Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
“Nice to meet you. Sorry, if he ambushed you,” I said as I reached over to shake her hand, noting the strong, firm handshake. She was in no way delicate like a lot of girls tried to act, but I liked that.
Leah’s face softened a little as she cracked a smile.
“He just noticed my shirt,” she told me.
I looked down at her t-shirt, which repped the women’s hockey team. And also brought her curves to my attention. I had to tear my eyes away and take a seat next to Colm, who flashed me a smirk.
Caught.
“So, you’re the new captain,” I stated as we all got settled at the table with our food.
Leah nodded, her eyes darting between Colm and me.
“Yeah, I am,” she said in an almost firm manner.
“That’s awesome. That must mean you’re pretty good,” Colm replied as he lifted an eyebrow at her, leaning forward slightly. “Where’d you come from?”
Leah seemed caught off guard by Colm’s interest, but she relaxed more as she cut into her grilled chicken breast.
“A small town you’ve never heard of,” she admitted with a wry smile. “Being here is a dream.”
“It’s definitely something. Everyone here has something to prove it seems like,” I told her as I glanced around the cafeteria. This was a hard school to get into, so everyone continued to bust their ass to stay here.
Leah smiled a little as she chewed on her food. When she finished, she looked over at Colm with a curious look on her face.
“When we were talking in line, you said you heard about me before,” she said. “From who? Your captain?”
Colm chuckled and nodded.
“You’d be correct,” he replied. “He said you were feisty and on a warpath.”
Leah smirked and shrugged.
“Sounds pretty accurate. I thought he would say less kinder things, though,” she admitted.
I shook my head.
“Hugo is a good guy. He can have a big head, but that’s just stemming from his parents. They’re pretty uppity,” I explained to her, not wanting her to think that he bashed her or anything. Some of the other guys weren’t all that kind, but they just cared about the team. We didn’t take kindly to threats, but at the end of the day, she was also still a Yale athlete. We were representing the same school.
“He does seem to have that rich boy complex,” Leah replied, not looking all that convinced.
“He cares about the game more than anything,” I told her. He had to act a certain way to please his parents and uphold his reputation, but his heart was in the game.
“We all do,” Colm said. “That’s what makes us so good at what we do. That’s why you’re captain of the women’s team.”
Leah’s tense expression melted away as she smiled a little, not seeming all that feisty anymore. Something told me that Hugo brought out that feistiness in her, while Colm coaxed out the other side of her. Like he did with so many people, including me.
“Well, I hope you guys have a good season,” she told us.
“You’ll have a good season too,” I said. If the other guys on the team heard me say that, they wouldn’t be happy, but my words were harmless. Even if the women’s team had a decent season, that didn’t mean that they would garner enough attention to steal our funding. Only so much money could go around the athletic department, and a big chunk of it had always been ours because we earned it.
Would Leah and the women’s team earn it?
We chatted about our classes throughout the rest of our meal, laughing over whatever funny story Colm told us. Hugo made Leah out to seem like some snarky tight ass, but she was actually nice to be around. She was kind and easily held our gazes as we spoke to each other.
In a way, she was captivating. Tough and gentle.
“It was nice meeting you guys. I’m sure we’ll see each other around,” Leah said as we walked out of the cafeteria together.
“I’m glad I found you in the comfort food line,” Colm chuckled as he nudged her shoulder with his, prompting a smile onto her face.
Leah looked over at me, giving me a warm expression.
“I know we’re sort of… rivals, but this was nice,” she said. She knew that the rest of the team probably wouldn’t stand for this. At least she was realistic.
I placed my finger over my lips.
“Our little secret,” I replied with a subtle grin before Colm and I headed off together.
“I like her,” Colm stated. “She’s going to do good things for the women’s team.”
“You haven’t even seen her play,” I said with a smirk, following him up a flight of stairs that led to a floor full of lounges and offices that people hardly used. They probably didn’t even know they were up here, but Colm and I certainly knew.