My five feet, seven inches had me at a disadvantage as I approached the serving counter. While I could read the screen above with today’s food choices, the counter was completely hidden by the mass of men before me. I stared at the amber of a Coopers t-shirtstretched over wide shoulders and a muscular back as I waited for the way to clear.
“Hey,” a deep voice bellowed.
Bodies shifted.
I turned to find Fin a few people behind me.
“Ms. Hubbard is here,” he called. “Do you animals think you could let a lady get her food?”
“Sorry.”
“Hey.”
The players parted, giving me a straight path to the counter.
I lifted my hands. “No, you don’t have to do that. I can wait like anyone else.”
“I heard you were at practice.”
I recognized Malik Johnson, one of our cornerbacks. “I was. I’m trying to learn more about football operations.”
“Ms. Maeve, you need to watch the defense,” he said. “We’re the real heroes of the game.”
The men around us cheered or booed and laughed. “I will. I promise. I think I need a little longer than one practice with the offense.” Then I asked, “You don’t mind me watching?”
“Hell no,” Malik said. “Oh, sorry.”
My smile grew. “I like a good hell no. Thanks, Malik.”
He motioned for me to go to the front of the line.Once I had my lunch tray, I made my way through the waiting men.
“How did it go?” Fin asked softly.
“You didn’t need to do what you did earlier. I don’t need special attention.”
“The practice?”
“It went well. Thank you.”
Fin winked. “I never had a doubt.”
“That makes one person. I need to get to my office and see what I’ve missed.”
“I’ll look for you this afternoon.”
I walked away with the crazy sensation of being a college student all over again.
No, I chastised myself.
Griffin Graham walked away from me.
What we had was over.
Then why was he acting like it could start again?
CHAPTER 16
Vee
