Unstoppable
Wonderstruck
They pulled into the parking lot and exited the car.
“Thanks for lunch, Dad. It was delicious.”
Kyle nodded, “You are welcome, and yes, yes it was.”
Walking towards the practice fields, Zoey noticed a good majority of the team was missing.
“Practice ended an hour ago. Most of the defensive line has gone home already.
Though, I'm sure Manning and the rest of the offense will still be here. They really are
dedicated players.”
Kyle pushed open the doors, and they saw about ten additional men standing around, watching Peyton and his offensive line run more plays.
Zoey looked on as her father walked over to one of the coaches.
They quickly talked and the man simply nodded.
“Alright guys! Wrap it up; Kyle needs to check on Wayne’s ankle.”
Manning signaled to the coaches that he had heard them and pulled the guys into another huddle, gave them all a short speech, praising their hard work.
They broke apart and gathered their towels and water bottles from the sidelines, making
their way over to the coaches, Kyle and Zoey.
As she stood there, the tall man walked towards her, grabbed his towel and his Gatorade
bottle.
“Well, hello again.”
Zoey smiled, and mentally racked her brain, trying to remember his name.
‘It’s a city in Texas, Austin? No that was the one in Dad’s office.. Barry? No, come on.
Dallas? Dallas!’
“Hi, Dallas.”
He smiled and flashed her one of his toothy grins.
“Enjoy practice?”
Zoey shrugged, “I honestly don’t know all that much about football.”
Dallas nodded, “Nothing wrong with that. Hang out here long enough and you'll be able to sub for one of us eventually.”
He winked, and chuckled.
She let out a small laugh and Dallas smiled even brighter.
“Well, hey, I best hit the locker room. I’ll see you around?”
Zoey smiled and nodded, “See you around.”
He smiled once more and turned away from her.
“Miss, your father is waiting for you in his office.”
Zoey turned, wide-eyed, staring at the man.
“Oh! Alright, thank you!”
The man nodded, and led her into the locker room and to Kyle’s office.
“Hey, there you are. Are you waiting on me, because I need to be here for a while. Gotta
rewrap some appendages and let some player soak.”
“Alright. Well, I should head back home. Want anything special for dinner?”
He shook his head.
“Surprise me hun. I probably won’t be home until late anyways.”
“Alright, well I will see you later then.”
She headed out of the office and through the deserted locker room.
As she made her way outside, she was stopped by someone calling her name.
Turning around, she saw Manning running towards her.
“Hey, Kyle said to give this to you.”
He handed her a folder that was stuffed with papers.
Zoey smiled, taking it from his hands.
“Thanks.”
He nodded, “See you later!”
She climbed into her car, and quickly opened the folder.
The first paper had a list of the current roster for the Indianapolis Colts, which was followed by a profile of each player, and what areas of their bodies have had medical attention in the past five years.
Zoey smiled to herself, ‘Damn you for pushing me into a decision.’
_________________________________________________________
Around 7pm, Zoey heard the front door close, and the voices of her father’s, as well as a few others, followed him into the living.
Kyle noticed Zoey, sitting on the couch; her hair in a messy bun, dressed in sweats and had her glasses on.
“Oh, hey honey.”
Zoey looked up from the papers spread out on the coffee table, and smiled up at the guys.
“You remember these guys, right? Well a few of them at least.”
She smiled, “Of course,” and began pointing to each person.
“Manning, Collie, Wayne; and I don’t believe I’ve met you three yet.”
The remaining men chuckled and took turns introducing themselves.
“I’m Jeff.”
He extended his hand and Zoey shook it.
Jeff was a stout man, who was pretty tall and had bright blue eyes.
“Joseph Addai. You can call me Joe.”
Joseph was almost as tall as Zoey, and had medium length dreadlocks.
He also stuck his hand out to her, and she gave him a firm handshake.
The last man was about the same height as Jeff and a thin covering of mustache and beard growing, he stepped forward and extended his hand to Zoey, “I’m Dwight.”
