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QuirkyQuill
Pure Imagination
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2024
Prologue - Cassie
“I feel like I'm going to throw up.” Cassie groaned as her hazel eyes took in the football field and the sheer amount of seats that were filling to capacity.
“This stadium is massive.” Meghan's eyes were just as wide as her own.
“I honestly don't know how he does this every week in a college stadium, and this is just so much bigger.” Cassie adjusted the press badge around her neck, untangling her camera strap from the string that held the golden ticket that would get her on the field. So it wasn't literally a golden ticket, but it felt like it.
“Your stud muffin loves the attention.” Grinning, Meghan nudged her shoulder against Cassie's in a playful manner.
“Stop it. He’s not my stud muffin. He’s just my friend. Who even says stud muffin anymore?” Shaking her head as she laughed, Cassie checked the carrier bag that sat on her hip for her extra batteries.
“Girl, please. At some point the two of you need to stop circling each other and just go for it. He’s definitely going pro after he brings home this win. Twenty years from now, don't you want to be able to tell your grown children that you banged the hottest quarterback in the country?”
“Meg, there are so many things wrong with what you just said. I'm not even sure where to start unpacking.” Laughing, she shook her head. "Besides, the last thing I would want to hear about is my mom and dad talk about their sex life.”
“Oh, I bet your mom and dad have a great sex life. They are both smokin’ hot-”
“Ew ew ew. STOP!” Laughing, she shoved Meg to get her to stop talking about her parents. Meg stumbled to the side still laughing, knocking into two college-aged students wearing Timberwolf football shirts.
“Watch it.” One of the guys worked diligently to protect the full beer can that nearly got knocked out his hand.
“Sorry guys. Go Wolves!” Cassie looked apologetically at them, but the minute she said “Wolves,” they both howled and raised their beer in salute .
“Okay, okay.” Raising her hands in mock surrender, Meg took her place beside Cassie as they stood in the walkway staring out at the field.
“In all seriousness, Cass,” Meg’s tone softened as she turned her gaze back to her best friend, “I love you both dearly, and it is so painfully obvious how much you both have a thing for each other. You should tell him how you feel. His season ends tonight, and then our season begins, and then we graduate. It's now or never and I don't want you to miss out on something because you're too scared to try.”
“Meg, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I am not the kind of woman that Adrian dates. I can't compete with Rebecca. She's magazine cover gorgeous. She's the typical cheerleader, and she fits that whole aesthetic for being with a professional athlete. I'm just…me.” She said it while motioning to her loose jeans and Timberwolves polo shirt.
“But they broke up, remember?”
“Yeah, they did, for what…the fifth time? I can't even keep track anymore. He will choose her every time despite the fact that he deserves to be with someone who genuinely values him and not just his status. She's not even nice to him half the time.”
“Exactly!” Meg exclaimed, her hands flying up out of both frustration and excitement. “You are the constant woman in his life, C. You are the one he talks to about everything. When he celebrates on that field, you are the one he looks for to share it with. And, when things weren't looking good and he felt defeated last season, it was you he managed to make eye contact with in a crowd of thousands every time so he could pull himself together. You are practically his Meg when he's on that field.” Grinning, she alluded to their own relationship on the mound. As the catcher, it was Meg’s responsibility to keep her pitchers calm and grounded during stressful situations, and she knew Cassie better than any of the other pitchers in their team.
“That boy loves you, and I have no doubt that if you told him how you feel, you would not be disappointed in the response.” Silence between the two girls settled in as fans filed past them, eager to get to their seats. A group of students walked by and howled in their direction, raising their hands with their pinky and forefinger raised, looking like one might when making a shadow puppet of a dog. Grinning, they both followed their lead, howling loudly.
“All right, dear one,” she chuckled through her words. “I have to get to work. I wish we could watch the game together.”
“Can you believe they made it to the National Championship?” Meg’s eyes lit up, and her excitement was palpable. They had been to the Women's World Series the last two years, bringing home their own championship rings the previous year, so the enormity of this moment wasn't lost on either of them.
“I never doubted it.” Readjusting her camera bag again, more out of a nervous need to keep her hands busy than anything, Cassie reached over and hugged Meg.
“That's right. You told Adrian our freshman year that he would lead this school to a National trophy. See…that means you love him.”
Rolling her eyes, Cassie began to walk down the ramp, but turned back.
“I think it just means I might make a half-decent sports reporter one day.”
“Tell him you looooooove him, Cassandra.” She yelled back, drawing out the vowel in a sing-song tone.
“Make good choices, Meghan!” She yelled back.
“That's your job!”
