Page 19
CHAPTER 18
UNBOTHERED
DAVID
Sage had kissed him.
Even weeks later, he still burned with the memory of her commanding him with soft hands wrapped around his neck. The way she’d taken what she wanted, confident and beautiful and goddamnit he was hard again. His body didn’t give a shit that they’d agreed that while there was no shortage of want between them, they wouldn’t do it again. At least, they wouldn’t do anything until after the season. After the season they would…well, they would try.
All he knew was that the next morning he’d gone over to her place and she’d greeted him with her lopsided smile and made him breakfast, just like she’d done every day since the break began. Almost like nothing had happened.
It was just a minor inconvenience that every time he was around her he had to shove aside the almost crippling urge to push her up against the closest surface and peel away every stitch of clothing that she wore. The fact that he was almost constantly battling more and more elaborate fantasies about Sage Fogerty — her long body stretched out under him, her nipples hot against his tongue — meant that he was spending a concerning amount of time with his hard-on straining against his briefs.
Damn blondes who never wore bras at home.
But the break came to an end and then they were back to the grind. Days spent in the office, traveling at least once a week, and evenings spent pacing on the court.
He still saw Sage almost every day, even outside of practices and time spent with the team.
Given his complete lack of culinary skills, he was the takeout guy. A few times a week he’d text her and see what she was craving, and then bring over food and his laptop. They normally worked while they ate — her on homework and him watching game tape.
David didn’t want to jinx it, but the team was playing unexpectedly well. Even with all of his blind optimism going into the season, he hadn’t imagined that they would actually have a fighting chance at the conference tournament.
But whatever they’d done over the break seemed to have paid off. They’d only had one loss in the past three weeks, and there was a tangible excitement in the locker room every day. David felt it, and he could tell that the guys felt it too.
They’d just wrapped up their last practice before heading out to an away game. They were playing Harding again, and David could already imagine their assistant coach’s face when they lost.
If they lost.
“Coach.”
David glanced behind him, slowing down as Tim caught up to him.
“Hey Coach,” David replied.
Over the break he’d spent a quiet evening with Tim and his wife, Dana, who was quite possibly the nicest woman he’d ever met — other than his own mother, of course. She’d made homemade chicken pot pie, and they’d talked about the kinds of things that coworkers who don’t know each other very well talked about: weather, work, and family. He learned that Tim was an avid golfer and that he had two grown children who lived out of state.
Tim looked up at him, pushing his glasses up his nose with the back of his hand. “I just want to make sure that you’re doing alright,” he said, looking at him with sincere concern. “This is the time of year where it can get to be too much, and it won’t do anyone any good if you’re burned out.”
“Right,” David replied, at a loss for words. “The winning feels pretty good.”
“Sure, but when you do this job, you’ve got to make sure that there’s more than the win.”
David frowned. “What do you mean?”
“If any day that doesn’t end in a win up there on the scoreboard constitutes a loss in your book, then you won’t last very long.” Tim put a hand on David’s shoulder, pulling him to a stop in the empty hallway. “You’re a good coach, David. Maybe even a great one. But you have to figure out how to make this job sustainable over a lifetime, and putting the weight of every single mistake those kids make out there on your shoulders is going to break you down.”
“I know that,” David admitted.
“Do you? Because from where I’m sitting you walked around here looking like your puppy had been kicked until they started pulling out wins. Now you’re all bouncy and happy, and if I’ve noticed, then the team has noticed too. And do you know what that says to them?” Tim paused, staring unflinchingly at David. “That tells them that winning is the only thing that matters. The only thing that matters to you. And you know that isn’t actually what life is about, Hughes. Just make sure they know that too.”
David let Tim’s words sink in, months of memories flashing as he thought back on how he’d conducted himself throughout the season.
Now that they were winning, he felt unburdened, like he could finally breathe. Because that was his job. It was his job to turn a group of college athletes into a winning organism.
But what about when they lost? Because of course they’d lose. They’d spent the whole first half of the season losing, and they were going to lose again. Did his players trust that he’d still value them after a loss? Based on his attitude early in the season, probably not.
Goddamn it .
David released a long exhale. “Thank you,” he said, looking Tim in the eye.
There was nothing but kindness and genuine concern in Tim’s eyes as the older man nodded in response. “Have a good night, Coach,” he said, giving David’s shoulder a firm squeeze before walking away.
* * *
Hey u home?
No, I’m out playing pool with Maggie.
She says hi, by the way.
Nice. Thrs something on ur door 4 u.