Jeff quickly pipped up, “We tried to talk Clark into coming along, but he wasn’t too sure.”
Collie nodded, “Yeah, he said he wasn’t feeling too well.”
“Wimp.”
Zoey hid her smile behind her hand.
“Well you boys have fun, I need to go to bed.”
Kyle nodded and lightly kissed her on the forehead.
They quickly moved into the kitchen, leaving Zoey to clean up her papers.
As she finished cleaning up, she made her way towards the stairs when the doorbell rang.
Zoey quickly went to the door and opened it, quirking her eyebrow at the person standing there.
He stood with his hands deep in his jean pockets and was staring at his feet.
Feeling like he was being watched, he looked up and smiled.
“Hello,” he said; a genuine smile played on his lips.
She smiled in return, leaning against the door frame, “Hi. The boys said you weren’t coming.”
Dallas rolled his eyes and nodded, “Yeah, but then I got bored.”
Zoey giggled, “Well that’s no fun. Come on in, they’re just through the kitchen.”
“Alright, thanks.”
She led him through the living room and directed him to the den.
Dallas thanked her again and instinctively looked her up and down.
Zoey blushed, “Hey you! I’m allowed to be dressed like this in my own house.”
Color rose in his cheeks, “I’m sorry.”
“You better be! Ha ha, well I’m going to bed. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight Zoey.”
She smiled and turned, climbing the stairs, aware that he was watching her.
As she entered her room, she could hear the guys yelling as he walked into the Den.
________________________________________________________________
Zoey awoke a few hours later to the sound of a crash and the voices of men drunkenly shushing each other.
Rolling out of bed, she crossed the room and opened the door, peeking out into the hallway.
Wayne noticed her first, “Hey! Guys, shush! Zoey’s going to be mad. Be quiet.”
They all stopped and looked at her, their eyes wide.
Zoey simply shook her head, “Go to bed, and be quiet. Please.”
They looked at each other and nodded as she closed her door.
“Thanks for lunch, Dad. It was delicious.”
Kyle nodded, “You are welcome, and yes, yes it was.”
Walking towards the practice fields, Zoey noticed a good majority of the team was missing.
“Practice ended an hour ago. Most of the defensive line has gone home already.
Though, I'm sure Manning and the rest of the offense will still be here. They really are
dedicated players.”
Kyle pushed open the doors, and they saw about ten additional men standing around, watching Peyton and his offensive line run more plays.
Zoey looked on as her father walked over to one of the coaches.
They quickly talked and the man simply nodded.
“Alright guys! Wrap it up; Kyle needs to check on Wayne’s ankle.”
Manning signaled to the coaches that he had heard them and pulled the guys into another huddle, gave them all a short speech, praising their hard work.
They broke apart and gathered their towels and water bottles from the sidelines, making
their way over to the coaches, Kyle and Zoey.
As she stood there, the tall man walked towards her, grabbed his towel and his Gatorade
bottle.
“Well, hello again.”
Zoey smiled, and mentally racked her brain, trying to remember his name.
‘It’s a city in Texas, Austin? No that was the one in Dad’s office.. Barry? No, come on.
Dallas? Dallas!’
“Hi, Dallas.”
He smiled and flashed her one of his toothy grins.
“Enjoy practice?”
Zoey shrugged, “I honestly don’t know all that much about football.”
Dallas nodded, “Nothing wrong with that. Hang out here long enough and you'll be able to sub for one of us eventually.”
He winked, and chuckled.
She let out a small laugh and Dallas smiled even brighter.
“Well, hey, I best hit the locker room. I’ll see you around?”
Zoey smiled and nodded, “See you around.”
He smiled once more and turned away from her.
“Miss, your father is waiting for you in his office.”
Zoey turned, wide-eyed, staring at the man.
“Oh! Alright, thank you!”
The man nodded, and led her into the locker room and to Kyle’s office.
