did not look happy he thought.  He apologized “I am shorry .  I didn’t even think.  It’sh Friday.  And I am pooping your party.  Pleash, go.  I am fine.”

She said “no, that’s not it”. She seemed hesitant to look at him.  He asked earnestly “ish everything ok?”

This broke the flood gate.  She said “Lance, I am so sorry about last night.  So sorry.  It was so unprofessional of me.  You are my patient.  I should have never kissed you.  Well tried to kiss you. The headgear really gets in the way.  Anyway, I know you have a girlfriend.  That actress Kim Daniels.  I am so sorry.  I promise, I will be professional from here on out.  It’s just… well… I am sorry.”

He looked at her, trying to make eye contact with her.  He said “Megan, I am the one that needsh to apologize to you.  I am the one that initiated it.  I put you in that position.  It was wrong of me.  I apologize.  I should not have done it.  Even if it was the best thing that has happened to me.  Even better than winning the American League.”  He watched her face as her expression.changed.

She got a slight closed mouth smile on her face.  She finally looked him in the eyes.  She asked “really?”

He nodded his head and responded “really.”

She asked “but what about your girlfriend?  Kim?  I am not a home wrecker.”

Lance smiled best he could and said “my ex-girlfriend Kim.  We agreed today that our lives are just incompatible.”  He noticed the shocked look on her face.  He said “it isn’t your fault.  And it is ok.  Thish was a long time coming.  I almost feel a sensh of relief.”   He then added “it ish not your fault at all.  But you know, this morning when I was curled up in bed hurting so bad, it wasn’t her that I wished was here to baby me.  This might be out of placsh for me to shay.  And way too early.  But I was thinking of you.”  He stopped and tried to gauge her reaction.  He couldn’t read her.  He continued “You are obviously dressed up to go out.  Again you look shtunning.  And you won’t offend me if you want to leave and go do whatever you have planned.  But, it would make me really happy if you would come in for a few minutes.  To talk.  I am going stir crazy cooped up in here.”

She looked at him and asked again “really?”

He replied “really” as he extended his hand to her.  She took it and followed him into his apartment.

They sat on the couch, sitting close together talking.  Actually, Megan did much of the talking.  He learned a lot about her.  About her childhood, her playing career, her plan and dream of going to dental school.  But what she seemed to avoid was her social or love life.  He finally just asked “so, what about your boyfriend.  What is he like?”

She looked at him confused and blurted out “my boyfriend?  I don’t have a boyfriend.”

Lance feigned shock and asked “what?  How in the world doesh a woman as gorgeoush, charming, funny” he hesitated before adding “and sexy not have a boyfriend.  It doesn’t seem possible.  Are you lying to me?” 

He found her seriousness so cute as she replied “no, really, I don’t!  I am not good at it.  And I am so busy!  Focused on my job.”  She then realized what he had said.  She looked at him and asked “you think I am sexy?”

He smiled best he could.  He looked her in the eyes and said “the sexiest thing I have ever seen.”  He then said “but I don’t want to again put you in an uncomfortable or awkward position.  Even though we are both completely shingle.  And even if all I want, more than I have ever wanted anything, ish to try to kish you again.  Maybe I can redeem myself from lasht night?  But I don’t want to put you in that position.  And you obviously have plans.  You should probably go.  That is if you want to.  Even though I don’t want you to.”

She looked at him.  She said “it just isn’t fair.”

He cocked his head and asked “what ishn’t fair?”

She answered “it just isn’t fair.  Just two days after having surgery.  And still being so swollen.  You are still the hottest man I have ever seen.  And completely irresistible.”  She placed her hand on his arm.  He noticed how soft her hand was.  She said “I want to stay.  But only if things won’t be weird between us.  And please don’t tell my boss Dr. Miller.”  She looked at him questioningly.

He said “I promise thingsh won’t be weird.  And our businesh is our businesh. Not Dr. Miller’sh.”

She said “ok.  But I want to be upfront with you.  I am a pretty traditional and conservative girl.  Just in case you are thinking, um.”

