Chapter 9: Free Throw
Summary:
Jude/Zero[Gideon] centric spin on 'Unguarded'~S2E9
"Jude, you're gay," Zero stated, as opposed to asked.
"What? I'm not gay!"
"Ya, kissed me."
"No, I didn't. Not like that. You were upset. I just—" he said fidgeting with his tie and gesturing as if giving a presentation.
"—Kissed me on the mouth. Jude, it's cool. You're barking up the wrong tree but clearly barking." Zero seemed amused by the prospect. He looked to have momentarily forgotten about his troubles.
"I'm not barking at anything."
"I gotta' get on the plane. Jude, it's fine. You're gay. Be gay." He then slapped the knee he'd just touched and climbed out of the limo.
"I'm not gay!" he called after the other man. He then sat back, numb, and stared down into the car.
On the ride back to his apartment Jude played the scene over and over in his brain.
He was mortified. He'd kissed him. Zero. He didn't know why he'd done it. It wasn't as if he'd ever REALLY thought about him…in that way. Or any guy. Not really.
Once he was back to his apartment, seated on his red couch, a bottle of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked next to him, he thought about Zero and his relationship.
The baller was a natural flirt. And charming. He could turn it on, on a dime. Jude wasn't immune to it.
He decided to compartmentalize. He turned on Inside Sports Network. He would think of ways to manage the scandal. Come up with ideas…maybe he'd call his mom. There was only a three-hour difference between L.A. and Miami. Fuck. He was a grown man and here he was wanting to cry to his mommy. He took a sip of the bourbon.
He might be gay. He probably was. It wasn't something that he'd ever wanted to acknowledge. He took another drink. Then he called his mother.
~~~
The Los Angeles Devils beat the Phoenix Blazers.
Jude sent a text.'Congratulations. Will strategize when you return.'
Zero replied, ' '.
Jude did not reply back.
~~~
"Hey, why you sittin' here?" Jude demanded. He came up behind Zero who sat in a chair off to the side of the arena basketball court.
While Jude had become Zero's agent, he remained the point person for Derek with the Agency and was still spending time liaising with Devils Arena.
"This is Inside Sports Network. It's the 'Skin' issue of their magazine. You're supposed to be out there." He gestured toward the photo shoot setup.
He'd run into Emile, one of the assistant coaches, who had casually mentioned walking by the photo shoot, and noting that Zero didn't seem to be participating.
"I'm knee deep in prostitutes. I'm thinking greased up and naked isn't the image I should be going with right now. Everyone else seems to agree."
"I don't care about everyone else. Business as usual is exactly the image you should be going with. He's getting in," Jude directed to a young, reddish blond holding a clip board.
"Uh, we've already set the shot," he said in a surprisingly deep voice.
"Unset it."
"Yeah, we're kind of on a tight schedule."
"Well, you better get started then unless you want me to pull Derek," Jude threatened.
"Alright guys, we're switching the shot," he instructed to an obviously annoyed crew.
Jude didn't care. Regardless of how weird things were between them, since the kiss, Jude was still Team Zero and would take care of him.
The assistant then signaled Zero to come over.
"Get in there," Jude said, hands in suit pockets per usual.
"Sure, you're not doing this to get me naked?" he said, rising from his seat.
"Ha, ha." Jude was suddenly self-conscious and his confidence not where it had been 5 seconds ago.
"Wanna oil me up?" Zero then peeled off his shirt, displaying a toned as ever physique.
Jude exhaled with irritation, but in fact, yes, he did. Very much. He blushed inwardly.
~~~
A few hours later, the shoot was wrapping. Jude had parked himself in the same spot overlooking the court that a few months ago Zero and he had sat, discussing their plans. He now sat alone, scrolling through business emails on his phone. He looked down and saw Derek and Ahsha. Those two. So much drama. So much love. He wasn't afraid to admit he was somewhat envious. Maybe that's why he had glommed onto Raquel, knowing deep down that neither was truly interested. But, hoping, needing something.
He looked up and saw Lionel walking his way.
"Hey," she greeted.
There was something infinitely sad and tired about her at that moment.
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
"Damage Control. I just spoke with Oscar. He understands about Pete missing the game. Now I just have to smooth things over with the rest of the world. Entertainment Tonight is coming today to do a thing on the Devil Girls. I thought I'd swing by. Answer any lingering questions."
"That's kind of you."
He noted what looked like a flicker of guilt cross her face.
