“Do you know what this is about?” my teammate, Samuel, asks, his arms crossed, face unimpressed. No doubt he’s supposed to be on a date right now. I swear the guy has worked himself through the entire female population of Missarali.
“No idea.”
“Let’s be frank,” Renee’s tone is icy, “the media and fans aren’t happy with you guys.” She’s addressing my team. “After what happened last season, they think that—”
“Hold on,” Darrell interjects. “I was told this applies to both the football players and cheerleaders. That’s why this is a group meeting, Renee.”
She glares, her jaw so tight it looks like it’s going to break. “As I was saying, it’s not looking good for the Missarali Storks, and Peter has come up with a plan to debunk the stories about how the players, and cheerleaders if you will”—she rolls her eyes—”aren’t taking this seriously.” Her gaze lands on me, head tilting.
A chuckle escapes me. “I don’t know why you’re looking at me like that, Renee,” I say loudly. “I’m not a puppeteer for my teammate’s dicks. They’re all grown men with free will, and the same applies to your cheerleaders. All those relationships last season were consensual.”
A few small gasps from the more uptight cheerleaders capture my attention, but when my eyes flicker toheragain, she appears to be holding back a snicker.
It causes me to pinch my eyebrows together. None of the cheerleaders would ever dare laugh at Renee.
Last season, one of my players knocked up one of the cheerleaders, and another couple was photographed making out in a subway station. I’m still not sure why Renee blames me, but according to her, I’m the most influential member of the group, and I didn’t step in. So, apparently, it's my fault.
I’m thirty-three, and a lot of these players are barely pushing twenty-two. I’ve learned that you can’t try to control youngsters in that kind of way. The more you push, the more they reel back.
That, and I’m not in charge of who they decide to have sexual relations with. I don’t control them, and I don’t want to. As long as it doesn’t affect the way they play, I don’t care who they fuck.
Renee looks like she’s about to combust, and Darrell shoots me a warning look, but I wave his concern away. She’s always treating me like I’m scum on the bottom of her shoe, and occasionally, I like to show her that her opinion means absolutely nothing to me. If she wants to test me, then I’ll test her right back.
A small smile graces my lips as Renee diverts her eyes.
“Onto Peter’s plan. He wants to create a positive look for the Montana Storks, including having the football players and cheerleaders seen publicly together, doing charity work.Notgetting handsy.”
I roll my eyes.
Right, like that’s going to work. The fans and media are going to think what they want. There’s no point manipulating their beliefs.
Darrell speaks now. “You’re all going to be paired up with a member of the other team and then put into groups of four. Your job as partners is to keep the other in check. Make sure they don’t step out of line and do or say anything at these charity events that could hinder the team.”
I mentally scoff. I’m not about to babysit a cheerleader. I have much more valuable things to do with my time.
“We want you all to complete this charity work to the best of your abilities. Show Montana that you care. Not only about football, but the community. Right now, you’ve been painted out as people who prioritise money and sex.”
The media’s perception of my team is fucking stupid. It couldn’t be further from the truth. I know fame, money, and sex are not the reason they’re here.
We’re misrepresented—looked at as people who care about our salaries and scandals more than anything else. Some of the players are serial daters, but they’re open about it. The women they see know they don’t want to settle down. It’s just sex, and both parties are aware of that.
“Might I remind you all of the no-fraternisation rule that’s come into play this season,” Renee booms. “Anyone seen having anything other than a professional relationship with a member of the other team will immediately be cut. Those are not only my rules, but Peter’s too.”
She shoots a blazing look over at Darrell, and eventually, he shakes his head and says, “And mine, too.”
The last people I want to hang around with are the cheerleaders. I don’t have anything against them personally, but they’re a link to Renee, and I don’t need them feeding back to her and causing even more trouble for us. She has a way of spinning everything we do into something negative.
I can practically feel the tension streaming through my veins.
It seems Bennett can sense it too, as he glances at me with raised eyebrows. A look that saysdude, chill out. You seriously need to get laid.
But fucking women doesn’t score touchdowns—another famous line from my father, Kevin Slater, or as I like to call him in my head, the leech.
Football is all he cares about. So, in turn, it’s all I care about.
It’s all Icancare about.
I hate how he’s programmed me to be this way, but your childhood shapes you, and mine was the rectangular shape of a football field.