He cut her off and said “good!  Because despite what people might think, I am a pretty traditional guy.  I am not saying I am saving myself for marriage.  But I always want to romance a beautiful woman before… I mean, I am not assuming anything, it’s just that anything worth..”. He realized he was completely butchering this when she gave a little giggle and then gave him a big bracefaced smile.

She gently placed her index finger on his facebows.  She said “you are so adorable.  But shut up, let me say something.”  She removed her finger from his mouth, puckered up her lips and slowly leaned in.

Chapter 7.

Lance woke up to a light snoring in his ear the next morning.  He glanced over at the clock and saw it was 6 am.  He turned carefully, trying not disturb Megan.  She looked beautiful lying there, her messy hair sticking out from under the headgear straps encircling her pretty head, the two shiny facebows protruding from her slightly open mouth.  There was a little drool running out of her mouth, clinging to her lower facebow.  He didn’t know why, but he found even that sexy about her.  Looking at her he was a bit surprised something so angelic looking snored though.  He tried to get out of bed without waking her.  He was propped up on an elbow when he felt her move.  He froze, hoping she would keep sleeping

However, it was too late.  She opened her eyes.  As she rubbed the sleep from them “he said good morning gorgeous.”  She noticed the blinds were still dark.  She squinted at the clock, then asked “wah time ish it?”  As she reached over towards the bedside table he said “it ish 6, I was hoping I could slip out of bed and fix you breakfasht.”

She slipped her bitesplint out of her mouth and put it in the plastic box on the table.  She then picked her glasses up and slipped them on her face, carefully sliding the arms underneath her headgear straps, then asked “what are you doing up so early?  It ish Sunday.”

He smiled at her and answered “early to bed, early to rise, makes a makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.  Isn’t that how it goesh?”

She reached up and felt her lips and felt a little crust on them.  She got a horrified look on her face and asked “I was snoring wasn’t I?  Oh God, I am so sorry.  It’s so embarrassing.  I am so embarrassed.”

He said “no sweetie, I just get up early.”

She looked at him and said “don’t lie.  I was snoring wasn’t I?”

He answered “just a little.  It was cute.”

She looked humiliated and said “I am so sorry.  I have to do something about it.”

He noticed she looked truly hurt.  He scooted over and wrapped his arms around her.  He said “really, it’s not a big deal.  I needed to get up.  And what you were doing wasn’t even snoring.  It was more of a purr.  I have heard shnoring.  That wash not shnoring.  No, if you want to hear snoring, and farting, ride around the country one summer on a minor league bus.”  He tried to lighten the mood “hey, at least you weren’t farting!  Even though I bet your farts are just the cutest.” 

It seemed to work, she gave a little laugh then said “you are gross.”  She nestled up beside him and said “thank you.  But I am sorry.”  She turned her head and gave him a kiss, or tried to, putting her facebows up against his.  She made an exaggerated “muh!” sound and said “sorry I am not too good at kissing with this on.”

He squeezed her and said “no, you are perfect.”

She said “you were really going to get up and fix me breakfast?”

He said “I sure was.  Maybe we could do it together?”

She looked him in he eyes and said “you are so sweet.  I will be honest, you’re not like I thought you would be like, or was afraid you would be like, when I found out I would be working with you.”

He asked “and what did you think I would be like?”

She said “well, I mean, I had no idea.  But I was afraid you would be haughty.  Arrogant.  I mean, you are a huge star.  You can be arrogant.  No one could blame you if you were.  But you’re not.  You are kind.  And sweet.  And down to earth.  Just a regular guy.”  She caught her self and said “no, that came out wrong.  You are not just a regular guy.  I mean, you aren’t an as**ole.  Gosh I am so bad at this.  I mean, I can talk to you like a normal person, not a Major League All-Star.  Even though you are.”  She went quiet a moment and said “I am just going to shut up.  I told you I am so bad at this.”

