As I pull my door shut, I watch her give the Honda’s trunk a solid thump before marching back over and sliding behind the wheel.
“You sure know how to keep a guy on his toes, Amy.”
“Well, I’m gladsomeone’shaving a good time.”
“What’d you say to him?”
She shrugs. “I just followed your advice, that’s all. You said small talk’s important… So, I asked him how his morning was.”
“I’d say his morning was shitty.”
“Well, let’s just say I may have brightened up his day.”
With that, she hits reverse, and soon we’re back on the road again, this time heading in the right direction.
It’s a smooth ride to Cardinal Village, and though she’s still giving that same uptight vibe, at least we’re not meeting traffic head-on. We swing a loop, taking in a good chunk of Sycamore as we cruise, before drifting over to campus. Once we arrive back where we started, she just sits there staring into space, letting the engine run. I shift in my seat to try to catch her eye, and she shoots me a sideways look.
“Amy?”
“What?”
“What do you think of our second training session?”
“Ladies first,” she mutters.
I sigh. “Well, you didn’t stall. That’s something, right? I guess you’re improving. How was it for you?”
“The urge to slam your head into the glove box wasn’t as strong this time, so I’d say I’m getting there.”
“I agree. It feels like we’re really connecting.”
She shoots me a glance.
“You need to get some practice in before our next session,” I add. “Try to do some more city driving. I’ve got a home game tomorrow and an away game on Monday; I’ll get in touch once I’m back. Let me grab your number.”
She stabs in the digits, and just when I go to take her photo, she shoots me a dirty look. I check the screen. Her new profile pic is definitely true to life.
“You have a great day, Amy!”
“Thanks.”
“This is the part where you say, ‘You too, Lewis.’?”
“Right.”
I laugh and hop out of the car, giving her a quick wave before striding off toward the gym. It took me a while to come around to the idea, but now that I’m training her, maybe—just maybe—I’m enjoying myself.
AFTER PRACTICE, I STROLL ACROSSthe parking lot, running through my options for tonight. Since all my friends have girlfriends, the days of big nights out feel like a distant memory.
“Conley!”
I spin around. “Dwayne!” I drop my gym bag, holding out a hand. “What’s up?”
“Nothing much. This weekend couldn’t come soon enough—Coach doubled down on practice, I’m wiped.”
Dwayne is a Cardinals athlete, too—a damn good hockey player.
“How’s the gang? You guys heading out tonight?”
