Page 56 of Racing Heat
I’m the first one to arrive. I busy myself with pulling out some cones and soccer balls so that we can practice getting shots in on Hendrix. I place the cones where I’m hoping the players could stand to fire. I make sure to include some far out by the eighteen because that’s where Cassie’s two goals of the season have come from.
The sound of talking causes me to turn around, and here come Mac, Hendrix, Amelia, and Cassie. They’re all wearing their blue training shorts and white training tops except for Cassie, who’s got on yellow training shorts, making her stand out from the rest. I know she’s not doing it for that reason; she prefers the brighter colors when she runs and trains.
“Good morning, ladies. How are we all feeling this morning?” I greet them once they’re close enough to hear me.
There’s a chorus of “hi’s” and “fine’s”, but I don’t really focus on anyone else’s response. I’m only interested in Cassie’s.
“Hi. Feeling just fine.” She shoots me a wink.
Fuck, this might be a long training. I need to get a grip and treat her like anyone else. This is good practice for not letting anyone suspect anything.
“Girls, if you could please warm up so that everyone is loose and ready to start firing some shots on Hendrix,” I begin, slipping into business mode. “Hendrix, warm up with the girls until they switch to passing and then come over to me and I’ll finish your warmup with you.”
“Sounds good, Coach. Thanks,” Hendrix replies. She looks bit uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot. Her eyes don’t meet mine, and her smile is a bit off.
“Hendrix, come here a second, please.”
Slowly, she walks over. “Yes, Coach?”
“I don’t want you to think of this practice as a punishment. This is just extra work. You had a lot of great saves. The missed save that caused the goal shouldn’t define your game. I just feel like it’s better to have the practice and work on these types of things now while the memory is fresh. So, chin up and have fun with the girls. Unless you’re too hungover from last night to practice.” I try to end my talk on a teasing tone. Thankfully it works.
She smiles big and bright at me. The first one I’ve seen all morning. “I’m definitely no worse for wear after last night.”
I chuckle. “Well, good. Let’s get to it.”
“Sir, yes, sir,” she says, saluting me.
“Get the fuck out of here with that shit,” I tease.
Hendrix chuckles and heads over to the waiting girls. They begin their light jog around the field, and I watch as they go. Cassie leads the pack with graceful long strides, while Mac is next, followed by Amelia and Hendrix. Amelia seems to be slowing her pace a bit so that she can run with Hendrix. That makes me happy. They’ve really all formed a tight bond. It’sonly four of them, but you have to start somewhere. This team is brand new, with most of the women having never played together, with the exception of Mac and Cassie. Their chemistry is noticeable. The rest is coming together smoothly.
Cassie comes in first from the run and heads over to her water bottle, which is where I strategically placed myself.
“Do you ever take anything easy?” I tease.
“What do you mean?” Her smile is a mile wide, and I take it as a good sign that she’s not feeling any remorse from last night.
“That run you were just on. Why not take it nice and easy? Finish with Mac or the other two.”
“Well, then you wouldn’t have the pleasure of this conversation.”
“In that case, I’m glad you did.”
She steps closer to me. “I thought you might be. What are your plans after this?”
I like the boldness of her question. I smirk. “I have a pickup game after this. Would you like to come? We could get some food afterward.”
“That sounds doable. I’ll see how things break apart here. But I’ll do my best to be with you.”
“Thank you,” I reply.
She winks at me. She must have heard the others approaching, because she turns to the girls who are jogging over for their water bottles too.
“It’s about time you slow pokes got back here,” she teases.
“Some of us are taking our rest day seriously and not trying to overdo it,” Mac replies, sticking her tongue out at her.
Cassie chuckles. “Taking things slow has never been my style.”
