Double Score

I was easily a few inches taller than him, and I could knock him to the ground with one good swing. But I wasn’t looking for a league fine. I was looking for a girl.

“I’m good, man. I guess I walked out of the locker room the wrong way. My bad.”

“It is your bad.” He stepped in front of me.

I huffed. He was eating up minutes and the bus would be filled by the time I got there.

It was instinct, but I pulled my shoulders back. “Look, man. The bus is waiting. I’m just trying to get home. Not here to cause problems.”

This would cost me my bonus. I wasn’t going to hit him. I stood down.

One of his teammates walked up behind him. “Get your ass in the locker room, Floyd.”

“Just talking to Sam here.” He cracked a smile, but we both knew he was ready to rip into me. He talked shit, but he also backed it up.

“See you next month, Floyd.” I waved. We would have a rematch in four weeks.

The guy nodded at me, and I took that as my cue to walk to the Wranglers’ bus. My side trip around the stadium was over. I wasn’t going to find Natalia tonight. I ran through the corridors, pissed at myself for searching for her. Pissed I couldn’t find her. Pissed I couldn’t have last night again.

14

Natalia

I sat in the locker room staring into the mirror. I had wiped the blush from my cheeks and pulled the fake lashes from my eyelids until I recognized my reflection.

I didn’t know why I stayed as long as I did. Most days I was the first girl out of here, but I kept thinking about Sam. Who he was. What he almost cost me. Did it even matter to me?

Heather sat next to me. “Pres told me you two talked.”

She caught me off guard. “Just a little.”

“You and Sam Hickson?”

“No,” I corrected her. “There is no Sam and me. It wasn’t what you thought. He tried to get my number and walked me to my car. Nothing happened.”

Heather smiled. “I know I made you go last night, but maybe I wasn’t clear about some things.”

“And what things are those?”

“Goddesses have responsibilities. We have a legacy to uphold. And sleeping with a Wrangler isn’t on that list.”

“But—”

She held up her hand to stop me. “I know your car, Natalia. It was there when I left the bar. You didn’t leave when you said you did.”

Shit. I felt the color drain from my face. “Are you going to tell anyone?”

“No, but you aren’t either.”

“No, no one. It never happened.”

She pulled me into an unexpected hug. “It certainly didn’t.”

I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disgusted. Was this blackmail, or girl bonding? I was confused. She smelled like hairspray and sweet perfume. Unlike me, she was in full makeup.

“Thanks, Heather. I mean it. I appreciate you keeping this between us.”

“Sure thing. It was a mistake. We all get one pass. You’re new to football and to the Goddesses, so I can see how it would happen.”