Page 2 of Catch
Coach handed me a water bottle. “Let’s shake hands when you’re ready,” he said.
My team stayed with me until I was ready to lead them to midfield where the Hilltop Hawkeyes waited in defeat. Some of the parents were yelling for their kids to get off the field, but we had media coverage, so their coach made them wait. I rinsed my mouth again until the metallic taste was gone. I tightened my ponytail, grabbed my helmet, and jogged to midfield with my team a half a step behind me.
“Good game.” The Hawkeyes head coach hated everything about me.
I ignored his painful grip and smiled, ensuring my dimples popped. What a total asshole! “Thanks, Coach.” I moved on, anxious to get in front of Grayson Moats.
Some of the guys muttered “good game” when we shook hands, while others had less than nice things to say like “bitch” or “lesbo.” I smiled anyway, making zero friends in the process.
When I reached Grayson, I stopped. “Looks like the better quarterback won.” I shrugged like it was no big deal when I knew it was everything. Not only did their offense score a mere seventeen points, but he sucked during one of the most important games of his high school life with home field advantage. He would still go on to play at Michigan State and probably the NFL, but I had him in the moment, and he would always have the blemish of not going to state his senior year because he was beaten by a girl.
He sneered. “You might have won the game, but I won the girl.”
I gritted my teeth and shrugged like that didn’t hurt more than anything ever in my life. He fist-pumped. “This game meant nothing. I’m still going to college and the NFL while you’re stuck here doing what? Working at Marshall’s? Oh, maybe you’ll get promoted to manager in ten years.”
I was six feet tall, but Grayson had at least four inches on me. That didn’t stop me from getting in his face. “I have no idea what Parker sees in you. You’re just a nasty boy.”
“That’s exactly what she likes about me.” He winked and adjusted his cup. I wanted to puke at his disrespect toward somebody I loved with every part of my heart.
One of his players pushed him along. “Forget about her. This is her moment. The only one she’ll have.” He turned to look at me. “We’ll laugh about how one time a girl thought she could play football while we’re living the life playing in the pros.” He slapped Grayson on the back and they laughed and moved on.
“A girl who beat the both of you,” Max yelled.
They launched themselves at Max. It took three coaches and four players to pull them apart.
“Max, don’t. It’s not worth it.” I loved that he was my biggest supporter, but I didn’t want him to jeopardize his scholarship. He was the only one, besides me, who got a full ride anywhere. My scholarship was for Texas A&M’s track and field team. I wasn’t excited about moving to Texas, but it was a good school for sports medicine and that’s what I was going to study. “Let’s go celebrate.”
Max jogged with me to the stands where our parents and fans waited to celebrate with us. My dad hugged me. “That was brilliant, but also stupid. Don’t get hurt over a game. You have your whole life ahead of you.”
I accepted hugs from parents I knew and some I didn’t. So many people of Oak Grove were in the stands supporting us. I recognized people from the bank, the diner, and even the doctor’s office. It was weird to see them in head-to-toe Oak Grove Pumas attire.
“Let’s get cleaned up and celebrate.” Coach motioned for us to head to the locker room. He pointed to the parents. “Back to the school and then to Tom’s Pizza.”
I jogged with the team to the locker rooms but not before looking at the sidelines until I found Parker. She was staring at me and gave me a small, sad smile. I looked away. I hated that this glorious moment would forever be marred by Grayson saying he won the girl.
I never knew what she saw in him. I pretended it didn’t matter that she crushed my heart at the beginning of my senior year and my anger didn’t fuel my need to beat him at his best game, but it was all true. As I jogged into the tunnel to the women’s locker room, I made a pact to myself that Parker O’Neal was no longer going to occupy my mind or my heart. I was better than heartbreak and I had an amazing life ahead of me.
Chapter Two—Rivals
Present
“At least you get a nice view.”
Human resources director Selma Andrews opened the door to a decent-sized office with neutral tones and sparse furnishings. The smell of fresh paint assaulted me and I had to blink back tears. I was worried the strong scent would cause vertigo. I breathed through my mouth, hoping standing here wasn’t killing valuable brain cells.
“Since the windows don’t open, it’s hard to get the smell out. I’ll have maintenance bring over fans,” she said. She stepped aside.
“Thank you.” I ran my hand over the top of my desk before gently dropping a box of personal items I lugged from the parking lot about a quarter mile away to my new office. The surface of the desk was scratched and slightly dented, but sturdy. I felt it was a good representation of my journey to get to this point. Here I was, day one of being the offensive coordinator for the Connecticut Cheetahs, carrying a box full of notebooks and plays that I knew were going to be beneficial to the NFL expansion team. I was instructed to be here before seven, but judging from the hustle around me, six forty-five was late.
Bill Tatum, head coach for the Cheetahs, stuck his head in the open door. “McCoy, you’re with me.” He motioned me over, completely ignoring Selma who stood awkwardly in the space between us.
She stiffened at his rudeness. She wished me a good first day and turned on her heel. I gave her a soft smile, hoping it helped. I knew that some men didn’t like women invading their territory, but I’d been in the minority my entire life. The things that men have said to me would have made their mothers cry, knowing their sons used such foul language. I wore a suit of armor made of bitter barbs and scars of verbal abuse over the years.
Going into this new endeavor, I was ready for cutting words. Instead, I was greeted with professionalism. I was working as the Vikings’ quarterback coach when the Cheetahs offered me their offensive coordinator position. Their former offensive coordinator was caught on video sexually assaulting a woman at a bar one night. I’d like to think I was hired for my abilities, but I knew I was the token hire. The new team needed a fresh start and I was a woman who filled their résumé demands. It made the team look progressive and it directed the negative attention into something positive.
“Yes, Coach?” I asked.
He smiled at me. “Call me Bill. There’s a team meeting at seven thirty with everyone. We’ll break into position meetings after that. We have a lot to cover. Offense is looking at quarterbacks. Myers tore his ACL so we’re looking at other options.”
