And then there was the guy who almost ruined my life for the pure joy of being able to do it.
But Duncan—Duncan broke up with me. He knows what I can and can’t offer. I’m in no position to help him professionally, and he’s in no position to want or need me to. He honestly doesn’t have any more reason to like me today than he did the day he left. He doesn’t have any reason to show up and help me this morning.
But he’s still here.
Implying that he wants to be part of my life.
After I told him I would’ve stayed with him forever if he’d just kept it casual.
I drum my fingers on the steering wheel and glare at the red light. “He has a job that demands all of his time.”
“Just like you.”
“Just like me.”
“You have an offseason.”
“He’s busier during my offseason.”
“But you still had time to have a thing that led to him catching feelings.”
The light turns green, and I lay on my horn.
The driver in front of me flips me off.
Don’t care.
He needs to move so I can get to work.
“Does this guy you had a thing with know about your road rage?” Francie quips.
“It’s not road rage. It’s impatiencetoday. Tomorrow I’ll let a dick merge without flipping him off. Today, this fucker needs tomove.”
I get through the light and the next one too while Francie tries to talk more details out of me, and while I get increasingly more stressed about this meeting with Tripp.
By the time I let my sister-in-law go and park in the staff parking lot at the headquarters building across the street from Duggan Field, I’m sweating and convinced I’m getting fired.
Good thing I can be a token girl coach for any team.
And then I shake myself.
Tripp saidcommunity outreach opportunity. He didn’t saywe need to talk about your behavior last night.
I’m ten minutes late when I finally get to the executive floor. Denise, the executive assistant, sees me straight into Tripp’s office, then settles onto the couch off to the side with a notebook in hand.
“Morning, boss,” I chirp with a desperate cheerfulness that’s absolutely not me.
And he notices too.
His brows go up. “Morning, Addie. You okay?” Tripp owns roughly half the club by virtue of marrying Lila, but every interview he’s ever done indicates that he loves the Fireballs almost as much as Cooper Rock does. The only reason Tripp’s loved them longer than Cooper is that he’s several years older. He runs things and does a good job. And I don’t say that just because he hired me.
“Peachy.”
“You left early last night.”
“Shoulder.”
“That’s all?”