Cassie had never been so nervous at a football game before. She was fortunate to have gotten one of the student internships for this semester, especially since next semester was out of the question, and had spent the season alternating between learning videography, photography, and interviewing players for the school’s promotional videos. Tonight she was on photography duty, and she felt downright intimidated walking on that field with all of the big networks crawling all over the place. She felt like a fraud. Still, when the team had that pivotal moment running from the tunnel, the lights flickering all over the stadium while the sound of howls and the marching band overtook the opposing team's jeers, she went into work mode, snapping pictures that she hoped captured the electricity.
Cassie kept to the parameter as they were instructed to do, but she found Adrian quickly after they made it to the sidelines. He was laser focused and talking with one of his wide receivers before they walked out for the coin toss. Focusing her lens on the two, Cassie snapped the photo at the moment they both grinned at each other. Lowering the camera, she felt her own smile spread over her face. This was such a huge night for him, and she was so grateful to be able to cheer him on. As if he could feel her eyes on him, he suddenly turned his head and looked right at her.
He couldn't come over, but the way he smiled changed when he was looking at her than seconds before when he was staring his teammate in the face. Cassie's nose scrunched slightly as she made a silly face at him in an effort to break any nerves he might be feeling.
Go be you. Mouthing the three words she told him before every game, she winked at him before turning her camera towards the crowd behind them. In that moment she caught sight of Rebecca, her pom poms reflecting the overhead lights as she shook them with the rest of the squad, but her eyes were narrowed at Cassie. Giving her an over exaggerated smile, Cassie turned her camera and pointed it directly at Rebecca instead and by the time she pushed down the button, Rebecca's fake smile had been plastered back on her face.
The game was intense. When halftime came around the teams went into the locker room tied. Cassie did her best to keep any nerves she felt free from her facial expression. She and Adrian occasionally caught each other's eye throughout the game, and every time she sensed that pressure creeping into his green eyes, she made a stupid face at him to try to break the ice.
She definitely noticed tonight how many times they found each other, even when she had wandered to the different corners of the field and he was up walking around to keep his muscles warm and loose. Was Meg right about that? Did they make eye contact for an inordinate amount of time? Cassie could make the argument that it had more to do with seeing a familiar face in the crowd more than anything.
The last few seconds of the game ticked down and the tension in the stadium was tangible. The crowd was deafening, and the Wolves were one field goal away from winning the entire thing. All Adrian had to do was get their kicker in field goal range. Two yards. Two yards and the best kicker in the country would have a shot he couldn't miss.
Cassie held her breath from behind the end zone, her camera poised and ready, as she watched the ball snap. The other team blitzed in an effort to push Adrian back and sack him, but the Wolves anticipated the move. Adrian found his Wide Receiver, threw the ball quickly with accuracy, and the Wolves won with a touchdown. The stadium exploded as the team ran onto the field.
Turning her head, she found Meg in the student section, and they screamed in each other's general direction. Meg formed a heart with her hands and then pointed towards Adrian, mouthing “Do it” slowly enough she could read her lips from afar. Cassie looked back at Adrian celebrating and moved towards him. Lifting the camera, she captured several shots of the team while she moved closer to her target. She stopped shy of him and his coach as the major network reporter approached them with a microphone.
“Adrian, what an incredible showing tonight! What's going through your head right now?” The reporter yelled to be heard as he moved close, holding the microphone in front of Adrian’s face. Before Adrian could respond, a flash of blonde in a blue and gold cheerleader uniform darted through the throne of press. Rebecca jumped into him, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on national television. The players around them cheered louder as several of them pumped their fists into the air.
“Get it, man!”
Cassie tightened her grip around the camera, and the smile slipped from her face. The crowd grew thicker with every passing second as fans pushed in to get closer to the team, and she found it more difficult to breathe. Turning, she began to weave her way through shoulder pads and yelling fans. She pulled her phone from her camera bag and texted Meg, her text blurring beneath tears.
C: Meet me by the exit at Gate H. Please.
M: We’ll miss the trophy presentation!
…Wait, why? Cass, what happened?
C: I need to leave. Please.
***
10 Years Later
“How do you do that?” Meg's eyebrows furrowed as her eyes scanned the article she was reading on her cell phone.
“Do what?” Cassie leaned against the sink, spooning yogurt out of the container and taking a bite. She was dressed in her sports bra and leggings, her hair in a ponytail, and she was fresh from her morning run.
“How do you manage to point out how terrible our football program was under Rollins, but do it so nicely that you make your readers actually feel bad for the guy and wish him well?” Looking up from her phone, Meg looked incredulous. “Our program is at an all-time low, players are disengaged and miserable, fans are pissed, and you just had me hoping he finds a nice pillow to land on.”
Laughing, Cassie shook her head and shrugged as she took another bite, crossing one ankle over the other.
“He’s not a bad coach, honestly. He turned his last program around in two years, and I think he tried his best here. I just think that Johnson left things in worse shape than people realize and it’s going to take more time or something really special to fix it. Those players had their hearts trampled on by a man they should have been able to trust. Those wounds run deep. That doesn't heal overnight.”
