Chapter 45
A Turbulent Ride
Kodi
“Psst, Kodi,” Brooker whispered, giving me a come hither motion from the other side of the aisle. We were on the plane to their Charlotte game, Olli asleep next to me. I raised my eyebrow at the other man but carefully climbed over Olli to cross the aisle.
“What’s up?”
“It’s killing me to not know,” he whined and from the row behind us, Taylor stood over the seat and said, “Me, too.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” I tried to put on an innocent face, though my tactic to do that was just blinking rapidly. Based on the way Taylor shook my seat, I don’t think they bought it.
“Come on! Kean won’t say shit, but we all saw y’all walk out of the gala together,” Brooker whined, eyes flashing around the plane to make sure no one was around.
“Look, back in Nashville, Kean interrupted my sleep to talk about how smitten he is with you. I deserve to see the ending of this movie.”
“Movie?”
“Yeah, from the rom-com, gala shit.”
The two of them leaned closer, eyes pleading for the gossip they’ve been kept from.
I looked back at Olli, everything in me softening.
He’d said something about how our whole thing had gotten him closer to his teammates, specifically these two.
And I wanted him to keep his friends and foster that relationship.
“Okay, I’ll tell you a little bit, but —” Before I could get my warning out, Taylor scrambled into our row and as Brooker went to the window seat, he pulled me into the middle so Taylor had a place to sit. They both turned to me, fully focused on whatever I said next.
“Nosy much?” I said, chuckling at them.
“Yeah, super nosy. Are y’all together?” Brooker asked in an excited whisper.
“We are starting to date, but not fully together or publicly together.” I pointed a finger at both of them in turn. “So it’s tentative and shouldn’t be shared with anyone. All right?”
“Thank fuck,” they both sighed in relief, collapsing back in their seats.
“But when you say tentatively together,” Taylor said, sitting back up. “Is that just because of your job or are you hesitant for some other reason?”
“If it’s your job, I’ve told Kean you can be my PA. I’ve been told I need media training before I take another interview. Is that something that’d look good on your social media resume?”
“Who said you need media training?”
“Trust me,” Taylor interrupted. “He does.”
“Well, if your problem is you flirt too much, I’m not sure I can help you.”
“No,” he said, stretching out the word. “Just this one reporter said some shit that … stuck.”
“Oh, the chick from Stadium Statements? I think she just hates your ass. I was just talking about how cocky you act,” Taylor said.
“That’s a whole …” He waved his hand around, brow furrowed. “It’s a thing.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, curious what was going on between him and this reporter, but decided it wasn’t my place to be nosy.
“Anyways, we’re going to just … keep it low-key until I can get the social media job. And I very specifically do not want y’all vouching for me, okay?” I said when they both opened their mouths.
“Why not?” Brooker asked.
“If we all recommend you, it won’t look suspicious.”
“Though there might be a hiring freeze with them looking to sell,” Brooker pointed out.
“Ugh, don’t say that.” I groaned and looked over at Olli.
I know I said we needed to do all this hiding stuff and go slow and I know it’s the wise option.
But god did I just wanna snuggle that big grump.
It was unfair sitting next to him on the plane and not being able to sleep on his shoulder.
I mean, it wasn’t a long flight, but still.
Across the aisle, Olli’s eyes blinked open and he turned to look at my empty seat.
Not seeing me there, he shot up, looking around the plane, only relaxing when he caught sight of me.
It was such a little thing, a common reaction to waking up and people not being where you expected them. But damn did he do it cutely.
“Psst, you’re gonna blow your cover like that,” Brooker laughed quietly. I elbowed him and got up to rejoin Olli.
“What were you doing over there?” he grumbled, giving Brooker the stink eye as I settled back in my seat.
“Don’t be mean to your friends. They just wanted to know how things worked out.”
Olli turned to Brooker and held up his middle finger. Brooker just cackled in response.
“Don’t let them bother you,” Olli grumbled.
“They weren’t.” I looked around to make sure nobody was close to us, then whispered, “I told Brooker we’re tentatively dating.”
Olli’s eyes went cartoonishly wide. “Really? You’re okay trusting him?”
“Yes. He’s a good guy and not knowing was killing him.”
“Good or nosy?” Olli scoffed, crossing his arms.
“Shush.” I rested my head on his shoulder, figuring it was an innocent enough action should someone walk by. “Did you get a chance to talk with Christenson?”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “He recommended moving you to Brooker.”
“It sounds like a popular recommendation.” I chuckled and nuzzled closer to him. “It wouldn’t be the worst, right? I’d still have an opportunity to prove my skills to Hansen and we wouldn’t have to be so concerned about being discovered.”
“Really? I thought you wanted to be … low-key.”
“Well … fighting my poor impulse control is exhausting. And we … I don’t know, maybe it’s just that impulsiveness, or maybe all the recent … endorphins, but we feel right. Right?”
When I looked over to Olli, I saw my childhood friend, the soft boy who listened to me ramble and would return the favor, specifically about soccer. I saw the boy who had staged a sit-in with me in my tree house in protest of his move.
