Lucky Catch: A Quick Snap Novella

by Lea Coll

“Friends?” I held my hand out to him.

  He considered me for a second before he finally leaned over and shook my hand. “Friends.”

  I needed him to get out of the car before I said something monumentally stupid like I’d break my rule for you.

  I pasted on my reporter-smile, the one that kept players at a distance. “It was nice to get to know you better today, Gavin. Let me know if you need anything at all—supplies or food.”

  He pushed open the door. “You always offer to buy groceries for the players?”

  “Well, as you know, this is my rookie year too. My motto is to help out when I can. You never know when I’ll need your help, or maybe it’s southern hospitality. I don’t know.”

  “You’re one of a kind, Lexie Austin. A reporter who’s sweet and kind and doesn’t report things without clearing it with the source.” He winked before he climbed out of the car and shut the door.

  I watched him walk into the dorm. Had I just made the biggest mistake by friend-zoning him?

  Chapter 6

  Lexie

  Something about that conversation with Gavin took hold of my brain, holding me captive all week. He’d opened up in a way I hadn’t expected given his aloofness in practice. He said he didn’t trust women, but he seemed to trust me. He’d said I was kind and sweet.

  Whenever he caught my eye in practice, he smiled. He was quick to jog over during breaks to ask how I was doing. His eyes twinkled with mischief when he smiled as if we shared a secret. Other times, his eyes were darker as if he wondered what I’d look like under my clothes. My body would heat as I shifted on my heels. Could everyone see how he affected me?

  I tried to tell myself he was like that with everyone. He smiled at the other players and staff. He joked around. I was supposed to be observing everyone at practice to see if one player had a lingering injury or if another looked especially good on any given day, but my eyes kept coming back to Gavin.

  “What’s up with you and Gavin?” Clay asked.

  I startled. When I recovered, I glanced at my surroundings to make sure no co-workers were around. Then I narrowed my eyes on Clay. “Nothing. Why?”

  “You seem pretty friendly.” He leaned on the fence, drinking his water. He straightened, squeezing the rest over his face. It didn’t have the same effect on me as when Gavin did it.

  I waved my hand to dismiss his comment. “I interviewed him this weekend so I got to know him better.”

  Clay smirked and shifted, so he faced me. “You interviewed him, or was it a date?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I can’t tell you what we discussed, but it wasn’t a date. It’s part of the story I’m writing. Who is he? What don’t we know about him?” If I kept this centered on work, I hoped Clay would forget his original question.

  “Is Gavin Keller the break-out story this season?” Clay’s face turned serious.

  My eyes sharpened now that we were in familiar territory. Clay knew how adept I was at sniffing out the potential in a team. I’d done a story on a walk-on in college who’d gone on to play professional ball, which was rare. I’d seen something in him before he’d ran any drills in front of the coaches. It was the same thing I’d glimpsed with Gavin on Saturday. An inner quality of leadership. They were men fans would get behind. A tingle ran through me—Gavin had the potential to be a franchise player. Just as good as his brother. “You know his family is the story in the league.”

  “I hope it doesn’t detract from the season.”

  “It won’t.” From what I’d learned about Gavin, it would only elevate his career and build his following.

  “Good.” He leaned in closer and whispered in my ear. “Be careful. Remember how things turned out with Mike Presley in college.”

  “I know how it turned out. I don’t need a reminder.” I crossed my arms over my chest. Clay was protective of me even though it was unnecessary. I’d never fall for another player again, no matter how attractive or charismatic he was.

  “Everything okay here?” Gavin came to stand next to Clay, clearly sizing him up.

  They both straightened to their full height.

  I couldn’t stop my lips from twitching into a smile. It was almost as if Gavin was jealous of Clay. It was ridiculous because Clay had always been like a big brother to me—overbearing at times, yet one of my best friends.

