Page 26 of The Problem with Players

She narrowed her eyes and shrugged. “Don’t baby these boys. They need a tough love training.”

“They need a bit of soft love, too. How about you play bad cop, and I’ll be good cop?”

“Why would I be the bad cop?”

“Because you said tough love. That’s not very good cop of you.”

Another eye roll!

I should’ve gotten a cookie every time I got her to roll those beautiful brown eyes.

“Just don’t take it easy on them, Nathan. We’re here to coach them, not to change their diapers.”

I didn’t argue with her because I got lost in those eyes of hers. Avery Kingsley was the kind of beauty that people wrotesongs about. She’d only gotten better with age, too. I’d been back in Honey Creek for a while and watched her from afar. Mainly because she did everything in her power to avoid me.

It was clear as day that she was determined not to interact with me. When we were on the same sidewalk, she’d always cross the street. She’d dip into stores, too, if she saw me coming. Once, we were in the grocery store at the same time, and she’d abandoned her cart just to avoid meeting me by the grated cheese.

Clearly, some closure was needed between us, yet I wasn’t allowed to even bring that up due to rule number three.

But since I returned to Honey Creek, I noticed her. I noticed her so much that I’d find myself dreaming about her some nights simply based on the small times I’d crossed her during the daylight. Avery had the kind of smile that made others want to smile, too, though most of the time, her smile was reserved for a select few. When one unlocked her smiles, it felt like finally making it to Narnia. A gift that kept giving. Yet when she wasn’t smiling, she was grimacing. Still, her grimaces were oddly attractive to me. She made resting bitch face seem sexy.

Her deep brown skin was smooth and always moisturized. She wasn’t one to wear makeup, and if you looked closely enough, you could see the two small birthmarks resting against her left cheek. I, myself, always looked closely enough.

Her black natural hair sat slightly below her shoulders when she let it down, but she usually had it tossed up in a messy bun on top of her head. She was also a professional at wearing oversized clothes that didn’t show off her body, but a few months ago, I saw her at her sister’s wedding. She wore a tight black gown that reminded me of how remarkable each curve on her body had been.

“Nathaniel?! Hello?! Earth to Nathaniel,” Avery said, waving her hands in front of me.

I snapped out of the trance I had found myself in as I fell into her eyes. “Uh, sorry, repeat that?”

“I said rule number five is to learn about who these kids are. They’re good kids, and I don’t want them to feel overlooked. Having you here will help them get the attention they deserve in a way I couldn’t do alone.”

“Did you just say you’re happy I’m here, Coach?”

“Oh, shut it, Nathaniel. See you tomorrow afternoon. We’ll go over the details before practice. I’ll meet you in my office at three.”

“Looking forward to it, Coach.”

“Don’t,” she said before marching out of my office.

8

AVERY

“Rumor has it, there’s a new coach on your team,” Tatiana mentioned when stopping by my house after I returned home. She always stopped by a few times a week with food. It was her love language. Plus, she worked at Alex’s restaurant, Isla Iberia, which meant she usually brought some of the tastiest treats.

“That rumor is true.” I sighed as I stepped to the side of my door to let her in.

She headed straight for the kitchen and started to put her containers into the fridge. “That’s a fun twist.”

“If by fun, you mean annoying as fu?—”

“Language.” She pointed a stern finger my way. “My virgin ears can’t hear the word ‘fuck’ out loud,” she joked.

I smiled and took a seat on the barstool in front of the countertop. If I knew anything about Tatiana Silva, it was that she had a filthy mouth and a vibrant wardrobe. Her closet dripped with neon colors, and her mouth dripped with f-bombs.

I opened one of the containers. “What’s this?”

“Slow-roasted pork belly bites overjalapeño slaw. It’s heavenly,” she cooed. “But be warned, it’s from the Pierce Meat Butcher Shop.”

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