Page 90 of Striking Heat
“Yeah, I can do that,” I tell him.
Truth is, I already have a copy ready to give her. I put it in a manila envelope that’s now sitting in my front seat, waiting to make its way to her.
“Great. Well, let’s do that then,” August says, standing up. This effectively ends the meeting, which I’m thankful for.
We all shake hands.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Maxwell tells me. “I think my staff is quite fond of you.”
I nod. “Sure thing.”
Martin and I file out, leaving August and Maxwell alone.
“So, does this mean you’ll be coming back to the office with me?” Martin asks.
“No, not today. I think I’ll take this article to her and then try to figure out what comes next,” I tell him, shrugging.
“That’s fine, but don’t forget you do still work for the Times, so make your way into the office at some point.”
“Will do.”
We part ways in the parking lot. I’m hoping to get to Mac’s before she has practice so that I can give her the article to review before it goes to print. I’ll save the pictures Nick took of her and let her be surprised when it’s all laid out. I have no doubt our team is going to do a great job.
Chapter Thirty-Six
~MAC~
Danny warned me that the article would be out today. He told me last night when we were talking on the phone. I haven’t gotten to see him much because he’s been busy looking over angles to cover for the paper, but he promised he would make it to our game against the Bay FC tonight.
I’ve been itching to see him. We’ve been surviving on text messages and phone calls. I did see him at The Backwoods the other night, but we were around our friends, so we couldn’t really talk. The article being finished makes it hard for him to come over and talk to me. Had I really thought about this, I would have pretended like we’d struck up some friendship because of the article.
But I didn’t play it that way.
I acted like I hated hanging out with him. Like there were so many other things I’d like to be doing other than talking to him. Now it’s bitten me in the ass. He did, however, run out to his car and get the article so that I can read an advanced copy of it.
I didn’t.
I wanted to read it when it was in the paper with all the amazing pictures Nick took. I wanted to see it as a finished piece, and I trusted him. And I’m glad I did.
I woke up early this morning and went to the local convenience store and picked up a copy of the Tampa Bay Times so that I could read it with my morning coffee. After a stop at Starbucks, I was back at my apartment opening the article on my balcony. The energy of reading this now is so much different than when I first read the words Danny wrote. I’m excited to read it. I know he’s a good writer. I’ve read the few things that he’s put in the paper since being introduced to him that night in the press room.
With butterflies dancing around in my stomach, I open up the Times and immediately go for the sports section. I’m on the front cover. There’s a picture of me dribbling to the goal. Nick got a shot of my profile, a look of determination on my face as I’m heading for the goal. I smile at the headline he chose.
The Bay’s New Striker Packs a Punch
In the article, Danny talks about how hard I work, how much I train. He even adds in a little bit about the rebounder currently sitting in my backyard. It’s a great article. There are portions that mention the team and the coaches. It’s a glowing review of the team and how hard we work. He states that we just might be what the Bay has been missing.
Tears are streaming down my face when I complete it. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read about myself, and the fact that he wrote it makes it that much sweeter. I’m going to have to remember to get this framed. This is something I want to hold on to. I even decide that I’m going to pick up more copies so that I can send them to my family. They should see this. Might changetheir mind about coming to watch me the next time I’m playing near them.
I hear a knocking at my door. I hurry to open it. For a split second, I think it’s going to be Danny, but it’s Cassie, Amelia, and Hendrix.
I beam at them, seeing that they’re holding newspapers too.
“This is awesome!” Hendrix says as she rushes into the apartment. “I couldn’t believe after what he originally wrote that this is what you got out of him. How did you do it?”
I don’t miss the way Cassie’s eyes are full of concern as Hendrix gushes about it.
“I don’t know. We spent a lot of time together, and he asked me a million questions. He spent time with the coaching staff, and he’s been hanging around August for a while now,” I explain, hoping it works.