When he laughed he noticed her body tensed up, almost involuntarily.  He rubbed her back and said “I don’t think you are bad at this at all.  So far, everything you have said has made me like and want you more.  And you know, and I think I have proven it, I am willing to let you do more than just talk to me.  How is that for haughty and arrogant?”

She got a smile on her face and she exclaimed “you are gross and you are dirty Lance Wilson, but haughty and arrogant you are not.  Even if you try to be.”  She then said “and I like it. All of it.  You are just so sweet.  You were going to go in there and fix me breakfast, even though you can’t eat it.  That is selfless.  I can’t do anything about you not being able to eat.  Other than try to take your mind off it.”  She leaned in and bit his nipple.  The feeling of her teeth combined with her warm, wet lips and the cool, hard facebows combined for a feeling that he had never felt before.  And his body reacted in kind.

She let go of him and looked him in the face.  She placed her hand gently up on his face.  She said “and I don’t know if I can do anything about this swelling.”  She then pulled her hand down from his face and placed it under the covers.  She groped until she found what she was searching for. She gave a squeeze and a seductive smile and said “but this, I might can help with the swelling of this.” 

She ran her lips along her upper facebow seductively.  She said softly “I have a nance appliancsh along my upper palate.  But I will be careful.  I need to make up for my snoring.  To show you I can use my mouth for other things than just snoring.”

Afterwards, after Megan had cleaned herself up in the bathroom, she came back to bed.  She had removed her headgear to clean it and had not put it back on.  She crawled into bed beside Lance and draped her arm over him so they were face to face.  She said “I hope that made up for waking you up.”

Lance got a sly grin and said “baby, you can wake me up anytime you want if that is what it means.  Megan, that was… I can’t even…. Never…. The facebows and…”. She cut him off and said “so you liked it.  Good.  And I am sorry I don’t want to go faster.  It’sh just that I am fuddy.  I don’t want to rush into anything.  For either of us.  And I don’t want to get hurt, either of us to get hurt.  And I am still your health care provider.”

He said “and you want it to be perfect.  And so far it has been.  And it will be.  Megan, don’t apologize for anything.”  He changed gears and said “and you are still my health care provider.  The best health care provider anyone has ever had in the whole history of health care.  And I am going to leave you the absolute best review.” 

Megan laughed and said “gross, dirty, and a dork.”  She grinned at him a moment before leaning over and kissing him.  She said “no, you are nothing like I thought you would be.  In the best way.”  She laid her head on his chest and asked “can we just stay here like this forever?”

As he stroked her head he said “I would like that.”  A few minutes later he added “but eventually I might have to poop.”  She raised her head up and scolded him “Lance Wilson!  Don’t you ruin this for me.  For us.”  As she laid her head back down he laughed.  He softly told her “this really is perfect.  I should have run into a wall months ago.”  She lightly pinched him and said “you are incorrigible.  What am I going to do with you?”  As he continued to pet her he softly responded “apparently, anything you want to.”

Chapter Eight.

Lance sat on the closed toilet lid as Megan dried his hair with a towel.  He had his eyes closed enjoying the sensation, and the feeling of being free from his headgear straps, when he said “baby, that feels SO good.  Thank you so much, I needed to wash my hair so badly.  It feels like heaven.”  She smiled as she finished up and draped the damp towel over the shower curtain rod.  Lance opened his eyes and said “over so soon?”.  He pouted at her.  She smiled at him and extended her hand to him and shook her head back and forth.

Lance was now seated on the edge of the couch, Megan sitting behind him with her legs wrapped around him massaging his scalp.  The only sound was an occasional moan of pleasure from Lance.  After 10 minutes, she stopped and gently bit his ear.  A shiver ran through him as he felt her rough brackets combined with her warm, wet lips.  She let go of the ear and whispered “come on stud, we have to get ready.  We have a ball game to go to.  Come with me.”

In the bathroom she picked up his Interlandi headgear straps, his two facebows still securely anchored in his mouth.  He again pouted at Megan.  She thought he was just the cutest thing she had ever seen when he did that.  He said “do I have to?”  She gave him a sympathetic look and said “I’m sorry baby”.  Before she placed the straps over his head she leaned in and kissed him.