  With both of them standing in front of me, I felt dwarfed by their sheer size. Clay was imposing. Everything about him was large and muscular. He had to be in his position as the center, whereas Gavin was a tall and lean wide receiver. He was muscular, not stacked like Clay.

  I smiled at him. “Everything’s fine. You looked great out there.” I wanted to mention how I’d seen an improvement in his attitude and that the staff and team were responding beautifully. It wasn’t a good idea with Clay watching.

  “Do you think we could get together to continue our interview?” Gavin’s eyes darted from me to Clay. It was as if he wanted to see Clay’s reaction.

  “Sure. You have a few hours break on Saturday, right?”

  “We do,” Gavin said.

  Clay’s eyes narrowed on him. “Come on. We have to get back to practice. See you later, Lexie.”

  Clay placed his arm around Gavin, squeezing his shoulder.

  It seemed more like a warning than a friendly gesture. I saw Clay say something I couldn’t hear. Was he warning him about me? Was he telling him not to get involved with me?

  Gavin was just a player and the subject of my story. That was it.

  Adam approached, and asked, “How’s Keller’s story coming?”

  “The family? I was under the impression the story was about Gavin Keller and who he is.”

  “The fans want to know what it was like to grow up with football stars. Gavin isn’t a household name yet.”

  “I think the story is who Gavin Keller is despite his family.” I’d made it sound like his family was bad, which wasn’t the case. “There’s no negative story. It’s what it was like to grow up in the shadow of his dad and brother.”

  “He’s not an underdog, Lex. He’s the quintessential golden boy. Everything’s been handed to him since birth. He possesses the talent, the money, and the means to make this happen.” He gestured at the field where the players were lining up for a play.

  “I agree things are easier for him in some ways, but in other ways, they’re harder. That’s the story I want to tell.”

  “No one wants a sob story.”

  “It’s not. I promise.” Then to give him something to go on, I added, “He said his dad is coming to opening day.”

  Adam slapped the fence. “Perfect. That’s the story. Is Dad proud? What’s he been up to? Would he be willing to walk on the field before the game starts for the National Anthem? Brooks Keller is going to bring in more fans and ratings, not Gavin.”

  I was new to this job. I should keep my head down and go along with whatever Adam said, but I couldn’t. “I can’t talk about it yet, but Gavin’s story is bigger.”

  “He’s not a legend yet. When he’s as successful as his dad, then we’ll talk. Until then, the story is his dad and brother. The only question you should be asking is, does he belong here? Is he as good as his brother? Or is he here because of that name on his jersey?” Adam gestured at Gavin Keller, who’d run for a pass just as the ball slipped through his fingers.

  It was a catch I’d watched him make every day. Today, he’d dropped an easy pass, confirming Adam’s belief that Gavin wasn’t here on merit alone.

  “I know you’re young and new at this, but don’t go for the hard story. This one is easy. It’s what the fans already want to know. Give it to them.”

  I watched my boss walk away, shaking hands with a few of the other media heads who’d come to practice today. Wasn’t it the untold story people wanted to hear? Or was it all affirmation news? They looked up news stories that confirmed their beliefs about something or someone, not challenged it.

  I closed my eyes. I’d formed
a friendship with Gavin. If I wrote about his family after insinuating the story was about him, that would destroy the tenuous trust we’d established.

  How badly did I want this job? I’d wanted it since I first saw Erin Andrews standing on the field interviewing players. She was so confident and sure of herself. I thought she’d had some freedom in her questions and stories. Instead, her questions were just as orchestrated as mine would be. If this was my dream job, I needed to suck it up.

  Chapter 7

  Gavin

  Lex is special, man. Don’t fuck with her. I’d opened my mouth to tell Clay he’d had it all wrong, before I could speak, he’d patted my shoulder before he shoved me to the side. To anyone else, it looked like playful banter between players. Was he protective because they’d dated, or was it something else?

  I didn’t want to confirm I was interested in her, but I had to know. “Is this about the quarterback she dated in college?”

