Page 36 of Just One Season
“That did cross my mind as well.” There have been a few relationships between players and employees over the years, but it’s not common.
“And I looked it up in the employee handbook, which I happen to have handy since Lina sent it to me when I got here.” Lucy looks over at me. She’s so pretty with her red hair against the backdrop of the changing autumn leaves.
“So what are we going to do about that?” Last night, I gothome, had dinner with Ava and Bri, then went back to my house to text Lucy. It’s felt like we’ve had one long conversation, starting with when I stopped by her office to bring up fake dating.
“Well, I can talk to Lina on Monday. And… we might have to go to talk to HR.”
I groan.
“There might be a loophole because I’m only a contractor. Maybe they won’t care since I’m only here for one season.”
“Just one season because…”
“I’m trying to get a job with a soccer team in England. My dream job, really.”
“Oh, well, fingers crossed you get it.” I point to a root on the ground so Lucy sees it. She’s cute. And funny. And easy to talk to in an unguarded sort of way. Definitely most likely to trip on a tree root.
“We’ll just need to be really convincing to make people believe we’d go through all this trouble for a temporary relationship.” Prince Harry darts ahead and barks wildly at a bird. Lucy tugs him back to her side.
“This doesn’t bode well for when we meet the mountain lion.”
“It does not. Prince Harry, hush!” Lucy unsuccessfully shushes her dog.
“Let’s talk logistics,” I say when the barking dies down. “If the objective here in Fort Collins is to get Savannah and Paul to think we’re happily dating, we obviously need toshowthem we’re dating, and not just with a HR meeting.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I think we can accomplish that with a few key sightings.”
“Sightings?” Lucy asks, her voice full of amusement.
“Yeah. You know. Events that they see us together, being… couple-y.”
“Right.”
“There’s a fall festival on October 12, two weeks from now. Costumes, apple cider donuts, haunted house, you know, thatkind of thing. It’s a fundraiser for a youth sports nonprofit.” I point to a particularly colorful line of autumn trees.
“That sounds fun. I did a lot of volunteer work with youth sports back in D.C.”
“Yeah?”
“I loved coaching little kid soccer.”
Something clicks in my brain. Atticus’s comment about Lucy coaching back in D.C. But no way am I mentioning that now. Even if he did bring up a good point about Lucy being trustworthy because she’s his sister, andItrusthim, andhetrustsher…
“I miss it already. I would volunteer to coach elementary age teams at the school I went to growing up, or wherever I was needed. Normally by now we’d be in the middle of the season.”
Lucy pauses and glances at me, but I keep my head trained to the trail ahead of us.
“Atticus told me your daughter’s team needs a coach.”
Shit. I finally look at her, and she’s staring at me with wide, hopeful green eyes.
“Lucy.” It’s not a good idea, right? But then I picture Ava staring at me with similarly wide eyes asking ifIcould coach her team.
“Can I help?” There’s a tinge of desperation in her voice. “Seriously. It would really help me too. Get me out of Atticus’s apartment and into the community.”
I make a murmuring sound and realize I’m softening. I could solve Ava’s soccer coach problem and make Lucy—my new fake girlfriend—happy. Plus, getting to know her a bit more wouldn’t be the worst thing.
