Chapter 4

Concussion.

After the game, David was taken to the hospital, where they first did a complete physical and a CT scan. He had to endure an MRI when they weren’t happy with the scan.

Dr. Liao, USC’s team physician, met with David to give him the verdict.

“When you had your football physical this summer, we talked about your past concussions. Each concussion makes the next one more dangerous. We’re not taking any chances here; otherwise, you could suffer a permanent brain injury.

“We’re keeping you here overnight to make sure you don’t suddenly get worse. Once you’re released, you’ll be on a strict rest protocol, which includes limiting activities that require thinking and mental concentration for a minimum of two days.”

“What does that mean? Something like lying in a dark room listening to soothing whale sounds?” David asked.

Dr. Liao shook his head.

“No, it means no football, running, or lifting. I want you to stay away from the football facilities, and Coach Merritt will enforce that. For now, you can listen to music, watch TV, and rest. After a couple of days, you can do stuff like your schoolwork or play video games. If you have classes on Monday, you should plan to skip them. You can go to class on Tuesday if you feel up to it, but don’t push yourself.”

“I was planning on going on my friend’s boat tomorrow. Can I do that?” David asked.

Before Dr. Liao would agree, David had to explain that Alex’s ‘boat’ was a luxury yacht. The doctor added that David had to have someone else drive him.

“When can I get back to football?” David asked.

“It’ll be four or more weeks before you can return to practice.”

“No sooner?”

“We’ll be testing you, and if we feel your brain has healed, it could be sooner. But don’t count on it,” Dr. Liao added.

After each of David’s previous concussions in high school, he’d played much sooner than that. He remembered that his friend Tami had warned him about some medical research articles she’d found at the time. The studies cited showed that not allowing the brain to fully heal could cause more significant problems. It seemed that sports medicine now agreed with his friend’s findings.

“Good morning, Mother,” David said as he opened his eyes.

His dad chuckled, earning him a scowl.

“I had to receive word that you were in the hospital from Alex.”

“I’ll be sure to thank him for that,” David shot back.

“What were you thinking?”

“Obviously, not much because I got my brain scrambled.”

“You’re currently at the top of the Heisman watch list,” Dad said, trying to change the subject.

“That won’t last long. The doc told me last night that I won’t even be able to practice for four weeks or more.”

“Good. Instead of putting some spine into him, we’ve been shielding him long enough and letting him get away with his monkeyshines. It’s time he realized his actions have consequences,” Mom said.

David gave her a pained expression but held his tongue. How had he become the enemy in his own story? He knew his mom felt he’d caused some great offense by not telling her of his injury, and she was baiting him to start an argument.

“How bad is it?” Dad asked.

“My head feels like a spike has been driven through my left eye, and when I got up to use the little boys’ room last night, I became dizzy and nearly fell down,” David shared.

His mom’s whole demeanor changed in an instant.

“You’re really hurt?”

“What did you think? That my head’s as thick as Coby’s?” David asked with a grin.

“It’s just that you’ve gotten them before...” his mom said, trailing off.

“It’s okay, Mom. I’m going to be fine. They did a CT scan, an MRI, and a complete physical, and they’ll run some tests this morning to confirm everything’s okay. Then I’ll be released. I might have just enough spine to handle that,” David gently teased.

“Sorry, I didn’t really mean that. I was just upset,” Mom admitted. “Do you need anything?”

“I’m good. You and Dad probably have plans for today,” David said in an attempt to get rid of them.

“I do have a tee time,” Dad said, then flinched when Mom smacked his arm.

“Go. Like you said, I’ve had these before and survived. It’ll take more than a knock to the head to take me out.”

“Carol, you can see the boy lives. Let me take you to breakfast,” Dad said to get his mom out of his room.

“Next time...” was his mom’s parting shot.

“I’ll call,” David promised.

It was too bad his dad no longer drank because David owed him a good bottle of scotch for diverting his mother.

After the hospital had run their tests and okayed David to be released, he got tipped off by hospital security that reporters were waiting for him in the lobby. Unwilling to deal with them in his current state, he escaped out a side entrance. Alex picked him up and had Chloe, Crystal, and Taylor with him.

“I brought you what I want you to wear for the podcast,” Chloe said as he settled into the front seat.

David ignored her and asked Alex, “Did you bring my wallet, phone, and keys?”

“Sorry. One of the team managers bagged up what was in your locker and brought it over, and I tossed it on your bed. But you won’t need any of that on the boat.”

David could only imagine how his phone was blowing up.

“How’s your head?” Crystal asked.

“I have a concussion and was told I can’t even practice or work out.”

“You’re still going to bartend for me on Wednesday, aren’t you?” Taylor asked.

“Quit being solipsistic,” Crystal said.

“Is that even a word?” Alex asked.

“It sounds like a word you’d learn for your SATs, so it might be one,” David guessed.

“Douchetard sounds like a word, too, but I’m pretty sure you won’t find it in the dictionary,” Alex shot back. “Nor on the SAT.”

“For you ignoramuses’ information, it means self-centered,” Crystal said to enlighten them.

“Now you’re just being truculent,” David fired back.

“We have a new rule for the day: no more ten-dollar words. You two remind me of this guy I hired to fix a paper I wrote. Simpler is better,” Alex complained.

“The fact remains that Taylor needs to dial it down a bit on pushing David to volunteer for ‘her’ rush,” Crystal said.

“I might need a stool or chair because I seem to get dizzy,” David said.

“For you, I’ll make it happen,” Taylor promised, looking pleased.

