Page 13 of Crossing the Lines for Love

I finally rolled out of bed at nine o’clock. After a quick shower, I put my massive mane into a puff on the top of my head and dressed in a one-piece romper, cropped sweatshirt, and sneakers. Twenty minutes later, I parked in front of the building where the athletic offices were located.

Niko pulled up next to me before I could get out of my car. He exited his vehicle first and waited for me to get out.

“Good morning,” he said as I approached him.

“Hey.”

We walked silently to the building. Once inside, I let him lead the way because I was still getting familiar with the building.

“I assume you have the keys to unlock the door,” he said when we arrived outside the conference room.

I pulled the set of keys I’d received from my bag. “I guess one of these works.”

After trying a couple of keys, one of them finally unlocked the door. We went inside, and while I sat down, Niko connected his laptop to the large screen on the other end of the room.

“I don’t think all this is necessary. I went over the film last night and took some detailed notes.”

He grinned. “I’m sure you did a thorough job. What did you write about me?”

“That’s for me to know and you to never find out.”

“It’s cool. I’m confident in my skills and abilities, so I’m not worried about what you think.”

“I knew you were the cocky type. Let’s get started.”

I wanted to say a lot more about his overly confident attitude, but I had no intention of going back and forth with him or any of the other players. Niko was the star of the team, for sure, but he had some weak areas that he could work to improve.

“First, let me apologize for my behavior yesterday. That’s not really who I am, and?—”

“I don’t know if I believe that.”

“Let me finish. I’m not a male chauvinist. I was in the Navy for four years and had several women as my superiors. I had no issues respecting them and following their orders. Yesterday, I was surprised… shocked, even. It was less about the new coach being a woman and more about the woman being you. Does that make sense?”

“What’s wrong with me?”

“Had we not bumped into each other?—”

“You bumped into me.”

“Right. I bumped into you. My point is, if my first time meeting you had been yesterday, my reception would have been more welcoming.”

“I wouldn’t say we met, but if we had, what does that have to do with anything?”

“If you recall, I asked for your number, and you turned me down.”

“I did.”

“I wasn’t expecting the woman I’d hit on a few days before to end up being my coach. Again, I apologize and will keep my ego in check moving forward.”

“Thank you. I’d appreciate that. Now, let’s get started.”

“I have to say, this meeting was very helpful. I’m glad you talked me into it,” I admitted. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad I could help. You want to grab a bite to eat?”

“No. I don’t think that would be appropriate. I’ll see you on Monday. Thanks again.”

I quickly hopped in my car and backed out of the parking spot. Niko was fine as hell, and I wasn’t foolish enough to spend any unnecessary time with him. Although our first interaction was horrible, I couldn’t ignore how my stomach fluttered in his presence.

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