Greyson claps three times, “Yes!”
I take a glimpse toward Annika and she hasn’t moved, but she’s looking my way and even though she’s wearing shades, I know I have her attention. And yes, I find myself wanting to perform for her.
Practice goes on for another hour and when it comes to an end, she’s no longer in the stands. I have no clue when she left. I’m halfway to the tunnel when I hear her voice.
“Parker.”
She’s standing under the overhang, shielding herselffrom the sun, arms folded over her waist. It’s professional Annika. Not the Annika I kissed last night.
But when I get closer, I see the tiny smile tugging at her mouth. A shiver runs up my spine from the smallest of gestures.
“You got in the groove for a bit, but then you quit using the cues,” she says with frown lines creeping up her face.
I shrug. “I might have forgotten.”
“That’s not the way to retrain your brain.”
“Yeah well. I had other things on my mind.” I have her on my mind. How she felt in my hands. I’m so screwed.
“You weren’t breathing.”
“Watching me that close, Doc?” I shoot her flirtatious smile. Maybe she’s been thinking about it too.
“I watch everything. It’s my job.”
I step into her space, looking down at her beautiful brown hair and bright blue eyes. “Is it also your job to show up at practice unannounced?”
She sighs, making me aware that last night was a mistake from her perspective.
“An appointment canceled, so I felt like I owed you since I canceled on you to go ice skating.”
“Hmm.”
“Was it luck you caught those three passes in a row?” she asks.
“Luck had nothing to do with it.”
“What did?”
I keep it simple. “You.”
We stand there in an empty stadium except for the ground crew working to make sure the field is ready. We’regoing full contact tomorrow. The players and coaches are already through the tunnel.
The sun drops behind the stands, casting a warm glow around Annika, when I say, “We’re traveling this week.”
She nods, “I know.”
“It’s an away game.”
“I’m familiar with the term,” she half-laughs and the way she throws back her head with her mouth open and at ease.
Why are we both so nervous?
Before I can talk myself out of it, I ask, “You coming?”
She blinks and her eyes widen. “To the away game?”
“Yeah.”