“You have a gift, madam. You also managed to scoop the major network, which is why they're going to snatch you up.” Standing up, Meg walked over to the kitchen and poured another cup of coffee.
“Don't jinx it.”
“I'm just saying, you are going to get your dream job and I’m going to have to find a new roommate.”
“Meg, you don't actually need a roommate. You are perfectly capable of paying rent. We are fully fledged adults, remember?” The two women had stayed roommates after graduation, and despite thriving in their own careers, had never even discussed moving into separate places. Every time they moved, they did it together. While most students graduated and went back to their hometowns or set off on new adventures, Meg had decided to stay and became a physical therapist. Last year , she had been hired on by the university's athletic department. Cassie had always intended on staying here unless she received a reporting job from a major network. Dogwood, North Carolina was the quaint university town that most people dreamed of when they imagined strolling down the street sprinkled with friendly faces, old architecture, and local shops sprinkled throughout. She had been born and raised here, and loved her little town. Her parents were still here, closing in on the days where they could retire and travel more.
“I can’t live alone. You know that. I need constant attention.” Poking her bottom lip out, Meg walked next to Cassie and laid her on the woman’s shoulder.
“Are you ever going to grow up?” Laughing, Cassie juggled her shoulder gently to get Meg to move her head.
“Not likely.” She shrugged. “To be fair, you just called me an adult a moment ago.”
“I’m going to shower. I have to get ready for work.” Standing up straight, Cassie tossed her spoon in the sink and her yogurt container in the recycling can. Softball season was in full swing, and the Timberwolves were getting closer to the Regional playoffs that would be hosted at their field. Though her former team had made it to Super Regionals every year since she'd graduated, they hadn't quite managed to punch that ticket to Oklahoma in the last four. This year felt different, though.
“”All right, babe…” Meg slapped Cassie on the behind and winked at her. “See you at the field later. Wolves are going to take it! Clean sweep!”
*
The week between the announcement of Rollins' termination and the announcement of the new head coach was a whirlwind of rumors and press updates while the university tried its best to maintain secrecy. Cassie threw her hat in the ring by posting fresh content about different prospective coaches who could bring new energy and a solid coaching history to the program.
When the Athletic Director called a press conference to announce their final decision, she’d been just as certain as everyone else that it was going to be the head coach at one of their rival universities. Cassie pulled herself out of bed early after a late night at the softball field to make it to the early morning announcement, and then would have to change clothes to make it back to the field as quickly as possible. If they were announcing the new head coach today, then that likely meant they would fly him in the next day and parade him around.
She was already trying to figure out how she and Kenny, her cameraman, were going to juggle the conflicting events. Bringing in a new football coach was a massive affair. Part of her felt annoyed that they would choose to do this on the weekend their softball team was hosting Regionals, but she also understood that time was tight. Ideally, this would have been done months ago so the new coach had spring and summer to work with his team. As it was, he would only have three months to build some sort of foundation. Fall would likely be another losing season, but Cassie hoped desperately that they would at least see progress for the team. Something to give Wolf Nation hope.
“Good morning, Cassie.” David Hall, a sports reporter who ran his own blog , greeted her as he plopped down in the seat next to her. He looked just as tired as she was from the late night. Smiling, she lifted her iced latte and tilted it towards his coffee cup as he did the same to hers in mutual cheers.
“My money’s on Donahue.” David pulled out his camera and set it up quickly.
“Eh, we’ll have to disagree there. He’s too controversial for us. Can't control his temper to save his life.” Reaching over, Cassie hit the “Live” button on her own camera, and checked her phone to make sure she had, in fact, gone live.
M: Looks good!
She grinned as Meg’s text came through. What would she do without her? Meg always tuned in when she could to Cassie's live streams or reports.
C: Thanks!
M: Fair warning, you are in SNC’s frame. Your hair looks fantastic!
The Athletic Director walked in and stood at the podium, greeting everybody in the room.
“Thank you for getting here so early. I know many of you were up late last night covering our Lady Wolves, so we will be quick. We won't be taking any questions today but there are press packets available when you leave that have the schedule for the weekend.
We know these past several years have been tumultuous, and we need somebody with a unique understanding of this football program and the legacy that Coach Summers left behind when he retired. Though he’s no longer with us, we want to honor what he built here. With that, we are excited to announce our new head football coach will be Adrian Stafford.”
Cassie nearly dropped her pen that had been poised over her notepad. She almost wondered if she’d misheard, but the director continued speaking.
“I know that’s a name everybody in this room is familiar with. We’re proud and honored to welcome Coach Stafford back to his alma mater, this time as a member of our staff…”
The floor seemed to drop out from under her, and her phone started buzzing non-stop with texts. She stopped hearing the words coming from the podium as she tried to process what she had just heard. Adrian hadn't been on anybody's short list, and he never even remotely entered her thoughts as a possibility.
