Don’t assume anything, Rawley.
My self-talk doesn’t keep me from powering on my phone the second I’m at my locker.
And my hope ticks up a little more when I see the text waiting for me.
AVERY: Can you talk after the game?
I type back immediately.
RAWLEY: Yes, come wait for me outside the locker area, there’s a family/VIP area.
In the meantime, I realize I better not make Grace stick around, only to disappear for a conversation with Avery.
RAWLEY: Hi Gracie, did you see that Avery is here? No need to wait after the game. I’ll call you later.
GRACE: Okay, sounds good! Woohoo touchdown
Then I tell Landon the same, in the locker room. Since he didn’t play, he doesn’t need to shower or anything. I don’t want to waste his time.
“Yeah, I’ll take off after the coaches give their speeches.” He puts his arm around me. “So Avery got the football from your first touchdown? Things back on track with her, huh?”
He mercifully doesn’t seem to expect an answer, because I don’t have a clue what’s going on at this point.
“I’ll see you at the hotel,” is my only reply. We still have a few days left of training camp.
He claps the back of my jersey and lets me get on with cleaning myself up.
Fast forward another thirty minutes, I come out of the locker room, showered and dressed in a clean pair of Waves shorts.
Beyond making myself presentable, I’ve spent the entire time trying to tamp down my expectations, to little effect.
I’m so fucking excited to see her. Outside of the stands,alone.To talk to her, for real.
And now it’s time. I take two steps out into the hall, turn the corner, and there she is waiting for me.
Her beautiful eyes twinkle as soon as she sees me, a large smile spreading across her face. The blanket of her shiny hair covering part of that goofy Avley shirt.
“Hi. Great game,” she says, and now that I’m closer, her smile looks shier than normal.
It’s awkward, because it feels like the right thing to do is hug her, but I don’t. I have no idea where this is going to go, and I don’t want to seem like I’m pushing.
“Hey.” Several people are staring at us, so I put on a big smile. “Thanks for coming, Avie baby.” I say it loud enough foreveryone to pick it up. Keep up the illusion, if that is what today is about.
Avery grins more naturally and takes a step forward, covering her mouth so no one can hear her or read her lips.
“Where can we talk?”
I considered options while I was getting ready.
“Maybe the opposing side’s women’s locker room? They should have cleared out now.” The Waves, like many in the NFL, have women’s locker rooms for staff, one for each team.
“Yeah, that’s perfect,” she agrees quickly.
I lead her in that direction, and she makes as if she’s going to grab my hand, our norm in a public place. But after her fingers brush mine, she pulls her hand back.
Huh. That’s not helping my nerves.
When we get to the women’s locker room, I worry the door might be locked. But when I pull on the handle, it’s open.
