Page 33 of Playing to Win
No.
“Townsend!” Mattson screams and Ace turns away from me without another word, heading back to the center of the field, his T-shirt still clutched in his hand. He stops, slipping it back on, his torso disappearing from view and a sad sigh leaves me.
“I think he likes you.”
I turn to study Gwen, who’s attention is still on her phone.
“No way.”
“Yes way. He has a nickname for you that doesn’t make sense and everything,” she says, like that’s the logical conclusion for why he must like me.
“My name is Ruby. A ruby is red,” I tell her, and she glances up, her brows furrowed.
“Oh yeah. Duh.”
I turn my back to the field, not wanting to look at them anymore.
Or Ace. Instead, Gwen shows me what she got and I go in search of a trending sound, the two of us eventually plopping down onto the grass.
“I want to prove this kind of content will work,” Gwen says at one point, lifting her head to glare at Eric, who is still capturing more of his usual content of the football team. “They’ve been filmed by the male gaze for way too long. We need to change it up.”
“I agree.”
She turns toward me, the surprise on her face obvious. “Really?”
“Yeah, of course. Why do you think I came up with the arm candy idea?”
Gwen drops her gaze back to her phone, chewing on her lower lip as she edits the video, shaving off a few seconds here and there, trying to get it just right. “It’s a good one.”
“Thanks.”
“We need something different. I keep telling Eric that. Our follower count has grown stagnant, but he’s in denial.” Gwen shakes her head, her gaze returning to Eric.
I see it then. She’s trying to prove something to him because she likes him. And I think it’s in more than a friendly way, but maybe I’m wrong.
I don’t know though. She’s got something to prove when it comes to Eric, and I’m here for it. He’s a nice guy, but I’m starting to realize Gwen’s not so bad either. She just seems to get rubbed wrong by…everyone.
Well, maybe not me.
Fine. I’m sure I rub her wrong. I know I did the first day I showed up to work. She was ready to send me packing and she didn’t even know me.
“I know this sounds silly, but I want to make a difference and leave my stamp on the social media team.” Gwen offers me a weak smile when I glance over at her. “I know we’re not changing the world by showing off shirtless football players but if we can grow our follower count, I’ll feel like I at least contributed something here. Instead of just putting together yet another slow-mo video of the quarterback throwing a football into the air.”
I remember seeing a lot of those videos last season. Blair showed me most of them, ridiculously proud of Cam, and while I can’t deny those videos definitely made them all look great, I’m on Gwen’s side.
“We’re going to shake this up,” I say, my voice firm, my gaze going back out to the field. Ace is doing a little dance, the ball gripped in his hand, his eyes shifting as he tries to find someone to throw the ball to. I can see the moment he spots whoever his target is, his arm rearing back, the cropped T-shirt lifting, my gaze dropping.
Lingering on his abs that shine with the faintest sheen of sweat.
Oh lord help me.
I’m in serious trouble.
TWELVE
ACE
I’m walking across campus,hurrying to my next class, noting how many women pass me by with big smiles on their faces, all of them saying hi and sounding extra flirtatious.