M: FIX YOUR FACE!!!!!!!
Cassie's eyes dropped to her phone in time to see the push notification pop up from Meg, and she mentally kicked herself back into gear. She could panic later.
*
Cassie couldn’t decide if time had passed too quickly or too slowly before the press conference the next evening. To his credit, the Athletic Director had worked wonders in trying to balance out Adrian's arrival with the softball playoffs, but it still had smaller media outlets like theirs struggling to be everywhere. Kenny had gone to the airport to cover b-roll and film live while she was at the softball game. Though she was representing Timberwolf Media with her coverage, they had been contracted by Sports Channel Network to provide coverage, so she worked with their camera people. A taste of life on the national reporting stage.
The Wolves won their afternoon game, which pushed them to the finals bracket the next day. Once she went off air, Cassie quickly texted Meg while packing up her stuff.
C: Done. Grab my bag and meet me in the bathroom.
M: On it!
Soon the two women were shoved in the softball locker room bathroom so that Cassie could change to something more appropriate for the football press conference. Opening her bag, she reached for the blue dress pants she had packed only to pull out her black pencil skirt.
“Wait…this isn't what I packed.” Her hazel eyes looked at Meg with confusion.
“I know.” Grinning, Meg plugged in the hair wand to touch up Cassie's waves after they had spent the day in a ponytail. “You’re welcome.”
“Why did you change my clothes?”
“You don't have time to waste. Get changed.” Practically pushing Cassie into the bathroom stall, Meg reached into the bag and grabbed the heat spray, setting up a makeshift salon in the small space. “Your ass and legs were born for that pencil skirt.”
“Meg…” There was a note of accusation in Cassie's voice as she got undressed because she did not, in fact, have time to waste.
“Look, you and Adrian haven't seen each other in a long time, so I just thought that you should maybe spice it up a bit.”
“Meghan Butler!” Sounding equally annoyed and amused, Cassie reached in and grabbed the white, sleeveless blouse that she had originally paired with her pants.
“What?” Sounding none too innocent, Meg shrugged her shoulders.
“You are out of your mind.” Laughing, more to cover up her nerves than because she found the situation funny, Cassie slid the pencil skirt up and zipped it. Stepping outside of the stall, she made quick work of shoving her dirty clothes into the bag. “Truth…how bad do I smell?”
Summer heat was no joke.
“Eh, not great, but we'll get you there. Never underestimate dry shampoo and baby wipes. Sit down.” Practically shoving Cassie into the chair, Meg got to work on Cassie's dark hair while Cassie applied fresh makeup.
Meg did work wonders. By the time Cassie sat in her usual chair in the press room, front row last seat on the right, it was nearly impossible to tell she had spent the last two days outside reporting, save for the little bit of sun that tinged her nose and cheeks pink. Dark, loose curls fell over her shoulders as she sat with one leg crossed over the other, her fingers tapping on her notepad. Her stomach was a bundle of nerves. She hadn't been this anxious about a press conference since she was a brand new reporter.
“Hey, Cassie!” Eric Jackson, the head of media relations for the Wolves waved to her as he entered the room. Eric always came in right before the coaches and players did at the press conferences. Leaning in, he lowered his voice in her ear. “Do you want the first question or the last?”
“Last.” She grinned at him as David joined her in his usual seat. Eric gave her a wink and a nod before acknowledging David with a look of annoyed tolerance.
“Do you think he would like me better if I wore a skirt and heels?” David asked cheerfully as he set up his equipment.
“I think he would like you better if you stopped asking intentionally goading questions to our coaches and athletes.” Smiling sweetly at him, she hit the button on her camera to go live. Like clockwork, her phone buzzed.
“People go to you for the nice angle, Cass. They come to me for questions everyone wants to know, but nobody wants to ask. I bring the juicy stuff.”
M: Your legs in that skirt are making me question my sexuality. Btw, you are in frame for SNC and WGTX.
C: Thanks for keeping me informed.
M: It's my job. Tell David hi and that his tripod needs to move an inch to the right.
Cassie laughed and nudged David to show him the text. He moved his tripod a little closer to hers before taking out his own phone. As soon as he sat the phone down, Cassie's phone buzzed with a text.
D: She's on to something about that skirt, except it definitely solidifies my sexuality. Get together tonight?
C: Ha. Ha. Not tonight. Long weekend, and tomorrow's a big day. Don't be an ass during this presser.
She'd just sent the text off when the contingency walked in, and she laid eyes on Adrian Stafford for the first time in a decade as he took his seat at the table. Inhaling slowly, Cassie's heart squeezed a little bit at the nostalgia that came rushing forward. How could someone look both so familiar and so much like a stranger at the same time?
