“Kane!” Larsen yells, abandoning his position as Li’s spotter as he rushes over to me. Fortunately, there’s someone from the trainer team to step in as Li completes his bench presses.
“Rookie,” I say, glancing back to where he just stood with Li.
He follows my gaze. “Oh, he’s fine. I was bored after I finished my workout, so I told him I’d spot him. But Jeff was mad at me for taking over his job anyway.”
“Not mad, Larsen,” the trainer replies. “Annoyed.”
“Anyway, a few of us are planning to go out tonight. Dinner, drinks. That kind of thing. Want to come along?”
I shake my head. “Nah. Not tonight. I’m busy.”
“Come on. What could you possibly be busy with?”
I mentally run through everything I still need to do today, including interviews with three private chefs recommended to me by the team and other professional athletes in the area who work with Vic. Now is the time to buckle down, to focus on making sure my body is ready for peak performance. Not going out for dinner and—God forbid—drinks.
“I—” I halt, Vic’s words coming unbidden to my mind. The ones reminding me thatthisis my chance. And maybe there’s something to being friends with the guys if I’m going to lead them. Guthry always invited the rest of the Cyclones over to his place for dinner or game nights.
“I’m not big on going out,” I admit. “But I do have a few interviews with private chefs lined up. I’m sure I could convince them to make extra food if a few of you want to come over to my place for dinner before you go out.”
Larsen nods enthusiastically. “Yes. Yep. I’m in. I’m definitely in.” He whirls to look at Li. “Evan! Chef tryouts at Kane’s tonight. You in?”
Li grunts out a “yep” in the middle of his set, as Larsen takes in the rest of the room. “Probably don’t want too many. Your table only seats four, anyway. Oh, I know. Hammer lives in our building, too. I’ll invite him. Plus, he and I have been talking about sharing a chef. And it’s always good to have the enforcer on your side.” He winks.
I let his excitement bounce off me, regretting ever making the offer. How do I attract the golden retrievers on every team?
“Rookie. Calm down,” I tease. “You’re going to eat like five variations of mostly plain meat and vegetables. Maybe a sample-sized breakfast smoothie if you’re lucky.”
His eyes widen. “I fucking love banana smoothies. Do you think they’ll use that salted chocolate protein powder in it? I hope so.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. But I’ve got a meeting with Coach to get to. Be at my place at five, okay?”
“Done. I’ll be there.We’llbe there,” he says as he heads back toward Li, a noticeable pep in his step. “I’m so pumped.”
***
“Go on in,” Coach’s executive assistant directs when I approach her desk, not even bothering to look up at me. “She’s been expecting you, Beckett.”
It’s weird hearing my first name in the barn. Almost everyone in the professional sports world calls each other by their last names, whether they’re players or not.
“Thanks,” I reply, moving past her and into the office. Coach Blake sits behind a large wooden desk, wearing a black Yeti jacket, her dark hair pulled back. It’s the exact same thing she’s worn every time I’ve seen her, and I immediately feel guilty for noticing it.
I don’t think I ever thought about what Coach Mack was wearing.
“Coach,” I say as I step in front of her desk.
Her piercing blue eyes flick from her computer screen up to meet my gaze, and I feel the hair on my arms rise.
I guess I’m more anxious about this meeting than I realized.
“Kane. Please, take a seat,” she replies, gesturing to the chair closest to me.
She locks her screen and turns her chair to face me, giving me her full attention.
“Doc just sent me all your intake documents. You’re officially cleared to play. Welcome to the Yeti.”
A wave of relief rolls through me; muscles I didn’t even realize were tense relaxing.
“Thanks, Coach.”
