Be My Companion

Alexis

When I woke up the following morning, I looked around at my environment, confused momentarily about my location. And then I remembered I was the sober companion of a playboy football player who seemed to enjoy making my life hell.

This bedroom was bigger than any bedroom I had ever had. The room itself was even bigger than my first apartment I had in Melbourne.

I forced myself to get out of bed and ventured out into the apartment. One of Julian’s chefs was already in the kitchen putting breakfast together.

“Good morning, Mr. Mendes,” he greeted me with a smile. “Breakfast will be ready in about ten minutes.”

As someone who had never really experienced the finer things in life, having breakfast made for me every morning was something I don’t think I was ever getting used to, let alone having them refer to me as Mr. Mendes.

“Thank you but you can just call me Alexis,” I mumbled in response. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“I appreciate the offer but I’ll be fine, thank you Alexis.”

Before I could even ask him what his own name was, Julian burst out of his office in nothing but a pair of black running shorts. The pictures on Google did not do him justice. Seeing Julian shirtless in the flesh was a sight to behold. His pecs were big and round, overlooking the tight six-pack abs that sat underneath. His prominent v-line traced down enticingly to the top of his shorts where it disappeared underneath the fabric.

I swallowed at the sight of it.

Apparently not noticing my presence, Julian walked past me and clapped his big hand on the back of the chef’s shoulder.

“Smells great, Frank!” he said excitedly.

The chef looked up at Julian’s giant frame and his lips stretched into a comfortable smile. I stood back and observed Julian manoeuvring around his chef, and the two men spoke with such a reverence that one would think they were good friends.

Julian began making what I assumed to be a protein shake, and as he turned the machine on, he noticed me standing against the wall.

“Oh,” he said, almost as if he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Good morning, Alexis.”

“Morning.” I glanced between Julian and Frank and frowned. “I’m sorry. I absolutely hate that I’m just standing here doing nothing. Please tell me there’s something I can do to help.”

Frank simply chuckled and shook his head.

“You can set the table if you want,” Julian shrugged his shoulders.

He had to point out where everything was in his large kitchen before I was able to set places on the dining table for us. Moments later, I was seated across from Julian as Frank began to serve his gourmet creation onto our plates.

We ate in silence, only speaking to pass the salt and pepper, until Julian finished his meal in record timing.

“Vanessa sent out a press release late last night, so we’ve got a press conference in about an hour and then we’ll go to training.”

I almost dropped my fork. “Were you going to give me a heads up on this?”

Julian smiled. “I’m giving you a heads up now.”

Biting my tongue to stop me from getting fired on day two, I simply nodded my head and finished my breakfast in silence.

“You won’t need to say anything,” Julian explained, as if that made the situation any better. “You just have to stand there next to me while I get hammered by the press.”

The next hour flew by as I rushed to get ready and look presentable for my first ever nationwide press conference. Before I knew it, I was standing on a dais while Vanessa rushed around to ensure her client looked as good as possible. I looked around and noticed a few corporate suits standing off to the side, watching with an eager eye. I deduced that they were part of Sharks management.

“They shouldn’t ask you anything,” Vanessa said to me quickly. “But be prepared in case they do.”

Before I could question her, she had rushed off. I glanced around nervously as dozens of media had turned up to this press conference. Sure, I had media training, but I was used to being on the other side of the camera, and being reminded of the industry that had so cruelly tore me up and spat me out sent an uncomfortable shiver down my spine.

---

Julian

As Vanessa led me to the dais, my gaze immediately fell on Alexis. While his posture projected confidence, I could see that he was uncomfortable with the situation.

I enjoyed this little teasing one-upsmanship competition we had going on, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a tinge of guilt knowing I put that frustration and concern on that pretty little face of his.

I walked up the steps towards him, and my gaze fell down his back and onto his butt, which seemed barely contained in his tight white jeans. I smirked to myself and approached the podium with the microphone.

“Thank you everyone for attending today’s press conference,” I began. “Firstly, I would just like to express my sincerest apologies for my actions that transpired days ago. I was not of sound mind during that altercation, and I deeply regret the hurt I caused everyone that evening.”

I glanced over to Alexis, who returned my look with a forced smile.

“I know I have a problem with alcohol, and this problem has been a detriment to myself and others for the past several months. So I’ve hired a live-in sober companion to help me get back on the right track so I can get back to being the kind of footballer and role model I always wanted to be.”

I waved Alexis over, who looked at me in horror before recovering and walking over to join me.

