by Violet Paige
“Are you still drunk from last night?” she asked.
“What?” I turned toward her. I wasn’t pretending to shake my hips this time.
“We know you left the bar with a Wrangler.”
“What are you talking about, Pres?” Was I the only one who didn’t know who Sam was?
“Keep dancing,” she instructed.
I threw a leg in the air and shook my hair in a long circle. “Keep talking,” I spit back.
“The entire Wrangler team was at the bar last night and you’re the only Goddess who went home with one.”
My mouth almost fell open, but I knew I had to keep moving or she’d stop talking. I grapevined to the right with her and then followed to the left.
“What do you know?”
She shimmied, showing off the tops of her breasts with a jiggle. I followed her move. Times like this, I hated myself.
“That you either hate being a Goddess or you’re a complete football novice.”
I wasn’t going to tell her it was both. “You know I’m still learning the game.”
“That might explain how you don’t know who Sam Hickson is. He was the highest-rated tight end in the league last year. But the Super Bowl team was in the bar with us. The entire team.” She eyed me. “Wes Blakefield, the quarterback?”
I stared at her blankly. Ballerinas didn’t study rosters for football. Last year when they were at the Super Bowl, I was dealing with the catastrophic affects of my accident. I was in rehab seven days a week. Sometimes twice a day. I shuddered thinking about the brace I wore and the torture of daily exercises.
“Why didn’t someone tell me?” I hissed.
“Because Heather and I are the only ones who saw you.” She winked. “And you could use some fun.”
“What’s that supposed to be mean? You think I’m stuffy?” I didn’t know which part was supposed to insult me.
“Your words, not mine, but yes, you’re a little stuffy. You could loosen up and act like you aren’t a prisoner on this team.”
“I don’t act like that.”
But there was truth in what Presley said. I didn’t socialize after practices or games. I didn’t do movie night, or get my nails done with everyone. I used my experience on the squad to keep in shape, use the dance facilities, and learn new choreography. I made it work for me because I had to. There wasn’t another job that could offer everything the Goddesses did.
“You don’t act like it’s a privilege to be a Goddess. You should be proud of what you do, Natalia.”
“You’re right,” I agreed. “You’re completely right. What do I do about last night? I’m not the only one who was hanging out with a Wrangler. I saw you too. Everyone drank with the team. You were with Wranglers. I didn’t doing anything you didn’t do.”
“They bought us drinks. Not the same thing as leaving the bar with them. We left as a squad.”
It was almost time for us to do a group dance. I needed a few more answers from Presley before I got in place.
“But you didn’t tell anyone else?” I asked. “No one knows, right?”
“No, but if they find out, you’re off the team. No one can help you if it gets out. Not even Heather.”
“What?” My stomach turned. I might be sick in front of thousands of screaming fans. I didn’t love being a Goddess, but I needed the money. It was all that I had. It was how I had health insurance. It was how I rebuilt my leg to ballerina strength. I needed this job.
“You committed a cardinal sin,” she explained.
“I didn’t sleep with him,” I lied.
Her eyes widened. “You didn’t?”
“No,” I huffed. “He walked me to my car to get my number. And I didn’t give it to him. I didn’t even know his last name or that he was a Wrangler. This is crazy, Pres. I can’t get kicked off the squad.”
“Oh.” She chewed her bottom lip. “We thought you…”
“That I’d have a one-night stand?” I used my best astonished voice.
“I guess not. Ballerinas don’t do that sort of thing, huh?”
“No, we don’t.”
I walked behind her to start the team dance. I had narrowly saved my reputation. Now I needed to talk to Heather. In case word spread, I wanted to make sure it was the story I wanted them to hear. They needed to know I hadn’t broken the Goddess code. She was the team captain, and regardless of our friendship, she played a management role.
“That kind of sucks,” she whispered.
“Why is that? You said I could lose my job.”
She giggled. “Because Sam Hickson is fucking hot.”
I closed my eyes, inhaling a deep breath. She had no fucking idea how true that was.
13
Sam
The locker room was insane. We had bulldozed the Warriors by twenty-one points. Our defense had let them add a few touchdowns on the board, but that shit happens.
Coach could barely bark out his victory speech over all the music and dancing. I was surrounded by a bunch of happy, naked bastards. It felt good to win.
But she was in the back of my mind. There was no way I could walk into the dance squad locker room. And I had no idea where in the hell it was in this dungeon they called an AFA stadium. There were tunnels and hallways under the stands that I had never explored. We took one path in from the bus and the same one back out. It never occurred to me that I might need to know my way around.
That was the question. Did I need to know where she was? Was I actually thinking about poking around this place until I found her? I buttoned my shirt in front of the mirror, my hair still wet from the shower.
Yeah, I did want to find her. But it was going to be nearly impossible. And the guys would give me hell.
Things from last night started to make more sense now. We hadn’t stumbled upon just any stunning group of women at the bar. We had been smacked over the head by the enemy’s dance team. Now I knew why they all looked like models. The hair, the makeup, the perfume, and the tight clothes. It suddenly came into focus.
