Page 18 of Twisted Assist

"It's the only day I have free, Tay. Just say yes."

It wasn't like I was seeing Tripp again. We didn't exchange numbers or even my real name. Dinner with Hunter may help me remember what we were trying to work toward and be together.

"Sure, sounds fun."

* * *

"Then, Mom was like, 'She won't even answer her phone,' and I told her, 'She can't get you those tickets!'" Colton was pouring himself some of my orange juice as he recounted his latest conversion with our mother. She insisted I get her football tickets and couldn't comprehend that it was impossible.

"So did Dad leave?"

"Not yet," Colton sighed as he took a seat on my couch with his drink. He lifted my remote and started flipping through the channels, looking for the football game I knew he wanted to watch. "What channel?"

"No clue." Returning to the book I was reading, I ignored him for a while. Talking about my parents was exhausting. I didn't want to watch football, and all I could think about was…

"Tripp Maddux, up the middle and free!" Dropping my book into my lap, I sat straight and looked at the screen. Colton had stopped at the soccer game, and the first word I heard the announcer say was the name of the man I had been thinking about nonstop.

"Shit," Colton scoffed. "The Inferno are crazy this year. If they lose the season, they're going to be in serious need of your services. Rhys Peyton and Cruz Martin both look off their game, but Tripp Maddux is taking the heat for that."

"Why?" My voice was high, and I could tell I sounded panicked. Too panicky for a casual viewer who shouldn't care what happened with the Inferno.

"For a sports marketer, you really should know more about sports. Then again, you let Hunter keep you from paying any attention to the Inferno in case it hurts his little feelings."

"Hey," I pointed at my brother. "Hunter has worked hard and deserved to be signed with an MLS team. Especially his home team."

"But they signed Tripp Maddux, and he whines every chance he gets."

"What does that have to do with them blaming Tripp for their crappy season?"

"Hey," Colton raised his hands in surrender. "I was being supportive. If they trade Tripp, maybe Hunter can try out for the team again."

"He hasn't played in almost a year. And that still doesn't answer my question."

"They're not getting rid of Rhys Peyton. No way in hell. Cruz Martin is basically a God around here since he's from Miami and a good ass player. The next highest-paid player is Tripp Maddux. If they can't get their shit together, he will be the first to go. Count on it."

"What if it's not his fault?"

"They'll find a reason to blame him. One little rumor of a scandal, and they will blame the demise of the season on it. It's just the way it works. It's the only way to protect their pride and joy."

My jaw dropped to my chest. As a marketer, I rarely saw that side of the sport. Most of my work was spent arranging promotional nights and marketing campaigns. But that didn't mean I wasn't aware that it existed. Sports teams were businesses, first and foremost.

Colton kept up with everything, so I knew he was right. He never played any sports, but I could picture him being an agent or in public relations one day.

Looking back toward the screen, the camera showed Tripp bent over, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. The announcers were saying something about him, but I couldn't focus on the words. All I could think about was that almost twenty-four hours had passed since I sat across from him at La Trattoria. It had been less than twenty-four hours since he had kissed me.

I could still feel his warm lips on mine. My hand moved to my bottom lip, and I grazed it with my fingers as the memory came back to me. Damn him and his charm. His lips. His smile. His arms. His… just damn all of him. At least for one night, I learned what it felt like to be desired by someone other than Hunter.

"Ya know," Colton started speaking as if I wasn't next to him, silently reliving my one kiss with the guy on the TV. Something I knew I couldn't tell him, or anyone, about. "Hunter really could try out. They do the camps at the end of the year. He could join one and let the team see him play up close."

"He's gunning for the head coaching job at the university at the moment. I think. I'm sure he's too distracted for off-season camp."

"What makes him think he can get that job? Coach Probst has had it for years and has been winning. He isn't going anywhere."

"Somehow, he thinks if he gets hired as the assistant coach, he can sneak into Probst's spot when the time comes. He took his interim coaching on the women's team seriously. He has it in him."

Colton rolled his eyes at how hard I defended Hunter, but I wasn't wrong. Only a few weeks ago, Hunter had to take over the women's team while the head coach handled some personal business. He did well, took things seriously, and didn't let his inclination to be petty get the best of him. He needed the clarity to know what he wanted to do long-term.

"Well whatever he does, he gets on my nerves."

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