Grant immediately went to the sinks near the bathroom stalls. There wasn’t enough time for a full fledged shower, but that didn’t mean he needed to be completely disgusting when he went out there. He splashed water over his face and checked his reflection in the mirror. His hair was wet with sweat, so he stuck it under the faucet to rinse it out the best he could. He combed it back with his fingers. It would have to do.
Finn’s reflection appeared behind him in the mirror. The team captain ran the palm of his hand over the top of Grant’s head, undoing the progress he’d made. “Look at you. Who are you trying to impress?”
Grant felt his cheeks warm. It was tough enough being the new guy on the team—to the league. Having the captain catch him trying to look nice for a girl he’d never met wasn’t something he wanted to admit. He pressed his lips together.
Finn’s teasing smile fell. “I’m sorry, man. You got a girlfriend out there?”
He shook his head. “No girlfriend.” He’d only been in Florida for a couple months, and that time had been jam-packed with learning the area, the game, and attending practices. Even if he wanted to date, there just wasn’t the time.
“Wait.” Finn’s eyes went wide. “Are you trying to look nice for afan?”
Finn’s voice echoed off the walls of the locker room causing several heads to turn in their direction.
Just great.
Grant ignored the question and smoothed down the pieces of hair that were now sticking up in a million different directions. When he was satisfied, he pushed past Finn to avoid the stares from his teammates.
“Hey, Grant,” Finn called.
Grant stopped and turned.
Finn jogged over and lowered his voice. “Listen, I get it. Having hot girls come out and cheer you on is a nice perk of playing professionally. But be careful. Some of those girls are crazy. If you don’t believe me, ask Silas.”
Grant nodded before he turned and walked out of the locker room toward the field. It’s not like he was looking for something serious. He was busy trying to keep up with the hustle of being a rookie. He had to prove himself to the team, work on his branding, and at some point do something with his degree. That piece of paper saying he graduated magna cum laude wasn’t going to do him any good if it collected dust for the foreseeable future. With so much on his plate, he barely had time to shower, let alone time for a relationship.
And yet, he still wanted to talk toher. There wasn’t any harm in that. A friendly conversation—maybe grabbing a bite at the food truck rally together—wouldn’t derail his vision.
When he made it back out to the arena, the Storm staff had just finished putting long tables at midfield for the autograph session. Now, they were bringing out chairs. Grant grabbed a metal folding chair and walked out onto the field. He sat down toward the middle of the tables, so that he’d be able to see most of the fans as they spilled onto the field in a few minutes. It was his fifth time signing, and it was still his favorite part. Playing was great but interacting with the fans was better than scoring the winning goal.
Finn set a chair next to Grant and flopped down in it. “Look, I’m sorry for calling you out in front of everyone.”
Grant shook his head and reached out to grab the black Sharpie in front of him. “Don’t worry about it.”
“It’s been a few years since I was a rookie, but I remember what a crazy time it was. Getting involved with a fan is bad news.” Finn’s head turned back and forth as he looked around before turning back to Grant. “Trust me.”
“You dated a fan?”
Finn gave him a tight smile in return. “It’s almost never a good idea. Just be careful.”
Was that a yes or a no? Grant hoped that he would elaborate, but Finn spent the next few minutes hollering out at the rest of the guys. They trickled onto the field and found open seats at the autograph table.
Grant looked up at the countdown timer on the wall. Less than two minutes until the fans hanging out on the perimeter of the arena would rush the field with their shirts and trinkets. Not wanting to get another lecture, he tried to act natural. His eyes scanned the office staff as they milled around the field.
Miriam was standing close to Silas. They were laughing about something, when Silas reached out and tucked a strand of Miriam’s blonde hair behind her ear. It was no surprise to see Miriam out here—it was her job, after all—but Grant wanted to see her friend. The girl with the red ponytail and gorgeous eyes.
His gaze went back to the fans, slowly moving over the people waiting just outside the arena where the goal’s net was rolled up. A flash of red hair caught his attention. It was her. She was here. He sat up in his seat and pushed back his hair.
When the buzzer rang out through the arena, he lost the mystery girl in the flurry of action that followed.
A bunch of kids holding soccer balls ran in front of him. “Will you sign these?”
Grant smiled at them. “Of course.” He ran the point of the marker across the smooth surface of the soccer ball to sign his name with the number seven underneath it.
The boys all took turns pushing to the front, practically shoving their balls at Grant when it was their turn. Once they were all signed, they shouted their thanks before moving on to the next player down the line.
Jerseys and cups all became a blur. Grant tried to give everyone the attention they deserved until things slowed down. Lines got much shorter, even non-existent for some players.
Once they got their autographs, most fans left—either to go home or to the after-party at City Bar. The players themselves would only stay out on the field for a couple more minutes then they would do the same.