“With Alexis’s help, I hope to beat this addiction, find comfort in my sobriety, and become a better citizen of America.”

Reporters were already shooting their hands up, dying to ask questions. Vanessa quickly rushed to my side and began pointing at media, giving them an opportunity to ask their burning question.

“Jane Johnson, Channel 8 News. Do you think that sobriety is the whole answer? Is it possible that you also need anger management?”

“I do believe that alcohol is my problem because the rage during those altercations was fuelled by the alcohol,” I explained calmly. “I will also be looking to get into anger management if my sober companion feels it’s the right decision for me.”

“Dakota Decker, Entertainment Z. Will having a sober companion jeopardise your on-field performance?”

“Not at all, and if anything, I feel as if it’ll only increase my performance on the field. I will only benefit from having Alexis by my side.”

I looked around at the sea of journalists, pleased with my efforts so far, until one in the far back raised their hand.

“Jason Swan, GTS Sports. I have a question for the sober companion. Do you believe that you can help Julian Ambrose get back to his glory days prior to all of these incidents?”

I trained all the muscles in my face not to show my horror as all the attention turned towards Alexis. I glanced quickly at Vanessa, wanting her to de-fuse the situation, but she discreetly shook her head, telling me that the worst thing to do in this situation would be to put a muzzle on Alexis.

Alexis blinked before stepping up to the podium. “My line of work is designed to accompany the addict and help them on their road to sobriety and offer them any support that I can. While I don’t have the expertise or knowledge to comment on Julian’s football career, I can say that people living an addiction-free life in sobriety do go on to make better and more responsible choices for their lives moving forward.”

Alexis seemed to stun the media into silence with his very professional response. A couple of following questions were also directed to him, and he answered every one with a certain grace and poise that even I was surprised with.

Finally, Vanessa called an end to the press conference and escorted me off the dais. Alexis trailed behind, looking as relieved as I felt.

“Alexis, you did really well out there,” she said as soon as we were out of earshot from any of the media.

“I’ve had the relevant training,” he said simply with a nod.

I frowned, trying to understand the hidden meaning behind his words, but was interrupted by management.

“Let’s go have a chat, Jules.”

---

Alexis

After Julian was pulled aside for a chat with management, he returned almost an hour later in his training gear. He looked like he had been incredibly humbled in his meeting – which was well deserved – and he jogged off to have a quick word with Vanessa before returning to my side.

“Thank you for what you did back there,” he said, all signs of his cheeky side gone.

“No problem. I was only speaking the truth.”

Julian ran his hand through his hair and sighed. I could tell that he was shaken from his meeting, and maybe the reality that his career that he’d been fighting for his entire life was almost gone due to his behaviour finally hit him.

It was as if for the first time, I was staring at Julian Ambrose the man right in front of me.

“Hey,” I said, reaching out to touch his forearm. “You’ve taken accountability for your actions, and together we’ll work to get you in a better place, okay?”

Julian glanced over at me and smiled, even though his eyes wilted. He nodded his head once and clapped his hand on my shoulder.

“The team are aware of the situation and who you are, so you get all areas access to our training,” Julian explained. “Just make yourself comfortable.”

“Yay, can’t wait.” I tried to sound enthused about it, but apparently didn’t achieve my goal.

“Do you really not know anything about football?” Julian asked with a cheeky smile on his face.

I nodded my head. “I don’t even know what a defensive fire is, or whatever position you play. For all I know, you throw the ball for your team to catch.”

Julian let out a deep belly laugh. “That’s a quarterback! And I’m on a different team! I’m a defensive end, and I’m on the defence team. The quarterback is on the offence team.”

I blinked at him. “You have two different teams within the one team?”

He shook his head and continued laughing. “You’re going to learn a few things today, Lex.”

I noticed that this was the first time he had ever shortened my name, which was something that I usually reserved for close friends. The way his lips formed around Lex sounded so smooth and so beautiful. I almost shuddered.

“I look forward to it,” I said, making sure the right amount of sarcasm coloured my words.

 

After a full day of training, Julian and I returned back home. I was suspicious of some cars following us, but Julian waved it off, dismissing it simply as paparazzi. I wondered if I would ever get used to being in the public eye like I was right now.

“So even during your offseason, you’re still expected to train?” I asked him as he walked into the apartment.

“Not for the entire offseason. We do treat this like our holidays, but we do have offseason training and training camps every now and then to make sure we’re in tip-top shape.” The way Julian explained this simple aspect of his life without sounding condescending was very sweet.

“So I don’t have to sit through that all the time then?” I let out a dramatic sigh.

