But Braden had me desperate to break it back out and blow the dust off.
He also had me desperate to blow some other things.
“What? It’s healthy to have goals, Darc,” I said.
“I don’t thinkgive road headis what they mean when they say that.”
“Sounds like a great goal to me,” Marcus muttered in disagreement.
“I also havereceiveroad head on there,” I pointed out. “See? I’m prioritizing self-care. I think it’s admirable.”
Marcus snickered.
Darcy sighed again.
And then, her eyes tripled in size and she grabbed my phone and held it behind her back. “Hi, Claire!”
Marcus and I spun in place, our smiles too wide as we greeted our director — who was watching all of us with narrowed eyes.
“You look stunning today, Miss Woodrow,” Marcus said, waving his hand over her. “I think we’ve found our cover of the calendar right here.”
“There’s no need for the flattery, Marcus. You already made the team,” she said, even keeled and impatient. Her eyes were still assessing us. “Darcy, they’re ready for you in photography. Emily, don’t go too far — you should be up in ten.”
“I’m just going to run to the ladies’ room and I’ll be right back,” I promised, feet already carrying me toward the exit.
Claire pointed to the bathrooms attached to our dressing room. “We have restrooms right here.”
I smiled, blinking at the door she pointed to and then back at her.
“Someone had a nasty case of belly trouble in there, I think,” Darcy said, and all our gazes swung to her. She grimaced and shook her head. “It doesn’t smell the most pleasant at the moment.”
Claire wrinkled her nose before waving me off. “Very well. But hurry — Claude Dubois waits for no one.”
I nodded at the reference to the man who had photographed the team for two decades now before saluting Claire and jogging toward the door. I paused when I pushed through it, turning to mouth athank youto Darcy.
She just gave me a pointed look and tapped her wrist, telling me wordlessly not to waste any time.
My stomach was in knots as I hustled down the hallway toward the team store stock room. I was smoothing my hair for a split second before I realized what I was doing and stopped dead in my tracks.
Am I… nervous?
I laughed at myself, shaking my head before I let out a long exhale and slowed my pace.
I didn’t hurry for any man.
Even one as alluring as Braden Lock.
Still, my body betrayed my common sense the closer I got to the team store. I hadn’t seen Braden in three weeks — since the day I convinced him to choose himself for once and buy the car he wanted. He’d done it, walking off the lot with a sexy Bronco that he beamed behind the wheel of. He’d driven me home, dropping me off with his eyes raking the surrounding area like he was afraid we’d get caught.
“See you around,” he’d said.
“See you,” I’d replied.
And yet we hadn’t seen a damn thing since.
I knew better than to text him or call him or try to make up some reason to see him. He was right — wehadsigned a nofraternization clause in our contract. And as much as I teased about flirting with that line, I cared about my position on this squad just as much as he cared about his on the football team.
I thought that was where it would rest — that we’d been able to sneak a couple days together thanks to a car breakdown situation and that would be it. Maybe we’d smile at each other on the field during warmups. Maybe our eyes would catch when he ran out from the tunnel and I was there to cheer him on, pompoms rustling between my hands.
