Page 17 of Offsides

“I don’t do fun,” she informed him. Cowboy’s face scrunched in confusion for a brief second before he shook it off with another laugh.

“Noted. Then I guess let’s get started,” he said, waving his arm outwardly to signal for her to lead the way, back in the direction he’d come from. “After discussing it with Felicity and the rest of the Rising team, we have agreed to allow you to do the feature on us.”

Theo’s insides danced hearing his confirmation. This was her chance.

“But there are some restrictions. My players and their privacy are still my number one concern, so no one will be forced to talk to you. While you will be allowed in the locker rooms on occasions, no cameras will be. Anything you hear in there is strictly off the record. You can get a feel for what their interactions are like, and the general overall mood, but the locker room is a safe space for them. Understood?”

Theo nodded. She was thrilled at even being given access to the locker room at all. Cowboy reached into his back pocket and pulled out a lanyard attached to a laminated rectangular card. Her new credentials. She had one just like it in her bag, only that one restricted her access to just the media rooms. Taking it from him, her heart skipped a beat just thinking about all the extra places this new one would allow her.

“All access, guided?” she asked, reading the card out loud. She blinked hard a couple of times, trying to make sure she read that right. Her access was guided? “Do you not trust me or something?”

“Or something,” Cowboy muttered. Theo started to open her mouth to respond, then stopped herself. She did not want to start another fight with this man. He was giving her what she wanted.

Cowboy slowed down as they reached the service elevator that would take them down to the lower level. A bright, impish smile spread across his face as he hit the call button, turning to look at her.

“We’re gonna be spending a lot of time together over the next few weeks, Theo.” The way he said her name made her pulse jump. She was pretty sure those four little letters had never sounded so good in her life. “I hope you’re ready for it.”

* * *

The coach bus rolled to a slow stop just outside of Pemberton stadium. Theo looked out the large window to her right, taking in the sea of people who were lined up to greet the team at their official arrival. Even though the players were required to report to the stadium hours before game time, a major part of the team’s pre-game ritual was the players being welcomed to the stadium by the fans. Once Theo and Cowboy had gotten off the elevator, he’d taken her to the locker room, where the team was hanging out. She’d seen their dressing area before, as well as the medical suite that was just adjacent. What she had not been privy to prior was the area known as “the family room.” A long wooden table and chairs sat in the middle of a massive dining hall, a buffet type sideboard on either side of the table. It was here that the team ate their pre-game meal—usually something carb heavy—and relaxed, prior to moving to a smaller meeting room next door where they did last-minute reviewing of video from the week’s training or of their opponent.

“This is Theo Kappas,” Cowboy had told the Rising players over their meal. “She and her team are doing a profile on us and our run for the Fremont Cup for Sports Down South, so she’ll be around a lot these next couple of weeks. Feel free to talk to her if you want. Or ignore her. Your call, boys.”

To Theo’s surprise, the team had seemed mostly unfazed that she was joining them and that she would be following them around. The team’s captain, Parker Michaels, and league veteran Vance Henderson had chatted with her over the meal, helping make her feel a lot less out of place.

Pushing to her feet, she followed Cowboy off the bus, taking a step to the side and waiting for all the players to exit. One by one, they filed off the bus, wearing matching suits that had been specially created for them by a local fashion designer. Every last one of them looked incredible in the sleek black fabric, crisp white shirts, and Atlanta Rising electric-blue tie. If one didn’t know they were athletes, you would swear they belonged on a runway somewhere. Making their way down the roped-off walkway, they greeted and high-fived the waiting fans. Screams rang out into the air as they passed, some of them stopping to take a selfie or two.

Theo could see the joy on the faces of players and fans alike, her heart squeezing as the scene played out. She knew the team did this and had seen some footage that her camera guys had captured. However, being here in the moment, it struck her how truly special this was—the connection between these players and the community. This was part of why Atlanta had embraced the Rising so quickly. She pulled out her phone, making a quick note to mention this on tomorrow’s show.

“Where to now?” she asked Cowboy after Dash got off the bus. As a fan favorite, he’d taken to being the last one off, taking his time making his way into the stadium. A few extra shrill cries came as he approached a group of teenage girls, who all seemed to be beside themselves that the hotshot player was talking to them.

“We take a moment to greet the fans and enjoy the moment,” he told her, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “What’s the rush?”

Enjoy the moment? That sounded like a waste of time to her. Wasn’t there business to take care of? She wanted insight into how this team was run, and certainly hanging with the fans on game day was not it.

“Don’t you need to be with the team?”

“Gunnar is the coach, not me. And we’ll be down there in time for warm-ups, don’t worry. You’re not going to miss anything.”

Theo knew she wouldn’t. Her camera team was already down at the field getting ready for the game, just like always. The only difference was that she was now the personal guest of the team. Of Cowboy’s. The idea made her almost giddy inside. This was the most excited she’d been about anything for a long time—for as excited as she got about anything. But there was still a lot on the line here, and she was determined to make sure that nothing slipped through her fingers.

* * *

Cowboy leaned forward in the leather seat on the Atlanta Rising side of the sideline, watching the brothers Bender pass the ball between them, trying to run down the clock. He knew they were well over the three minutes of extra time, at least according to his watch, and each passing second the ref didn’t blow the whistle made him more and more anxious.

The beautiful reporter sitting in the chair next to him wasn’t helping anything.

It had taken him most of the night to come to terms with allowing her to cover the team the way she wanted. Deep down, he hated the idea more than he could put into words. But he knew it was the right thing. And not because he’d been a jerk to her. For that all he owed her was an apology. But the team, his players, and all the hard work everyone in this organization put in every day deserved to be highlighted. They deserved credit for everything they had accomplished. On top of that, there was a little voice in his head telling him to get over himself. The same little voice that he had made a promise to long ago—and he wasn’t about to disobey now.

The ref finally blew the whistle, the crowd inside Pemberton erupting in applause. Cowboy leapt to his feet, joining them, making sure his players knew just how proud he was of them. They’d held Toronto to a scoreless game so far. There was still another half left, but he was confident that they had at least one goal in them. Dash was hungry, taking every shot he could. They would get it before the end of the game.

“Should I be worried about you?” he asked Theo, turning to glance at her as the players funneled past him toward the locker room.

She glanced up at him, her face as apathetic as could be. Had she watched the same half he had? The Rising was on fire, holding the number one team in the league, the reigning league champions, to only two shots on goal. Liam had one of the best saves of the season, blocking an incredible free kick from their striker that had golazo all over it. Through it all though, Theo had just sat there, tapping away at her phone, looking as if she could not have possibly been more unimpressed.

“No,” she answered simply.

Cowboy sucked in a deep breath, reminding himself to stay calm. What was it about this woman that got to him so badly?