Chapter 22 Lucia
Chapter twenty-two
Lucia
Lucia was beyond excited when she saw Isa bounding out of the airport toward her, dark hair flying.
She’d missed her best friend immensely, and she needed her now more than ever.
Luckily, both their bosses had let them take that Monday and Tuesday off so they could discover the beauty of Charleston together.
Isa jumped into Lucia’s arms, nearly knocking them both over. “You have no idea how horrible that flight was. I swear, the kid behind me wanted to be smacked upside the head.” She sighed, squeezing Lucia.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve missed you so much.”
Isa pulled away, tossing her bag into the back of Lucia’s car. “I need to shower and change, and then I’m ready for drinks and views. I might need a nap, but we can remedy that with an energy drink.”
Lucia laughed as they got into the car. “We’ll stop to get some on the way home. How’s Abby?” she asked, referring to Isa’s girlfriend.
“Good. She was thinking about joining, but couldn’t get time off from work. Plus, I wanted you all to myself.”
Lucia pulled out of the pickup area. “Well, Jenna and Leigh will be meeting us later in the evening, if that’s okay. And Maya too, if her dinner with Colton and their father finishes early.”
“Good. I need to meet these new friends who are trying to take over my job as best friend. And what’s this nonsense about hanging out with Colton’s sister?”
“Nobody could ever replace you as my best friend, Is. And Maya’s a few years younger than us, but she’s in town for the week and wanted to come out. She's sweet, you’ll like her."
Isa grumbled something under her breath that sounded like “we’ll just see about that” before watching out the window, taking in Charleston. Isa had nothing to worry about on that front. No matter how many friends Lucia made, Isa would always be her oldest and closest friend.
“How has this city been treating you? How’ve you been feeling about the new team?
” Lucia felt her friend’s concerned eyes on her.
They’d tried to talk once a week since she’d left but had rarely been able to stay on for longer than a few minutes, which meant Isa only knew the highlights. Such was the way of the season.
“I—okay, honestly I like it a lot. There’s something about this place that makes me wish they’d sign me for longer than the season.”
“Mm-hmm, or someone.”
Lucia forced out a scoff, though it sounded weak even to her own ears. “Please.”
Isa let her drop the subject for the time being. When they reached Lucia’s house, she showed Isa around the few rooms and gave her what she’d need for a shower.
While her friend got ready for the evening, Lucia picked out a tight, black dress, clipping some of her hair into a small claw clip and pulling pieces out to frame her face.
She did her makeup quickly, hoping to get an hour or so to go through some statistics from their previous game for a report for Tim.
She’d only managed half an hour before Isa was ready, sporting a similar dress but in dark green.
When Lucia pointed out the color, which was unlike Isa’s typical palette of blacks, reds, and blues, Isa shrugged.
“I figured I’d try to fit into the Sabertooths’ culture.
Wouldn’t want anyone here thinking their top analyst is hanging with a Vipers athletic trainer. ”
“Please, as if anybody knows who I am.” Lucia called a car with a drop-off on King Street.
“In case you haven’t noticed, you’ve been getting some serious exposure since you started this whole thing with Beaumont. People most definitely know who you are, especially around here. Half the internet wants to be you.”
Lucia grimaced. She’d tried to stay off news sites and social media since the story had broken, not interested in seeing the sordid things reporters would come up with about their relationship. She wanted to inspire people because of her career, not the man they thought she was dating.
“I try not to focus too much on it.”
The car was outside her house quickly, and they spent the ride whispering about the posts Isa kept pulling up on Lucia’s relationship.
Lucia kept telling her to stop because the number of people talking about how badly they wanted to be her was incredibly off-putting.
When they reached their destination, Lucia thanked the driver, and the pair located an open spot at the bar.
The marble top was cool to the touch, and Lucia rested a hand atop it as she glanced around.
Jenna’s recommendation had been spot on; this place was exactly what she had been looking for.
Black accented with gold everywhere she looked, even on the bar menus.
Behind her was a wall of booth seating in front of small circular tables and cute, felt chairs, all of which were occupied by couples and groups of friends.
