Scoring Wilder(9)

"Peachy." I smiled and reached down to grab my water out of my bag.

"Let's go. Coach wants to meet us in the conference room." Tara turned and opened the door so we could file in behind her. But just before she stepped inside, I heard the same sexy voice that I’d heard the previous night— the voice that said, I'm sexy and I know it.

"Morning ladies."

Every single girl froze and we turned in unison. Liam Wilder was standing a few feet away wearing workout gear and a friendly smile. Of course his friendly smile could easily be misconstrued for a take-your-panties-off smile, so it's a wonder we all managed to mutter shocked hellos. I guess he'd pulled up in the parking lot a few minutes after we did. I peered behind him and saw a black Mercedes SUV parked in the spot closest to the field house. A photographer was snapping pictures on the other side of the fence. Jeez, they wake up this early to get pictures of him?

"Oh, hi Liam." Tara smiled wide.

I shot Becca a gag-me face.

"You guys should probably call me Coach Wilder while we're at practice," he admonished. I had to fight to keep from cracking up. The shocked look on Tara's face was absolutely priceless, but it still wasn't enough to make me forget the awkwardness of the situation.

I couldn't look up at him. The last time we'd spoken, I'd literally asked him to show me his tattoos, which we both knew really meant I wanted him to show me his soccer balls. Hah. I'd have to tell Becca that one later. I tugged her and Emily forward without acknowledging Liam and headed for the conference room. Thankfully, Coach Davis was there already and Liam didn't follow us in.

"Take a seat, girls," Coach Davis instructed with a small smile. The best way to describe our coach would be as… a grandmotherly drill sergeant. On the outside, she had greying hair and kind blue eyes, but when you least expected, she'd make you drop and do fifty pushups. She was one of the main reasons I'd picked ULA. She was the top women's soccer coach in the nation and I wanted her to teach me how to improve my game.

"Morning, Coach." I smiled and took a seat near the front of the small room with Becca and Emily.

After the rest of the team filed in, Coach Davis began to fill us in about practices and what she expected of us throughout the season.

"As you probably noticed, we have a new coach this morning," she began, and I could practically feel everyone's ears perk up to attention.

Coach Davis scanned around the room with a stern expression. "Coach Wilder will be with us for a few months. However, he'll only be with us during the morning drills because he has his own team's practices in the afternoon."

"Why's he here?" one of the junior girls asked.

"Every LA Stars player volunteers. Liam has helped our program in the past, and I didn’t hesitate to have him back again this year. Any other questions?"

"Why isn't he coaching the boy's team?" Sofie asked from the back row where the seniors had quarantined themselves.

"One of our assistant coaches is on maternity leave, so when the LA Stars contacted me, I thought it was a perfect time to bring him on. He's a top soccer player and he’ll be a source of knowledge for all of you. However, I still feel the need to clarify that he is not here for your personal entertainment. Please use your judgment when it comes to any fraternization away from practice... I have no problem kicking you off this team faster than you can count that man's tattoos."

His tattoos. The same tattoos that I’d asked to see the night before. Okay, the universe was taunting me.

"So I shouldn't tackle him on the soccer field?" Becca whispered behind me, and I almost laughed in the middle of Coach Davis' speech.

"Um, Coach," Tara raised her hand in the air so that she'd be seen from the back, "some of us know Liam outside of practice. We're friends with the LA Stars' players, so we'll see him at parties."

Coach Davis nodded but kept her cool facade. "You’ll refer to him as Coach Wilder while we’re here,” she clarified with a hard tone. “I understand that a few of you run in the same circle as Coach Wilder and avoiding him completely would be impossible. However, I’d like you to distance yourself from him in social settings until he is no longer a coach here."

A knock sounded at the door and a second later Liam stepped in quietly. "Are you ready for me?"

Yes. Yes. Yes. We are all ready for you.

"Good timing, Coach Wilder. Please come in and introduce yourself. I'm going to go set up drills out on the field. You can meet me out there with the girls in about ten minutes.” She headed for the door, but my eyes were trained on the space she’d last occupied. “Oh, and girls, be sure to leave Saturday morning open. We have a team bonding activity. We'll meet here at 7:00 A.M. sharp."

I didn't even register her team bonding comment. I was more concerned about what she'd said before that.

"Drills?" I whispered to Becca. I'd worn my workout clothes, but it was only because that's what I wore on most days anyway. I thought today was just a learning day.

"Do you still feel sick?" she asked with a wary gaze.

"Like a small toddler is smashing a toy truck onto my head," I answered as Liam took his position at the front of the room.

"Hi everyone. I'm not sure how much Coach Davis has told you, but I'll be with the team for the next couple of months. I'll help you guys with morning drills, and since I've played as a midfielder and striker for most of my career, those are the positions I'll be working with the most."