Julian looked over his shoulder and laughed. “No, not all the time. I won’t have training for a few weeks, so tomorrow we can do whatever we want.”

After hearing Julian express his discomfort with having a sober companion and viewing it as a burden only yesterday, it was interesting to hear him say ‘we’.

“Maybe I can show you one of my games and try to teach you a thing or two,” he teased.

“Please.” I rolled my eyes. “After watching you charge at dummies and those gym bag machines all day, I can safely say I have seen all of the gridiron I care to watch.”

Julian placed his palm on his chest, feigning hurt. “Do all Australians call it gridiron?”

“It’s what I call it,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

He chuckled and walked into the kitchen to help himself with something from the fridge. I collected my laptop from my bedroom and sat on the lounge with it, booting it up.

“What are you doing for the rest of the evening?” Julian asked me.

“I have a few things to note down,” I said, not taking my eyes off the screen. “But I also need a portion of your time tonight. We need to go through your house together and ensure there is no alcohol in here whatsoever.”

I heard him laugh but didn’t bother looking up at him. When I didn’t immediately respond to his chuckling, he cleared his throat.

“There’s no alcohol here. I cleared it all before you got here, I promise.”

“I acknowledge that and I trust you, but understand from my position, I need to be thorough and be sure for myself that you aren’t hiding anything.” I glanced up from my laptop screen and caught the second the playful look in his face disappeared. “It’s nothing personal, I promise.”

“No, I get it,” he said, the serious tone returning to colour his words.

I returned back to my notes, ensuring to write down every detail of the press conference today. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Julian was still leaning against his kitchen counter and hadn’t moved since I dropped the bomb on him.

I sighed.

Annie held me in a high regard as a sober companion for my ability to achieve results. One of the traits that gave me such a high success rate was my no-nonsense knack for approaching things. While I understood that some sober companions were more personable with their clients, I knew that sometimes it jeopardised your judgement and your ability to call a spade a spade. I was happy to build a bond with my client, so long as that bond did not jeopardise my career and their sobriety.

I stole a glance in Julian’s direction, and he seemed concerned and almost disappointed with my suggestion. I had seen this many times before with my clients where I un-blurred the line between companion and client and set boundaries that needed to be set in order to achieve success, and I could usually brush off their disappointment if it meant I would succeed.

But staring at Julian standing wistfully in his kitchen, I knew I had let this six-foot-four 250lbs man tackle those boundaries I usually set.

---

 Julian

I heard Alexis shut his laptop case and shuffle his feet across the floor before I saw him appear next to me, a look of sympathy on his face.

“I’m sorry if I was too abrupt there,” he apologised. “I do need to do this as part of my job. I hope you understand.”

He was genuinely attempting to sympathise with me here, and I could tell that this was a very rare instance in the life of Alexis Mendes.

“Yeah,” I relented. “I understand.”

“I would say it shouldn’t take too long, but I’ve never had a client with such a big living space.” He looked around the apartment slowly. “But we can make it fun.”

“Really?” I cocked an eyebrow. “How so?”

Alexis almost giggled. “We’ll play a game.”

“Enlighten me.”

Alexis ran his hand through hair and glanced around the room, looking up at the high ceilings.

“I’m calling it Q&A – Questions and Alexis. As we go around together, we can converse however we’d like, but as soon as someone asks the other person a question, they cannot move or say anything unless it’s to answer the question.” Alexis looked back down, his warm brown eyes almost gazing into my soul. “Does that make sense?”

I chuckled, swiping my thumb across my jaw. “So if I ask you a question, you have to freeze like a statue until you answer it?”

Alexis smiled. “Precisely. Questions and Alexis.”

I held my hand out for him, and he shook it.

“You’re on, Lex. Lead the way.”

Alexis pursed his lips and placed his hands on his hips. “Let’s start with your bedroom.”

My heart almost sank. My bedroom was my own safe haven where I could chill and relax without the pressure of the world getting to me. Even when I brought home a girl to bag, we always fucked on the sofa or in one of the guest rooms. Only myself and housekeeping had ever gone in there.

Alexis noticed my apprehension and reached out to touch my arm. The spot where his skin connected with mine almost felt like it was on fire, and my gaze fell down to his long, slender fingers.

“We’re doing this together,” he said in a reassuring voice.

I nodded my head and led the way into my bedroom. I pushed the double doors open and stepped aside for Alexis to walk in. His eyes widened as he took in the décor and man cave set up I had in my private space.