And then I thought about Natalia. She didn’t fit with the rest of them. She was wearing workout clothes. She barely had on a trace of makeup, and I never got the feeling she was there to impress anyone. Hell, if she did know who I was, she did a fucking incredible job of being unimpressed.
I stuffed my jersey in the bag labeled Hickson and threw it on the cart for the trip back to San Antonio. The equipment guys were scurrying around the locker room, collecting shoes, shoulder pads, and helmets.
Most of the players had started to make their way to the bus. We were headed straight for the team jet at the airport. There was no reason to spend another night in Austin when we could take a twenty-minute flight back. If I was going to try to find her, this was it. I had about ten minutes I could use up while the team filed onto the bus.
I darted out of the locker room and jogged toward the signs for the Warriors. It was a start. I hoped I found the dancers before I ran into one of the other players. I wasn’t welcome here, especially after our win tonight.
The lights flickered overhead. Crews in yellow jackets stacked chairs and toted bags past me. I kept running, stopping every few steps to check a hallway or door for any sign of the squad.
I didn’t have anything planned. Did I ask for her number? Did we talk about last night? Did we talk about the fact that we were on opposing teams? I didn’t give a shit. I wanted to just talk. That was why I was running through this labyrinth.
But it didn’t matter what corner I turned or where I looked, I couldn’t find the dancers’ locker room. I saw the cornerback who had tackled me strutting toward me. Damn it.
I turned quickly.
“Hickson, you’re in the wrong part of the stadium. Did you lose your way, little girl?”
I grinned. “Nah. I’m good.”
I wasn’t going to run away from the asshole, but I wasn’t about to start a fight either. Our bus was waiting.
“Sure about that?” He caught up
to me.
I was easily a few inches taller than him, and I could knock him to the ground with one good swing. But I wasn’t looking for a league fine. I was looking for a girl.
“I’m good, man. I guess I walked out of the locker room the wrong way. My bad.”
“It is your bad.” He stepped in front of me.
I huffed. He was eating up minutes and the bus would be filled by the time I got there.
It was instinct, but I pulled my shoulders back. “Look, man. The bus is waiting. I’m just trying to get home. Not here to cause problems.”
This would cost me my bonus. I wasn’t going to hit him. I stood down.
One of his teammates walked up behind him. “Get your ass in the locker room, Floyd.”
“Just talking to Sam here.” He cracked a smile, but we both knew he was ready to rip into me. He talked shit, but he also backed it up.
“See you next month, Floyd.” I waved. We would have a rematch in four weeks.
The guy nodded at me, and I took that as my cue to walk to the Wranglers’ bus. My side trip around the stadium was over. I wasn’t going to find Natalia tonight. I ran through the corridors, pissed at myself for searching for her. Pissed I couldn’t find her. Pissed I couldn’t have last night again.
14
Natalia
I sat in the locker room staring into the mirror. I had wiped the blush from my cheeks and pulled the fake lashes from my eyelids until I recognized my reflection.
I didn’t know why I stayed as long as I did. Most days I was the first girl out of here, but I kept thinking about Sam. Who he was. What he almost cost me. Did it even matter to me?
Heather sat next to me. “Pres told me you two talked.”
She caught me off guard. “Just a little.”
“You and Sam Hickson?”
“No,” I corrected her. “There is no Sam and me. It wasn’t what you thought. He tried to get my number and walked me to my car. Nothing happened.”
Heather smiled. “I know I made you go last night, but maybe I wasn’t clear about some things.”
“And what things are those?”
“Goddesses have responsibilities. We have a legacy to uphold. And sleeping with a Wrangler isn’t on that list.”
“But—”
She held up her hand to stop me. “I know your car, Natalia. It was there when I left the bar. You didn’t leave when you said you did.”
Shit. I felt the color drain from my face. “Are you going to tell anyone?”
“No, but you aren’t either.”
“No, no one. It never happened.”
She pulled me into an unexpected hug. “It certainly didn’t.”
I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disgusted. Was this blackmail, or girl bonding? I was confused. She smelled like hairspray and sweet perfume. Unlike me, she was in full makeup.
“Thanks, Heather. I mean it. I appreciate you keeping this between us.”
“Sure thing. It was a mistake. We all get one pass. You’re new to football and to the Goddesses, so I can see how it would happen.”
“Heather, I have a question.”
“Hmm? What’s that?” She sat back.
“If you knew who he was, why did you let me leave with him?” It had been eating away at me since Presley told me about the Wranglers in the bar last night. Every single one of them had known who was buying the drinks except me.
I was the only Goddess who didn’t know we were in a room full of the opposition. I was swept up in Sam. I was mesmerized by his eyes and arms. Was it that obvious to Heather? I waited for an answer.
She squeezed my arm. “You were having fun.”
My eyebrows rose. “You let me jeopardize my job for fun?”
“How did I know if he told you he played for the Wranglers? You’re a big girl, Natalia. I didn’t know you were going to leave with him. I might be the captain, but I’m not going to interrogate every guy one of my girls talks to and ask him what his intentions are. That’s breaking an entirely different code.”
