Chapter 7 #2
“Jase told me last night that he thinks that Dex is nice. He had a quick talk with him at the bar while they were getting pitchers. He thinks he’ll fit in well with the Blaze. As long as he can get used to assessing women’s injuries,” Cassie tells us, effectively changing the subject.
“What do you mean, if he can get used to accessing women’s injuries?” Mac asks.
“Well, he was a trainer for the New England Patriots. What does he know about rehabbing soccer injuries? It can’t be all that similar.” I tell them.
“I wonder if this will be easier for him, being around soccer and not football? Help him get a new life started. Jase said the was looking for a fresh start,” Cassie adds.
“You like him, huh?” I ask Cassie.
“Did you want me to hate him?”
I shake my head. “No, he’s just an infiltrator right now. I guess we have to get used to him. I mean, August is right, we need a trainer.” I sigh and think for a minute. “But does he have to live in my apartment?”
“You have the three-bedroom,” Hendrix reminds me in a tone that is meant to mock August.
I shake my head, watching some kids splashing around carefree in the surf before I speak. “Yeah, yeah, don’t I know it.”
“He’s not so bad, though, right?” Cassie asks after a pause.
“You don’t need my permission to like him, Cas,” I tell her.
“I know. I feel kinda bad for the guy. He’s divorced and forced to live with a stranger. It can’t be easy on him either,” she reminds me.
I sigh. “I hate you.”
“No, you don’t,” she says back sweetly.
She’s right, I don’t. Cassie makes a good point, Damn it.
“So, him and Jase hit it off, huh?”
“I think so. Which is nice for Dex; this way he has some friends in Tampa. Other than August.”
“August knows him from college. Is it from the same one that he met you at?” Mac asks Hendrix.
“No, he met him when he was at Brown. Not with me at UNC,” she replies, her tone letting us all know that she still doesn’t want to talk about the time she spent with August in college.
“Sorry, just curious,” Mac tells her.
“I know, but if I would have known anything about him, I would have told you,” she insists.
“Just maybe a be a bit nicer to him tonight when you go home,” Cassie says, changing the subject back to me. “Might help him settle in a bit more. Besides, he might talk to you, and you might find that he’s an alright guy.”
“Uh-huh,” I say. “I’m going to get in the water, it’s so fucking hot out here.”
I rise up and adjust my deep blue bikini bottoms on my hips. “Anyone want to come with?”
Cassie and Mac rise up to join me.
“Come on, Henny, we don’t want to leave you here by yourself,” Mac says holding out her hand to help Hendrix to her feet.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll come along.” She hops up and we call walk down to the water together.
The warm water of the ocean laps up at my legs. “This is something that I still can’t get used to. How can the water be this warm all the time?”
Mac laughs and nods, “Yeah, not quite the refreshing dip that you were looking for, huh?”
I shake my head. “Not in the least. But it’s the beach and that’s more than I would have if I were home in North Carolina.”
“You didn’t live near the beach?” Cas asks me.
“North Carolina is a big state. You can easily live in it and not be near the ocean,” I tease her.
Cas sticks her tongue out at me. “Have you eaten today? Because, my god, are you bitchy today. No wonder Dex acts the way he does around you.”
I splash water in her direction. “Keep it up and I’m sending him to Jase’s house so that he can be the biggest cock block you’ve ever seen.”
She laughs and splashes water back at me. “You act like having someone in the room would stop us.”
“Uh, unfortunately, I can attest to that,” Mac says, shaking her head. “We’ve had them over and they practically humped in the pool.”
“We, huh?” Hendrix teases her. “You living with Danny boy?”
Mac flushes, “No, I’m still at the team housing.”
“Talking about it, though?”
Mac turns away from Hendrix and says with a smirk, “Maybe, guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
“Great, yes, do that. Move in with Danny. Then I can send Dexter, “Mr. I’m Not a Serial Killer,” to live in your old apartment.”
Mac sticks her tongue out at me in reply. “Stop it, the man seemed perfectly nice.”
“Sure” is all I say.
We’re now out in the water to our chests, so I ease onto my back.
I look up blue sky and white clouds as I float.
It’s really a beautiful day here in Tampa.
I’m happy that I was drafted here. It’s nice to have the ability to play soccer professionally and spend time at the beach with my friends.
Not all players are lucky like this. Some never get the chance, which makes me wonder if Dex ever got the chance or if he was sidelined too, like Danny was.
He was talking to Jase last night about it, I think. But it was hard to hear with the loud music in the Backwoods. I make a mental note to ask him about tonight over dinner.
A few hours later, we decide it’s time to hit the boardwalk for smoothies before we head back to the apartments..
Back at the apartments we’re all gathering our beach bags from the back of the Jeep when Mac turns to me. “Just try and be a little more welcoming to him tonight.”
“Yes, Captain,” I tease her.
“Come on, be that nice, sweet sunshine personality that we all know and love.”
Mac fakes shock when I flip her off, making Cassie and Hendrix laugh.
“Come on, you can do it,” she teases in a singsong cheerleader voice.
“You’ve been in the sun too long. It’s cooking your brain. Go hop in Danny’s pool and cool off,” I tease.
“Nope, I’m here tonight,” she tells us.
“Stop over if you want to hang out,” Hendrix says before turning to head to the stairwell that leads to her apartment.
“Yeah, that would be great,” Mac calls back at her. “Cas, what about you?”
“Showering and heading to Jase’s house.”
“See you all tomorrow at practice. I’m going to practice being nice,” I tell them.
“Well, if you need help remembering how, come and hang out with us,” Hendrix calls before disappearing around the corner.
I’m surprised as I enter my empty apartment.
It’s after six and I was sure he’d be here.
That’s almost a twelve-hour day for him.
What could be so important that he’s working so long at the office?
I’ve stopped in there before when it’s an off day to grab something from the locker room and it’s always a ghost town. I decide to text him.
Amelia: Football, you good?
I make my way into the bathroom and prepare for a shower. I love the smell of the sea, but I have to get the sand off of me and out of my hair. My phone dings on the bathroom counter.
Dex: You worried about me, peach?
I laugh and shake my head.
Amelia: Just hungry. Someone promised me dinner.
He answers immediately.
Dex: Ah, so that’s what it is. I’m heading out of here soon. I’ll bring you dinner shortly. Try not to starve on me.
His message makes me smile. I’m not sure why, but it does.
Amelia: Yes, without you, how would I get pizza?
I put my phone down and get into the shower.
He’s not back by the time I finish, so I sit on the couch and watch reruns of The Big Bang Theory while I wait for him to return.