“You said you had media training,” I wanted to start the game of Q&A before he could. “Where did you get your media training from?”

Alexis froze in the spot and looked over his shoulder at me with an almost scowl on his face.

“I got my degree and worked as a journalist for four years,” he explained calmly.

I nodded my head, and he continued to walk around, as if I had pressed play on the scene in front of me.

“Why did you move to the States?” I asked.

He froze again and, even though his brows furrowed in frustration, there was a devilish smile on his face. He swiped his tongue across his top row of teeth and laughed.

“I needed a fresh start. Now if you’re satisfied, come join me so we can get through this together. Your house is huge.”

Finally allowing him a moment to breathe, I showed him around my bedroom and we opened every cupboard, drawer, and shelf together. Even though I was frustrated with this task because I was absolutely sure I had emptied the house of any drop of alcohol, doing it with the playful version of Alexis made me almost enjoy it.

“What was your last relationship?” I asked him as he was bent over going through a kitchen cupboard.

Per his rules, he had to freeze until he answered the question. While it wasn’t intentional, I couldn’t help but laugh because his posterior was sticking in my face and it wasn’t moving.

“I used to be engaged,” his voice was muffled as his head was in the cupboard. “It did not end well.”

Alexis withdrew his head and looked over his shoulder at me, throwing me a dirty scowl.

I raised my arms in the air, raising my eyebrows at him. “Your rules, Lex.”

Alexis bit his lip and stood up to get into my face. “Why is alcohol your chosen vice?”

---

 Alexis

Was it mean that I cornered Julian with the question that stumped him almost 24 hours ago? Probably. Did I ask him this question to spite him for bombarding me with questions in my own game? Absolutely.

Julian frowned at me as he tried to formulate an honest answer to this question. When he didn’t immediately have a response for me, I decided to taunt him even more by tiptoeing around him with a smirk on my face. He started to move his head so his eyes could follow me, but I snapped my fingers in his face.

“No moving until you answer the question, mate!”

The look of concentration on his face broke and he began silently chuckling. I started playfully dipping my head forward and back as if I was interrogating him; something that only made him laugh even harder.

“Time’s ticking, Julian,” I teased.

“It helps me relinquish control,” he said finally. “I am always in control of everything: my football, my fitness, everything that goes out to the media, everything I put into my body; it’s all up to me. I just needed something to use to help me relax and not be so wound tight. I did hard drugs in my younger years and I’ll never touch them again, so alcohol was the one thing that promised me reprieve from the feeling of playing my life as if it was a game of chess.”

Even though he didn’t ask me a question of his own, I froze in my spot. Every ounce of humour that was in his face had disappeared, and his confession was spoken with such a reverence that it almost broke my heart.

Julian almost looked disappointed with his words, and his gaze fell down to the floor.

“Thank you for telling me that,” I said, placing my hand on his broad shoulder. “That makes a lot of sense, and I’m glad you felt comfortable enough telling me that.”

His cerulean blue eyes met mine momentarily, and he nodded his head.

“Hey,” he said, his voice softer than usual.

“Yeah?”

“Have you ever been tackled before?”

I froze, as per the rules of the game, but looked at him confused. “No,” I said, my voice raising as if I was the one asking him a question.

The almost sombre look on his face was quickly replaced with a cheeky smirk, and before I knew it, Julian had dipped his head and charged, wrapping his arms around my waist. With an impressive amount of strength, he picked me up onto his shoulder and carried me with relative ease until he dumped me onto his sofa, his laughter bouncing off the walls.

“Hey!” I yelled.

Julian pulled his head out from under my arm and he towered over me, a proud smirk on his face.

“You got me with that one, so I thought it was only fair,” he said.

I let my mouth drop open and I playfully pushed him on his shoulder, which I’m sure had the same impact as walking straight into a brick wall.

“What would you be if football was off the table?” I asked him.

Julian narrowed his eyes as he contemplated his response. I suddenly became aware that my body was trapped underneath his on this couch, and if he wasn’t going to move as he contemplated his answer, then neither could I.

While he looked around his mind for an answer, I took this moment to study his face. I appreciated the sharp corners of his jawline that tapered to his adorable pointed chin; I admired the different shades of blue that swam around in his irises, creating its own colour unique to Julian; I noticed how the three-day stubble that had grown on his face acted as a border, highlighting the bright smile I knew he was capable of producing.

“I’m not too sure to be honest,” he began his answer.

I tried to focus on his words, but it soon became background noise as I drank in the raw, rugged masculinity of this specimen of a man looming over me.

Oh no.

Oh no.