Chapter Thirty Four #2
Danny stares down at the container Thi pushes into his meaty hands, while Thiago beams at him like he’s just delivered a Michelin-star experience instead of a glorified lunchbox.
Giving an appreciative nod, Danny slinks away to join the others, settling upon picnic blankets that Thiago apparently also thought to bring.
Everest hangs back, his jaw appearing to be made out of granite.
“How did he know about Danny?” His green eyes narrow. I lower my hand and sigh dreamily.
“Thiago has ways of knowing everything, and he’s always thorough in his plans.
” I’m pretty sure my eyes have turned into love hearts as Thi grabs a paper bag and coffee for me, guiding me towards the group.
Only then do I hesitate, my back growing rigid against Thiago’s hand.
“Um, maybe we should sit over there somewhere?” I suggest, looking at the sidelines longingly.
Thi gives me a knowing look, his blue eyes glistening despite the thick clouds layering overhead. “How are they ever going to find their team spirit if you can't even eat with them?” I purse my lips, twisting my head to speak into his ear.
“I don't like these people.”
“Spoken like a true captain,” Thiago laughs, locating a spot on the edge of the blanket for it.
It’s conveniently compact, meaning I have to press close to Thi and Everest can’t say anything about it.
I settle into his side, opening my paper bag and digging through the contents.
Thi is handed his own by one of the IT guys, Tyler I believe, and everyone settles into light conversation and the enjoyable comfort of well-earned food.
All except Everest, who hangs back, assessing the situation carefully.
He’s glaring, not eating, and definitely brooding.
“Come on then, Meg,” Samson breaks through the low noise. I search for him amongst the faces, discovering he’s lying on his side and taking up most of the room across the other side of the blankets. “Introduce us to your friend.”
I almost blush, needing a sip of my coffee for courage against the eyes all suddenly looking our way. Glancing at him, Thi’s brows bob and he takes the cup from my hands.
“This is Thiago, he’s new here. He’s into tech and video games, is the definition of OTT and has probably bribed all of the IT guys to be here.” There’s a round of agreement that confirms my suspicions.
“Everyone has a price,” Thiago raises my coffee, tipping it in Everest’s direction before taking a sip of his own.
I nudge him, shaking my head as I take a bite of my sandwich.
A few of the team have follow up questions that Thi dodges excellently.
How did we meet, why has he transferred in so late, what’s his plans for the future.
Throughout it all, Claire has started to nudge closer, as if I wouldn’t notice just because my mouth is full.
She settles a few feet away, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of a paper bag as she pretends to be invested in a conversation Thiago is steering. I let it happen, fully invested in my lunch, figuring I need to become comfortable in her presence at some point.
Thiago, though, notices the shift in my posture and my withdrawal immediately. Without missing a beat, he leans forward and offers out his hand.
“Hey, Thiago Soares. And you are?”
Claire startles slightly, her eyes flicking to me on instinct before darting back to him, caught off guard by Thiago’s forwardness.
I’m sure to everyone here, Thiago must seem like the most casual, at ease guy in public settings.
If only they knew he’s going to head back to this gaming chair after this and probably not surface for a few days.
“Claire,” she replies, shaking his hand. Knowing Thi, he’s already done a deep dive into everyone on this field, knowing everything from their shoe size to their grandmother’s maiden names.
“Ahh, yes. Meg’s told me all about you.” Thi grins, drawing back to bump shoulders with me.
“I have?” I frown, at the same time that Claire asks, “She has?”
“Oh yeah. You were her co-captain for the women’s team, right?
She told me about that game against Asher Ridge.
You scored off a broken play in the last ten seconds,” Thiago relays smoothly, as if he’s spent the morning watching back old footage of our previous games.
Claire’s brows lift, her lips parting slightly in surprise as the memory hits her.
“Y-yeah, that’s right. We had our set all planned, but Asher Ridge double-teamed Meg before she could even turn. I already had a defender on my ass but there was the smallest opening, and I took it. The buzzer went just as the ball hit the net.”
“You didn’t hesitate that day,” I comment dryly.
Silence settles briefly, then Claire huffs out a quiet laugh, shaking her head.
She’s trying to downplay it, but it was a hell of a win.
I couldn’t be prouder at the time, and a sliver of that feeling cracks through the barrier I’ve been forcing between us.
“Okay,” she mutters, glancing between us. “When you say it like that, it sounds a lot more impressive than it was.”