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"I don't see what's so damned funny."
"You can't handle criticism, and the fact is, you deserved some. Phoebe's right. You have been driving the men too hard, and it was affecting their mental attitude."
Ron probably wouldn't have been so blunt if he still weren't on an adrenaline high. To his amazement, Dan didn't explode. Instead, he managed to look injured.
"It seems to me that as the Stars' general manager, you might have worked up enough gumption to talk to me about the problem yourself instead of sending a woman who doesn't know a thing about football to do the job."
"That's exactly what she said to me this morning."
"She go after you, too, huh?"
"I don't think she's too crazy about either one of us right now."
The men stared at the empty basketball court. Dan shifted his weight and the dry leaves rustled beneath him. "That was some sweet win last night."
"It really was."
"Her locker room speech is gonna go down in football history."
"I'll never forget it."
"She sure does
n't know much about football."
"In the third quarter she cheered when we went offside."
Dan chuckled, then gave a long contented sigh. "I guess, all in all, Phoebe's working out better than either of us could've expected."
"Dan!" After their argument that afternoon, Phoebe was stunned to see the Stars' coach standing on her doorstep holding a deep-dish pizza box. It was nearly ten o'clock, and her makeup had long ago worn off. She was dressed for comfort in a faded pair of fake-Pucci leggings with a baggy purple sweater that barely covered her rear.
"I wasn't expecting you." She pushed her reading glasses to the top of her head and stepped aside to let him in.
"I can't imagine why not. I told you I'd be here."
"That was before our altercation."
"Altercation?" He looked annoyed. "That was nothing more than a business discussion, is what it was. You get riled about the strangest things." He shut the door.
Phoebe was spared a response by Pooh, who scampered into the foyer, yapping and shivering with bliss when she saw who had come to call. Phoebe took the pizza box and watched with amusement as the dog circled Dan's legs so rapidly that she skidded on the floor.
He regarded the poodle warily. "She's not going to pee, is she?"
"Not if you kiss her and call her 'sugar pie'."
He chuckled and leaned down to give the dog a macho knuckle rub on her topknot. Pooh immediately flopped to her back so he could get to her tummy.
"Don't push it, dawg."
The poodle took his rejection good-naturedly and followed them through the living room to the kitchen.
"What happened to your eye?"
"What eye? Oh, this? Basketball game. Your GM plays dirty ball."
She stopped in her tracks. "Ron did that to you?"
"That boy's got a mean streak a mile wide. I'd advise you to stay clear of him when he gets riled."
