THE 90 PERCENT | joe burrow

realizations and temptations

Christmas came and went way too fast. I was back to work for a couple of days before heading up to Kansas City with the team and the week had been odd, with a capital O.

I didn't feel like hating Joe anymore. Ivy realized that and brought it up every once in a while and I couldn't explain it.

We were having drinks after work one day and she brought up her own love life. "Mil, this is it."

"What is?" I asked her. She pointed to her heart like a lovefool idiot.

"I just want to binge Victorious, eat a crap ton of chocolate, and stalk his mom's facebook posts like ALL the time. I'm like a high school teenage girl with a crush all over again.

"Ask him out." I told her. She shook her head. She hated making the first move. She was afraid of being rejected, especially when she felt so strongly about him.

I told her there was no way he'd say no, but she wouldn't listen. She just wanted to wait.

I contemplated texting Ja'Marr, but that was a task for later.

"Why don't we talk about Mr. Burrow and you?"

"There's nothing there."

"You don't hate him anymore."

"I don't, but that's because he isn't intolerable anymore. He's actually fine, we're friends, it's good, we're good."

"You're ranting."

"I don't know. I just feel like my focus is on the wrong things sometimes."

"What's wrong about thinking about all that stuff?"

"I should be focusing on Leo and Aria and making sure they're ok. It hasn't even been 6 months." She looked at me like it was a dumb excuse.

"Don't act like you don't know about Ava and Leo."

"They're not dating, they're idiots for not realizing it, but they're not." She pointed at me and implied a person that was a lot taller than me. I told her it wasn't the same thing.

She didn't care, she kept going with it.

"You're going to Kansas City with the team right? Tell me why exactly?"

"It's still winter break for Leo and Aria and Joe asked if I could come."

"Guys don't invite girls they don't like to their football games. Especially Joe Burrow." I didn't believe her, but I said "fine" just to get her off my back.

She helped me pack for the trip and dropped us off at the private airport they were flying out of. The flight there was crowded. Some were watching TV, others were playing cards. Joe was going over plays and I was reading an awfully explicit book.

It was hard for even me to read. So so graphic. So so bad. "Can I see what you're reading?" He asked. I shook my head really fast.

"I don't think I can even read this.." I said with my eyes too wide for their own good.

He picked up the book, scanned through the page, nodded and put it down. He tried to act nonchalant, but he ended up laughing so hard his head banged on the table.

"I didn't pick the book! The cashier lady at the airport suggested it."

"She must like kinky things." I almost started crying from giggling so hard.

Everyone had to ask if I was ok. I gave them a thumbs up and started crying. "You good Mack?"

"Yup" I choked out.

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Joe

She was reading the smuttiest book I had seen in my entire life.