“Hey, there you are. Are you waiting on me, because I need to be here for a while. Gotta
rewrap some appendages and let some player soak.”
“Alright. Well, I should head back home. Want anything special for dinner?”
He shook his head.
“Surprise me hun. I probably won’t be home until late anyways.”
“Alright, well I will see you later then.”
She headed out of the office and through the deserted locker room.
As she made her way outside, she was stopped by someone calling her name.
Turning around, she saw Manning running towards her.
“Hey, Kyle said to give this to you.”
He handed her a folder that was stuffed with papers.
Zoey smiled, taking it from his hands.
“Thanks.”
He nodded, “See you later!”
She climbed into her car, and quickly opened the folder.
The first paper had a list of the current roster for the Indianapolis Colts, which was followed by a profile of each player, and what areas of their bodies have had medical attention in the past five years.
Zoey smiled to herself, ‘Damn you for pushing me into a decision.’
_________________________________________________________
Around 7pm, Zoey heard the front door close, and the voices of her father’s, as well as a few others, followed him into the living.
Kyle noticed Zoey, sitting on the couch; her hair in a messy bun, dressed in sweats and had her glasses on.
“Oh, hey honey.”
Zoey looked up from the papers spread out on the coffee table, and smiled up at the guys.
“You remember these guys, right? Well a few of them at least.”
She smiled, “Of course,” and began pointing to each person.
“Manning, Collie, Wayne; and I don’t believe I’ve met you three yet.”
The remaining men chuckled and took turns introducing themselves.
“I’m Jeff.”
He extended his hand and Zoey shook it.
Jeff was a stout man, who was pretty tall and had bright blue eyes.
“Joseph Addai. You can call me Joe.”
Joseph was almost as tall as Zoey, and had medium length dreadlocks.
He also stuck his hand out to her, and she gave him a firm handshake.
The last man was about the same height as Jeff and a thin covering of mustache and beard growing, he stepped forward and extended his hand to Zoey, “I’m Dwight.”
Jeff quickly pipped up, “We tried to talk Clark into coming along, but he wasn’t too sure.”
Collie nodded, “Yeah, he said he wasn’t feeling too well.”
“Wimp.”
Zoey hid her smile behind her hand.
“Well you boys have fun, I need to go to bed.”
Kyle nodded and lightly kissed her on the forehead.
They quickly moved into the kitchen, leaving Zoey to clean up her papers.
As she finished cleaning up, she made her way towards the stairs when the doorbell rang.
Zoey quickly went to the door and opened it, quirking her eyebrow at the person standing there.
He stood with his hands deep in his jean pockets and was staring at his feet.
Feeling like he was being watched, he looked up and smiled.
“Hello,” he said; a genuine smile played on his lips.
She smiled in return, leaning against the door frame, “Hi. The boys said you weren’t coming.”
Dallas rolled his eyes and nodded, “Yeah, but then I got bored.”
Zoey giggled, “Well that’s no fun. Come on in, they’re just through the kitchen.”
“Alright, thanks.”
She led him through the living room and directed him to the den.
Dallas thanked her again and instinctively looked her up and down.
Zoey blushed, “Hey you! I’m allowed to be dressed like this in my own house.”
Color rose in his cheeks, “I’m sorry.”
“You better be! Ha ha, well I’m going to bed. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight Zoey.”
She smiled and turned, climbing the stairs, aware that he was watching her.
As she entered her room, she could hear the guys yelling as he walked into the Den.
________________________________________________________________
Zoey awoke a few hours later to the sound of a crash and the voices of men drunkenly shushing each other.
Rolling out of bed, she crossed the room and opened the door, peeking out into the hallway.
Wayne noticed her first, “Hey! Guys, shush! Zoey’s going to be mad. Be quiet.”
They all stopped and looked at her, their eyes wide.
Zoey simply shook her head, “Go to bed, and be quiet. Please.”
They looked at each other and nodded as she closed her door.