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“It’s worst-case. Let me do my job and we’ll see.”
He nods before walking out the door, cursing at someone in the halls. Trey’s eyes flash to mine and his brows furrow. “I expected a lot more yelling,” he says, despite only knowing him for a few days.
I shrug by way of answer before getting back to work.So did I, Trey. So did I.
When I’m all done with Trey, I switch on my music and start tidying up.
“I Knew You Were Trouble,” by Taylor Swift comes on and I dance around the room, letting my mind drift with the music. When the chorus hits, I raise my fist to my mouth and mime the lyrics like I’m Tay. Like this is my song. As one of my favorite pastimes, nothing beats losing myself in an addictive tune to get the heart pumping. Except maybe boxing. Boxing will always be my favorite escape.
Waving my arms in the air, I close my eyes and sway my hips as the music takes control of my body. It makes me want to go out. Hit up a club. Something I haven’t done in years.
The song ends and “Perfect,” by Ed Sheeran comes on, completely slashing my vibe. Don’t get me wrong, I love this song, but I can’t do romantic love songs at the moment. They all remind me of a love lost, a love I never even got to experience and all the choices I’ve made.
Bending over, I drop my elbows to the table and sink my face into my hands, taking a few deep breaths. My life is good. I have Katie, amazing friends, the job I’ve always wanted. But there’s also this underlying heartache and worry that I fear will never go away. And I shouldn’t be letting it get to me.
Standing tall, I change the song, swiping through a few until I find something I can handle. “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” by Nirvana pops up, and I’m one hundred percent down for it, rocking out until my next appointment is due.
Aaron pops his head in around lunchtime, a hesitant expression on his face. “Is the kid from this morning okay? I don’t need another reason for Wes to come at me.”
“He’ll be fine… but why is that?” I ask, curiously.
“Why is what?”
“Why does Wes ‘come at you’?”
He sighs, shaking his head. “Doesn’t he do that to everyone? I didn’t think I was special.”
I cough out a laugh because he’s right. “No, I suppose you’re not. It appears to be a trend.”But is it the real Wes or is there more to it?
My lips morph into a frown as I process that notion. He’s like a completely different person from the Wes I knew before. But maybe he’s not. Maybe I just caught him on a good week.
I work on a few more players in the early afternoon, in a preventive capacity, and also spend some time watching and taping the team practice. I like knowing the players, seeing how they move and anticipating if we might have issues. It helps me to be ready.
My day flows quickly, and while I’m exhausted by the end of it, I’m also feeling on top of the world. God, I missed this. I spent six years of my life training for this very thing and barely got to experience it.
I’m packing up for the day when there’s a knock on my door.Damn, I was so close.Looking up from my position on the floor, I catch Wes’s eyes on my ass before they quickly move to my face, and I no longer mind the interruption. My cheeks flush at the intensity of his stare, and my heart races, but I try to ignore it.
“Hi, Wes. How was your day?” I say, standing up with a smile. I’ve noticed that the nicer I am, the more it annoys him, and I kind of get a kick out of that.
“Tiring, and stressful, and…it doesn’t matter. I just wanted to check in on Silvers. Now that he’s not here, has your response changed?”
I mentally roll my eyes and sigh. “Nope. He’ll be as good as new next week. I’ve got to say I’m surprised it took you this long to ask. Bet that question has been burning a hole in you.”
His lips twitch like he wants to smile but he doesn’t. “He’s not my only player, Luce. I’ve got other things to do.”
“Yes, I know. You’re busy busy. Are you going to Aaron’s dinner party tonight?” I say, though I shouldn’t have asked. I know he’s not. But I couldn’t help myself.
Wes glares at me and he scoffs. “We both know I’m not. Areyou?”
“I’ll be there, yes. It’s nice to spend time with colleagues outside of working hours. You know…to bond a little.”
“I couldn’t think of anything worse.”
My eyes narrow as they bounce between his, trying to find any inkling that he’s joking, that he hasn’t really turned into such a bitter man. But there’s nothing there. It’s not some ruse or act that he’s trying out. He really is grumpy.
Wes visibly shakes as though he’s affected by my scrutiny before taking his cap off and running a hand through his hair, settling it at the back of his neck. His lips purse for a second and then he shakes his head again. “Have funbonding, Lucy. Hopefully, I’ll have noneedto see you tomorrow.”
I huff out a laugh, completely understanding his meaning. If only his delivery was different.
