Page 38 of Scoring the Player
“Thank you! You and Sid take such good care of me.” She sticks her nose in the bag and inhales. “Having trouble sleeping?”
“Something like that.”
“You know, some people watch TV when they can’t sleep.”
“Yeah, but games are won in the gym.”
I cringe, recalling the coach who taught me that.
“What are you working on tonight?”
I raise my left hand. “I need to improve my weak-hand finishing.”
“You might cross over with Sid. He’s usually here at the crack of dawn. I hope he brings the stuffed French toast that I like.”
Ty’s home this week. I doubt it. “Cool. You good?”
“Yep. Another day, another dollar.”
I tap her desk and head toward the practice court.
Images of Salem and Lucien filter in, and my head falls forward…damn.
CHAPTER 10
SALEM
“You’re quiet today.” Cillian bumps my shoulder. “Everything all right?”
“Yep.” I shove my foot into my sneaker and pull on the laces until they’re strangling my foot. “Just getting locked in.” I feel him staring. “What’s up?”
He raises his hands. “I didn’t say anything.”
I grunt as I loosen the laces and re-tie them.
“Jones, what you got for us tonight?” Coach asks, hands on her hips.
I’m not feeling like I have the energy to be the pre-game hype man tonight, but still, I push to my feet. “Tonight’s dub’s for all the LGBTQIA kids out there. Who y’all reppin’?”
“Tara and Benny from Sunrise Pediatric Hospital,” Cillian jumps in.
I nod and turn to Otis.
“Camden,” he replies, tucking his phone away.
I nod to Nikola, who’s mid-yawn.
“We’re putting you to sleep?” Coach cuts in.
“Sombor,” he rushes out, jumping to a stand.
“Onyx?” I turn to him.
“Inglewood,” he replies, tucking his jersey into his shorts.
“My mama,” Zyair throws out, stretching out his hamstrings.
Once the rest of the team has a turn, I reach my hand in for a huddle, and everyone—well, everyone except Rob—leans in. “Lions on three!”