When they’d ordered—red wine for her, New York Sour for Isa, and a petite cheese platter to split—Isa turned to Lucia.
“Max has been a raging lunatic since you blocked him. He’s come in needing treatment a couple of times because he’s playing too aggressively.”
Lucia took a sip of her wine. “I don’t want to talk about Max. How’s Charlotte? How are the analysts?”
Isa shrugged. “The analyst team is definitely lacking without you, and they know it. Charlotte asks me how you are about once a week. You can tell she’s pissed at John and the rest of the suits for making her almost fire you.”
That was gratifying. A part of her was glad to hear that they were struggling without her. She wished Charlotte didn’t have to suffer as a consequence, but she hoped John saw what a mistake he’d made.
Lucia sighed. “I’m just thankful she had the foresight to look for other jobs when she heard what happened. I didn’t even think about that when I saw the news.”
“Yeah, Luc, but I think you had other things to worry about. Nobody faults you for that. Speaking of which, if you wanna hop back on the dating roller coaster, that cute guy over there hasn’t stopped looking over at you.
” She inclined her head to point at a man who was indeed looking at her, a smile flashing as he raised his glass in greeting. “You should go talk to him.”
He was cute, Lucia supposed, but a far cry from the dark-haired quarterback who drove her crazy. Who, she’d begun to realize, she wanted to keep driving her crazy.
“I’m here to hang out with you, not trap a man. Plus, I have a…” She stopped herself before she called him her boyfriend. “Colton.”
“Right. Let’s talk about that absolute dumpster fire of an idea, shall we?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She smiled at the bartender as she set their drinks in front of them.
Isa’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Okay, so let’s just imagine for a minute that sleeping with someone you’re pretending to date has never, in history, ended poorly. What’s going to happen when playoffs start?”
Lucia matched the volume of Isa’s voice. “First of all, it was one time. Second of all, we’re going to break up, end of story. We’ll be friends, probably.”
She hoped they would be. Colton had quickly become an incredibly important person to her, and she couldn’t imagine what her life would look like if they went back to a strictly analyst-player relationship.
It would break her heart to lose him, and the thought of only seeing him during their sessions had her taking a bigger sip of wine.
“Oh, are we just ignoring the time he wrecked you on the plane?”
Lucia slapped a hand over her friend’s mouth, a laugh bubbling out of her. “Isa! Shh, I don’t need strangers knowing more about my life than they already do. Keep whispering.”
Isa rolled her eyes but listened. “This is a bad idea, osita. What is he gaining from this? I’m suspicious. He has to have agreed to this for some reason, something to benefit him.”
The thought was a shot to Lucia’s chest, but she tried to play it off, not wanting Isa to see how it’d affected her.
“I think he’s just a nice guy. He originally did it to help me because I was distraught when the news came out.
And I think he likes that it gets Max mad.
But, I don’t know, something’s been different recently.
It feels like he wants to spend time with me, even when cameras aren’t on us.
” She hadn’t told Isa about the night they’d cuddled.
Sheepishly, she continued, “I even go to see him in his hotel room at away games.”
Isa sipped her drink. “Well, are you getting dicked down?”
Lucia sputtered, choking down her wine. “Not outside of the time I told you about. We just talk and watch movies and…enjoy each other’s company?” She noted the incredulous look on her friend’s face. “I don’t know, it’s weird to conceptualize, but it’s true.”
Isa just hummed.
Lucia took a bite of the cheese that’d been set down between them, savoring the flavor on her tongue.
“Obviously my luck with relationships has run out, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun.
So what if he’s just using me? Who’s to say I’m not using him too?
” She wasn’t sure the words were true as they left her, but something inside her wanted to convince Isa that it was all just harmless fun.
“Just don’t get caught up in the process. Remember why you’re here. This is the job that boosts you to head analyst.”
Isa was right. Lucia had to focus on her end goal. The last thing she needed was for her relationship to become a complication.
The mildly intoxicated pair wandered down the street to Marion Square, at which point Isa tutted playfully, talking about how Richmond would always be better.
They were fast approaching the time they’d agreed to meet Jenna, Leigh, and Maya at a cute little bar inside Hotel Bennett, another recommendation from Jenna.