LEO
I get to the plane way, way, wayyy early to make sure I’m in my seat ready to go to Dallas before Coach arrives.
He didn’t threaten to trade me or bench me, so there’s that. He did, however, inform me that if I couldn’t keep my head in the game and show up today ready to go, he’d strip me of the A.
And stripping me of the A, essentially demoting me, is the fastest way to get traded next season. I don’t want that. Especially now. Scarlett and I are just getting started. I can picture a life in Minnesota.
“You’re alive,” Ash says as he falls into the seat beside me.
“For now, anyway.”
My buddy, soon-to-be former buddy, laughs, then mocking me says, “We’re friends. Just friends.”
I scratch the side of my face with my middle finger.
His laughter gets louder. “Did you get Daddy Miller’s permission to date his daughter or what?”
I bob my head side to side. “He’s not thrilled, but as long as I don’t let it interfere with the team, then we’re cool.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, if I had a daughter, I’d totally let her date you.”
“Yeah?”
“Hell yeah,” he says more enthusiastically.
“Thanks.”
He rests his elbows on either armrest. “What about me?”
“What about you?” I ask as I stretch out and get comfortable for the flight.
“If you had a daughter, could I date her?”
I haven’t given a lot of thought to having kids, but I get a pretty great visual of a dark-headed girl with a smile like Scarlett’s.
“Oh, uhh…” I struggle to decide on the right answer. Ash is great. No question about it, but his dating history is a little all over the place.
His mouth falls open, and his eyes widen. “Seriously? I’m not good enough for your daughter?”
His voice carries, and people look our way.
“Can you not draw any attention to us today?” I whisper and duck my head.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m trying to stay off Coach’s shit list.”
“Not that. Why can’t I date your daughter? Maybe she’s my dream girl.”
I rub my forehead with two fingers. “I don’t have a daughter.”
He presses me with a hard stare.
“If I did, then I’d let you date her,” I relent. I’m proof that when you meet the right girl, the past shit doesn’t matter. “But I’d be keeping a close eye on you.”
One side of his mouth pulls up into a knowing smile. “Couldn’t blame you there.”
In Dallas, we go to the arena for a light practice first and then to the hotel.
“Declan’s swinging by. We were going to hang and have a drink here, or we can go downstairs,” Ash says as I’m about to call Scarlett.
“Whatever.” I pull out my headphones. “I’m gonna take a walk and call my girl.”
I slip on my headphones and FaceTime her as I leave the room.
Her face fills the screen, and Scarlett hits me with a smile that makes my chest warm.
“Hi, gorgeous.”
“Hey. Are you at the hotel or the arena?”
I tilt my phone to show her the hallway of the hotel. “We just got here. What are you doing?”
“Getting ready to go out with Jade.”
Jade’s head pops into view. “Hey, Leo.”
“Hey, Jade. What sort of trouble are you two going to get up to?” I take the stairs down to the first floor and sit in one of the chairs adjacent to the lobby.
Jade disappears as fast as she appears.
“She’s saying goodbye to Sam before we leave,” Scarlett answers when Jade doesn’t.
“You need to go?”
She shakes her head. “Uhh… that was my polite way of saying she’s going to give him a blow job. We have a few minutes.”
She shifts the phone, and I get a glimpse of the tight green dress wrapped around her.
I bark a laugh. “Fuck, I miss you already. You look nice.”
“We’re going to this bridal runway show.” A slight blush creeps up her face. “It’s for Jade’s column.”
“You better sit far away from the stage then so you don’t show up the models.”
She rolls her eyes, but her smile doesn’t falter.
“A few minutes, huh? I can work with that.”
Her eyes darken. “You’re in the middle of a hotel.”
“But you aren’t.” My back is to a wall, and I hold my phone closer to me so no one else can see the screen.
With a hesitant smile, she pulls the fabric of her dress down until the black lacy bra she’s wearing is the only thing blocking her tits from view. “Damn, baby. You’re so gorgeous.”
A shadow falls over me, and someone clears their throat. I look up to scowl at whoever has invaded my space and stare straight into Coach Miller’s irritated face.
“Coach. Hi,” I squeak out, “I was just talking to Scarlett.”
“Oh my god,” she mumbles. I take a quick glance down to make sure she’s righted her dress before I show him the screen.
“Hey, Daddy.”
“Hi, honey.” His face transforms when he speaks to her, but slips right back to irritated when he speaks to me. “When you finish here, can you grab Maverick and Tyler for a quick line meeting?”
“Absolutely,” I say a little too eagerly.
Scarlett laughs. Glad one of us can find the humor in this situation. Damn, that could have been hella awkward.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I say. “Have fun with Jade.”
“Good luck.”
I don’t know if she means with Dallas or her dad.
