Page 15 of Sweet Spot
6
Keira
By the timeI shower and scarf down a Pop-Tart, I have to sprint across campus to make it to my evening physical chemistry lab. I slip into my chair with only seconds to spare.
Professor Teague lifts a brow and glances at the clock. The head of the department is a huge stickler for attendance and being on time.
I catch my breath and hurriedly drink my Red Bull while he goes over the syllabus and then gives a brief lecture for today’s lab. He removes his glasses and holds them in front of him as he says, “You may get started.”
I swivel in my chair to face Keith. He’s a chemistry major like I am, and we’ve been partners for nearly every lab since freshmen year. He’s big on following the rules and does so to the point of basically brown nosing. Our friendship causes him great anxiety, I’m sure.
“Are you trying to get on his bad side on the first day?” he asks as he shakes his head. “You know he’ll dock us points if you’re late.”
“Relax, I made it.”
“I’m gonna get an ulcer if you cut it that close every week.”
“Practice ran late.”
“Oh, I heard,” he says as he sets up.
I skim over the instructions and the questions we’ll need to answer as we go along. “You heard what?”
“That you caused a scene after practice,” Keith says, tosses me a disapproving smirk, and then tries to read the handout upside down. “Tell me, do you try to make waves everywhere you go, or is it just a special gift?”
I know he’s mostly teasing, but I still bristle. “Coach Potter is a jerk. There is no reason we shouldn’t get the same extra resources you guys do. How’d you hear about it already anyway?”
“Everyone was talking about it at the house before I left.”
Keith lives in an off-campus house with Smith and Chapman. I’m pretty sure I have Abby to thank for Keith knowing, not that it wouldn’t have gotten out anyway. But, screw it, I stand by my actions. I learned a lot from Lincoln, so it was well worth whatever punishment Coach plans on doling out.
“Look, I don’t blame you. Lincoln Reeves is the best there is. I don’t know if I’d have gone against my coach’s wishes and made a scene like you did, but I get it.”
“Your coach would never do that to you.”
He shrugs and we start on the lab, easily falling into sync. We’ve worked together enough that we don’t waste time deciding who does what, we both jump in and do what’s necessary.
“What do you mean, he’s the best there is?” I ask a few minutes later.
He looks up, the protective goggles on his face making it hard to tell he’s raising his brows in question.
“Lincoln Reeves,” I explain. “You said he was the best there is.”
“Oh, right.” He scribbles something on our paper before continuing, “You don’t know who he is?”
“Just that he’s a swing coach. Abby said he was a big deal.” I lift one shoulder and let it fall. “He seems to know his stuff.”
“Lincoln Reeves is going to be a legend. Reeves Sports, his online coaching website, is still new, but it’s already one of the best out there. It has every sport you can imagine. Baseball, football, lacrosse, rugby, pickle ball, curling. And the athletes he has coaching?” Keith raises his goggles so they rest on the top of his wavy, brown hair. His blue eyes widen with excitement, and there’s a faint outline from the goggles making him look funny. “He has pro-level coaches answering questions, providing tutorials, and creating training plans. When you sign up, you’re getting the best of the best as your personal coach. If I had the funds, I’d totally sign up.”
“Is it expensive?”
“Nah, but it’s still out of my price range.”
“Pretty cool,” I say, but the excitement that hums through my veins makes me want to open my laptop right here and check it out. And maybe check out Lincoln some more while I’m at it.
He’s...well, hot, of course, but there’s something about his rare smile that makes my stomach flip. Mostly, those smiles seem to come at my expense, but I still can’t help but admire them.
“Yeah, it really is.”