  Clay stopped in front of the bench and turned to me. His brow furrowed. “She told you about that?”

  I nodded. “She said she doesn’t date football players. I think she thought I’d be more willing to talk if she told me something personal about herself.”

  He nodded, seeming to accept what I’d said as sincere. “You’re new here. You don’t want the story to be your personal life.”

  If Lexie had her way, it would be about my personal life, just not in the way Clay was insinuating. “No worries, man. She’s beautiful, but I’m focused on football and my team.”

  “Good. Keep it that way.” Clay grabbed another water bottle from one of the trainers.

  “Did you date?” I regretted the words as soon as they were out of my mouth.

  “No. She’s like a younger sister to me. I help her out and protect her from scumbag football players.” His eyes narrowed on me, and I knew he was referring to me.

  Unfortunately for him, I was more focused on him viewing her like a younger sister. “I wondered because you two seem close.”

  “We are. I was there when that asshole dumped her, telling the rest of the team she was a good lay, nothing more. She took it hard. She thought they were exclusive. She didn’t want to be seen as someone who wanted to bag a player, especially when she wanted to be a sports journalist.” Clay gave me one more hard look before joining the offensive line on the field.

  I’d asked way too many questions about Lexie. I’d all but confirmed I was interested in her. I hated that the guy in college hurt her. I hated she felt like she had to stay away from players to do her job. Even though I didn’t like it, I had to respect her wishes. Nothing could happen between us, no matter how much I wanted it.

  My focus needed to be on the first preseason game this weekend. We were playing away in Denver. It was my first test. The coaches were likely to give me a chance to play in that game to see what I could do. The second preseason game was in Tampa against Jake where all eyes would be on me.

  I pushed Clay and Lexie out of my mind. I was here to play football, nothing else. It was in the evenings when we were watching tapes that thoughts of Lexie creeped in. Her scent inside her car, the feel of her in my arms on the high school’s practice field. I’d had this overwhelming urge to pull her closer and kiss her, despite the fact we were on a field surrounded by teenagers. No one had ever tempted me more.

  Chapter 8

  Lexie

  Today was my first time as a sideline reporter. I was a radio broadcaster in college and the sports anchor for two years for a local station, working toward my dream. I did not want to screw it up. I’d prepared my questions for each player ahead of time, I’d practiced possible responses to make sure the questions were answerable, and I’d thought of every likely scenario for the game and what I should ask. I couldn’t have been more prepared, but I was scared I’d freeze up on camera even though I’d never done that before.

  I waited outside the locker room for the go-ahead to listen to Coach Phillips’ pre-game pep talk.

  Adam walked down the hall and stopped in front of me. “Make sure you interview Gavin before the game. Ask him about the pressure he feels going out onto the field today. Is he worried about people comparing him to his brother or his dad?”

  I nodded because I couldn’t speak over the lump in my throat. That was way more personal than I wanted to get with Gavin at the first game. Was it something people were interested in? Most definitely. Would it destroy the trust I’d built with Gavin? Absolutely. Was there a way to frame the question in a way that wouldn’t make him vulnerable? I wasn’t sure.

  A trainer opened the door. “You can come in now.”

  “Remember what I said,” Adam said before walking down the hall.

  I followed the last member of the press inside and tried to process what he’d said.

  “Hey.”

  I turned to find Gavin in one of the aisles. I smiled despite my nerves. “Hey, good luck today.”

  “Thank you.” He looked excited not scared. His eyes searched mine. “Are you worried?”

  “What? Me? No. I’ve done this before. I broadcast from the sidelines in college, so—” I broke off my rambling.

  “This is on a much bigger scale.” He touched my elbow and guided me a few feet into the aisle, so we were alone and away from prying eyes. “You’re going to do great. The guys trust you.”

  “Well, I don’t know about that—”

  “They do. I’ve heard them talk. They’re impressed with you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Clay makes sure of it.”

