I nodded, tossed my sweat-soaked clothes and pads to the floor and wrapped a towel around my waist. As an afterthought on my way to the shower, I went back to my locker and checked my phone. There was a missed call from Dell. She usually texted, so I called her back to see if everything was okay.
“Hi,” she said in a halting tone.
“Hey, you okay?”
“I don’t know.”
I sat down on a bench. “What’s going on?”
“Jean Naughton called me earlier.”
“Why?”
“She offered me a job.”
My heart rate kicked up with hope. “She did?”
“Did you have something to do with it?”
“No. I haven’t spoken to her since I got back. She mentioned wanting to talk to you that night in Rockford, but that’s all I know.”
“Oh.”
“You don’t sound very happy about it.”
She sighed. “You know how I feel about it. I don’t want it to seem like I’m chasing after a man.”
“Who gives a shit what it seems like? You’re great at your job and you earned this.”
“The truth is, I’m worried it won’t work out with us and I’ll have to see you with other women and still work on you as a trainer. It would be permanently awkward.”
It tore at me that she couldn’t celebrate this promotion because she was concerned she’d only be able to hold my attention for a short time.
“Dell.” I looked lowered my voice and looked side to side to make sure no one was listening. “I love you. You and Kyler are important to me. Let’s assume we’ll work out, okay?”
She was silent for a few seconds. “Jean said if I don’t take the job she’s hiring someone else. And a training job might not open up there for a while.”
“I want you to take it, but it’s up to you. I get where you’re coming from, but I think the closer we are, the stronger we’ll be together.”
“It wouldn’t bother you having your girlfriend on the road with you?”
I laughed at the question. “Bother me? I’d love it.”
“I think I should take it.” She sounded unconvinced.
“Baby, why aren’t you happy? This is a big deal. You’re young to be a trainer at this level.”
“I won’t have help with Kyler anymore, and I don’t know what I’ll do. I guess since I’ll make more money, I can hire someone, but I hate the thought of a stranger taking care of him that much.”
“Yeah.” I sighed into the phone. “I don’t like it, either.”
“I’d have the offseason to find someone.”
“He can stay with Kate while we’re on the road.”
“She may not want to watch him that much.”
I stood and stretched my overworked muscles. “Kate wouldn’t mind, trust me. This is something we can definitely work out.”
“Okay. So I’m taking the job, then.”
“Don’t let Jean screw you on salary. She’s tough, but if she wants you, she’ll pay.”
“Okay.” She sounded nervous, but excited. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“I want to take you and Kyler out for dinner to celebrate.”
“Maybe we could meet halfway sometime,” she suggested.
“No, tonight. I’m coming there.”
She laughed lightly. “Luke. It takes almost two hours to get here. You don’t want to drive four hours just for dinner.”
“I’m off tonight, and I do want to.”
“Really? You’re so sweet.”
I hummed my amusement. “Occasionally. It makes up for my roughness in bed.”
“I like it when you’re rough.”
I shifted my legs as my cock sprang to life beneath my towel. “Don’t I know it. Damn, baby, I love that you’re moving here.”
“Even though we just met five minutes ago?”
I smiled. “It’s been a couple months, Dell. And I love you. I’ve never said that to a woman.”
The sounds of snickering and slobbery kissing caught my attention.
“Oh, I love you, Dell!” My teammate Steve Carrigan mimicked me from around the corner. Someone else I couldn’t see was making whip cracking sound effects.
“What’s that noise?” Dell asked.
“Just assholes being assholes.”
“Ah.” There was a smile in her voice. “You’re in the locker room, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. Just getting shit from a guy who got crabs from a hooker, so he’s got no room to fucking talk.”
“She wasn’t a hooker!” Carrigan protested.
I looked up at the clock on the wall. “I can be there by six if that works.”