You can do this, Cassandra Nichols. You are a professional. He is just another coach.
“I feel like I'm going to throw up.” Cassie groaned as her hazel eyes took in the football field and the sheer amount of seats that were filling to capacity.
“This stadium is massive.” Meghan's eyes were just as wide as her own.
“I honestly don't know how he does this every week in a college stadium, and this is just so much bigger.” Cassie adjusted the press badge around her neck, untangling her camera strap from the string that held the golden ticket that would get her on the field. So it wasn't literally a golden ticket, but it felt like it.
“Your stud muffin loves the attention.” Grinning, Meghan nudged her shoulder against Cassie's in a playful manner.
“Stop it. He’s not my stud muffin. He’s just my friend. Who even says stud muffin anymore?” Shaking her head as she laughed, Cassie checked the carrier bag that sat on her hip for her extra batteries.
“Girl, please. At some point the two of you need to stop circling each other and just go for it. He’s definitely going pro after he brings home this win. Twenty years from now, don't you want to be able to tell your grown children that you banged the hottest quarterback in the country?”
“Meg, there are so many things wrong with what you just said. I'm not even sure where to start unpacking.” Laughing, she shook her head. "Besides, the last thing I would want to hear about is my mom and dad talk about their sex life.”
“Oh, I bet your mom and dad have a great sex life. They are both smokin’ hot-”
“Ew ew ew. STOP!” Laughing, she shoved Meg to get her to stop talking about her parents. Meg stumbled to the side still laughing, knocking into two college-aged students wearing Timberwolf football shirts.
“Watch it.” One of the guys worked diligently to protect the full beer can that nearly got knocked out his hand.
“Sorry guys. Go Wolves!” Cassie looked apologetically at them, but the minute she said “Wolves,” they both howled and raised their beer in salute .
“Okay, okay.” Raising her hands in mock surrender, Meg took her place beside Cassie as they stood in the walkway staring out at the field.
“In all seriousness, Cass,” Meg’s tone softened as she turned her gaze back to her best friend, “I love you both dearly, and it is so painfully obvious how much you both have a thing for each other. You should tell him how you feel. His season ends tonight, and then our season begins, and then we graduate. It's now or never and I don't want you to miss out on something because you're too scared to try.”
“Meg, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I am not the kind of woman that Adrian dates. I can't compete with Rebecca. She's magazine cover gorgeous. She's the typical cheerleader, and she fits that whole aesthetic for being with a professional athlete. I'm just…me.” She said it while motioning to her loose jeans and Timberwolves polo shirt.
“But they broke up, remember?”
“Yeah, they did, for what…the fifth time? I can't even keep track anymore. He will choose her every time despite the fact that he deserves to be with someone who genuinely values him and not just his status. She's not even nice to him half the time.”
“Exactly!” Meg exclaimed, her hands flying up out of both frustration and excitement. “You are the constant woman in his life, C. You are the one he talks to about everything. When he celebrates on that field, you are the one he looks for to share it with. And, when things weren't looking good and he felt defeated last season, it was you he managed to make eye contact with in a crowd of thousands every time so he could pull himself together. You are practically his Meg when he's on that field.” Grinning, she alluded to their own relationship on the mound. As the catcher, it was Meg’s responsibility to keep her pitchers calm and grounded during stressful situations, and she knew Cassie better than any of the other pitchers in their team.
“That boy loves you, and I have no doubt that if you told him how you feel, you would not be disappointed in the response.” Silence between the two girls settled in as fans filed past them, eager to get to their seats. A group of students walked by and howled in their direction, raising their hands with their pinky and forefinger raised, looking like one might when making a shadow puppet of a dog. Grinning, they both followed their lead, howling loudly.
“All right, dear one,” she chuckled through her words. “I have to get to work. I wish we could watch the game together.”
“Can you believe they made it to the National Championship?” Meg’s eyes lit up, and her excitement was palpable. They had been to the Women's World Series the last two years, bringing home their own championship rings the previous year, so the enormity of this moment wasn't lost on either of them.
“I never doubted it.” Readjusting her camera bag again, more out of a nervous need to keep her hands busy than anything, Cassie reached over and hugged Meg.
“That's right. You told Adrian our freshman year that he would lead this school to a National trophy. See…that means you love him.”
Rolling her eyes, Cassie began to walk down the ramp, but turned back.
“I think it just means I might make a half-decent sports reporter one day.”
“Tell him you looooooove him, Cassandra.” She yelled back, drawing out the vowel in a sing-song tone.
“Make good choices, Meghan!” She yelled back.
“That's your job!”
