Page 98 of Her Coach

“There’s the smile!” Jett exclaimed, which brought me back to reality long enough to realize that I was, in fact, smiling. I quickly melted it off my face, which only made Jett laugh harder. That was until he looked in the direction where I was looking.

His gaze returned to mine before he gave me two thumbs up.

If he wasn’t careful, I’d break those fucking thumbs.

Can’t wound the boys, you have a season to play.

Everyone stopped me on my way to the bar. People wanted to shake my hand and take pictures. Patrons were already asking at the game next week and who we were going against. There were half-off drink specials for cocktails with names that I’d never heard of before, and all of the beer on tap was 31% off.

Since the score was 3-to-1, us.

Finally, after what felt like a journey into fucking Mordor, I bellied up to the bar and placed a coy smile on my face.

“And what do we have here?” I asked as Brynn walked over to me, her curves jiggling softly beneath that goddamn jersey I wanted to rip off her.

It would look spectacular on the floor of my kitchen.

Brynn gave me the brightest smile as she rested her forearm against the bar and shoved those tits together just for me. “Lookin’ for some food tonight, Mister? Ooooor, maybe a nice bourbon?”

I licked my lips as my eyes scoured the parts of her body that I saw. “Depends. What’s the magic order that gets you to share some of this food with me?”

She giggled as she raised up, her cheeks tinted with a soft blush. “You’re insane. You want me to get you a bourbon?”

She was already reaching for it when I shook my head. “No.”

She paused. “No?”

I shook my head. “No. Just a tonic water with lime, and maybe a splash of Coke in there for something sweet.”

She tilted her head. “You know if you wan⁠—”

I pinned her with my voice. “I know exactly what I want.”

She swallowed hard and I watched that beautiful neck of hers flush. I steadied my voice. But she beat me to the punch and her words were certainly a punch to my gut.

“What is it you want, then?” she asked.

I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the top of the bar as my gaze locked with hers.

“Everything,” I said with such sincerity that I thought my heart might burst. “But I’ll start with a tonic water with lime and a spritz of Coke, along with a batch of those double-crisped fries for us to share.”

She shook her head and put my drink order together. “I don’t eat when I’m behind the bar.”

“Well, you’re not supposed to be behind the bar tonight, but you are. So you’ll eat.”

She slid me my drink before she parted her lips to say something, but before she could speak, another flood of patrons entered the bar. She put on her best smile and chirped above the swirling sounds of the bar, and I just watched her. I watched how she smiled for everyone. I watched how she called all of them out by name. I watched how comfortable she felt in her atmosphere, and I swear, for someone who had alternative plans for her life, she sure as hell looked comfortable working in that place.

I lost myself so much in my thoughts that I didn’t come up for air until she slid the order of fries I’d completely forgotten about in front of me.

“One large order of double-crisped fries,” Brynn said as she reached for the ketchup and slammed it playfully onto the bar in front of me. “And ketchup, if you’re that kind of person.”

I reached for the ketchup and squirted some onto the side of the container of fries. “Are you not a ketchup person?”

She grinned. “Nope.”

I paused. “So, you don’t dip your fries in anything?”

“I do.”