Chapter 11 Lucia
Chapter eleven
Lucia
The team’s private plane was divided into sections, with regular traveling staff—Lucia included—in the back, players in the middle, and coaches in the front. There were curtains to partition and separate each group from the other, allowing each of them to do their different types of work.
Lucia sat near the back of the plane, tablet resting in her lap as she scrolled through analytics from the past few games.
She was figuring out if there was anything in particular she wanted Colton to focus on before their next game.
She didn’t even notice that someone had sat beside her until they jostled her with their elbow.
She turned to give a reprimanding look to the culprit but found Colton grinning at her instead. “Hi, beautiful.”
Her heart tripped for a second, and her stomach knotted up until she saw his head subtly tilt in the direction of the others in her section. Most of them had their eyes fixed on them, whispering amongst themselves.
“Hi…”
“You can call me handsome if it helps,” he whispered against her ear.
“Pass.”
“You’re not being a very good girlfriend. How will anybody know that we’re truly together if you won’t give me the verbal praise I yearn for? Tell me how hot I am.” He was still keeping his voice low, but there was a teasing to the words.
She laughed. “You’re an idiot. Shouldn’t you be going over plays or being a team leader? Or doing something even a little productive?”
He nodded. “Sure. What should I do to get my numbers up this game, O Learned One?”
“Honestly, I want to see you having fun on the field. This is something you’re passionate about.” She paused looking at him for confirmation. He nodded again. “So let that show.”
“Are ya gonna watch me have fun?”
She began typing notes to herself on the tablet, highlighting Colton’s relevant numbers and copying them into a separate document. “Well, it is my job.”
“I don’t wanna have fun all by myself.”
She turned to him again, and there was that wicked grin on his face. He was so handsome, even when he was trying to annoy her.
“Good thing you have a whole team, who, by the way, you should go bother instead of me.”
“Don’t you wanna know what kind of fun I have by myself? And why it would be so much better with, say, a girlfriend?”
Lucia held back a giggle at the insinuation. Colton was an idiot, but he certainly knew how to make her laugh.
“I’m going to start recording our conversations and showing your teammates. Just so you’ve been made aware.”
He groaned. “Lu-chi-uh, I’m so bored. Talk to me.”
She wondered why he’d chosen her to talk to when he was bored when all of his best friends were on the plane with them. She felt almost honored that he’d chosen her to annoy.
In keeping with her faux-irritation, she said, “Colton, you get on my very last nerve.”
“Good.”
He placed his head on her shoulder as she continued to work. Minutes later, he was asleep, and she was too busy trying to make sure he didn’t hurt his neck to finish what she’d planned to get done on the plane.
Lucia’s phone vibrating was no longer new, but she was surprised to see two texts from Colton, especially since she knew he was supposed to be in his hotel room for the night.
Colton
Please come bother me.
Colton
Luc pls, Coach locked me in my room and it’s so early and I’m so bored.
Lucia rolled her eyes as she clicked open her phone. She had never met a man who could switch up like Colton. One minute, he was this manly, angry, hard-headed jock, and the next, he was a five-year-old.
Lucia
You text like a teenager.
She tried to focus back on her laptop where her checklist hadn’t even begun to dwindle.
Most of her prep work for the game was done, but she also needed to prepare her and Colton’s sessions for the next week.
Of course, those would change if something crazy happened during the game in a couple of days.
If they won, she’d have to adjust a little, but if they lost, they’d have a lot more work to do.
Some of which she was not equipped to handle without a sports psychology degree.
Colton
That’s fine. Bring some snacks, I am a man starved.
Lucia
I saw you scarf down an entire pizza during meetings. How does your body function with the amount of pizza you consume?
Lucia weighed whether staring at her computer for another two hours was a better or worse way to spend her time than taking snacks to her juvenile-esque, fake boyfriend. She opted for the second, knowing she wouldn’t be able to concentrate when he inevitably continued texting her.
Colton
Wouldn’t you like to know?
Lucia
Aren’t you guys supposed to be on a diet during the season?
Colton
Are you body-shaming me? I’m HURT. Here I was thinking you liked my physique.
Lucia pocketed her phone, put her laptop and tablet onto the desk, and made a snap decision to remain in the pajamas she’d changed into earlier—sweatpants and a Virginia Vipers T-shirt.
