Page 34 of Aftersome
WREN
It was my first official game tonight.
After a long tour of the stadium and the building, I spent the next day and night researching the ins and outs of being a social media manager so I had somewhat of an understanding of what to do. Sporting an Orchids jacket, along with a brand-new camera wrapped around my neck, I mentally checked off in my head the things I wanted to do tonight.
Pictures of the team.
Possible TikTok video after the game.
Try and talk to Mal.
Okay, the last one was still being contemplated, but there would be no avoiding him tonight. Not when tonight I’d be introduced in front of everyone after the game.
And this time, I wouldn’t have James to lean on.
Luckily, Kate had given me a bit of a confidence booster this afternoon when she styled my hair into double Dutch braids and put me in her favorite pair of jeans that no longer fit her. I wasn’t trying to impress anyone, but I needed all the courage I could get.
With my hands clammier than ever, I headed down a long hallway that I thought would lead me to the locker room. I was still figuring out how to navigate around this arena, and as I took a turn something had caught my eye.
Or should I say, someone.
And just like all those years ago, like déjà vu, I was brought back to that day at the hospital.
A simple vending machine and a man who’s been recently haunting my every waking thought. Though this time he wasn’t the handsome, young college student who covered that long, dark hair with a backward hat and had a bandage covering his eyebrow.
He was all man now.
Older.
Bigger.
I had to take in a sharp breath only to exhale to calm my racing heart and thoughts that were currently running rampant in my head. Like before, he had yet to notice me. With an athletic bag hanging over one shoulder and the other arm propped onto the vending machine in front of him, I couldn’t help but scale my eyes down the length of him.
Broad muscles covered every square inch of his body. Even his calves rippled in strength as he bent over and grabbed whatever snack dropped from the vending machine.
Then as if realizing I could get caught standing in the middle of the hallway gawking at him, I quickly spun around and darted off in the opposite direction of where he was. I learned my lesson from the last time I tried to hide myself as I watched him in silent wonderment, but now, all I could think about was how unprepared and unrehearsed I was to finally face him.
I hadn’t practiced any words to say to him yet, or had any solid back story of why I was suddenly working for the team he played for. I guess going in blind wasn’t my best bet, but I hada strong feeling no matter how prepared I was, I would buckle under the pressure of being in his presence.
Already I could feel his effects on me and I hadn’t even spoken to him yet.
Luckily, I was able to get out of there unnoticed and eventually found my way toward the locker room. As I was rounding a corner, I noticed a shadow pop up and before I could stop myself, I collided directly into someone.
“Oh crap.” I reared back slightly from the impact. “I’m so sorry.”
My eyes were able to refocus almost instantly and I found a friendly-looking man with light blond hair, wearing an Orchids polo smiling down at me.
He was cute, but that’s the last thing I needed to be thinking about.
“It’s okay.” He brushed it off. “It was as much my fault as it was yours.”
Laughing, I nodded and introduced myself.
“I’m Wren, the new social media manager. I’m still trying to figure out my way around here.”
His grin deepened playfully.
“Ah, so you’re the new girl. It’s nice to officially meet you. I’m Trevor, the team’s physical therapist.”
