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But I took it like a champ, not letting him get to me.
Much.
Unfortunately just because I knew better than to try and engage him, didn’t mean everyone else was on the same page. I’d barely been standing there two minutes when I overheard the player standing somewhere behind me ask, “Could you tell me what time it is?”
Anyone who knew even a little bit about Kulti was well aware of the fact that he had a watch endorsement. He always wore one.
We’d all been instructed to leave our cell phones in our bags, so I wasn’t surprised that no one had a watch on. I’d played with one a long time ago, but didn’t want to risk breaking the face.
“No one knows what time it is?” the player asked again.
Nothing.
Not a single response from the man who was paid to wear a watch.
Jeez. I finally turned around and said, “I don’t have a watch on me, Vivian. Sorry.” Because I hated when I asked something and no one responded. It was rude and awkward.
But what was more rude and awkward was being able to give an appropriate answer and not do so. From the look on the player’s face, she knew he could have answered.
And he’d chosen not to. Classy.
I kept my face forward after that and smiled at the camera when the time came.
Things didn’t getany better when the videographers showed up two days later to film practice. Sheena kept waving me over in the general direction of where the coaches were standing. “Go on,” she whispered to me when I got close enough. “Just a few shots.”
It was just a few shots with a man who had said three sentences to me in a month.
Bah.
I picked up my pride, shook it off and placed it around my shoulders before gradually easing my way toward the coaches who happened to be standing together.
I made a point to make conversation with Gardner, while Kulti stood nearby with those fantastic flexed biceps crossed over his chest, and his attention elsewhere. Every time I looked at him, he reminded me more and more of a soldier in some branch of the military with his crew cut and blank face. Meanwhile, in my head, I flicked him off with both hands at the same time. Maturity was definitely a personal strength of mine.
Not.
But I did what I had to do. Always. That’s what put a smile on my face and made me talk to people I was actually fond of while the videographers walked around. It had to be good enough.
I brushed off thinking about the German ignoring life itself and paid attention to the girls standing around me; Gardner began speaking to someone else.
“I’m ready to get this over with. Anyone know what we’re doing tomorrow?” I overheard Genevieve ask.
Another girl responded, “I think we’re meeting at the offices tomorrow to pick up the rest of our uniforms, aren’t we?”
We were, but I hated always being the one who knew what was going on and piping in.
Someone else agreed. “Yeah. Anyone want to go out for happy hour tomorrow?”
Go to happy hour the day before a game? I made a face to myself but kept my gaze forward and my mouth shut. But I still listened as two people agreed and another one said no.
Either way, it wasn’t like they invited me or asked for my opinion. Most people had given up on inviting me places after so many no-shows, and that was my fault. Iwasbusy. Sometimes it seemed like I had to schedule bathroom visits into my day. So while they were all going out for happy hour, I was going to finally be starting a new project with Marc for a customer that we’d fondly called a “Southwest Oasis.” Fifteen years ago, I never would have thought I’d be excited about special-ordering rocks and cacti.
Was it glamorous or fun in a traditional way? No. But it was my life and I didn’t care.
“I can’t wait,” another girl admitted. “This week has s-u-c-k-e-d. I could use a couple margaritas.”
A couple? I winced.
“Girl, me too—“