She smirked at herself in the mirror, already picturing the glare on Colton’s face when he opened his door.
To be fair, she’d only packed for a couple of evenings, and it was the only sleep shirt she’d brought.
The vending machines were mostly a bust, but she managed to scrounge up two bags of M&Ms, a bag of Chex Mix, and a bag of regular Lays. It would have to do, especially on short notice.
He’d texted her his room number—conveniently on the top floor—and she could see by the tape on his door that it was his. She laughed at the three layers of scotch tape on the top, middle, and bottom of the door. He must’ve been known for taking late-night trips out of his room.
It was an antiquated tradition and made the coaches seem like toxic partners who needed to know where their players were at all times, especially at night when they were meant to be resting and relaxing.
Yet something about Coach Turner trapping the fully grown, six-three, 200-and-something-pound, twenty-eight-year-old man made her giggle.
She knocked lightly, holding up the measly snacks she’d acquired for his peep-hole approval.
“Pull the tape up,” he instructed through the door. She pulled the tape from the door, leaving it stuck only to the frame.
The door opened slowly. He rested a shoulder against the frame, his long, muscled arm opening the door wide enough for her to walk underneath. She ignored his narrowed eyes as they found her shirt.
His room was, obviously, a suite, even though he only used it at night. She walked into the living area with a full dining table, couch, coffee table, TV stand, and TV. Past that was a sink, microwave, fridge, and coffee stand.
“This is so much nicer than my room. That’s not fair.”
The sounds of college football filtered in from the bedroom, cheering clear behind the sound of an announcer.
Lucia set the snacks next to the sink. The bedroom, which connected via a hallway to the living room, had a separate door, desk, and king-sized bed.
She wasn’t sure what exactly the plan had been after she brought him the food, so she turned around.
He was eyeing her incredulously, and she wasn’t sure if his eyes were fixated on the goosebumps that cropped up on her arms, or the shirt.
“Cold?” he asked. She supposed that answered the question.
She crossed her arms. “Oh, no, I’ll be fine.”
He was already fishing a dark green sweatshirt out of his duffle bag, tossing it to her. “Put that on. And keep it, I don’t wanna see that shit again.” Under his breath, he mumbled, “Imagine wearing a Vipers shirt in front of me. The gall.”
“Oh, you don’t like my shirt?” She batted her eyelashes at him innocently but pulled the sweatshirt over her torso. It smelled so much of him, rich and earthy and surprisingly…nice.
“I’d like it a lot more if it were in the trash. Or better yet, burned.” He grabbed the snacks and threw them onto his bed. He hooked his thumb behind him toward the other side of the bed as he sat, grabbing the remote.
“Oh, are we…Am I staying? I thought I was just bringing snacks.”
“Moretti, sit your ass on the bed. I’m not treating you like an intern. Or a food delivery service.”
He clicked to the TV guide, perusing. She took a moment to take in the tight, white T-shirt and dark green sweatpants that were no doubt a part of a Sabers sweatsuit.
She was starting to get annoyed with the way her body responded to him, hating the familiar, tight coil of desire behind her belly button that she noticed any time he walked around in sweatpants.
And that damn T-shirt. She chalked it up to being celibate for months, but damn did his body look good.
“Not that I don’t enjoy you ogling me, because trust me, I do, but I need your help choosing a movie. Otherwise, I’m going to pick something you’ll probably hate.”
She could feel herself flushing, warmth creeping over her cheeks. She cleared her throat. “Sometimes I forget how highly you think of yourself.”
“I think the only person who was thinking about me just now was you.”
She didn’t have a response to that, because he was right. She sat beside him, leaving enough room between them that she didn’t feel like her breath was stuck in her chest. Another interesting body quirk she’d experienced in his presence recently.
“If Coach Turner asks, you forced me to come see you on the threat of a breakup.”
He slid down on the bed a bit. “I sound like a terrible boyfriend.”
She shrugged. “Well, if the shoe fits and all of that.”
She was startled when he turned and looked at her meaningfully. “If you don’t want to be here, I understand. I appreciate the snacks, but you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.” He sounded surprisingly serious.
“Well, it all comes down to what movie you choose. You already scrolled past How To Lose A Guy in Ten Days, so I’m not sure I can trust your decision-making.”
He stopped scrolling, moving back up toward the movie she’d indicated. “Sounds dumb. What’s it about?”