He cleared his throat and stared at the window.
Staying with the team?
“I’m sure this was covered at internship orientation, but I must reiterate that fraternizing with the players is frowned upon.” He stared at the four of us, moving from one face to the other. “I am proud of the reputation my program has, and we vet our interns for this very reason. This is a job. You don’t party, and you don’t cross a line. You remain a professional at all times.”
“Yes, sir,” we said.
“Great. Glad that’s over.” He flashed a grin. “Abe, you and Kamrica need to prepare the waters. Colin, I want you in the rehab room with me to help tape before special teams show up. Ivy, you’re on the field. Stay back, and I’ll find you a radio.”
He dismissed us, and my muscles tightened from his earlier words. No crossing a line. Was that… being friends with Callum?My chest ached. I couldn’t… we were just trying again. Or did he mean have a relationship with? My mouth dried up as the other three left for their roles and Henry answered a quick text.
I’d worked so hard for this internship. This had to be a terrible coincidence, nothing more. Nothing would stop be from getting it, not even Callum.
Henry rummaged through a file cabinet and snapped his fingers. “Here is the radio. Damn, why are they in there?”
I remained silent, worried as hell. I couldn’t fail out of this program or get kicked out or not have Henry recommend me. Getting a job was all about who you knew, and I refused to let my parents get me a job. That was a privilege, but Callum’s face appeared in my mind. We chatted when he worked out sometimes. Was that…
“I wanted to talk to you about something.” He handed me the radio, his face set in hard lines.
Oh no. He knew Callum and I had hung out yesterday. I couldn’t lie at all. My face reddened, and my palms sweated. “I can explain, sir. We’ve known each other since we were five years old.”
He tilted his head. “What?”
And now I felt like an idiot. He wasn’t…oh no. I closed my eyes, humiliation gripping my throat. Why had I done that? Shit.
“Ivy.”
Tears threatened to spill over, but I once read if you clenched your butt cheeks, it helped fend off tears. The motion had a physical reaction to the clenching, and I’d used that hack quite a few times. It worked, and I took a shaky breath before meeting his gaze. He seemed worried.
“I’m sorry, sir. I misunderstood. You gave your speech about… crossing the line with players, and I thought you meant me being friends with Callum O’Toole.”
He blinked before a huge grin crossed his face. “Emerson, you are thelastperson I’m worried about. You’re always professional and would never cross a boundary. It’s great that you two are friends. It helps establish a level of trust with the team when they know he trusts you. That can go a long way here.”
“Oh.”
He waved a hand in the air, letting out a soft laugh. “I appreciate your honesty, but I have no doubt that you’d never do anything to hurt your internship. Plus. O’Toole? You’re not his type. He’d do well to have a friend like you.”
Henry meant well. I knew that, rationally, but hearing those words hit the air felt like a little jab. IknewI wasn’t Callum’s type. I never had been. He liked blondes and redheads and women with curves. The fact I even gave my head brain space to this annoyed me, and I shut it down. I thought he was hot a few times, but that didn’t matter.
Henry said it was okay we were friends, so it wouldn’t hurt my internship.
“Thanks for reassuring me.”
“What I wanted to ask was about your next steps after this year.” He leaned onto his desk, arms crossed. “Your professors say you’re bright, motivated, and have a chip on your shoulder. I don’t see the chip because you’re friendly, but I want to help your next step.”
“I want to break into the NFL and help increase the stats of how many women work there. I want to be an athletic trainer of the year and own a program that focuses on recruiting women.”
He nodded. “Any specific team or town that has your eye?”
“None. I’d travel wherever with an opening.”
Esme already ensured me that she’d move wherever I ended up—her brother would follow because he could do his job anywhere in the world. The fact that I had my two best friendsbuilt into any city was unreal, and I refused to let fear hold me back. But, for the first time in three years, Callum’s face was there.
He could get drafted anywhere. The chances of us ending up at the same team were insane but not impossible.
Why are you thinking about him?He wasn’t a part of my dreams anymore, so my goals wouldn’t change because of him. I would never be that girl.
“I’m close with the head coach and GM up in Chicago and Indiana. If you’re alright with it, I’d love to reach out and see their plans for next year.”