Cassie had never been so nervous at a football game before. She was fortunate to have gotten one of the student internships for this semester, especially since next semester was out of the question, and had spent the season alternating between learning videography, photography, and interviewing players for the school’s promotional videos. Tonight she was on photography duty, and she felt downright intimidated walking on that field with all of the big networks crawling all over the place. She felt like a fraud. Still, when the team had that pivotal moment running from the tunnel, the lights flickering all over the stadium while the sound of howls and the marching band overtook the opposing team's jeers, she went into work mode, snapping pictures that she hoped captured the electricity.
Cassie kept to the parameter as they were instructed to do, but she found Adrian quickly after they made it to the sidelines. He was laser focused and talking with one of his wide receivers before they walked out for the coin toss. Focusing her lens on the two, Cassie snapped the photo at the moment they both grinned at each other. Lowering the camera, she felt her own smile spread over her face. This was such a huge night for him, and she was so grateful to be able to cheer him on. As if he could feel her eyes on him, he suddenly turned his head and looked right at her.
He couldn't come over, but the way he smiled changed when he was looking at her than seconds before when he was staring his teammate in the face. Cassie's nose scrunched slightly as she made a silly face at him in an effort to break any nerves he might be feeling.
Go be you. Mouthing the three words she told him before every game, she winked at him before turning her camera towards the crowd behind them. In that moment she caught sight of Rebecca, her pom poms reflecting the overhead lights as she shook them with the rest of the squad, but her eyes were narrowed at Cassie. Giving her an over exaggerated smile, Cassie turned her camera and pointed it directly at Rebecca instead and by the time she pushed down the button, Rebecca's fake smile had been plastered back on her face.
The game was intense. When halftime came around the teams went into the locker room tied. Cassie did her best to keep any nerves she felt free from her facial expression. She and Adrian occasionally caught each other's eye throughout the game, and every time she sensed that pressure creeping into his green eyes, she made a stupid face at him to try to break the ice.
She definitely noticed tonight how many times they found each other, even when she had wandered to the different corners of the field and he was up walking around to keep his muscles warm and loose. Was Meg right about that? Did they make eye contact for an inordinate amount of time? Cassie could make the argument that it had more to do with seeing a familiar face in the crowd more than anything.
The last few seconds of the game ticked down and the tension in the stadium was tangible. The crowd was deafening, and the Wolves were one field goal away from winning the entire thing. All Adrian had to do was get their kicker in field goal range. Two yards. Two yards and the best kicker in the country would have a shot he couldn't miss.
Cassie held her breath from behind the end zone, her camera poised and ready, as she watched the ball snap. The other team blitzed in an effort to push Adrian back and sack him, but the Wolves anticipated the move. Adrian found his Wide Receiver, threw the ball quickly with accuracy, and the Wolves won with a touchdown. The stadium exploded as the team ran onto the field.
Turning her head, she found Meg in the student section, and they screamed in each other's general direction. Meg formed a heart with her hands and then pointed towards Adrian, mouthing “Do it” slowly enough she could read her lips from afar. Cassie looked back at Adrian celebrating and moved towards him. Lifting the camera, she captured several shots of the team while she moved closer to her target. She stopped shy of him and his coach as the major network reporter approached them with a microphone.
“Adrian, what an incredible showing tonight! What's going through your head right now?” The reporter yelled to be heard as he moved close, holding the microphone in front of Adrian’s face. Before Adrian could respond, a flash of blonde in a blue and gold cheerleader uniform darted through the throne of press. Rebecca jumped into him, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on national television. The players around them cheered louder as several of them pumped their fists into the air.
“Get it, man!”
Cassie tightened her grip around the camera, and the smile slipped from her face. The crowd grew thicker with every passing second as fans pushed in to get closer to the team, and she found it more difficult to breathe. Turning, she began to weave her way through shoulder pads and yelling fans. She pulled her phone from her camera bag and texted Meg, her text blurring beneath tears.
C: Meet me by the exit at Gate H. Please.
M: We’ll miss the trophy presentation!
…Wait, why? Cass, what happened?
C: I need to leave. Please.
***
10 Years Later
“How do you do that?” Meg's eyebrows furrowed as her eyes scanned the article she was reading on her cell phone.
“Do what?” Cassie leaned against the sink, spooning yogurt out of the container and taking a bite. She was dressed in her sports bra and leggings, her hair in a ponytail, and she was fresh from her morning run.
“How do you manage to point out how terrible our football program was under Rollins, but do it so nicely that you make your readers actually feel bad for the guy and wish him well?” Looking up from her phone, Meg looked incredulous. “Our program is at an all-time low, players are disengaged and miserable, fans are pissed, and you just had me hoping he finds a nice pillow to land on.”
Laughing, Cassie shook her head and shrugged as she took another bite, crossing one ankle over the other.
“He’s not a bad coach, honestly. He turned his last program around in two years, and I think he tried his best here. I just think that Johnson left things in worse shape than people realize and it’s going to take more time or something really special to fix it. Those players had their hearts trampled on by a man they should have been able to trust. Those wounds run deep. That doesn't heal overnight.”
