Page 134 of Spotlight
My foot bounces under the table and my heart is racing. This is it. The contract that changes everything for me. I’m going to be part of a great team. One that has the means to bring together the most talented players and coaches. Not to mention the best facilities in the league. No more potluck food or vintage video equipment.
“All that’s left is for you to sign,” she says finally.
My finger hovers over the track pad. I scroll to the signature box and click. Then pause. A cool sweat breaks out on my forehead. The air conditioning in the building probably stopped working. A hint of a smile tugs at one side of my mouth as I imagine the guys giving Earl a hard time and him working hard to find someone to fix it quick.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. I sit back and pull it out.
“Ah,” I say, standing. “One second. I need to meet the pizza guy at the door.”
“Pizza guy?” Jack asks, lifting one dark brow.
“It’s my day to bring in food for the team and staff,” I say, then realize by the surprised expression on their faces that somewhere along the way it stopped being weird to me.
It’s kind of fun never knowing what kind of food to expect. Gunnar always brings in a big crockpot of his homemade chili, Freddie loves a salad bar, and JT’s wife’s muffins and other baked goods are still my favorite.
“Sure,” Everly says. “We have until the end of the day.”
“Great.” I start for the door, then pause inside it with one hand on the frame. “Why don’t you email it to me. That way you two can get out of here and get lunch or whatever… enjoy your day together.”
Everly’s brows pull together, but she smooths out the expression quickly. She steals a glance at Jack and then nods. “Okay. We’ll get out of your way so you can prep for the game, but we’ll be back tonight to watch you play. If you haven’t had a chance to sign by then, we can reconvene.”
“Thanks, Everly.” I rap my knuckles on the doorframe and then head to meet the pizza guy.
Once I’ve retrieved the food, I take it to the kitchen. Gunnar and Bo are leaning against the counter, protein shakes in hand.
“Hey, guys,” I say. “Bo, your pineapple and ham is on the bottom.”
He grunts his acknowledgment, but neither guy says anything else. Their stoic demeanors tell me everything. Fuck. This is harder than I thought it would be. They were slow to warm up to me, but they did. And now I’m leaving them the exact way they feared.
“Thank you for welcoming me onto the team. It’s been an honor to play with you guys. I know you’re pissed, but how about one last hurrah?” I ask, shoving my hands in my pockets.
They both stare at me, unspeaking for so long that my back sweats and my T-shirt sticks to it. Somebody needs to find Earl and tell him there’s a problem with the air conditioning.
Bo is the first to step forward. He extends a fist to me.
I bump it and then hold it up, waiting for Gunnar.
He relents without looking all that thrilled about it. “Let’s do it.”
* * *
After I stretch and warm up my body, I finally spot Earl. His is one of the few friendly smiles I’ve gotten around here today.
“Are you ready to give the fans one more show?” he asks me.
“Definitely.” Another last. Standing on Fletcher field in a Mustangs uniform.
“Give ’em hell,” he says with a grin.
“Will do.” I take a step away, then stop. “Hey, Earl. Have you checked the air conditioning lately?”
His bushy brows pinch together.
“I’ve been sweating in here all day. You haven’t noticed?”
His head moves in a slow nod. “Feels okay to me, but I’ll look into it.”
After I’ve changed into my uniform and gone out to the field, I take my time soaking in every little thing. I hold the ball in my right hand and look around at the familiar stadium. It isn’t the fanciest in the league, not by far. Still, it’s become home.
