Grant nodded before he turned and walked out of the locker room toward the field. It’s not like he was looking for something serious. He was busy trying to keep up with the hustle of being a rookie. He had to prove himself to the team, work on his branding, and at some point do something with his degree. That piece of paper saying he graduated magna cum laude wasn’t going to do him any good if it collected dust for the foreseeable future. With so much on his plate, he barely had time to shower, let alone time for a relationship.
And yet, he still wanted to talk to her. There wasn’t any harm in that. A friendly conversation—maybe grabbing a bite at the food truck rally together—wouldn’t derail his vision.
When he made it back out to the arena, the Storm staff had just finished putting long tables at midfield for the autograph session. Now, they were bringing out chairs. Grant grabbed a metal folding chair and walked out onto the field. He sat down toward the middle of the tables, so that he’d be able to see most of the fans as they spilled onto the field in a few minutes. It was his fifth time signing, and it was still his favorite part. Playing was great but interacting with the fans was better than scoring the winning goal.
Finn set a chair next to Grant and flopped down in it. “Look, I’m sorry for calling you out in front of everyone.”
Grant shook his head and reached out to grab the black Sharpie in front of him. “Don’t worry about it.”
“It’s been a few years since I was a rookie, but I remember what a crazy time it was. Getting involved with a fan is bad news.” Finn’s head turned back and forth as he looked around before turning back to Grant. “Trust me.”
“You dated a fan?”
Finn gave him a tight smile in return. “It’s almost never a good idea. Just be careful.”
Was that a yes or a no? Grant hoped that he would elaborate, but Finn spent the next few minutes hollering out at the rest of the guys. They trickled onto the field and found open seats at the autograph table.
Grant looked up at the countdown timer on the wall. Less than two minutes until the fans hanging out on the perimeter of the arena would rush the field with their shirts and trinkets. Not wanting to get another lecture, he tried to act natural. His eyes scanned the office staff as they milled around the field.
Miriam was standing close to Silas. They were laughing about something, when Silas reached out and tucked a strand of Miriam’s blonde hair behind her ear. It was no surprise to see Miriam out here—it was her job, after all—but Grant wanted to see her friend. The girl with the red ponytail and gorgeous eyes.
His gaze went back to the fans, slowly moving over the people waiting just outside the arena where the goal’s net was rolled up. A flash of red hair caught his attention. It was her. She was here. He sat up in his seat and pushed back his hair.
When the buzzer rang out through the arena, he lost the mystery girl in the flurry of action that followed.
A bunch of kids holding soccer balls ran in front of him. “Will you sign these?”
Grant smiled at them. “Of course.” He ran the point of the marker across the smooth surface of the soccer ball to sign his name with the number seven underneath it.
The boys all took turns pushing to the front, practically shoving their balls at Grant when it was their turn. Once they were all signed, they shouted their thanks before moving on to the next player down the line.
Jerseys and cups all became a blur. Grant tried to give everyone the attention they deserved until things slowed down. Lines got much shorter, even non-existent for some players.
Once they got their autographs, most fans left—either to go home or to the after-party at City Bar. The players themselves would only stay out on the field for a couple more minutes then they would do the same.
Grant had given up hope that he would see his mystery girl, when he spotted her in Finn’s line. There were a couple people in front of her, which meant she’d be right next to Finn—and Grant—in just a couple minutes.
There was no one in his line and Grant tried to keep his eyes from wandering to where she stood. He looked down at the marker in his hands and twisted the cap. It wasn’t his usual style to be attracted to someone so quickly. What was it about this girl?
When she made her way to the front of the line, Finn stood up. He leaned over the table to give her a hug—a long, familiar hug.
“Good game,” she said as they pulled apart.
Finn didn’t immediately sit back down. Instead, he jerked his chin at the jersey she wore. “Nice shirt.”
She looked down with mock surprise. “Oh, this old thing?”
“This old thing” happened to be a one-of-a-kind game day jersey from last week’s themed night game. They were auctioned off with the proceeds going to a local charity. The guys had all watched the online bidding, joking about who was the most popular by how high the bids had gone. Even though Grant was new to the team, somehow he hadn’t gotten last place.
Not that it really mattered. Finn’s final price had beaten them all in a landslide thanks to a bidding war in the last thirty minutes. There were only a few reasons people paid that much for a jersey.
There was a sly smile on her face. “It cost a fortune, so I figured I might as well get it signed.”
Finn laughed and motioned for her to turn around. When she did, he signed the back with his marker.
