Play Maker(43)

“Nice to meet you, Nicole. James rarely has people in his section. It gets a bit lonely over here,” Sheryl said with a smile.

That surprised me a little and I guess it showed on my face. Sheryl quickly corrected herself.

“I mean, his parents come once in a while and Ethan is always here, but, oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel guilty about not coming more often.”

Did she think I was his girlfriend? I quickly shook my head.

“Oh. No, James and I are just friends,” I told her. “Recent friends in fact.”

“I see,” Sheryl gave me a smile. “Well, it’s lovely to have you here, recent friend or not.”

“Thanks,” I looked around for Ethan, but couldn’t see him or Maya anywhere. I leaned closer to Sheryl. “This is my first soccer, I mean, football game,” I confessed.

Her eyes widened. “Oh!” she laughed. “Well, they’re lots of fun. Let me know if you have any questions.”

I relaxed, grateful for her friendliness and kindness. “Thank you,” I said, casting another look at the women in their diamonds at the other end of the VIP section. Thankfully they were ignoring me.

The game began and I strained forward in my seat, looking for James among the players that rushed onto the field. It took a moment before I spotted him and damn, he looked good. I had seen him in jeans and shirt, in a suit, but I had never seen him in his uniform. It made me want to stand up and cheer. Which I did, because that’s what everyone else was doing. But probably not for the same reason.

I was especially fond of the shorts, which showed off his amazing legs, his muscles flexing with each step. His jersey made the most of his broad shoulders and narrow waist, his tattoos peeking out from the sleeves. And that smile. It seemed to light up the whole damn place.

He jogged across the field, waving at the crowd. He was so incredibly sexy. As was the confidence with which he handled the ball.

The game began and I was spellbound. James sped across the field, the ball a blur between his feet. The mechanics of it seemed otherworldly, how could he move so quickly and gracefully and get a ball from one end of the field to the other? I surged to my feet, cheering with the crowd as the ball he kicked sliced through the air and slammed into the goal’s net. They played hard and I could see the sweat along James’ forehead as he raced across the field, maneuvering around other players, the ball an extension of his feet. He controlled it so effortlessly, the only indication of his concentration was the expression on his face. The only time I had seen him so focused was when we were together. Doing other things that worked up a sweat.

“He’s really good, isn’t he?” I finally said to Sheryl, who I noticed was watching me as much as she was watching the game.

“One of the best,” she said with a smile. “The team is going to be sad to lose him.”

I turned to face her. “Lose him? What do you mean?”

She went pink. “Oh. I’m sorry, I thought you knew.”

I shook my head.

She bit her lip, clearly unsure if she should be telling me, but in the end lowered her voice and told me anyways. “Well, the rumor is he’s going to switch to another team. Or retire soon.”

“Retire?” He couldn’t have been older than thirty. “Isn’t he too young to retire?”

Sheryl lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Some players like to leave when they’re at their peak. When they can exit on their own terms, instead of being asked to leave. But it’s just a rumor. Probably started because he hasn’t renewed his contract yet.” She looked out on the field. “Whenever he decides to leave, though, the guys are going to miss him. He’s pretty well-liked on the team. A good mentor to some of the younger players.” She bounced the baby on her lap. “My husband being one of them.”

Somehow I could picture that clearly. Maybe it was the way James had interacted with Mikey. Either way, he seemed like he could be a guy that was patient and supportive.

“What would he do if he retired?” I couldn’t help but be curious about that. It was hard to imagine a lot of guys leaving this kind of lifestyle behind without having a plan in place. Not that I cared. No. I definitely did not care.

“No one knows.” Sheryl gathered the baby in her arms and began patting him on the back, burping him. “Like I said, it’s only a rumor, but a lot of players go on to become spokesmen for brands or charities.”

I leaned back in my seat, trying to imagine why someone would give up a sport that they loved to be a shill for a car company or whatever soccer players sold these days. That didn’t seem like James’ style at all. I stopped those thoughts immediately. I didn’t know what his style was. I didn’t know him at all.

But as I watched him out on the field, kicking the ball in a clean arc into the goal, the crowd surging to their feet cheering, I couldn’t help wondering who exactly I had gone to bed with. And why I couldn’t stop thinking about how nice it had felt to wake up to him the following morning.





26





James





Very few things in life felt as good as winning a football match. Lost in a sea of cheers and back slapping, my adrenaline was surging me and I couldn’t wait to strip off my uniform, shower and head upstairs to see Nicole.