Page 212 of Force Play
Lucia
IfIthoughtIwas nervous last night, I’m even more nervous now.
I’m not worried about keeping my job; I know that’s not at risk.
But I really want a shot at becoming Head Trainer, and there’s a very real possibility that it won’t happen now.
“Take a deep breath, Lucia,” Ari says from the other end of the phone. Players and staff don’t need to report until noon, so I left an hour earlier than him today.
“Why am I so nervous about this?” I groan.
“Because you’re good at your job. Because you want to keep helping us stubborn athletes. Because you want to be a role model to young women everywhere.”
“Right, yes.” I scrub a hand down my face. “No pressure here at all.”
“Whatever happens, everything is going to be okay, sweetheart. Just do what you can to make him see that you should still be considered.”
I let out a deep breath. “Yes, I’ll do that. I’ll see you before the game. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Good luck.”
I disconnect the call and walk toward Dr. Coltrain’s office with determined steps.
All I have to do is plead my case without seeming desperate.
I can do this.
I knock on the door.
“Come in,” Dr. Coltrain shouts.
One more deep breath, and I walk inside, taking a seat across from him.
“Good morning, Dr. Coltrain.”
“Good morning, Lucia.” He rests his hands on the desk in front of him. “What’s going on?”
“It has to do with something Logan saw last night. You know I’m close friends with multiple guys from the team, and Ari Morgan is one of them.”
“Yes,” he chuckles. “That caught me by surprise this season since you two struggled to get along before.”
“Yeah, that’s a long story,” I sigh. “Us getting along started during the offseason, and we’re really close now. Close enough that when Logan ran into us last night, we were… kissing.”
Dr. Coltrain raises his brow in amusement. “Were you?”
“Yes. Ari and I are actually… together. We’re not just friends.”
“Iknewsomething was going on,” he chuckles.
I look at him in surprise. “What do you mean you knew?”
He smiles at me. “I’ve been wondering since April. Lucia, Ari showed up when we went to Brooklyn College with a bouquet of flowers. I’m aware of the reputation he had previously, so for him to show up and support you like that told me something was happening behind the scenes.”
I let out an uneasy laugh. “Believe it or not, we weren’t dating at that point. We really only got together officially last week.”
“So what’s bothering you about this? We don’t have a no-fraternization policy on the Stars, so you two have broken no rules.”
“It’s more about the Head Trainer position opening up.” I take a breath and exhale. “Logan pointed out last night that the girlfriend of one of the players getting the position would look a lot like favoritism.”
