loan spell #3
Carlos laughs, breaking the silence in the locker room. “Dios mío, you’re a feisty one.” He smiles at me, and the rest of the team falls in line behind him. If their resident agitator isn’t going to make waves, they all let the moment pass.
I turn on my heel before they can get the upper hand again, walking right past Oliver in the doorway.
I don’t stop. I don’t even look at him.
“Better luck next time, Captain,” I say smoothly, and keep walking.
Once I’m out of his line of sight, I pick up speed, storming into Luke’s office and shutting the door behind me with more force than necessary.
“What a fucking asshole,” I announce.
Luke blinks, looking up from his laptop. “And hello to you, too. Who are we talking about?”
“Oliver Bradshaw.”
“Ah.” A slow smirk tugs at his lips. “And what did he do to make such a good first impression on you?”
I throw my hands in the air. “Oh, he only gave me fake directions that sent me walking straight into a locker room full of half-naked men.”
Luke stares at me for a second, then bursts out laughing.
“Did you not hear the part about the half-naked men?” I ask, thoroughly annoyed and still embarrassed.
“I heard.”
“I know he’s the captain, but could we have him traded or something?” I ask in desperation, though it’s not a real request.
“You’d have to pry him out of Alan’s cold, dead hands. Literally,” Luke says, laughing.
I cross my arms and glare at him. “Well, I’m glad you find this funny.”
“Addison,” Luke says, grinning as he tilts his head at me. “It is a little funny.”
“It’s not, Luke,” I huff. “Luckily, I can think on my feet and work my way out of a disaster.”
Luke shakes his head, still amused. “It’s just classic Oliver, that’s all. He can be a bit difficult at first. But he’s actually one of the nicest blokes you’ll ever meet. He just comes off as intense. But once you get to know him, he—”
“Nope," I cut in. “That’s not happening.”
Luke stares at me, confused. “What?”
“I don’t need to get to know him,” I say flatly, smoothing out my ponytail. “Or any of them, for that matter. I have no interest in that.”
Luke gives me a puzzled look. “You’re aware that you’re their PR manager, right?”
“Yes,” I say, rolling my eyes. “I can handle their public image. I can craft the story for the media. I don’t need to be their friend. I don’t get involved with the assets.”
“The assets?” Luke lets out a short laugh. “You’re joking, right?”
“I’m completely serious, Luke.”
“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that.” Luke shakes his head. “Since when did you become so… detached?”
I understand his surprise. I never used to be like this—not in life or in my career.
When I worked at Game Day, I was always involved, always hands-on.
I knew everything about the clients, from their personal interests to their kids’ birthdays.
I understand why this new approach confuses Luke.
I just need him to trust that I’m doing it to protect myself.
“It’s just practical. I have rules to keep everything completely professional.”
“Rules?”
“We went over this at the pub,” I remind him.
“That wasn’t for dramatic effect? I thought you were joking.”
“I wasn’t.” I shake my head. “No emotional involvement, no attachment, no sleeping with a coworker, no staying in a job longer than a year—”
Luke’s eyebrows shoot up. “So… basically you’re saying you can’t have any fun.”
I sigh. “I just can’t let what happened with Matt ever happen to me again.”
Luke doesn’t flinch. He’s the only person in the world I don’t have to explain that to. He saw it all firsthand. He saw it before I even did.
“You’re protecting yourself,” he says, his voice gentler now. “But Addison, if you keep building these walls, eventually they’ll keep everyone else out, too.”
“Luke.”
“I’m just saying… I understand your anger. But build a framework, not a fortress.”
“But, I’m… I’m fine.”
“Yeah,” Luke says, nodding. “But one day, I’d like to see you be more than fine.”
Luke studies me for a moment, debating whether to push me. I think he wants to, but he’s known me long enough to know when it isn’t safe. Instead, he leans back in his chair and exhales. “Alright. Aside from your introduction to the team, how has your first day been so far?”
I let out a laugh and shake my head. “Well, no one sounds like Hugh Grant.”
“Fuck,” Luke groans. “Do all you Americans think we sound like Hugh Grant?”
“I don’t know,” I say, laughing. “I was just expecting some cinematic charm, like in the movies.” My mind travels to the shirtless soccer player with the movie-star face and the charm of a cactus.
“First of all, Hugh Grant’s accent is posh.
Just because you’re in North London now doesn’t mean everyone else is from here too,” Luke says, smirking at me.
“Second of all, since we’re talking about cinematic charm.
You do realize your whole ‘no emotions, no attachment, no romance’ mantra sounds exactly like the beginning of a rom-com, right? ”
I scoff. “It does not.”
He grins at me. “Sure, love. I can’t wait for the part where we’re in this office again, talking about how you inevitably broke all your own rules.”
I roll my eyes. “Not happening. I promise.”