Page 18 of Coach
“About men.”
“That. And her sleep schedule. And her food. I have to cook for her. She refuses to eat the same thing twice. And I give in because, well, who would want to eat the exact same thing every single day of their lives?”
“Cat demands a varied diet too.”
“Cat? Your cat’s name is Cat?”
“In everyone’s defense, no one seemed to know whose job it was to name the cat. And by the time someone pointed that out, everyone was already calling him Cat.”
“So is it just the cat and the chickens?”
“That live here full-time, yeah. Some club members have pets. A cat named Vernon. A couple of German shepherds. A little corgi. A Pekingese…”
“None are yours?”
“No.”
“Are you not a fan?”
“I figure I will get a dog when I have a place of my own.”
“Is that in your immediate plans?” He said they all move on when they get with someone. “Are you, you know, getting married or something?”
That was totally not my business.
“No, I’m not involved—”
Before he could finish his sentence, the lights blinked off and the elevator came to a sudden, jolting stop.
CHAPTER FIVE
Este
A chorus of cheers came from the lower floor, followed by one of the guys declaring, “Blackout party!” That got more whoops of excitement.
While my heart decided to kick up to a strobe-like beat in my chest.
I’m not exactly proud of this fact, but I’d developed a pretty debilitating fear of the dark a few years back. For good reason, if you asked me.
But I was still, you know, a full-grown adult. With a childlike phobia. It was embarrassing.
The air felt thicker within seconds, too heavy to breathe.
My hand slipped up, covering my throat that felt too tight.
I stumbled back into the wall, gasping for air, my chest caught in a vice grip.
“Hey,” Coach called, voice soothing. “Hey, you’re alright,” he said.
“I can’t… breathe.”
“Yes, you can,” he said. My eyes hadn’t adjusted to the dark, but I swore I felt him move closer.
“No, I—”
A hand pressed to my stomach, making me jerk.
“Imagine sucking a breath in all the way down to my hand.”