Chloe and Crystal were busy planning how they wanted the podcast done. The backdrop of Alex’s yacht with the LA skyline gave them the monied vibe the company sponsoring the social media campaign wanted.

Crystal and Chloe had hijacked the lower deck area of the boat. They had Galen, Alex’s security guy, kick out all the football players, sorority girls, and jock bunnies.

David was sent to one of the cabins to change. When Chloe turned, she half-expected to find no one, but there he was. No man should be allowed to look that handsome. It just wasn’t right.

David had put on the white swimsuit he’d worn in all the advertisements for his James Bond movie. The ads had shown him getting out of a pool and were close to being indecent with the way the trunks had clung to his body. He completed the look with sunglasses and no shirt.

“Down, girl. You have to rub cream on him in a minute,” Crystal teased Chloe.

Taylor came bounding out behind him, checking out his butt.

“Should we get you all wet like you were in the movie?” Taylor asked.

David turned and looked over his sunglasses with a look that said, ‘No.’ When his suit got wet, it was all but transparent. Frank would have kittens. Sabertooth kittens.

Taylor leaned in close to Crystal and whispered, “David is gorgeous. His abs are so defined that a girl might cut her tongue on his ridged perfection.”

Chloe gave Crystal a look that said, ‘Rein your girl in.’

“Come sit on the couch,” Chloe encouraged David. “I’ll give an intro to all my fans, and then I’ll rub cream on your chest. I want you to give your honest feedback.”

“We could probably start a new Internet challenge sensation where you rub the cream you’re hawking on hot bods. If you need help with David, I’m right here,” Taylor chirped.

David winked at her to encourage her misbehavior.

“That’s my weakness,” Taylor admitted. “Call me a slut, but it wouldn’t take much more than that to get me to drop my panties for him. Winking at me is like liquor to an alcoholic, and David is getting me drunk.”

David chuckled as Chloe gave Crystal a pleading look, asking her to deal with Taylor. Crystal sighed heavily and pulled the feisty redhead away for a ‘quick chat.’

“Ready?” Chloe asked.

David nodded.

Crystal manned the phone to film Chloe’s intro. David tried to zone out because his headache had returned and he needed one of his pills.

When it came time to rub the cream on him, he noticed it had a pleasant citrus scent. Chloe began to describe the product—Rejuvenating Body Cream—as she slathered it all over his chest and abs.

“You need to rub it in,” Taylor announced as she got onto the couch and began to ‘help’ Chloe.

David came out of his zone to find two scantily clad women touching his body. Usually, the big brain would have kicked in by now. Mr. Happy recognized a rare opportunity and seized control of the body. He must have known David was brain damaged—at least, that was the story David planned to use later.

“You missed a spot a bit lower,” David encouraged.

Taylor shoved him back against the couch and started to kiss his chest. Every inch of it. David’s breathing grew unsteady. When her lips traveled down to the waistband of his trunks, he tensed up. Taylor lifted her head to check his expression and found it tight with anticipation.

Then Chloe touched his chin and distracted David with a kiss.

“I’m not filming this,” Crystal announced as Taylor reached into his trunks and freed Mr. Happy. “Let’s have him lie down.”

The girls let him free for a moment. David reached down, pulled off his swimsuit, and lay back. Crystal came to his head and smiled down at him.

“We want to make you feel good.”

Her lips found his, and a zing of pleasure raced through him. David closed his eyes as two girls began to share his cock in a double blow job. He felt the incredible waves of sensation until they all were breathing hard.

“David,” Crystal said to get his attention.

She’d gotten naked, climbed up onto the couch, and straddled his head. He took the hint and began to eat her. His brain shut down when he felt someone put a condom on his cock, sit on it, and start to ride. All he could do was let the soaring pleasure take over. That was when he felt one of the girls push his legs apart and begin sucking his nuts.

“Why’s my girlfriend riding your cock?” Alex’s voice said, interrupting his pleasure.

Before David could do anything, Chloe defended him.

“Because if you plan to bang some sorority girl or jock bunny, your girlfriend is fine with that.”

“That’s my boy,” David heard Willy announce. “The All-American deserves three hotties.”

It sounded like Alex had company from the chuckles David heard.

“Upstairs!” Alex ordered.

After they left, Taylor said, “Switch.”

Crystal got off his face so he could see Taylor straddle his waist and begin to ride his cock. Crystal and Chloe sat on the floor to watch. Taylor’s tight, fiery snatch was leaking all over his crotch. He grabbed her hips so he could drive the action, but all he could do was let the soaring pleasure take over. When they crashed back to earth, Taylor grinned down at David and looked mighty pleased with herself. They were both left breathless, bodies still fused together.

“Get off him, you greedy bitch,” Crystal said, acting tough.

Taylor stuck her tongue out at her friend but got off. Chloe and Taylor left David and Crystal to their privacy.

“I didn’t plan that,” David said.

“Don’t worry about it. I was there and could have stopped it at any time. Did you have fun?” Crystal asked.

“What do you mean, ‘did’? My fun isn’t done.”

“Good to know. Are you planning on tracking down a sorority girl or jock bunny?”

“I have a particular sorority girl in mind.”

“If you ask nicely, this particular sorority girl might be willing.”

“Please,” David begged.

“As my mom always says, that’s the magic word.”

When David got back to the dorm, he immediately took his headache medicine. As he’d expected, he found that his phone had, in fact, blown up. Alex had done him a favor by leaving it behind so he could enjoy an afternoon on the water.