“You have a gift, madam. You also managed to scoop the major network, which is why they're going to snatch you up.” Standing up, Meg walked over to the kitchen and poured another cup of coffee.
“Don't jinx it.”
“I'm just saying, you are going to get your dream job and I’m going to have to find a new roommate.”
“Meg, you don't actually need a roommate. You are perfectly capable of paying rent. We are fully fledged adults, remember?” The two women had stayed roommates after graduation, and despite thriving in their own careers, had never even discussed moving into separate places. Every time they moved, they did it together. While most students graduated and went back to their hometowns or set off on new adventures, Meg had decided to stay and became a physical therapist. Last year , she had been hired on by the university's athletic department. Cassie had always intended on staying here unless she received a reporting job from a major network. Dogwood, North Carolina was the quaint university town that most people dreamed of when they imagined strolling down the street sprinkled with friendly faces, old architecture, and local shops sprinkled throughout. She had been born and raised here, and loved her little town. Her parents were still here, closing in on the days where they could retire and travel more.
“I can’t live alone. You know that. I need constant attention.” Poking her bottom lip out, Meg walked next to Cassie and laid her on the woman’s shoulder.
“Are you ever going to grow up?” Laughing, Cassie juggled her shoulder gently to get Meg to move her head.
“Not likely.” She shrugged. “To be fair, you just called me an adult a moment ago.”
“I’m going to shower. I have to get ready for work.” Standing up straight, Cassie tossed her spoon in the sink and her yogurt container in the recycling can. Softball season was in full swing, and the Timberwolves were getting closer to the Regional playoffs that would be hosted at their field. Though her former team had made it to Super Regionals every year since she'd graduated, they hadn't quite managed to punch that ticket to Oklahoma in the last four. This year felt different, though.
“”All right, babe…” Meg slapped Cassie on the behind and winked at her. “See you at the field later. Wolves are going to take it! Clean sweep!”
*
The week between the announcement of Rollins' termination and the announcement of the new head coach was a whirlwind of rumors and press updates while the university tried its best to maintain secrecy. Cassie threw her hat in the ring by posting fresh content about different prospective coaches who could bring new energy and a solid coaching history to the program.
When the Athletic Director called a press conference to announce their final decision, she’d been just as certain as everyone else that it was going to be the head coach at one of their rival universities. Cassie pulled herself out of bed early after a late night at the softball field to make it to the early morning announcement, and then would have to change clothes to make it back to the field as quickly as possible. If they were announcing the new head coach today, then that likely meant they would fly him in the next day and parade him around.
She was already trying to figure out how she and Kenny, her cameraman, were going to juggle the conflicting events. Bringing in a new football coach was a massive affair. Part of her felt annoyed that they would choose to do this on the weekend their softball team was hosting Regionals, but she also understood that time was tight. Ideally, this would have been done months ago so the new coach had spring and summer to work with his team. As it was, he would only have three months to build some sort of foundation. Fall would likely be another losing season, but Cassie hoped desperately that they would at least see progress for the team. Something to give Wolf Nation hope.
“Good morning, Cassie.” David Hall, a sports reporter who ran his own blog , greeted her as he plopped down in the seat next to her. He looked just as tired as she was from the late night. Smiling, she lifted her iced latte and tilted it towards his coffee cup as he did the same to hers in mutual cheers.
“My money’s on Donahue.” David pulled out his camera and set it up quickly.
“Eh, we’ll have to disagree there. He’s too controversial for us. Can't control his temper to save his life.” Reaching over, Cassie hit the “Live” button on her own camera, and checked her phone to make sure she had, in fact, gone live.
M: Looks good!
She grinned as Meg’s text came through. What would she do without her? Meg always tuned in when she could to Cassie's live streams or reports.
C: Thanks!
M: Fair warning, you are in SNC’s frame. Your hair looks fantastic!
The Athletic Director walked in and stood at the podium, greeting everybody in the room.
“Thank you for getting here so early. I know many of you were up late last night covering our Lady Wolves, so we will be quick. We won't be taking any questions today but there are press packets available when you leave that have the schedule for the weekend.
We know these past several years have been tumultuous, and we need somebody with a unique understanding of this football program and the legacy that Coach Summers left behind when he retired. Though he’s no longer with us, we want to honor what he built here. With that, we are excited to announce our new head football coach will be Adrian Stafford.”
Cassie nearly dropped her pen that had been poised over her notepad. She almost wondered if she’d misheard, but the director continued speaking.
“I know that’s a name everybody in this room is familiar with. We’re proud and honored to welcome Coach Stafford back to his alma mater, this time as a member of our staff…”
The floor seemed to drop out from under her, and her phone started buzzing non-stop with texts. She stopped hearing the words coming from the podium as she tried to process what she had just heard. Adrian hadn't been on anybody's short list, and he never even remotely entered her thoughts as a possibility.
