I Owe You Everything

Whitney examined the instagram post on her phone. It was her standing next to a 6’2” man whom many women considered the hottest thing in the league right now. She chuckled at the comments: 

Who’s this girl?

Is that Connor’s new girlfriend?

What is she wearing? It’s hideous? The 90’s wants its fashion back. lol. 

@thottie It can’t be. It must be a fan. Connor has better taste than this. 

“Watcha doing?” asked a deep male voice as its owner nuzzled into the back of Whitney’s neck. 

“Finding some amusement from instagram.”

Connor rolled his eyes. “Well,” he said taking Whitney’s hand. “I could use some amusement right now.”

He led her back to the bedroom where they made love. 

Whitney woke first and smiled at Connor’s sleeping face. In her head she replied to @thottie’s instagram post. ‘Yes, I am his new girlfriend.’ And yes, she knew she was not what could be called Connor’s ‘type’. Instead of a short blonde with wavy hair and sun-kissed glowing skin, she was a tall, pale brunette. But she was still thin and she kept up with the latest fashions.

Connor moaned as he rolled over, still deep in sleep. Seeing his body stretched out like that reminded Whitney of the first time they had met. It was at a house party; Gatsby-like. Nobody knew each other or the host, but everyone was having a good time. Whitney had only attended because her friend was thirsty for a player and did not want to go alone. Well that friend had found her player and had forgotten Whitney. So Whitney prepared to leave, looking for a restroom while she waited for her ride to arrive. All the downstairs rooms were occupied with bodies pressed together. She then tried upstairs, finding more of the same. Seeing the master bedroom was dark and quiet she tiptoed into the room. To her surprise, there was no one in the bed and the bathroom was empty. She quickly freshened up, happy to be alone with some peace and quiet. As she was going to leave, she jumped at the sight of two legs on the floor sticking out from the closet. At first she considered leaving, assuming it was someone who had had too much to drink, but then she noticed the blood; lots of blood. Immediately, Whitney called an ambulance. 

As she waited for the paramedics to arrive, she dropped down beside the patient. 

“Hey,” the suicide had said. “Are you my guardian angel?”

“Maybe.”

“Can you come closer? I feel cold.”

The thought of snuggling up to a bleeding man repulsed Whitney. “I cannot do that,” she said. “Listen. Relax. I’ve called an ambulance.”

The suicide began to cry. “This is the worst year of my life.”

“Now, now,” Whitney said, patting him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about that now. It will be okay.”

He looked at her. His dark eyes searching for something. He then closed his eyes. 

The paramedics burst into the room followed by an audience of the more sober attendees of the party. The suicide had made sure to cover his face as the paramedics lifted him onto the stretcher, but it made the scene look worse with the bloodstains on his arms. 

“Will you come with me?” he whispered.

Whitney hesitated. Her ride was five minutes away. She did not owe this man anything else now that she had saved his life, but his pleading brown eyes softened her heart. 

“Okay.”

Whitney joined Connor in the ambulance, leaving the entourage behind them.

“It’s a good thing you called us when you did,” the medic said, “or else your friend would have been dead.”

At the hospital, Whitney sat balled up on a plastic chair trying to understand why this person who seemingly had it all would do such a thing. Every time she recalled the picture of him bleeding out on the floor, she shivered. 

“Ma’am,” a nurse called out, severing Whitney from her morbid thoughts. “He wants to talk to you.”

Whitney slowly rose to her feet and walked into the hospital room. The suicide's smiling face had greeted Whitney, but she could tell it was fake. She pulled a chair close to the hospital bed. 

“Hey. I wanted to say thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Whitney said. 

“You saved my life. What’s your name?”

“Whitney.”

“I’m Connor,” he said extending his arm. 

Whitney took it and shook it gently. 

“Weird place to meet, huh.”

“Yeah,” Whitney said, still in a trance with her thoughts. She now realized who this was. It was the player that her friend had initially wanted to hook up with last night. The man who was a future hall of famer. On all the lists for top whaterever player in the league. She turned to Connor. “Why —”

“Did I do this?” he said, completing her sentence. 

Whitney nodded.

He sighed. “I guess I’m struggling with life. Who am I outside of my profession? I just put up the worst stats this year and I have one year left on my contract. Then my girlfriend leaves me, that bitch. Says she pregnant with another man’s baby. That I’m too old and tired. The fans say I’m too old and tired. I feel like I’m being tossed in the rubbish bin by everyone in my life.”

“But how old are you? Consider this a chance to start a new life. A second life.”

Whitney wanted to say more, but an elderly man and woman entered the room. 

“My son,” cried the woman, rushing to the hospital bed. 

Whitney stood up and got out of the way. Slipping out of the door into the hospital corridor. She called a ride and sat outside on a bench. As she waited she received a few texts from her friend Taylor showing pics of her in bed with a shirtless man. Whitney shook her head and sent no response. 

Two weeks after the fiasco, Whitney had moved on with her life. Taking more time to catch up with the friends of her life and make sure they knew they could come to her with anything. She would hate for anyone she knew to fall into the abyss like Connor did. At around 11AM on a Saturday, while she was relaxing with cup of morning coffee, she heard a ring at the doorbell. She had not been expecting anyone. She took her time getting to the doorbell to see who it was. Through the peep hole in the door, Whitney spied Connor with a bouquet of flowers. She quickly opened the door. 

“Hey.”

“How did you—?”

“Find you? It took some effort, but I only had to ask a friend of a friend of a friend.”

Whitney flushed. 

***

“Hey,” Connor said, bringing Whitney back to the present. She rolled over and looked at Connor, naked and refreshed after his nap. “Whatcha doing?”

“That instagram post made me think back to the time that we first met.”

Connor’s face went serious. He then looked at Whitney and purred, “yes, you're my guardian angel. You saved my life. I owe you everything I have,” he added kissing her all over. “Everything I have is yours. Marry me!”

Whitney giggled, but stopped when she processed the last two words.

“Seriously,” Connor said. “I owe you everything. You were right.”