Dressed, the two sat cuddling on the couch, waiting for Lance’s agent to arrive.  He would be chauffeuring the pair to and from the game.  Lance said “I really don’t want to go.  You know, we could just watch it on TV.”

Megan wrapped her arms around him and said “you have to go.  You are the reason there is a Twins game tonight.  And you have a suite, the owner’s suite at that, to sit in.”

Lance knew he was going.  If for no other reason than he knew how excited Megan was.  He would not rob her of it.  Since he had asked her Sunday on a “date”, to attend game one of the World Series, that is all she had talked about.  Regardless, he protested “I just feel so self-conscious baby.  Embarrassed.”  She petted him and said “well first of all, headgear or no headgear, you are the sexiest man in the whole world.  But two, I know how you feel.  The first week when I had to wear mine was hard.  Mentally.  Psychologically.  But I made it through.  And look at me now.  I am the luckiest girl in the world.  And three, your teammates need you there.  They want you there.  You are a part of the team.  And they still need you.  The Twins need you.”

He said “I know you are right.  But it just doesn’t feel like it.  And I haven’t told you this, but it is going to be hard for me to watch.  Because I want to be out there so bad.  Every kid that has ever picked up a baseball has dreamed of playing in the World Series.  And I finally have the opportunity.  But I can’t.  Because I am injured.  Because my stupid ass ran into a wall.”

Megan squeezed him.  She said “I am so sorry.  I can’t even imagine how disappointing it is.”  She then suddenly let go of him and scooted around in front of him.  She gave him a big smile.  Just seeing her big, beautiful metallic smile cheered him some.  She said “but it just means next year, when you take us back to the World Series, it will be even more special.”  They heard the doorbell ring.

Lance looked through the peep to see his agent standing there.  His arms were filled with a big cardboard box.  From the look on Mark’s face, the box was heavy.  Lance opened the door and stepped out, saying “hand me that.  What is it?”  Mark said “letters, fanmail, all kinds of little trinkets and gifts.  You mentioned you were bored.  Well, now you have something to do.  There are two more boxes like this in the truck.  For the past week, and despite having other clients, just being the head of the Lance Wilson fan club has been a full time job.”  He followed Lance into the apartment.  He stopped when he saw Megan.  He smiled and said “and you must be Megan.  Hello, I am Mark Rosen, I am Lance’s agent.”

Megan stepped over and gave him a big smile and extended her hand.  She said “Hi!  I am Megan.  Megan Lavoie.  But how did you know?”

Mark smiled and said “well, Lance might have mentioned you.  Or he might have talked my ear off about you.”  This made Megan blush a little.  Lance stepped back over and said “well, I guess it is time to go.”  He looked at Mark and said “hey, maybe we can pick up a few extra stations with my new antennae.”  Mark shook his head and said “I knew you had a concussion, but they didn’t tell me there was permanent brain damage.”

Lance had noticed the shock on Megan’s face, that his agent just made such a crack.  As he locked the door, he said “Mark is my agent.  But we go back a little further than that.  Mark used to be a baseball player and I use that term very loosely.  We played together a year in Wilmington.  Before Mark realized how much he sucked and decided to try something new.  To be honest, he isn’t much better as an agent.  But, at least I don’t have to watch him walk people anymore.”

Mark said “Well, at least I always had enough sense to not run headlong into the outfield wall.  And Megan, he is somewhat correct.  I was never as talented as Lance.  But, I was hardheaded.  And I would have kept on plugging along, trying to make the show. Until I blew out my elbow.  I was devastated.  But now, looking back, it is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Megan was trying to figure out how to respond when she felt Lance wrap his arm around her shoulder.  He said “it is funny how things work out isn’t it.  Who would have thought me being dumb enough to run into that wall would turn out to be the best thing that has yet happened to me.”  He turned and looked down at Megan and softly said “and you make that Twins jersey sexier than any jersey I have ever seen.”

