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“Wait!” I call out as I round the corner, coming to a screeching halt when I find the hallway empty.
Did I just imagine that?That was Wes, right? I mean, it’s been a long time, but his face is still at the forefront of my mind. Iknowhim. Although, he’d be difficult to forget with all the billboards anyway.
Someone taps on my shoulder, and I jump, completely lost in my thoughts.
“Jesus, sorry. What are you doing?” Dani asks, her forehead crinkled in concern. I must seem frazzled as I frantically look left and right, searching in all directions, unable to move.
“Do you know Wes Johnson?” I ask, without looking her way. “Sorry, of course you do. Everyone knows him. But do you know that he’shere?”
I whisper the last part and Dani laughs.
“Yes, to both. He’s the interim head coach here. Didn’t you know that?”
My eyes widen in shock.Why didn’t I know that?I knew he’d had a career-ending injury. I saw it happen. But… “How did I miss that?” I say, whether to Dani or myself, I don’t know.
“No idea. It’s been all over the media. Why are you being weird?”
Dani doesn’t know about my time with Wes. Only a few people do. The article Greg sent me back then never saw the light of day. A reporter friend had told him about it, but somehow it disappeared, as though it never existed. As though our time togethernever existed. And while I was a little relieved…fuck, it hurt.
“I…I’ve just always been a big fan,” I lie. Dani and I are close friends. I tell her most things. But this is Wes’s workplace, so until I talk to him, it’s best if I keep things on the down low.
I’m sure Dani picks up on my strange tone, but she doesn’t say anything. Instead she smiles. “Well, you’re in for some luck because it’s almost impossible to miss him around here. But you know what they say about meeting your idol?”
“Don’t?”
“Exactly.”
What does that mean?
A colleague calls Dani away, and she heads toward her office, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I’ve met Wes; he’s completely different from his football player persona but in a good way. Why would she hint at something bad?
I wander the halls on my way back to our rooms. Since training doesn’t start until next week, I’ve got a bit of time on my hands, and despite Wes saying he’s going home, I seek him out. It’s not in his nature to shirk his responsibilities like that. At least that’s what he once told me, so I’m almost certain he’s still here.
And I’m right.
When I pass by the coaches’ offices, a voice booms inside the one with his name taped to the door. “What the fuck do you mean?” Wes yells, and with no response I’m going to assume he’s on the phone.
“I don’t need this today. Where?”
More silence.
“Ah fuck, okay. I’m on my way.”
The door slams open before I’ve had a chance to step away—I wasn’t expecting him to move so quickly. Jumping back, I press myself against the opposite wall and flinch.
Wes stills, and his eyes lock on mine before raking over my entire body, causing a chill to run through me. I’m wearing my favorite skintight leggings and a team-issued polo. Nothing special. And yet, the way he looks at me, the way he drinks me in, you’d think I was nakedandbeautiful. My heart pounds in my chest and I stop breathing.
“Wes?” I whisper without moving a muscle. Scared that even the slightest twitch will have him scampering away.
His eyes snap back to mine, flashing with anguish before he shakes his head and scoffs. “I’ve got to go.”
I expect him to rush off then, but he doesn’t move a muscle until I take a tentative step forward.
“Fuck,” he hisses before running a hand through his dark messy hair and walking away.
“Wes, wait!”
He pauses but doesn’t look back. “I don’t have time for this.”
