Page 3 of Jockstraps & Newspapers

Chapter three

A fresh practice

Elliot

“E y, bro, so who’s the cutie on the side of the field!” Toad hissed as Elliot jogged back to the center.

“Cassie, she’s the journalist Pearson wants to do a story on me,” Elliot puffed out his chest with pride.

The pretty Fae woman on the side of the field stared at him the whole way back to the center.

He could feel her pretty, golden eyes on his back.

He couldn’t say he hated it. She was a dream.

Wide hips, thick thighs she packed in a scrumptous pencil skirt, a head full of ringlets, he could pick her up and toss her, easy peasy.

Cassiopeia Darling was the kind of woman he would like to minotaur handle .

However, horny thoughts aside, she was a professional person.

He could tell she took her job seriously.

As much as he wanted to flirt and toss his best smolder at the woman with her stockings against the pitch, he would keep it professional.

She deserved a good intro to the sport. Who’s never seen SportsBall?

He tried not to judge. Pearson had already told Renner and Elliot that this was her intro piece into King’s Falls Daily .

This was probably a make or break it piece. He could respect that.

This season was important for the both of them. “I’m gonna make it a season worth writing about.”

“That’s. What. I’m. Talkin. About!” Toad punched Elliot affectionately with every word. Elliot punched him back, chuckling. “That’s my guy, we’re gonna rock this season and get you one last gold to put in your office when you move in!”

“Yeah, we are!” Elliot high fived him.

“Alright! Everyone warmed up?” Renner barked.

“Yes, Coach!” Elliot cheered with his full chest.

“Good, let’s get to work. Everyone crowd up. We’re doing up and downs!” The mob of players lined up into a field of twenty people, lined up in good lines with Elliot and Toad at the front, facing the team. “Elliot, get us started.”

“Down!” Elliot roared and a sea of athletes dropped to a push up position. All the way to the grass, their bellies pressing to the field. Back up, they got into a squat, crouched, “Up!”

The team jumped as high as they could. Gurdy bounced the highest, the kangaroo shifter yelping as he flailed with his arms out around him. Thankfully, Steve Birdman, a Fowlst, caught him in his talons and brought him back down.

“Gurdy, keep that control in check!” Elliot cheered, “Down!”

And up and down they went. All the way to the grass, all the way to the sky. His muscles burned delightfully as he led the team through the motions.

Elliot glanced to the left and caught Cassiopeia staring again. Of course, it must be really impressive! No one jumps as good as his team! He waved with a beaming smile. She eyed him before giving him a short wave.

“Ay, Cap, who’s that?” Steve crowed as they jumped up again for the tenth time.

“Oh! Everyone,” Elliot motioned at Cassie. He watched her freeze, hands clutched to her briefcase in pure terror as twenty athletes turned her way. A sea of eyes stared at her as they dropped back down to the grass. “That’s Cassie, our field journalist this season.”

“Hi, Cassie!” A mob of sounds filled the air, muffling any other sound as the crew bound up into the air, following Elliot.

She whimpered, “Hi.”

Oh…that’s probably weird. He didn’t even think about how imposing that was. Twenty grown, lean, mean, SportsBall machines all turning to look and chant ‘hi’ was a smidge ominous. Fuck; way to go, big fella.

“Toad, you got this?” Elliot panted.

“Yup! Down!” The team dropped down as Toad continued their chant of up and down. Elliot jogged toward Cassie. She put her briefcase down and was sitting on it, face pale.

Elliot crouched in front of her, “Hey, sorry about that. I didn’t even think how wild that would be.”

“It’s okay,” she panted, smiling at him. She did that a lot—fake smile .

“You good?” He cocked his head.

“Yeah! Having the best time,” And she lied out of her teeth a lot too. She’s nervous, clearly! Elliot swore to himself at that moment he’d help her out. He was gonna get her a story worth writing and get her that job, easy peasy. But first, he needed to get her to relax.

“You know, you don’t have to lie to me.” He folded his arms over his knees, bouncing on his hooves lightly. The burn was amazing.

“I’m not…” Her squeak of a voice died. “Is it that obvious?”

“Well, I mean, to me, yeah, but I don’t think Pearson noticed. Not a sports fan, huh?” He grinned, flashing the million-watt smile he was famous for. However, unlike his past experiences, it didn’t make her smile in return. Oh, she’s nervous-nervous! She’s gotta get outta her head!

“There wasn’t a lot of time to enjoy sports growing up, I’m still not sure why people play.”

A shot through the heart. It went right through his chest like a highspeed arrow. “Why we would play? Ouch, Cassie.”

“What? Oh, I didn’t mean that insultingly, I swear. I just, what’s the point? I mean you score points and toss people around. It just seems…barbaric.” She finished the words in a hush, staring at him with pain pinching her pretty features.

“Barbaric? I mean, for starters, it’s fun.” He jabbed a finger in the air.

“Fun? You get paid for fun?” She raised both her brows incredulously.

“You don’t think writing is fun?” he retorted with a snort.

“It can be, but writing is my job. Being a journalist is my job.” She tossed her hands out to her side.

“Well, leading that team is my job.” He shrugged, plopping down onto his butt.

“And you lead that team to, what? Toss people about, wrestle them into a goal post?” She eyed the golden posts at the ends of the fields.

“Pretty much, yeah!” He beamed, nodding along with her points.

“Interesting.” The tone in her voice told him she did not, in fact, find it interesting.

His face fell, dropping his hands into his lap. “You said you didn’t mean it insultingly, but it’s sounding pretty insulting.”

She returned that stunning golden gaze back to him. “I’m sorry, maybe it just doesn’t make sense to me. What’s the point?”

“Whats the point of journalism?” He cocked his head.

She scoffed, “To inform the people of the news, to tell stories that wouldn’t normally be told, to entertain the masses.”

“There,” He pointed at her, “That last one.”

“But how is this entertaining? All you do is throw people about?”

He blinked, staring at her blankly. They sat in quiet for a long moment, only the chant of ‘up’ and ‘down’ filling in the space. Then, without mercy, he confessed. “You don’t like fun, do you.”

“What!” She barked.

“You hate fun, it’s okay, you can say it.”

“I don’t hate fun! ” She lurched forward.

“It’s okay, fun haters gonna hate, I get it.” He climbed to his hooves, nodding his head. Smugness oozed out of his pores and soaked in with his sweaty fur.

“I’m not a fun hater!” She struggled to her feet, arms flailing.

Elliot didn’t even hesitate. She toppled backward and his arms jerked out around her.

Cassiopeia gasped, fingers burrowing in his fur for support.

His arms wrapped around her waist and held her dipped for a solid three seconds.

Slowly, hyper aware of where her toes would land, he eased her onto her feet fully.

“I know fashion is like, your personal brand and all. But, you’re in danger of a broken ankle in that skirt and heels. There’s professional…and then there’s nursing a twist.” He slipped his arms from her, raking his gaze over her again.

Cassie was quiet, working her hands out of his fur and flattening her skirt against her legs. Frowning, her face softened from its previous pinched expression. With a wobbling voice, she spoke, “I wanted to make a good impression.”

“I mean, you impressed the heck out of me.” Elliot clapped his hands to his sides.

Cassie glanced up at him sharply, eyebrows furrowed.

He flashed her a smile before glancing back at the team.

It was time for the next set of exercises.

He needed to get back. Elliot jogged backward, away from her.

“I gotta get back in there, but we can talk about how to cure your fun hating later.”

“I. Don’t . Hate. Fun!” she roared after him as he booked it back to his team. A smile was plastered to his lips.