After about 30 minutes, 10 minutes of it caught in gridlocked traffic around the Metrodome, Mark stopped the SUV by a largely overlooked side entrance not open to the public.  As Lance opened the door and helped Megan out of the vehicle, Mark leaned over from the front seat and said “I will get parked and see you up in the suite.”

As they entered the stadium, the security guard nodded at the two and said simply “Mr. Wilson, welcome.”  Megan noticed his gaze seemed to linger a moment on Lance’s face, and the prominent orthodontia on display.  But, the security guard did not say anything and quickly turned his attention away from them.  Megan didn’t know if Lance had even noticed.  But still, she squeezed his hand and said “you are doing so good baby.”  As she followed along behind him down a dimly lit tunnel, she asked “is this the way to the luxury suites?  It seems kind of out of the way.”

Lance said “we aren’t going to the suite yet.  We are going to the clubhouse.  I thought you would like to meet some of the guys.  Maybe give them some words of encouragement.”  She stopped dead in her tracks.  Lance turned to look at her.  Her jaw had dropped open.  He said “plus, I want to wish them good luck too.  Tell them I wish I could be out there with them.  But I want to have my smoking hot girlfriend by my side, so maybe they won’t give me as much shit about this bear trap on my face.”  He looked at her standing there breathlessly.  He continued “come on, they will love you.  Well, everyone but Jack.  We will leave him alone.  He is starting tonight and he is a grumpy as**ole to everyone on his starts.  Great guy, just focused.  What do you say babe?”  Megan was still in a shocked silence, but she slowly nodded her head up and down.  Lance leaned in and gave her a facebowed kiss.  He said “they are just regular dudes.  And while you will just be meeting them for the first time tonight, you will get to know them well.  At least if I have anything to do with it and don’t screw this up and run you off.”  He looked at her and asked “is everything ok?”

She jumped into his arms and kissed him.  She said “it is perfect.  No, it’s more than perfect.”

Thirty minutes later they made their way into the suite.  Megan was still on cloud nine.  Walking into the suite Mark asked “so how’d it go?”

Before Lance could even answer Megan squealed “it was incredible!  The coolest thing ever.  And look…” she turned showing the back of her jersey “Kirby, and Kent, and Chuck, and Chili… all of them, they autographed my jersey.  I didn’t even have to ask.”

Mark eyed Lance as he said “oh, that is awesome.  And you didn’t even have to ask.”  Standing behind Megan and out of her view Lance gave Mark a discreet wink.  Mark said “wow, they must really like you.  But who in their right mind wouldn’t.”  He continued “Lance, how was the mood?”

Lance said “Jack is locked in.  I could tell that.  I think he might could start a fire with his glare right now.  And the rest of the guys were loose.  Joking, cutting up, making fun of me.  We will win tonight.”

Mark asked “and how are you?”

Lance shrugged his shoulders and said “I’m ok.  I wish I was about to run out there.  And they gave me just a ration of shit about my headgear.  But not as much as I figured they would.  Hey, at least I contributed something tonight, I provided a few laughs.  But I am so lucky.  I know I am.  I am here in a luxury suite at the World Series with my friend and the most beautiful woman in the world”. He stepped up so he was pressing against Megan’s back and put his hands on her waist.  He continued “but I guess since I’m not playing and I’m not driving, and it’s been hours since I took a pain pill, I can drink a beer or three.”  He went silent a second and then exclaimed “shit, I didn’t bring a straw.”

Megan turned in his arms so she was facing him.  She unzipped her purse and pulled out a straw, holding it up triumphantly in front of him.  “I’ve got you baby.  Isn’t that what couples do for each other?”

Lance looked down at her smiling back at him.  He could tell how happy and excited she was.  And not just because she had remembered a straw.  He moved his hands up from her waist and laid them on her shoulders.  He was so glad that he had done this.  Not for himself, but for Megan.  He smiled back at her the best he could and said “yesh, that is exactly what couples do for each other”.

Someone is, but not the writer of this story.  He is far away from Minnesota, the very opposite of Minnesota.