“Sure you did, brother.” He laughs and drains the rest of his drink. “This was fun, August. I’m glad I finally got out here to see the show.”
“It’s not a show, Drew, it’s a game. Same as the Marlins play. This one is just football,” I tell him.
“Not football, soccer,” he chides. “Even you know the difference,” he states, making reference to my football career that never got off the ground due to injury.
“Sure, sure,” I reply. “I’m going to head to the media room with the staff. You coming out with us tonight?” I ask him. I know the answer, but I extend the invitation anyway.
“Nope, I’m headed home. Early flight out of here tomorrow and all,” Drew replies.
“Uh-huh. You wouldn’t have come even if you weren’t hitting the road tomorrow,” I tease him.
“No, no, I wouldn’t. Now behave yourself tonight.” He sounds so much like our father when he says things like that.
“Of course, I always do.”
Drew just chuckles and extend his hand to me. “Congratulations on the playoffs. It’s really something.”
“Thanks, man.” I pull him into a quick hug. “It was great watching the game with you.”
Drew nods and then he’s gone. I turn my attention to the field and catch Hendrix as she heads into the tunnel that leads to the locker room. I hurry to the media room, hoping that Watts has sent her and Mac to join me.
Chapter Five
~HENDRIX~
The energy is pumping in the locker room.
We just clinched playoffs!
The music is loud and the team is celebrating while doing the normal post-game rituals of showering and readying for a night out. It was announced by someone on the team that we were partying tonight, which means we’ll be headed to the Backwoods, the bar that the team tends to frequent after games and for normal hangouts. My particular group of friends enjoys spending our time there too.
“Monroe, can you please head into the media room with me?” Coach Watts asks as I’m pulling shin guards from the sleeves and getting ready to take off some pretty smelly game day socks.
“Sure,” I say slowly, looking up at him, my chocolate eyes begging him to not make me go into the media room. I loathe speaking in front of a room full of reporters, even if it is part of the job.
Of course, he picks up on it and claps me on the back. “It’ll be fine. Mac and I are going too. You won’t be alone in there,” he promises.
I let out a groan. “Sure, Coach, whatever you need.” I like it so much better when it’s Cassie and Mac who are asked to speak to the press. Watts knows I’m not a fan of it and Jase was able to keep me from them earlier in the season. But whenever I play a key role in the game, he said he can’t save me from them. I think this is one of those times.
“Thank you,” he says, giving my back one last pat while I continue to struggle to make myself presentable for the media.
“You’ll do fine,” Jase says as he is coming around the corner. His English accent sounds pretty thick due to the low timber of his voice. “Just try and smile.”
I let out a heavy sigh. “I can smile the whole damn time I’m in that room, it’s not going to make me feel more comfortable.”
“I’ll be there the entire time.” Mac sidles up to us and places a comforting hand on my shoulder.
“Gee, thanks,” I reply, sounding no more hopeful than I did when Watts told me that I was going to face the media.
“No one is going to bite you, Hen,” Mac says, lowering herself onto the bench beside my locker. “At least you won’t have Danny in there attacking you for the way you played. We had a stellar game tonight.”
I nod, remembering the way that Danny tore Mac apart in the press room and in his article. But the sparks that flew in the press room ended igniting into something special between the two of them.
“I’ll be there the whole time,” Mac promises me again.
“Yeah, yeah, so you say.” I pull a clean Blaze top on and glance in her direction. Somehow Mac already has herself camera-ready.
Her long blonde hair is hanging pin-straight down her back. I can see a bit of makeup that accents her blue eyes. She’s wearing the same navy blue Blaze T-shirt that I’m wearing expect shepaired hers with a pair of dark jeans that hug her curves and accent her long legs.
