I glanced up to see Kelvin staring down at me, concern etched in the lines of his dark forehead.
I nodded. “I’m fine.”
“Don’t let Riggs get to you. He’s young and got some issues with women.”
“Pssh. You think?”
Kelvin chuckled. “Ah, shit.”
I frowned, giving Kelvin a strange look, but he was looking over at the field, not at me. I turned my head in the direction he was staring to see what appeared to be a pissed off Tyler Townsend staring back at us. His eyes were narrowed, face taut, and though he was quite a distance away, the energy he was giving off had displeased written all over it.
“The hell is his problem?” I mumbled.
Kelvin chuckled. “I’m gonna have to sleep with one eye open tonight. I’ll catch you later, Ms. McDonald,” Kelvin stated before heading over to the rest of his team.
I briefly watched Kelvin before my gaze was pulled back to Tyler. He pivoted angry eyes from Kelvin back to me. His mouth softened just slightly as he continued to watch me with hungry eyes. I shook my head warningly, and much to my chagrin, a mischievous smile broke out on Tyler’s face. The flip flop in my belly was enough to startle me back to reality.
“Not going there again. Ever,” I mumbled, turning and moving behind the water table to head back to the lecture hall where our weekly class was held. I’d shown up a little early to meet with two of the assistant coaches on the team about their own financial planning and ways I could help them. After those meetings and Mike saw I was here, he invited me out onto the field to watch practice for a little while before he called the team inside. I’d meant to just sit on the sidelines and make some calls and send some emails. That was before Tyler interrupted my plans.
“I’m going back inside,” I insisted to no one but myself, since I was the only fool out there on the sidelines. I’d head back inside, make sure my PowerPoint presentation was set up correctly, and make my phone calls inside, where it was safe because I wouldn’t have some young, twenty-something jock staring me down. Without my approval, my eyes darted across the football field to see the players all taking a knee as Mike stood over them, instructing them on something or other. My gaze zoned in on Tyler’s who was at the front of his team, seemingly listening to Mike, but when my eyes found him, he turned his head to catch my gaze. As if he just knew I was staring at him.
I shook my head, trying to ward off the growing feelings that were beginning to warm my insides from just his captivated look alone. I turned and made my way inside, at least, for a little while I’d have some sort of reprieve from being underneath that penetrating glare. A few minutes alone should give me enough time to reconstruct the mental brick wall I’d put up against men in general, and athletes in particular.
Chapter Five
Destiny
“I hope you know you’re paying tonight,” I chided Brenda from across the table.
She smiled brightly at me. “The boys giving you that much trouble, huh?” she questioned before giggling and pulling me into a hug.
I’d been waiting for only a minute or two before Brenda joined me just outside of the French restaurant we’d agreed to have dinner at that night. It was one of our favorite places to eat good food and catch up. And since she and I hadn’t found a time where I could go over to her place for dinner, this was where we’d chosen.
“They’re actually not that bad,” I conceded as we passed through the restaurant’s door that was held open by the host.
“Welcome to Le Bec Fin. May I have your name?” the young host questioned.
“McClellan, sweetheart,” Brenda answered, her southern drawl making its appearance.
The host ran his finger down the side of reservation list in front of him. “Ah, here we are. Right this way, please.” He grabbed a couple of menus and waited for us to fall in line behind him. We passed through the dining space, passing people, Brenda and I both waving or nodding at a few dining patrons that we knew.
“What’s the matter, Mike thought I was going to ream him out so he decided to skip dinner?” I teased once we sat down. Thankfully, the classical music that played in the background was low enough that conversation across the circular table wasn’t impeded. The overhead pendant light were low as well to create a warm yet classy atmosphere.
Brenda laughed. “He might be hiding from the both of us. I told him if any of his boys give you trouble, I would pitch a fit all over his butt!”
I held my belly, laughing at her southern vernacular. Even after more than two decades away from the south and working in the corporate world Brenda had refused to give up her southern colloquialisms.
I waved her off with my hand before placing the cloth napkin onto my lap. “The boysas you call them are fine.” I still couldn’t believe how she referred to these grown men asboys.She didn’t mean it in a derogatory way. She just thought of her husband’s players as her family, for the most part. Mike and Brenda had opted to remain child-free throughout their nearly thirty-year marriage. Some people questioned their decision but Brenda had assured me it was a dual decision. Neither one had really wanted children and both were ambitious in their respective career fields, choosing to put most of their energy toward their professions and marriage rather than parenthood. I respected their choice not to bow down to societal pressures and to do what was right for them.
“Even Riggs? Mike told me how he challenged you that first day.”
I nodded while swiping a piece of bread from the basket that’d been placed on our table. I dipped it in the flavored olive oil, sopping it up before taking a savoring bite.
“Mm,” I closed my eyes and moaned.
“Destiny McDonald eating carbs after six p.m.,” Brenda gasped, causing me to giggle while wiping my mouth with the napkin.
“I know,” I began after swallowing. “I had a crazy day and forgot to eat lunch. Haven’t had anything since breakfast. At this point, I’m ready to chew your arm off.”