"What have you been up to?"
At that moment, Zero came up the stairs. Jude wasn't sure what, if anything, he saw in the other man's eyes, as they briefly met his. "Nothing," Jude said with a shake of his head.
"Okay." She took a deep breath and with her purse under arm, she headed in the opposite direction.
Jude noted idly that she seemed to glide a little less today, as he watched Zero disappear down the corridor.
~~~
"Excuse, me!" said a voice behind Jude.
He turned around and saw the photographer's assistant…Danny? Running after him as he was exiting the arena. "Listen, sorry, I had to get pushy. Just looking out for a client."
"No, I…I thought it was cool," he said with a laugh. "I think you're cool. Like really cool."
Jude cleared his throat. "Thanks, I gotta'…"
"Hey, can I get your number?"
"I'm not… I'm not, you know…" Jude said it as if he were denying being part of a cult.
"Ah, one of those," Danny replied knowingly. "Okay, well, um, just in case." He handed Jude his card.
Reluctantly, he took the stiff paper. 'Daniel B. Cooke'it read.
"I'm cool too." He chuckled, then sped off back inside the arena.
Jude tucked the card inside his breast pocket and turned to where his Porsche was waiting.
~~~
'You comin' to my party?" Kyle asked Jude.
"Excuse, me?" He was back at the Devils Arena.
In the time that he had been at the agency, more scandal news had emerged. Ahsha Hayes, Devil Girl, one half of 'Dersha,' had confessed to forwarding the email that had destroyed Zero's life. Unfortunately for Zero, all the sympathy was still firmly for the wronged girlfriend and the girl next door cheerleader whose relatable jealousy had pushed her over the edge!
Zero was still the bad guy; a hypocritical, Christian cheater.
"My housewarming slash celebration of the Devils winning their first playoff game! All the players, the coaches and the dancers are gonna be there," said Kyle, big blue eyes flashing.
"Why would I come to a party at your house?"
While he was familiar with Kyle Hart, she had been instrumental in Derek's Roast, and there was obviously something, he didn't want to think about, going on with Oscar and her…
She had found him in the Devils Playground, where he'd hoped to have a sit down between Ahsha and Zero. Zero, due to some feelings of victimhood, had said no. He seemed more upset about having been collateral damage in some kind of fight between the two women, as opposed to the main target. An afterthought. Leave it to Zero to want to be the center of a revenge plot.
They sat at the bar. She leaned into him. Seductively. She didn't seem to be able to help herself. It was jarringly reminiscent of another blond athlete.
"Listen, Care Bear is sorry—"
"—Wait, who?" This was so confusing.
"Ahsha. She's sorry. Wants to apologize and make amends. She didn't mean to cause all this trouble. But let's be honest. There'd be no drama if your guy didn't like the company of escorts. Now, don't look at me like that," she said to Jude's frown. "I've been in the middle of a sex scandal before!"
He remembered the Devil Girl had made a sex tape last year with musician Akon. Somehow, she'd managed to stay a Devil Girl and move forward. He decided to listen.
"The point is, the players, dancers and the public are all behind Ahsha…and Jelena. Zero needs to be seen at my party, loved up by the Devils Nation. It would be good for Care Bear, as well as your guy!"
He really wished she'd stop calling Zero, 'his guy.' But she wasn't wrong about it being mutually beneficial for Zero and Ahsha to be seen together. He knew that Oscar was none too pleased with everything. The senior Kinkade had floated the idea of cutting her loose in particular after everything that happened with her mother…
Her large, open eyes knew she had him. "Here's the address, 8 o'clock!" she said, handing him a piece of paper. She flashed a smile, slid off the stool and sashayed out of the Playground.
~~~
There was a loud banging on Jude's door. He opened it and in sauntered Zero. He was wearing a grey t-shirt, black joggers and sandals; the same clothes from the photo shoot.
"Why aren't you dressed? We have the Devils' party to get to. Everyone's going to be there."
"I'm not really in a party mood." Zero picked up a Sports Illustrated from the coffee table, sat on the couch, and put his feet up on the coffee table.
Jude sighed. "This isn't about chips and dip. This is the first step in rebuilding. Before the public can rally behind you, you need to get back in good with the players. You have no friends in the locker room. You need them!" He snatched the magazine out of Zero's hands. "I'm still your agent. You need to listen to me if we're going to fix this."
"You seem antisier than usual. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you had your own reasons to get to this party."