And I saw a man who was absolutely smitten with me. A man who didn’t like talking all that much, unless it was with the people he cared for. A man who was so dedicated to the sport, he’d work so much he didn’t have time to buy shorts for nearly two years.
“Yeah, it feels right.” He took my hand and gave me a little squeeze that made my heart flutter. I really couldn’t remember the last time I had a relationship that felt this fulfilling. Sexually, emotionally, and with future potential. Like take him to —
“Oh my god,” I murmured, suddenly realizing something crucial and putting a hand on his arm a bit harshly.
“What?” he asked, looking around with wide eyes.
“My parents are gonna go nuts when I tell them all this.”
“Kodi,” he groaned. “I thought something was wrong.”
“It kinda is. They’re gonna freak out when I tell them.”
“In a bad way?” he asked hesitantly.
“No, no, no,” I said quickly. “Honestly, the whole situation of meeting each other is wild, they might even be rendered speechless.”
“If I remember correctly, that’d be a hard feat with your mom. Didn’t she talk the whole way from Panama City to Destin when we came in for the game?”
“Honestly, I don’t remember. But that sounds like her. If I ever talk for hours on end like that, please stop me.”
“No.”
“No?” I repeated, laughing a little at his short answer.
“No. I’d happily listen to you talk about whatever you want, for however long you want.”
God, when I do fall in love with this man, it’s gonna hit me so fucking hard.
“Man, normally I’d be all for Kean actually talking,” Gallagher said, popping up over the seats in front of us, making me jump off Kean. “But I’m trying to sleep up here. And hearing Kean talk, I’m subconsciously paying attention to him 'cause it happens so rarely.”
“Leave him alone,” Brooker shouted, tossing an empty plastic cup towards the Irishman.
“That’s littering,” he shouted, throwing it right back.
“If you had to describe each of your teammates as brother stereotypes, what would they be?” I asked.
“Oh fuck sleep, I wanna play this game,” Gallagher said, shuffling to get comfortable. “Christenson is 100 percent the older brother who can do no wrong. The perfect prefect who’s actually perfect and it’s so annoying.”
“Don’t know what a prefect is, but yeah,” Taylor said as both him and Brooker scooted closer to the aisle to participate.
“Carter is the one who’s always in his room, doesn’t say anything during dinner, but when you break the vase, he covers for you,” Brooker said. Up the aisle, Carter leaned out to narrow his eyes at Brooker and slid his headphones off.
“Do I wanna know?”
The boys filled him in and they all continued this weird game, razzing on each other the way only friends could. It took him a few rounds, but Olli eventually contributed, too.
“Bathroom, be right back, babe.” I pressed a kiss to Olli’s cheek and he got up to let me out so I didn’t have to awkwardly climb over his legs.
I went to the bathroom, flushed, washed my hands. The usual stuff.
But when I stepped out, somebody was waiting for me.
Fucking Renee Hall. Why the hell was this bitch popping up more often?
I mean, I knew why. But why?
“Having a good flight?” she asked with a snide smile.
“Uh, yeah. I’ll leave you to it. Maybe you can get that stick out of your ass while you’re in there.” It was a stupid thing to say, it wasn’t even that great of an insult, but I actually was enjoying the flight until she reminded me she was on it.
I moved to get out of her way, but she put a hand on the other side of the wall, blocking me.
“Uh, do you not know how a plane bathroom works and need help? 'Cause otherwise —”
“I saw you.”
“Saw … what?” I said, voice going squeaky even though I was trying to play it cool.
“Saw you kiss your boss.”
“He’s not — that’s not what —”
“Save it,” she huffed. “I figured it was only a matter of time before you started fucking a team member, though I did think you’d grown up enough to not go for your boss. I hope it was good. 'Cause there’s no way this doesn’t get you fired. Kean, too, if I’m lucky.”
“Renee, please.” I grabbed her hands with both of mine in a pleading motion.
God, I was really about to beg this bitch not to squeal?
But this was absolutely the worst case scenario for us being outed.
And over a fucking kiss on the cheek for Christ’s sake.
“It’s not what you think, O— Kean and I were actually friends back in elementary school. We —”
Renee pulled her hands out of mine with a huff.
“Save it for the coach and the potential buyers who’ll be at tomorrow’s game.
I’m sure they’ll love to hear whatever story you’ve made up.
Sprung for plane Wi-Fi just to let him know right away.
These kind of things need to be handled as soon as possible so there’s no scandal.
Right, Miss Wannabe Social Media Manager? ”
She gave me another disgusted look before stepping around me and locking herself in the bathroom.
I wish I could be angry with her. I mean, I was, I was burning with a never-ending rage and if there was a way to talk Carlos into firing her, I’d do it.
But the anger was nothing in comparison to the fear I felt.
For me, for Olli, for our jobs. There’s no way Boyd was going to overlook whatever message Renee sent, not when he was busy trying to attract new buyers.
Olli might get benched again. And I was most definitely getting fired.
And now I had to go back to my seat and tell Olli all that while surrounded by the whole team. So much for our safe, lie-low plan.