Page 14 of Our Secret Moments

“Yes, Coach?”

“Put on a shirt and keep your mouth shut, or your mom and I will not be letting you back home for Christmas and you can stay here. Got it?”

“Yes, Coach,” he mumbles, turning around to his locker.

A few minutes later, the entire team is decent and quiet, sitting on the benches waiting for them to say something. The whole time, Cat kept her gaze on the floor, not daring to look up at me as everyone rushed around the room, snickering at the fact that there were two women in the locker room. It’s not a big deal, but the guys like to act as if they’ve never seen a woman before. With or without clothes on.

I’m trying my absolute hardest not to smile or even look at her, but it’s really fucking difficult.

She’s standing there in a black tennis skirt and white top, her tote bag around her shoulder, her curly afro long down her shoulders, giving her a preppy, hot look. She rolls her lips in as she finally looks up wearily. When she’s noticed we’ve all actually got shirts on, she relaxes a little.

“Okay, boys, listen up. Catherine Fables is going to be working with you all to improve your interview skills this season, as well as taking over the Titans Daily,” he explains. He turns to Catherine who has been looking around the room aimlessly, looking at everyone but me.

She smiles at Coach before looking at someone at the back of the room, a technique we’ve all been taught when speaking in front of crowds.

“Hi, so, as Coach said, I'm Catherine, but you can just call me Cat. I'm a journalism major and I’m hoping to have my own take on the Titans Daily and help the school get to know you all more before you all become famous football players,” she says easily, a tight smile etched onto her lips as everyone cheers atthe end of her statement. She is clearly not doing this by choice. “This isn’t all going to be about football. Not because I don't find it interesting, but because realistically, no one wants to know every single detail about football. You’re the only team without a newspaper and I want to help change that.”

Coach nods at her, grinning like a proud dad before turning to us with his usual defiant stare. “Catherine is now a part of this team and I expect you to treat her as such. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Coach,” we all reply. Some of the guys talk an octave higher, wagging their eyebrows at her. She doesn’t even seem to notice.

She’s looking right at me. I took my eyes off hers for two seconds and now she’s looking at me? Our gazes lock and hold as Coach continues talking.

“Great. The first induction will be next week so Cat can start putting together profiles. Until then, I want you all on your best behaviour on and off the pitch.”

Olivia opens the door before she and Coach Mackenzie walks out. Just as Cat turns to leave, she looks over her shoulder, her eyes dip to my shoes as I spread out on the bench and then back to my eyes.

And then she fucking smiles.

At. Me.

I must have died and come back to life because by the time I can form coherent thoughts, everyone around me is cheering, whistling like fucking animals about having two hot women on our team. As much as it sucks to say, after having Olivia as the assistant coach for a few weeks, the boys started to back off. I just hope it doesn’t take that long for Cat. I hate the fact that they can evenlookat her.

“Holy fuck, she’s hot,” Redford says. The words coming out of his mouth burn straight through me, making my chest fill with an ache. I don’t know why it does. I have no right to be jealous.

“Scary, too,” Sam says. I pin him with a look and he accidentally drops his boot before picking it back up. “Hot scary,” he corrects. That’s more like it.

“Makes sense. Scary is clearly your type after what your ex looked like,” Red retorts.

“I told you she was going through a phase,” Sam says, exasperated. He bumps his shoulder into mine as he flips off Red. “How long do you think it’ll take until she has her way with one of us?”

I huff, slipping on my Nike sneakers. “Did you not listen to what Coach said? He said we’ve got to be on our best behaviour on and off the pitch, which I'm sure is code for hands off.”

“Who said he has to find out?” Sam says, gaining the approval that he wanted from the rest of the team. I shake my head at him.

“Why don’t you just go for Hailey Dermont, or something, man? Or literally,anyoneelse?” I find myself saying. Hailey has made it a personal mission of hers to sleep with every one of the football players and I amnotgoing to participate in that trend. Everyone else on the team love that shit.

“Why would I do that? You’ve seen the way she’s been all over Oliver this year,” Sam replies, nodding to where Oli is mindlessly munching on a protein bar. The poor kid isn’t going to know what hit him when Hailey eventually rocks his world.

I shake my head. “Besides, Cat is my sister's best friend. She wouldn’t go near you with a ten-foot pole,” I say.

“Oh, but you're sure she’ll go near you though,” Wes coos as he casually steps across the line that’s drawn on the floor as if it’s a tightrope. The more I watch him, the more I wonder how many times Coach dropped him as a baby.

“What are you talking about?” I ask, scrubbing my hands across my face before resting them on my thighs, my shoes done up so I can finally leave.

“Don’t bullshit me, Connor. I saw that little look that she gave you and I saw the way you lost your shit. Girls only do that when they’re thinking about fucking you.”

All the guys nod and ‘mmm hmm’ in agreement. What kind of stupid rule is this and why did I not know about it until now?

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