What is “thrs?”
Thursday?
Lol
“There’s”
Ha.
Wut.
Just wanted to see if you knew how to spell it. And you do, so points for Hughes.
**You’re mean.
Yes.
* * *
David Hughes.
Lefty.
Why are there flowers by my door?
I wouldn’t know about that.
David.
Yes?
…
Do u like them?
Of course I do, you turd.
Did u just…call me a turd? After I got u flowers?
Thank you.
Ur welcome
* * *
The team shuffled onto the plane, a long line of team-branded black sweats and hoodies, with the exception of David, Tim, Sage, and their trainer for the trip, Jake. He was new on the staff, and seemed nice enough.
Sage certainly seemed to think so. The two of them had been locked in conversation since they’d arrived at the airport, and David was slowly losing his goddamn mind. He didn’t care that she was talking to some scrawny kid around her age. David was fine. Perfectly calm and fine.
Sage moved into an empty row and settled down in the window seat. When Jake followed, taking the seat next to her, David had to bite his tongue to keep from telling the entitled little shit to move from his spot.
But they were at work, and there was no reason for him to sit next to the team manager. Maybe if he could get Tim and Sage to share a row with him they could be having a conversation about stats, but…
Nope.
He kept his eyes down as he walked past her. Even though he wasn’t looking at her, he could perfectly picture her: high ponytail, dark eyebrows arching over her green eyes, her mouth probably twisted into that little smirk that made the dimple appear in her cheek.
He ended up sitting a few rows back with Tim, and nodded politely when a businessman in a suit joined them.
Ah, the joys of flying commercially.
The flight passed uneventfully, and as soon as they deplaned Sage pulled out her phone and confirmed the bus that would take them to the hotel. As they walked to the baggage claim, her long legs made the rounds as she went to each player and confirmed their food order from the sub shop that was going to deliver their pre-game meal.
She was really damn good at her job.
Things continued to go smoothly at the hotel. As the head coach, David got his own room, while Tim and Jake shared and Sage, as the only woman on the trip, got her own room. The rest of the players were mixed between upper-classmen and younger players. It served to facilitate team bonding, and kept the younger guys from doing anything too stupid.
A few hours later, they were climbing back on the bus and going to the gym for their game. Harding’s campus was just outside of Baltimore, and they had a beautiful, newer gym that David couldn’t help but envy.
The bus dropped them off at the players’ entrance, and they all made their way to the visiting locker room. The guys that needed the trainer peeled off with Jake, while the rest started to get changed and settled.
Sage only lingered in the locker room long enough to make sure everyone had their equipment set up. She wore another one of those pantsuits with the slacks that cut off just above her ankles. It was purple, like the color of a ripe plum, and with the gray blouse she wore underneath she projected confidence, at ease in her authority as she bantered with the guys. The fact that she wore her Nikes rather than dressy heels just made her even more attractive in his eyes.
This woman in a pantsuit was going to kill him.
As they moved through warm up, Tim’s words from the day before echoed in his head. Rather than standing back while the guys went through their dynamic stretching routine, David went to the baseline, offering encouragement and reassurances.
He got a few odd looks, but the guys seemed to adjust to him being there fairly quickly. When they started chirping him about letting Jordan trim his beard, he gave them a teasing scoff and returned to the bench, where Tim stood watching. The assistant coach gave him a sharp nod, and David felt himself smile in return.
Immediately his eyes searched for Sage, out of a combination of habit and an actual need to confirm that they were good with the book going into the game.
Rather than her usual spot on the bench, she stood off to the side of the bleachers, her body turned away from them. Without thinking, David walked over to her, moving as quickly as he could without breaking into a run.
“Sage,” he said as he approached her.
She jumped, turning around to face him.
Immediately, he stilled.
It was like she’d shrunk before his eyes. Her expression was haunted and her posture had slumped, her shoulders curving forward as she gripped the tablet against her chest. Her mouth made the shape of a smile, but it looked like it had been painted onto her face by an amateur artist.
“Coach,” she said.
There was something off about her voice. “Are you okay?” he asked, concerned.
“Totally fine. Great. Good.” She tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear, refusing to look directly at him. “Just making sure we’re all good on the Wifi.”
David frowned. “Sage,” he began.
“I need to finish up the book.” She moved past him, her shoulder brushing against his chest.
He wanted to grab her and pull her against him. He wanted to hold her until she told him what the hell had her so spooked. He glanced up at the clock. Goddamnit. It was time to head back into the locker room.
He’d have to talk to her after the game.