Page 19 of The Coach

I glance around us to make sure no one else just heard what she said, then I give her a slap across the arm for it. "He has not, and can you keep your voice down?" I say quietly to her, the irritation evident in my tone.

She grins cheekily. She loves to ruffle my feathers, and now that she has this over me, she's doing her best every chance she gets. "Oh, come on, Andy, don't tell me you haven't noticed him this week. I've caught you too," Luna whispers, her eyes going to Darcy as if looking for her to agree.

Darcy nods and laughs with Luna. They have clearly already been discussing this and think it's funny. I roll my eyes at the two of them and stalk off to the changing rooms. I have nothing more to say to either of them on the matter. I need a shower and to get away from any talk of me giving Brad looks this week. I have not been. I try and think back over the week. Have I? I have noticed him glancing my way every now and then, but I didn't think it would be obvious to anyone else. I didn't even tell my friends about the dinner Brad and I had. I thought it would be best to keep it to myself, even though nothing happened. It's just better if no one knows. If anything, I was trying to ignore him all week, so they're just trying to rile me up.

Once I'm in the changing room, I flick on the shower and strip off my clothes to stand under the hot water. I close my eyes, relaxing under the scorching stream, allowing my hair to get soaked through.

I'm utterly exhausted. We train for this all week, but the game always takes it out of me in a different way. My muscles ache all over, and I have a bleeding toe from being stomped on. I wasn't joking outside with the girls. I do really wish we could just stay in for the night.

The last week since Brad and I had dinner, we've both done our best to keep our distance, keep it professional around the rest of the team and training staff. But it's not easy. The chemistry between us is fucking crazy, and if my two best friends are noticing it, I'm sure it's not going to be long before others on the team start to as well.

Going out for dinner with everyone tonight when he is going to be there seems like a terrible idea. I just don't know how to handle this situation. I don't normally see my one-night stands again—on purpose—so this has never been an issue I've needed to deal with.

The noisy chatter of some of the other players entering the room interrupts my thoughts.

"How big do you think her ego is going to be after two more goals tonight," I hear from one of the girls. I think it's that bitch Ainsley. I freeze. There's no need to guess who they're talking about.

"Pretty inflated, I'd say! It's bad enough that she had Mitch wrapped around her little finger, now Coach Swift as well. Did you see them yesterday, huddled together on the sidelines? I bet you a hundred bucks she's screwing him already. She's such a slut!"

I feel my face heat with anger. Fucking Cindy; I would know her foghorn voice anywhere. The bitch is just jealous. When I joined the squad, I got her spot, because I had more talent in my little finger than she has in her whole body. She's older and on her way out, mostly on the team as a backup for either me or Darcy, but most games we play all the way through, so she's doesn't get much of a run anymore.

"I can hear you, Cindy," I call out from the shower stall I'm in. I don't care if that bitch knows I just heard her. She needs to be put in her place, and if I weren't soaking wet, I would do it right now.

I hear her whisper something then the two of them chuckle. They must leave the room because the chatter of the others overtakes them and I can't hear them anymore.

Immature high school bullshit and I still have to deal with it. I knew this would happen. That's why I made the girls swear to me they wouldn't tell anyone about what happened between me and Brad. If the rest of the team finds out, then how well I play will be irrelevant. They will all think I'm getting preferential treatment because of our history. Even if it was just one night and I had no idea at the time that he would end up being our coach.

I finish up in the shower, dry myself, and pull on a pair of denim cutoffs and a vintage-looking T-shirt with a faded print of a sunset on the front. It's Friday night and I should feel like getting dressed up and going out with my team after a win, but I feel off. Overhearing that conversation from those bitches and knowing the reality… every time I look at Brad, I swoon like some giddy schoolgirl. I want to be able to pull my shit together and get the hell over this infatuation I have with him, but I can't. Even when he totally pissed me off last week, I still couldn't stop imagining that night we had together and the way he made me feel. I want to experience it again; my body is craving him badly.

I bury my head in my hands and take a deep breath. Get your shit together, Andy, he is just some fucking guy. Stop thinking about him and move on with your life.

As if a light bulb goes off in my head, I get an idea. I know exactly what I need. A distraction. I grab my towel and dry off my hair, running a brush through the tangled mess. I decide to leave it out to dry. I chuck all my soccer stuff in a bag, and with renewed focus, I stalk out of the room to find my friends.

I'm going to find me someone cute to play with tonight and forget about Brad for good.

I find Darcy and Luna together, freshly showered. "You two ready? I need to drop in at the hotel before we go out."

Luna gives me a look. "Sure thing. You okay, babe?"

"Yep. I've just worked out what's wrong with me this week. I need to get under someone new so I can forget about, well, you know who."

"I'm with you. I need a night of fun as well," she agrees.

"What happened to the guy who thinks you're a sex-shop owner?"

"It fizzled. I'm over it." She looks sad about it, and I get the impression that she quite liked him.

"Sorry, babe. We'll have an awesome night and help you forget."

The girls and I get back to our room in time to quickly get ready for the dinner. I switch out my shorts for a short, fitted skirt and apply some make-up, dark eyeliner and mascara mainly. My hair has dried and is in waves down my back. I scrunch some product into it and leave it.

Grabbing my heeled boots, I make my way to the door. Luna is ready in a stylish black dress, and Darcy has on a short skirt and a black off-the-shoulder top. We look hot. And I'm feeling re-energized with new purpose for tonight. Finding me a scorching-hot distraction.

Brad

I'm sitting at dinner with Ava, the rest of the coaching staff, and team. We're at a trendy rooftop restaurant and bar in Chicago that's just around the corner from our hotel. Most of the team have made it here already and are sitting at a long table running almost the length of the room. There are three spots still left at the table. Why am I not surprised that Andy and her two friends are the last to arrive? I wonder if she's even coming. I didn't see her after the game.

There's laughter by the door and I check for the millionth time to finally see that it's Darcy and Luna, followed by Andy. She looks different tonight, dressed up all pretty in a fitted mini skirt and heeled boots. Her make-up is also more on the heavy side than it normally is, but I guess most of the time I spend with her, she's in her soccer gear, looking cute, and I find her hard to resist like that. But like this… she's sexy as fuck and I can't drag my eyes away from her. Even though I know I should.

---