I tried to avoid rolling my eyes. There were so many damn codes I couldn’t keep them straight.
“Did the other guys mention it? Did they tell you they played for the Wranglers?” I asked.
She giggled. “First thing out of their mouths.”
“He didn’t say a thing,” I said softly.
“He probably didn’t want you to think of him as a football player. I’m guessing you didn’t tell him you’re a Goddess.”
I shook my head. I wasn’t going to tell her I didn’t want him to know. I did everything to avoid the topic of careers when we met. I was ashamed to put on this uniform, but to Heather, it was everything. She had Goddess pride I couldn’t comprehend. Presley had already called me out on it once tonight. I needed to think about what she said.
“So then neither of you knew what you were doing. Like I said, you get a freebie. Don’t worry about it. Just don’t do it again. Wranglers are off limits, girl.”
“I can’t lose this job, Heather. It’s all I have. I’m committed. I swear.”
“Aww, honey, don’t talk like that. It’s going to be fine.”
I didn’t want to cry in front of her. But my eyes stung from too much makeup and the trap I was now in. If the Warriors fired me, I didn’t have a safety net. My father had cut my mother and me off when she moved us to Dallas. Once that happened, I never felt like I could take a penny from him.
My mom made sure I attended dance school in Dallas and paid for all the lessons and instructors I wanted. I couldn’t go to her now and ask for more. I was determined to live doing what I loved, and with the sudden realization I could lose this job, I discovered how lucky I had been all along to land on this dance squad.
I dabbed a tissue to the corner of my eye. I smiled weakly. “It’s not like we’d see each other anyway, right?”
She laughed and picked up her travel bag with the gold Goddess logo on the side. “We play them next month in San Antonio.”
“Oh.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
I folded the tissue and tossed it in the trashcan. “I’m good. Really. Thank you again, and I think I really understand what you need from me on this team.”
“It’s between us. Don’t lose any more sleep over Sam Hickson, okay?”
I lied again. “Okay.”
“Good night.”
“Good night.”
Heather had reminded me again I was out of my league. I hadn’t looked at the schedule or realized we played the rival team twice a season. We would be in Sam’s city in a month. I’d have to see him again.
That was the problem. I wanted to. I wanted a glimpse of those eyes, and his hands. I wanted to remember his lips searing into my skin. I didn’t want to forget Sam, but I had to. As long as I was a Goddess, I had to stay far away.
Besides, now that I knew he was a famous tight end, things seemed different. He wouldn’t want me. I had been around the Warrior players enough to know the drill. They were multi-millionaires. They kept their distance from the squad, and I knew the Wranglers wouldn’t be any different. If I remembered, they had their own dance squad, the Fillies, who probably filled the same role we did.
I pressed my forehead on the vanity table, taking deep breaths until the stadium was silent and the only thing I could hear was the sound of my breath. I had a month to forget about last night and get my shit together.
15
Sam
One month later
My name was engraved on a gold plate over my locker. I wiped a finger across the letters. I remembered the first time I walked in the locker room as a rookie and saw my name with my uniform set up in the mahogany cubby. Hard to believe that was over a year ago.
Everything was here ready to go. My cleats, my shoulder pads, my helmet were all sitting out lined up. I picked up the helmet. The W emblazoned on the side was shined, reflecting the lights overhead. This place was immaculate. I loved it. Every square inch o
f it. It was always my dream to play for the Wranglers.
How could a kid grow up in Texas and not want to play Texas football? My grandfather played. My dad played. And now I played. This was my legacy. It was my birthright to be a Wrangler.
Some days, it didn’t feel real. But here I was, about to suit up for today’s game against the Warriors.
Cavan dropped his bag next to me. “Can you believe we’ve won four in a row?”
“Nice being on a championship team, isn’t it?”
I only had one season under my belt, but standing next to the rookie, I felt experienced. I was on the winning team. He hadn’t earned that honor yet.
“Yeah. Wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
“Today will make five.” After we ran up the scoreboard on them last month, we felt confident today’s game wouldn’t be a problem. I liked starting the season five and O.
“You going to be at the Dean, right?” he asked.
I nodded. “Of course. Wouldn’t miss it. But I doubt you can do better than what I pulled off last year.”
“Heard you had more women than we have guys on the team and a high-dollar poker table.”
“There was more than that. It was epic. Last year goes down in the history books. They say it was the best Dean ever.”
“I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”
I pulled the parts of my jersey out of the cubby. “I’ll be there.”
“I’ve basically asked everyone about the Deans from back in the day. Even the first one Larry Dean threw, and it’s going to have a little bit of everything.”
“You talked to some of the old Wranglers?”
He nodded. “You should have heard them talk about the first Dean.”
“Damn.”
A few of the other guys began to trickle in while we talked about the party. I knew what it was like to organize the event. It was a bitch at best. But it was a Wrangler tradition the guys loved.
I’d make a quick appearance and get out of there. I wasn’t going to get trapped into breaking my rule again. I’d already made that mistake once this season.