"I maybe told someone I'd be there."
"Who?"
"Danny, the photographer's assistant from the shoot."
After his talk with Kyle, he looked around the Devils Playground. No Raquel. No Zero. Why not Danny? He gave him a call and invited him to the party. Impulsive yes, but lately that seemed to be Jude's M.O.
Zero paused at the news. He then scratched the back of his head. "I don't want to go to some party where people are going to be hissing me. Especially if Ahshas' gonna be there. She's the one who brought this whole thing on me to begin with."
"That's an even bigger reason for you to go. For PRs sake, you have to forgive her too. And going to this party will only help you!"
"Forget it." He picked up the magazine once more, leaned back on the couch and put his feet back up on the coffee table.
"You don't have to stay that long. Just put in a good faith appearance. Be nice to Ahsha. Let everyone see you do it. You don't even have to mean it. As long as everyone believes you do. Like…being a Christian!"
Zero did a familiar head tilt and squinted up at Jude. "I don't have a thing to wear."
Jude opened his mouth to protest when his cordless phone went off. "Go to my room. Find something."
He himself was dressed in a pink and blue checkered shirt and black pants. He knew nothing he owned would be the other man's style or probably even fit him, but it seemed like he might be making headway...
~~~
"You have anything else?" Zero called to Jude, as Jude came back into the living room, phone in hand, and put it in the cradle.
Zero had taken off a black shirt, one of many of Jude's that sat in a pile in the living room.
"You look pretty. Let's go. While there's still a party to go to." He'd just gotten off the phone with Danny, assuring him that he would be there. He told him that he was currently dealing with a difficult client.
"I'm sure Danny, the photographer's assistant, will be fine."
"Sounds like you're jealous," Jude said with a smile, as he put his hands on his hips.
"Really, Jude? What's next? You gonna double dog dare me to go?" He pulled back on his grey tee from earlier.
'Do you not want to go to the party, or do you not want me to go to the party?"
"No one's stopping you." He pulled a looking around gesture.
This was crazy, thought Jude. Whatever it was that was happening between them, couldn't continue. He had a job to do. It was the one thing he was good at; he had to clear the air to move forward. He was sick of Zero's games. He took a few steps closer. "If I did kiss you on purpose in that car, and I'm not saying I did. It's not because I was crazy. It wasn't because I was going off of nothing."
Zero gave him a look that said, 'I don't know what you're talking about.'
"Fine. You know what? Have it your way. Danny is waiting." He started to walk away.
Zero put a powerful hand to Jude's chest, stopping him. "You don't even know the guy."
"I'm about to."
Again, words became action as Zero aggressively grabbed him by the back of his head and kissed him deeply. Open mouthed, tongue probing.
Jude responded, but then something in the back of his mind panicked and he pulled away. Breathing heavy. Taken aback.
Zero looked up at him, heavy lidded and full of desire. Silently asking him.
Yeah, he wanted him. He wanted Zero. He went back in for a deeper kiss. They ended up against the fireplace mantle, over which, ironically, hung a Devils' jersey with the number 0 emblazoned.
To his surprise, Jude found it was easy to let himself be touched and to touch. His shirt unbuttoned and removed. The grey t-shirt quickly followed. Zero's rough basketball callused hands ran down his chest, as he felt his pants being unbuckled, and then a stroke to his throbbing dick.
The other man pressing against him, hard and fast; taking his face in his hands.
A man's rough touch and feel was strange, new, but so welcomed… a man. This man.
~~~
Jude lay in bed, with the nightstand lamp dimmed. It was past midnight. They'd never made it to the party. Zero slept next to him, emitting a low hum. There was at least a small, Devil Girl's distance between them. What had he done? While not exactly 'buyer's remorse'…he didn't regret Zero's hands on, or in him. He'd finally admitted to himself that he'd 'caught feelings' early on, but now he knew that sex had just complicated things…
He leaned over and started to trace his bicep; fingers tracking a vein, the tattoo. The sheets just above the sparse pubic hair that led to his dick. Suddenly, Zero grabbed his wrist, exerting a pressure that could have hurt Jude if he'd wanted. And just as suddenly, Zero placed Jude's hand gently to the baller's chest. Leaning into him, he looked into Jude's eyes, took Jude's penis into his hand, and slowly massaged, then closed his eyes as he licked and then kissed Jude's open mouth.
In that moment, all of Jude's doubts and fears magically disappeared.