M: FIX YOUR FACE!!!!!!!
Cassie's eyes dropped to her phone in time to see the push notification pop up from Meg, and she mentally kicked herself back into gear. She could panic later.
*
Cassie couldn’t decide if time had passed too quickly or too slowly before the press conference the next evening. To his credit, the Athletic Director had worked wonders in trying to balance out Adrian's arrival with the softball playoffs, but it still had smaller media outlets like theirs struggling to be everywhere. Kenny had gone to the airport to cover b-roll and film live while she was at the softball game. Though she was representing Timberwolf Media with her coverage, they had been contracted by Sports Channel Network to provide coverage, so she worked with their camera people. A taste of life on the national reporting stage.
The Wolves won their afternoon game, which pushed them to the finals bracket the next day. Once she went off air, Cassie quickly texted Meg while packing up her stuff.
C: Done. Grab my bag and meet me in the bathroom.
M: On it!
Soon the two women were shoved in the softball locker room bathroom so that Cassie could change to something more appropriate for the football press conference. Opening her bag, she reached for the blue dress pants she had packed only to pull out her black pencil skirt.
“Wait…this isn't what I packed.” Her hazel eyes looked at Meg with confusion.
“I know.” Grinning, Meg plugged in the hair wand to touch up Cassie's waves after they had spent the day in a ponytail. “You’re welcome.”
“Why did you change my clothes?”
“You don't have time to waste. Get changed.” Practically pushing Cassie into the bathroom stall, Meg reached into the bag and grabbed the heat spray, setting up a makeshift salon in the small space. “Your ass and legs were born for that pencil skirt.”
“Meg…” There was a note of accusation in Cassie's voice as she got undressed because she did not, in fact, have time to waste.
“Look, you and Adrian haven't seen each other in a long time, so I just thought that you should maybe spice it up a bit.”
“Meghan Butler!” Sounding equally annoyed and amused, Cassie reached in and grabbed the white, sleeveless blouse that she had originally paired with her pants.
“What?” Sounding none too innocent, Meg shrugged her shoulders.
“You are out of your mind.” Laughing, more to cover up her nerves than because she found the situation funny, Cassie slid the pencil skirt up and zipped it. Stepping outside of the stall, she made quick work of shoving her dirty clothes into the bag. “Truth…how bad do I smell?”
Summer heat was no joke.
“Eh, not great, but we'll get you there. Never underestimate dry shampoo and baby wipes. Sit down.” Practically shoving Cassie into the chair, Meg got to work on Cassie's dark hair while Cassie applied fresh makeup.
Meg did work wonders. By the time Cassie sat in her usual chair in the press room, front row last seat on the right, it was nearly impossible to tell she had spent the last two days outside reporting, save for the little bit of sun that tinged her nose and cheeks pink. Dark, loose curls fell over her shoulders as she sat with one leg crossed over the other, her fingers tapping on her notepad. Her stomach was a bundle of nerves. She hadn't been this anxious about a press conference since she was a brand new reporter.
“Hey, Cassie!” Eric Jackson, the head of media relations for the Wolves waved to her as he entered the room. Eric always came in right before the coaches and players did at the press conferences. Leaning in, he lowered his voice in her ear. “Do you want the first question or the last?”
“Last.” She grinned at him as David joined her in his usual seat. Eric gave her a wink and a nod before acknowledging David with a look of annoyed tolerance.
“Do you think he would like me better if I wore a skirt and heels?” David asked cheerfully as he set up his equipment.
“I think he would like you better if you stopped asking intentionally goading questions to our coaches and athletes.” Smiling sweetly at him, she hit the button on her camera to go live. Like clockwork, her phone buzzed.
“People go to you for the nice angle, Cass. They come to me for questions everyone wants to know, but nobody wants to ask. I bring the juicy stuff.”
M: Your legs in that skirt are making me question my sexuality. Btw, you are in frame for SNC and WGTX.
C: Thanks for keeping me informed.
M: It's my job. Tell David hi and that his tripod needs to move an inch to the right.
Cassie laughed and nudged David to show him the text. He moved his tripod a little closer to hers before taking out his own phone. As soon as he sat the phone down, Cassie's phone buzzed with a text.
D: She's on to something about that skirt, except it definitely solidifies my sexuality. Get together tonight?
C: Ha. Ha. Not tonight. Long weekend, and tomorrow's a big day. Don't be an ass during this presser.
She'd just sent the text off when the contingency walked in, and she laid eyes on Adrian Stafford for the first time in a decade as he took his seat at the table. Inhaling slowly, Cassie's heart squeezed a little bit at the nostalgia that came rushing forward. How could someone look both so familiar and so much like a stranger at the same time?
You can do this, Cassandra Nichols. You are a professional. He is just another coach.
