“We’d love to come. A workout class is right up our alley.” My friends would be there, even if I had to bribe them.
“It’s at eight on Fourth Street. Make sure to bring a towel and water,”Emmie said. I made a mental note of the address.
“Sounds perfect, we’ll be there.” I nodded even though she couldn’t see me.
“Perfect.”Emmie was quiet for a moment.“Did you have a good practice?”
I paused, surprised she asked. Outside of my family, no one ask me about football. Unless they were a fan.
“It was good. We only have one more before preseason starts,” I said, then paused. “You probably already heard that from your dad.”
“Yeah, but I wanted to hear it from you.”I heard movement through the phone, making me wonder where she was.“You don’t play preseason, right?”
I moved over to the side of the building, resting my back against the warm brick, phone pressed to my ear tightly as if it would make me feel closer to her.
“I’ll only play about five minutes each game, but that’s it until the season actually starts,” I explained.
“Okay, good, can't let you get hurt.”
Unsure of the feelings brewing in my chest, I quickly changed the subject. Emmie probably didn’t mean anything by it, but it almost sounded like she cared if I got hurt. From someone who didn’t even know me, it was a bit jarring.
“How did your own practice go?” If I thought my football training was a lot, it had nothing on Emmie’s. She was at the rink three to four times a week. From the sound of it, she even went on the weekends, despite her coach disapproving.
“It went well. Added a few more details to the routine, but it’s solid.”
I may not have known Emmie that well yet, but from one athlete to another, I knew how hard we could be on ourselves. The need to prove yourself, to make sure you didn’t fail. Along with the burning passion to be the best at what you did.
So, when she said solid like it wasjustokay, I knew better. She’s probably a thousand times better than any other skater.
“Can I see the routine sometime?” The question slipped past my lips before I could stop it. What I saw at the rink the other day was impressive. I couldn’t imagine what an entire routine looked like.
Emmie inhaled a breath.“You want to see it?”Her tone was apprehensive.
“Only if you want to show me. If not, I’ll wait.”
I already had the date of her competition marked on my phone. It was the day after a game, but I would be there.
“Um…yeah, that would be okay.”
God, she was adorable.
“I better let you go, but I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jake and Perry were probably seconds from coming out here.
“Make sure to stretch before you leave,”Emmie’s words were vague, but I shrugged it off.
Saying bye, I ended the call and stared at the screen. Ifound myself wanting to call her again just to hear her talk more, even though I was the one who suggested we hang up. I could easily become addicted to Emmie James.
13
EMMIE
“How does my ass look in these pants?” Erin asked, twisting sideways to show me her butt in her orange yoga bottoms.
“Very spankable,” I replied.
“Perfect. That’s what I’m going for.” She turned back around and adjusted her boobs in her sports bra, making them sit even higher on her chest—something I was insanely jealous of.
“You’re peppy for seven in the morning. Usually, I have to pry you from your bedFreaky Fridaystyle.”
