Page 71 of Over Time Advantage

He lifts an eyebrow. “Did you know a single kid with a peanut allergy growing up?” he asks skeptically.

I shrug. “Maybe a few.”

He waves his hand dismissively. “No, you didn’t. Gen X was too tough for peanut allergies.”

I twist my lips. “Hate to break it to you, but I’m a millennial. We wholeheartedly believe in peanut allergies…and so does modern medicine and science.”

He mock gasps. “I’ll wrap my mind around you being a millennial later. And I was joking about the PB&J. I packed you a taco, tortilla chips, and I found one of those mini guacamole packs. I know you like Mexican food. Oh, and instead of a juice box, I put a mini bottle of tequila in there.”

I drop down to one knee and place my hands together in prayer. “Marry me,” I beg.

He chuckles. “I guess you like your lunch.”

I smile widely as I stand before throwing my arms around his neck and softly kissing his lips. “I love it. Thank you.”

He winks. “I like seeing you on your knees.”

I’m at the team stadium filling out all my paperwork when the head coach walks in. Lakshmi Ganjam is around forty years old but looks much younger. I remember when she played in college. She was known as the Indian Viper for her cold demeanor and ability to strike seemingly out of nowhere. An injury prematurely ended her professional career, but she quickly rose through the coaching ranks and led the USA basketball team to a gold medal at the last Olympics. It was a big deal for the Beavers to hire someone of her caliber as their head coach.

She smiles warmly and holds out her hand. “You must be Fallon. I’m Lakshmi. The kids call me Coach Lakshmi… at least to my face.”

I grin widely while slightly fangirling over her knowing my name. “Yes. I’m excited to be here.”

She nods. “We’re happy to have you. The team hated their previous trainer. The change is more than welcome, especially someone with your experience. I don’t know if you heard, but Coach Carroll is pregnant.” That’s her main assistant coach.

“I didn’t. That’s wonderful.”

She nods. “Yes, it is. She’s due later this summer, but I imagine being physical at practices will become increasingly difficult for her.”

I have no idea what she’s getting at.

“Anyway,” she continues, “I understand you were a decent player in high school.”

Mock blowing my nails dry, I happily state, “I started on varsity for all four years.” I motion toward my small body. “Obviously as a point guard.”

She lets out a laugh. “Yes, obviously. Anyway, if you’re up for it, I’d like you to help out at practices. As long as it doesn’t interfere with treating their various injuries and ailments, that is.”

I perk up at this bit of news. “Umm, hell yes. I would love that.”

She laughs. “I like the enthusiasm.” Nodding toward the papers, she says, “After all this nonsense, come into the gym and you can shoot around with the team until we get started. I’ll introduce you and let them know you’ll be a bit more present than anticipated. I’m a very open-minded coach. If you have any thoughts on how we run things, don’t hesitate to chime in. A fresh set of eyes is always welcome.”

Best. Job. Ever.

“Thank you. I will.”

“And I understand you have a daughter who will be hanging around at times.” I try to read her to determine whether that bothers her, but it doesn’t seem to.

“Yes, I appreciate the accommodation. She loves watching the team play. She’ll be thrilled to meet them all, and I promise she’ll behave. She’s a good kid.”

“Is she a budding Beaver?”

I scrunch my face. “She prefers softball to basketball, but I’m working on that,” I promise with a little too much enthusiasm.

She giggles. “We’ll see if we can change her mind.”

An hour later, I’m shooting around with a few of the girls on the team. Sulley is here. She’s such a pretty girl, with dark hair, porcelain skin, and blue eyes, standing at about six feet tall. Also with us is Palmer Payne. She’s the tallest player on the team. She’s probably six and a half feet tall and has a bigger build than the rest. She’s got brown hair, and I’m just noticing her eyes are a unique violet color. It’s a pretty shade that has always been hidden behind the goggles she wears when she plays.

I see Layla Ladrón, a Latina guard, and Shay Walker, a mocha-skinned power forward, stretching in the corner. Jett has mentioned that Kennedy is tight with all four of them. She hasn’t arrived yet.