Page 8 of Breakaway

His stomach growled with hunger. He’d been so excited to get over here for this morning’s meeting that he couldn’t eat, and now he regretted that. Checking his watch, he noted that he had plenty of time to kill before the meeting.

There was no one in line at the snack bar. It was like fate. He could grab a breakfast wrap and still take a seat before the meeting started. Travis didn’t want to chance his stomach growling loudly during the meeting; that would just be embarrassing. He hurried to the counter.

“I’ll take a Tex-Mex egg-white wrap, please.” Travis reached for his wallet, instantly remembering that he’d been in such a rush to get over here, that he’d left it back in his hotel room. When the cashier handed him the wrap, he looked from the cashier to the food and back to the cashier. “Um, I hate to do this, but I forgot my wallet. I know you probably hear that excuse a lot, but I swear it’s true. I’m staying in the hotel across the way. I just got called up to the—”

He pointed towards the rink, but before he could finish his sentence, the lady rolled her eyes with a huff and said, “So you can’t pay?”

“Like I said, I forgot my wallet at the hotel.” He lifted his equipment bag up, hoping the casher would recognize that he was with the team. But even if she knew the Renegades players by sight, he was brand new to the team, as of yesterday. “I can go borrow some money real quick.” Travis searched his pockets, hoping maybe a rogue bill had been left in one, but no luck.

The lady just stared at him as he rambled.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. This was not the way he wanted to begin his first practice with the Renegades. “Maybe I’ll just forget it, sorry.”

“Here,” a female said from behind him, and she handed money to the cashier. “Will that cover it?”

Travis looked back to thank her, but was caught tongue tied, when she stared at him with the most amazing, piercing blue eyes he had ever seen. His heart raced as she stared at him. I think I’m in love.

He couldn’t be sure if he simply thought “Wow” or mumbled it out loud.

The way she tilted her head and arched an eyebrow at him, he was pretty sure he’d said that out loud. Could this day get any worse? He wished he were invisible right now.

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“Um, I mean, thanks, but you don’t have to... um, you don’t have to do that,” he stammered. Clearing his throat, he attempted to regain his composure. Puffing up his chest, he smiled at the beautiful woman standing before him. “I appreciate the gesture. I can pay you back as soon as I’m done—”

“Don’t worry about it. But you can pay it forward,” she said flatly.

He quickly responded before his brain could process what this beautiful girl was saying. “I can what?”

“Pay it forward.” She stared at him blankly. “You know, someone does something nice for you, like paying for your lunch, and then you pay it forward by paying for lunch or coffee for someone else. Pay it forward.”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve heard of that.” Why did I act like I never heard of that? I know what it means to pay it forward. She must think I’m a moron.

She nodded with a smirk. “Yeah.”

“There you are!” Noah Rodgers called, as he walked across the lobby. “You’re going to be late.”

Travis glanced at his watch. “Crap.” Looking back at the very attractive young lady, he smiled. “Um, thanks for the sandwich.”

“Sure,” she said. She turned towards the cashier and began her own order, as if he wasn’t still standing there.

“Are you coming, T?” Noah asked, impatiently.

Travis looked back at the girl, as he hurried toward the locker room. He didn’t even know her name. He should ask. But he couldn’t be late. Glancing back in her direction, he figured he could take one more minute to get her name, but she was gone.

“Anderson! Let’s go!” his teammate called.

“Right, I’m right behind you.”

“You know the team feeds us, right? There’s a team chef and everything,” Noah said, eyeing the egg wrap.

“No.” Travis shook his head. “How am I supposed to know that? I skipped breakfast and was starving, so I just went to where the food was.”

Too bad he’d forgotten his wallet like an idiot. Only he would run into a gorgeous woman, and she would end up paying for his food, because he was such a hoser.

They sat down in the conference room. This practice facility had everything, and he couldn’t help but be overwhelmed and impressed all at the same time.

“Anderson! Are you with us?” Coach Walker asked loudly, as the other seated players stared at him. “Or would you like us to wait until after you finish your breakfast?”

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