  “No. It’s not Clay. You took time to get know each of the guys personally. You ask about their families, their lives, their likes and dislikes. You ask them how they feel after an injury because you care not to report the injuries later.”

  The hand he’d used to guide me closer to him still rested on my arm, making it hard to focus on his words.

  “Remember what you told me. If you lay the foundation for friendship with these guys they’ll have your back on camera. They’re not going to let you look like an idiot. You know which guys are jokers on camera and which ones are shy.”

  “Are you the shy one?” I smiled despite my nerves.

  “I won’t leave you hanging. If you’re interviewing me, it means I went out there and did something right.”

  Should I tell him what Adam wanted me to ask? I didn’t want to spring it on him, and I didn’t want to risk my job by ignoring Adam’s suggestion. “Hey, I hate to tell you this, but my manager asked me to question you about your brother and your dad. I’m supposed to ask about any added pressure on you because of your last name.”

  Gavin sighed. “I expected it. You’re just doing your job.”

  “I hate it, though.” It made me feel gross. I wanted to inquire about vulnerabilities and ask the questions people wanted to know the answer to, but I hadn’t expected to feel so close to a player already. I hadn’t expected to feel conflicted when I had to ask hard questions.

  He rubbed his hands up both my arms. “Do your job. I’ll do mine. I’m good at not answering the question.”

  I smiled, unconsciously swaying toward him before he dropped his hands and grabbed his helmet.

  “Come on. We don’t want to miss Coach’s speech.”

  I walked with Gavin to the meeting room and leaned against the wall as Coach gave a tempered pep talk. Today was for the rookies to prove themselves. There was a nervous energy in the locker room.

  After Coach’s speech, I walked out onto the field to ensure my mic was working. I prepared a monologue based on the Coach’s talk and some of the questions people had submitted online. I took a deep breath before performing on-camera for the first time as Seattle’s sideline reporter. “Alexandra Austin reporting on the field for Seattle’s first preseason game. Preseason equals rookies. All eyes are on Gavin Keller today. I spoke to him in the locker room a few minutes ago. He’s prepared to go out there and play hard. If he was feeling any pressure, I didn’t see it. We’ll speak to him m
ore later.” Then I quickly ran through the injuries, listing those who would most likely get playing time today.

  “Good job,” Bill said when he lifted the camera off his shoulder.

  I rolled my shoulders to ease the tension. The team ran through the tunnel to a standing ovation. Even though it was a preseason game, the fans’ energy was infectious. Once Seattle kicked off, I focused on the game.

  On the opening drive, Denver covered eighty-one yards in eight plays. Their second-string quarterback, Chris Baldwin completed an eight-yard pass to their second-year wide receiver, Dave Boswell, for a touchdown. Seattle was unable to get a first down on its possession. The next two drives ended in field goals for both teams, but the second quarter was scoreless. Seattle came out of the locker room after half-time with more energy, looking more cohesive. In the third quarter, Seattle’s third-string quarterback, Brian Lafayette, passed in coverage to Gavin, who ran it in for a touchdown. It was a nail biter with the teams tied at ten going into the fourth quarter. With a minute left, Seattle kicked a forty-seven-yard field goal to win by three.

  I stood by the tunnel to the locker room so I could interview the players on their way in. Will Montgomery approached me first. As the veteran, he was expected to speak. I asked him how he felt about the team this season. He’d said the usual—the players were gelling, and everything looked good. I thanked him then spoke to Eric, the running back. I sensed Gavin waiting for his turn. He could have headed into the locker room, but I was glad he’d waited. I didn’t want to interview him naked in the locker room.

  My skin heated at the thought. I gestured for him to come closer. “You played great out there. Were you feeling any pressure?”

  “I’m here to prove myself and get a spot on the team so there was definitely pressure. I just don’t let it get to me.”

  Good answer. Confident and sure of himself without giving too much away. “Are you excited to face your brother next week in Tampa?”