Page 29 of Teasing the Winger

“Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have tonight, but hopefully, you can come to more games in the future,” Hailey tells the boy when I’m done.

He nods quickly like a little bobblehead. “My dad is the soccer fan, but Kerrington is the reason I come. I’ve never seen a mascot move like he does.”

“Thomas wasn’t looking forward to this weekend since he thinks his grandparent’s house is boring, but when I told him we could come to this game his entire attitude changed. I’m just glad you were here. I know the mascots aren’t always at away games.”

“Kerrington will be at every GSU soccer game this season,” Hailey informs them, and the boy’s face lights up.

“Looks like I’ll need to buy more tickets,” the father says while smiling at his son.

I give Thomas another high-five before letting Hailey guide me to our change area.

“You need to slow down on the field after the games,” Hailey says as she helps me take the koala head off.

“Why?” I question with a raised brow. “Do you struggle to keep up?”

She rolls her eyes at my playfulness. “How you move as fast as you do in that fucking thing, I will never understand. But what I was really trying to get at with my statement is if you run off on me like that, there is a higher chance you’ll fall and get hurt. I know you can’t see much in that thing which is why you have a handler in the first place. The last thing we want is for you to get injured and not be able to perform. You know how superstitious the team is. If you’re down and out so will the team be.”

I sigh, but it’s hard to fight logic like that.

“Fine, I’ll slow down or at least give you a run-down of my plan before bolting onto the pitch,” I assure her.

She smiles and nods. “That’s all I ask. I know the fans love seeing your energy, but I’m serious when I say it would be the end of the world if you get injured. GSU wants the championship win this year, and that won’t be possible if the team loses their good luck charm.”

“I’ve never understood how superstitious athletes can be,” I mumble as I open a water bottle and guzzle down the contents, remembering Gabriel telling me about how Chase only washes his socks on the first of the month.

“It’s exhausting sometimes,” Hailey says. “I’ve seen the dumbest shit happen all over a stupid superstition. Sometimes I also think people make shit up just so they’ll be treated special.”

“Like what?” I ask as she helps me out of the rest of the costume.

“One player for the football team last year told everyone he had to have sex the night before a game,” she explains, and I gasp at the audacity of the man. She giggles before continuing. “The thing is, even though I thought he was lying, there was a game that apparently he didn’t get laid before, and they lost so badly it almost hurt.”

“Damn,” I whisper before Hailey darts behind a curtained off area to get changed.

Since it’s just the two of us, I stay where I am and work quickly to get out of my sweaty clothes and change into clean dry ones. I’ll shower at the hotel later tonight since our room doesn’t have showers.

“Are you decent?” Hailey asks before coming out from behind the curtain.

“My junks covered,” I call out, and she giggles before joining me in the open space.

“I’m glad I got assigned to be your main handler,” she tells me with a big grin. “You’re a lot more fun than the others on the mascot team.”

“I’ve barely met them,” I tell her as I pull my shirt on and gather up my belongings. “I’ve been busy focusing on my training with Evangeline and have only met each of them once. Now that I’m dedicated to the soccer team, I probably won’t see them at all.”

I know that if I was switching off, I’d have to meet with the mascot team to give them a brief breakdown of what went down, but since I won’t be doing that, I can skip that step.

“Well, between you and me, you’re the best,” she tells me with a wink.

I chuckle and shake my head. “You don’t need to butter me up I already love you,” I tell her then tilt my head toward the bags for the mascot costume. “Think we can convince some of the players to help us carry Kerrington?”

“I bet Rio would be on board,” she says with a knowing smirk. “I saw you two talking on the bus and looking all cozy together. And then after the game, he couldn’t take his eyes off of you.”

I press my lips together, but I can’t contain the grin that’s wanting to spread across my lips. “He maybe sort of asked me out,” I tell her, feeling like a teenager again.

Hailey squeals, but it’s quickly cut off by a knock on the door.

“Did you guys need help?” Rio calls out through the door.

“Did we summon him somehow?” Hailey whispers before letting him and BooBoo in. “We were just talking about needing some muscle to move this stupid costume,” she says, batting her eyes at BooBoo, who blushes instantly.

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