Page 13 of The Handoff

Chapter 7

Lisa

Todaywasweird,really weird. It was as if Dane had forgotten me after sending me sexts all night long. By the end, I was so wet, and all I kept thinking while my hands were touching my pussy was that they were his hands.

His long eyelashes and hazel eyes sent me into a trance. We’d never been up close and personal, but I could tell by the messages that he was a man who knew what he was doing. I imagined he would take control and make me come repeatedly. Whenever he sent a message, I would respond, but he looked at me today as if he didn’t know me. As if he wasn’t the one who was sending me the messages.

It was playing heavily on my mind. I wondered if during it all, I’d disappointed him somehow. I’d tried to be someone else, someone better since we moved to Kansas, and I wondered if last night had worked against me somehow.

I had a big fucking crush on him. No one had ever defended me like he had when we wanted to try out for cheerleading, and I couldn’t help but fall for him hook, line, and sinker, even though I didn’t really know him.

We were having our first practice, and I couldn’t believe that not only had I joined the squad, but I was now captain. I wanted to talk to Fiona about it, tell her it was never my intention and apologize, even if she should be the one apologizing for the way she had treated me.

“Hey, Penelope, I tried to find Fiona today, I just can’t find her,” I said to Penelope as she entered the hall.

“Her mom’s sick. She went home for a few days.”

“Oh, what’s wrong with her mom? Must be really serious for her to leave. I never knew you can do that, just leave for a few days.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Penelope said as she continued to make her way to the other side of the hall with the other girls.

Weird. Fiona’s a senior; I didn’t think you could just up and leave whenever you wanted, and her mom’s sick? I mean, it must be something serious, right? Yet Penelope’s brushing it off as if it’s nothing, so I’m suspecting it is no big deal.

I moved close to everyone once they all turned up at the gym. I wanted to use a fresh approach, get to know them and what their strengths were before coming up with a solid plan and formation.

The crazy part was that since I’d been here, I’d spent more time thinking about the squad than I had with my new job and studies.

“Everyone’s here now.” Penelope smiled at me. Her green eyes glowed and my fears of being the new captain were wiped clean.

I nodded as I took my place. “Hey everyone. I’m Lisa Watson, and I’m new here. I was captain of my old squad, and I know my place on a team. But what I want to see is everyone’s place in the team. I’ve watched a few videos and—”

Penelope interrupted, “Boring. We’ve been doing the same routine for too long.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean that they’re boring, just means that you’re consistent, which isn’t always a bad thing. Anyway, I want you all to introduce yourself, even the new girls and one new guy, and let me know what you love about dancing and being on the squad. Why did you apply?”

They all looked at me with puzzled faces as I stood in the circle that they had formed around me, and then gave them the drill on what the new squad will be like from now on.

“Okay. I’ll start.” I waited for a reaction, but I was still facing a ton of blank faces. “I love to dance; I have from an early age, from funky to tap to even ballet. But they didn’t do it for me. There was something missing, until I joined the squad. What does cheerleading represent? It’s the team that gets the crowd going before a big game and after a big game. My dad was always a fan of football, so I naturally became one at an early age. And the thing that got me watching and loving it, was watching the squad. I think we could be a really special team if you’re all willing to help me not only get the crowd going, but the players, too. What do you think?”

They were smiling and nodding as if my words were slowly but surely sinking in.

Then I heard a clap. The same guy who didn’t even recognize me earlier was now at the back of the gym watching us practice.

“Damn, you’re an inspiration, Lisa. What are you guys waiting for? Show some enthusiasm!” He winked as he moved back against the wall.

“One thing’s for sure, the quarterback is really watching you. I’ve never seen Dane this interested in whatever we’re doing, except for maybe Fiona. But now… it’s a whole new level,” Penelope said loud enough for everyone to hear, including Dane at the back.

I smiled, but then frowned as I thought about him being with someone like Fiona. I knew nothing about her—apart from Tanya telling me she was a rich snob, which was clear from the start. I just didn’t think that she would be his type.

Then again, I knew nothing about him except for his dirty texts and stalking him online. He was a typical jock online, but in person, he was completely different.

“Lisa, you with us?” Tanya asked as she waved her hand in front of my face.

“Sorry, I was miles away… Now, where were we?”

She winked at me as if she knew exactly what was going through my mind. I decided I needed to keep my head on the job at hand and nothing else. Dane was a distraction. I was spending too much time thinking about him and not about why I was here. I decided that Dane thoughts would have to wait. I had a team to run, and I knew exactly how I was going to do it.

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