4. Noah
Noah
I had plenty to do to get ready for the approaching season. I needed to put in a lot of work to fix the shitshow that the Titans had become under the reign of the previous coach. Despite being a team that was only a few years old, they had a toxic environment that had started from almost day one.
Egos clashed. Instead of focusing on the games, on getting the wins by working together, the players had engaged in too much inter-team competition because too many of them had the same god mentality.
From what I’d seen of the previous season alone, they’d had more drama than one of those daytime soap operas that my grandmother had been addicted to when I was a kid.
Throwing the strap of my gym bag over my shoulder, I picked up my messenger bag and the two travel thermos-style cups of coffee my housekeeper had left waiting for me in the kitchen. Opening the door, I tried to keep my face neutral as the neighbor across the hall stepped out of their apartment.
My gaze had a will of its own as it traveled over Bliss, taking in the jeans that accentuated her curvy ass and thighs, and the top with a deep plunge that showcased the delectable cleavage on display.
Her long, rich, dark hair fell down her back in waves, while her makeup was simply tinted moisturizer, a little mascara to emphasize her naturally thick lashes, and a smear of gloss over her naturally honey-colored lips.
She had her phone to her ear, already dropping her keys into her tote-style purse, keeping her distracted while I soaked up the sight of her.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she griped into the device.
“I’m on my way now. If I’m late, I’m late.
We all know that Arella won’t even be there yet.
She’s chronically late, and no one ever gives her shit about it. ”
Not wanting to startle her, I cleared my throat loudly enough to catch her attention. As she lifted her head, her fingers tightened noticeably around the phone until they turned white. Fire flashed in her eyes, along with confusion. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
“What?” a female voice shouted from the phone loud enough for me to hear it.
Bliss winced at the high pitch directly in her ear. “I’ll tell you later, Heavenleigh. I have to go. See you soon.”
“Bliss!” But she’d already disconnected before her sister could demand answers.
Dropping her hand at her side, Bliss narrowed her gaze on me. “Are you stalking me, Kavanaugh?”
Lifting one of the travel mugs, I took a slow sip of coffee. “Of course not. We just happened to leave our apartments at the same time.”
She glanced at the closed door behind me, and her eyes nearly bugged out of her head for a moment. “No. This is not happening. You are not the new neighbor.”
I took another sip and casually lifted the second cup. “You still take almond milk in your latte?”
“You made me a latte?” she hissed, staring at the proffered travel mug like it might contain poison.
“As much as I would love to take credit for it, I’m still learning to work the new espresso machine.
My housekeeper was kind enough to make it, though.
” When she just stood there staring at the drink, I pushed it into her hand.
Her fingers wrapped around it automatically.
“Don’t waste good coffee, mele?im. The coffee did nothing wrong. ”
Seeing her flinch when I called her “my angel” burned. Clenching my jaw, I gave her a small nod. “Nice meeting you, new neighbor.”
As I walked toward the elevator, I tried not to tense up, half expecting her to throw the coffee at my back.
Thankfully, it was an iced latte, because that was her favorite, but also because I wasn’t a complete idiot.
Bliss had a temper, and the odds were seventy-thirty that she would use the heavy, insulated cup like a missile.
She had great aim, and I was a particularly large target.
To my surprise, I stepped onto the elevator without sustaining an injury. Glancing back, I saw that Bliss was still standing in front of her apartment door, savoring a drink of her latte.
Heart lifting at the sight, I nearly gave a fist pump at the small victory. It left me feeling lighter as I drove to the arena. I had a lot to get done, and I was prepared to put in the work to get my new team to where they needed to be.
My assistant was waiting when I walked into my office, two phones sitting on top of his iPad, along with a stack of physical files that I’d requested.
I’d brought Grant with me when I took this job.
He’d been my assistant for six of the last seven years, and I had a very short list of people I trusted more than I did Grant.
Not only did he keep my day-to-day running like a well-oiled machine, he could recite any player’s stats from any team in the league.
“Morning, Coach K. You have a meeting with six of the eight assistant coaches in thirty minutes, followed by a sit-down with Mr. Hawkins directly after.”
I nodded, already running through my mental checklist for the hell this meeting was going to be.
Some of the ACs were part of the toxicity problem that had been rotting the team’s morale over the last few years.
Not all of the six who had been invited to the meeting would remain on the payroll.
The other two had been shown the door the same day I’d told the owner yes to his job offer.
Replacing them before the season started would be a tall order, especially since I was going to handpick each of the new hires.
I’d made steep stipulations when I’d signed my contract with Ted Hawkins.
Before I’d even agreed to consider the offer, I’d insisted Ted replace the previous general manager.
He’d been irritated about it, but once he’d cut out that particular tumor within his hierarchy and brought in the GM I’d suggested, he’d begun to truly understand that it wasn’t just the previous coach that had been such a huge issue over the years.
“And lunch?” I asked Grant, taking the files from him.
“Reservations have already been made. Invites sent and accepted as of an hour ago, Coach. I also ordered a car service to pick up the players to ensure they actually show up.”
“Good. Thank you.” I flipped through the first pages of the files and grimaced. “It’s going to be a long morning, Grant. Let’s get this crap over with.”