Page 29 of The Entire Team

“What?”

“From the restaurant. Look. She’s a referee.” Stitch pointed her out.

Flash followed Stitch’s direction, “You sure?”

“She was at my neighbor’s house. Yes, I’m sure.”

“Ok. Go talk to her at halftime.”

“She doesn’t like me.”

“Why are we having this conversation?”

“Trying to watch the game,” Rave leaned in.

Sylvie leaned in, “What are you talking about?”

“Stitch likes the referee.” Flash answered.

“I thought he liked the propane girl?”

“It’s the same one,” Stitch bit out as the game moved toward them on the field.

“Wait, we saw her at Ryder’s,” Sylvie looked at the referee.

“Shut up, shut up, shut up,” Stitch repeated as she came running down the base line.

41

RED

Ashe was changing the dressing on her hand. She was leaning against the counter, her left hand unwrapped, palm up. Sixteen stitches ran across her fingers and the top of her palm. “I don’t need you to take care of my hand,” Ashe rasped out at Red.

“I want to.”

“I don’t need you to.”

His accent came out, “I want to.” He grabbed her by the waist, lifting her onto the counter. “Show me what to do.” She glared at him. He leaned across her and made a show of washing his hands. When he finished drying his hands, he looked at her again, “please, show me what to do.” He rested his hand against her thigh, she pulled away, he clenched his hand with his fingernails digging into his palm.

“You take the knots and move them to the other side,” she demonstrated on one. He looked at her hand again and took over.

She closed her eyes and felt the threads moving one by one. She was startled out of her thoughts when Red asked, “What did this?”

She met Red’s eyes, “a knife.”

“You held the blade?”

“Probably.”

Red finished moving the stitches, “what next?”

“Cover them.”

The guys wereat PT a few mornings later. “How’s Ashe doing?” Genie asked.

“She’s going in for her interview later today.” Red was irritated and all the guys could tell.

“Man, we saw the pictures. However that went down, it was nasty.” Tech took a stab at the source of irritation.

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