We lost the game because of this move. Not because of Lunez, though the kid did have a lot to learn. No, it was the moralethat did us in. Nobody liked what was going on and nobody knew when they’d be the next to get subbed for no reason. Unnecessary nerves made for stiff players.
The mood in the locker room after the game wasn’t just bad, it was mournful. All of us coming to the realization that the team we knew was changing.
We’d all cope with it in our own ways. Mine was sitting in an empty locker room wallowing.
“Everybody decent?” Kodi shouted from the entrance, door cracked, but none of her visible.
“It’s just me,” I shouted back and the door opened to Kodi in her usual keeper jersey and those shorts with sparkly see-through fabric over them. And I guess I was in a pretty sorry state, because even her presence didn’t lift my mood.
“Oh damn, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with a deeper frown.”
“Mmm. If you tell me it’ll freeze this way, I’ll kick you out.”
She rolled her eyes, the corner of her mouth tilting up just a smidge.
“I know it sucks,” she said, sitting next to me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “But because they lost after subbing you, it’s less likely to happen again.”
“He subbed me fornoreason. No reason, Kodi. If he’s willing to do that, I might very well get traded. All because, what? I’m not trending? I —” I stopped when Kodi grabbed my hands and pulled them so I turned and face her.
“No worst case scenario-ing. The facts are the owners want to sell, so they’re testing out what might get buyer interest. And this tacticdidn’t work. Like at all. Folks were excited to see Carlos on the field for a minute, but that died the second y’all started losing. Fans recognize the domino effect and no buyer will invest in a team that’s upsetting their fans.”
“I just …” Sighing, I collapsed my head onto her shoulder. “I feel like so much of this is out of my control. And for the first time, I actually care about all this bullshit and staying with the team and you.”
“Aw.” She pressed a kiss to the top of my head, then teased, “You like me or something?”
I lifted my head and grabbed Kodi by the waist, pulling her onto my lap. She giggled, settling so her legs could hang from the other side of the bench.
“I do, Kodi. I really fucking like you and the idea of transferring to some other team scares the shit out of me.”
“It won’t come to that. And even if it does, we’ll make it work.”
“I guess that’s good to hear,” I murmured, sliding my hands under her shirt, pressing her closer. “I also think I’m friends with Brooker now, unfortunately. And it’d suck to leave him and everyone else behind.”
“Poor boy, finally made friends with his teammates after two years and now he’s all attached.”
“Don’t be mean,” I grumbled, squeezing her closer, finding comfort in having her weight on me.
“Hmm, do you want a distraction?” she asked, tracing shapes on my back. Never had the word distraction been a trigger for me, but coming from Kodi’s lips, it sent a shiver down my spine.
“What’re you thinking?”
“That you get that towel over there.” She pointed to my cubby behind me. “So I can cushion my knees while I cheer you up.”
“Kodi.” I tried to find an argument, tried to find the words to tell her it wasn’t necessary. But the wicked smile on her lips made my knees quake. And when she got off my lap and looked me up and down, licking her lips, the fight in me died.
“If you’re sure.” I reached over to my cubby, grabbing a couple of the clean towels. My eyes lingered on my jersey hanging onthe hook, waiting for the launders to grab it tomorrow. It’d look a lot better on Kodi than hanging there.
“It’s rude to make a lady wait,” Kodi quipped, reaching over to snatch the towels from my hand. I turned back and she was already kneeling in front of me, reaching for my waistband as soon as I turned towards her.
“I know I said that thing about obligation, but know I only said that because I’ve been with assholes.”
“No,” I growled, grabbing her ponytail and tugging it so she looked at me rather than my cock. “No talking about other men when you’re on your knees forme.”
The smile Kodi gave me was sinful. That was the only way to describe it.
“Look at my back, baby.”
I scrambled to lean over her, grabbing at the jersey, pulling it until I could see the upside down text. Text that readmyname.
