“Fighting on the b?—”
“WRONG, HURTS!” he shouts in my face like a drill sergeant.I did hear rumors that coach was in the military for a while… I guess the mother fucker wasn’t that far off the cuff... hell, it would explain a lot.“YOU LITTLE BITCHES ARE OUT HERE BECAUSE YOU ALL SEEM LIKE YOU NEED TO FUCKINGCALM THE FUCK DOWN!” He goes to stand in front of Tek and Duval. “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU BOTH THINKING?!” he shouts, and I don’t hear their answer, too busy trying not to fucking freeze.
The cold agitates the fuck out of my nipple and clit piercings, but there is no way in hell I can tell the coach that, so I just sit there counting, trying to resist the urge not to lick my lips because I’m sure these sons of bitches will fall off.
I shouldn’t, but I peek over to see Duval, who’s staring at me with a clenched jaw and pissed eyes.Ugh, is he pissed that I got him into trouble?! The asshole should have just n?—
“WHERE THE FUCK IS YOUR MIND AT RIGHT NOW, HURTS?!” Coach stomps over to me.
“N-NOTHING, COACH!” my voice cracks a bit, but I swallow, refusing to show them weakness. Hell I’m already a girl and I’m Black on this mostly white team.I think the fuck not.They already look at me like the weakest link. I have to try ten… no,one hundred timesharder to hack it.This shit is nothing.
“WELL THEY WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU STARING OFF INTO THE FUCKING DISTANCE?!”
“I WAS JUST COUNTING THE SNOWFLAKES, SIR! IT’S COLD AS HELL AND I NEEDED A DISTRACTION!” I tell him honestly, and the guys laugh, agreeing, making me feel good that I’m not the only one freezing my ass off.
“YOU CAN’T AFFORD A DISTRACTION, HURTS! YOU’RE ALREADY FIGHTING FOR YOUR LIFE ON THE FUCKING FIELD, AND NOW YOU HAVE MY PLAYERS FIGHTING EACH OTHER! I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOUTHREE HAVE GOING ON, BUT FIX IT BEFORE THE GAME, OR I’LL BENCH THE LOT OF YOU! NOW, ON THE FUCKING BUS!” He goes to turn, and I stand.
“Wait, Coach. Why do I need to fix anything? I had noth?—”
“Two of my star players who were best friends before you came are fighting, and you’re at the fucking center, Hurts. Yeah, you had everything to do with it. Fix it, or you’re out. This isn’t a dating game, this is football, and if none of you can keep your shit together because of a fucking woman, I don’t want you here,” Coach says to everyone, but looks at me, making my chest tighten. Tears well in my eyes, but I look away.
Cry? In front of him? In front of my team? Yeah the fuck right… I won’t. Not now, not ever, so I just bottle that shit up like I always do and nod.
“Yes, Coach,” I stomp past him and Tek tries to talk to me, but I breeze past him.Fuck…I throw myself into my seat, cover my face, and close my eyes, ignoring the phone vibrating in my pocket. But when it keeps going off, I reach in and see it’s Frank, but I’m in no mood…focus, Jessica…
When we make it to the hotel, I go straight to my room, shower, and lay the fuck down to go to sleep, but I jump when I hear a knock at the door.
“Who is it?” I call out, thinking it’s one of my teammates or Tek, but no one says anything. I narrow my eyes and slowly make my way over to the door, peeking out of the peephole, but there’s no one there.
I’m not worried about anyone pulling any fuck shit becauseCoach wouldn’t allow it. Still, I open the door and peek out tosee who could have knocked, but there’s no one really there. However, when I look at the handle, I notice a bag from the local drug store hanging on it.
Frowning, I take it and peek inside, where I see ointment and all types of first aid stuff and a card. I open the card and cock my head to the side, smiling when I see a sad puppy on the front. When I open the letter, it reads in bold letters:
I’m sorry. I hope your knee is okay…
Whoa… he even noticed that my knee was scraped?I really have been a shitty friend to him lately…
I step out, looking for Tek, but he’s gone, so I take the card and the bag in the room and apply the ointment, grimacing at the sight of my cheek and the gash on my knee before I lay back in bed, tired. My phone goes off again, and I peek to see it’s Frank.
I don’t answer… not because I don’t want to talk to him, but because I need to get my head in the game. Tomorrow is game day. Coach has his eye on me, so I can’t afford to divide my attention. I close my eyes, and Frank’s face flashes across my mind…him kissing me…but I bat it away.I have no time for that. I need to focus.
Chapter 9
Pleasure Palace
FRANK
“Number Seven, crouch down and hold out your tongue. Mikail, face this way and place your hands in your pockets. Oh, but can we take off the eye wrap?” the photographer asks the assistant to help the fucker next to me take off his eye wrap while he poses with a cig in his mouth because he refuses to put it out, but I want to snatch it from him and stomp it because Jessica doesn’t like smoking.
Plus, it’ll get on me, but since she’s out of town, I guess I’ll let it go. I do as instructed and we pose in the maid outfits for the new ads going out for the reverse maid café that’s opening at the club.
I really didn’t want to do it, but they offered to pay me the model rate, so why the fuck not?
Once the shoot is over, I pull out my phone, texting baby.
Husfriend : Is everything okay?
Husfriend : For fucks sake Jessica why are you making me worry?