“Near Ravensong Lake,” I say, though I’m not sure why it matters. Why is housing or this conversation important to my job anyway? I’m good at my job. That should be the end of the story.
“That’s remote,” Coach says. “Extremelyremote. You already spend your personal time alone. You need the wilderness too?”
“I do,” I say. Because how much does this man really need to know about me, other than the fact that I have the best ball control on the team?
“Well, that’s too bad. You signed a contract. Baxterwants all of his team living at the Lakeview Apartments. You knew that when you signed on.”
I clench my jaw, not ready to give in. “But I already bought the place.”
“Then sell it,” Jacobson says.
Fisting my hands at my side, I stop myself from snarling. “Devon doesn’t live in Lakeview.”
“Devon’s married. With a daughter and another on the way.”
This, I can argue. “So, there are exceptions.” I press my fist into the top of his desk.
But Jacobson isn’t ruffled by my claims. “You know there are. You signed the same contract Devon did.”
“Then couldn’tthisbe an exception? I need my space, Coach.” I exhale a rumbling breath.
“You need your team, Roman. Soccer is ateamsport. You remember that?”
I grind my teeth and swallow down the very real desire to ream out my coach. “Of course I do.”
“And yet, you don’t know your teammates. You’re good, Graves. But you could be great if you knew them.”
I shake my head. He’s got it all wrong. “I do know them. I know that Whitaker’s got a wicked left foot, Cruz isn’t going to allow the ball to go past him, and Hayes stays focused under pressure.”
Jacobson’s nod is slow and calculated. “All true. Did you know Callum’s getting married over break? Do you know the date? Are you attending?”
I blink, my brow wrinkling. I know the man’s got a girlfriend. How could I not? Lucca Cruz made Callum’s girl a team affair. Still, I don’t know about any event or a specific date. But then, Callum passed an envelopealong to me more than a month ago. It’s sitting sealed up on my counter with the rest of my junk mail.
Jacobson takes my silence as an answer. “Do you even know the woman’s name?”
“Franny,” I snap. How could I not know when Lucca bellows the woman’s name at the beginning of every game?
Coach gives me a smug grin. But I am certain I’m right. I know it. “Yes,Fran,” he says. “She’s a nice person. She’s good for him.”
I don’t really care what Callum’s girlfriend is—it’s not my concern. But then, is he saying what I think he’s saying?
“Wait—is Whitaker moving out, then?”
His head dips in a single nod. “He and Fran have plans to leave Lakeview, yes.”
I scoff. “You see how unfair this is, right?”
“Baxter pays you well, Graves. You may be in the minor league, but he’s made sure that you don’t have to have two jobs. The fans in Reno and Tesoro love you. He’s provided you with a dream situation. With a few mere stipulations, one being that you live at Lakeview. It’s not unheard of. Plenty of teams, major and minor, live in the same building.”
I pace once in front of Coach’s desk. “But I’ve already bought the cabin. I signed the papers this morning.”
“Do you have wedding plans I don’t know about?”
“Maybe I do,” I bark, but swallow down my temper. We both know I don’t have any such plans.
Jacobson laughs, curt and short, at my small outburst. “I’ll tell you what, Roman. You go the next two weeks without getting a card, and I’ll consider talking to Baxter about yourcabin.”
We have four games in the next two weeks. Four. Surely,I can go four games without getting carded. Noteveryfoul is a card, just the more severe ones. I can handle that.
