“Good job, José! Excellent form, mate!” I cheer for the boy as he expertly blocks a ball from entering the net. The kid has some serious talent at such a young age.
After I ended my call with Layla, it took me a long time to focus on my homework. I hadn’t intended to be so forward with our conversation, but there’s something about her that makes me want to open up and show all of my cards. And that throaty laugh of hers is quickly becoming my favorite sound. It makes me want to work harder to earn her smiles.
I should have been doing a research paper, but instead, I spent my time looking up salsa dancing. My jaw dropped once I realized how sensual it was. I’d give up just about anything to watch Layla move like that. In private. No other wanker is going to look at her luscious body swaying andundulating so seductively. I’m thinking of learning how to do it myself just so I have the excuse of putting my hands on her while her hips sway.
Shaking those thoughts out of my head, I bring myself back to the present and see Gabriela sitting on the bleachers, pouting. She looks so sad that my heart just about breaks. Jogging over, I take a seat next to her.
“What’s wrong, Gabriela?” I ask quietly. “Are you alright, lass?”
Sniffling, she peeks over at me before pointing to a boy around her age across the gym. “That boy over there told me girls can’t play soccer as well as boys.”
I frown, looking over at the boy in question. That won’t do. “Now you listen to me, lass. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Girls are some of the fiercest soccer players around. Did you know that one of the best players in the world is not only a girl but she’s Hispanic?”
Her head shoots up, face bright with excitement. “¡No mames! Who is she?”
The light in her eyes makes me smile.
“Her name is Marta Vieira da Silva. She’s been named the FIFA World Player of the Yearfive times.”
Gabriela’s eyes go wide. “¡¿Cinco?! Wow! Do you think I could be the best player in the world, Mr. Teagan?”
“I do! If you practice and work hard, you could be anything you want,” I tell her sincerely.
She beams up at me before jumping up and wrapping her arms around my neck in a fierce hug. Chuckling, I give her a quick squeeze back.
“C’mon. Let’s go work on your saves. We’ll show those fellas how it’s done, yeah?”
“¡Sí! ¡Vámonos!”
Gabriela proves to be quite the force to be reckoned with when challenged. She still roars like a lion when she pounces on a ball, but she doesn’t hesitate to dive for it either. The look of determination in her eyes would stop anyone in their tracks. She means business.
In the last few minutes of class, I make it a point to discuss female soccer players. They don’t get enough credit to begin with and definitely don’t getpaid enough as professionals. I’m going to start the next class by watching some footage from the Women’s World Cup. That will surely put that little tosser in his place.
The rest of the week flies by in a blur, which is fine by me since I’ll be seeing Layla tonight for the opening of Beauty and the Beast. I haven’t seen her since that chance meeting on campus, and now I look for her every time I step out of Cameron Hall. I even go so far as detouring around the amphitheater on the off chance of seeing her. When I don’t see her, I send her a text message asking about her day. She’s usually quick to respond, which makes me grin like a fool every time.
Now I’m staring at my closet and trying to decide what to wear to the play. I don’t usually fuss over clothes, but I’m clueless as to what kind of attire is appropriate for this type of event. Eamon just happens to walk by my door at that moment. He glances over, then stops in his tracks.
“What the feck are you doing, mate?” he asks, raising a brow.
“Ach. I’m trying to figure out what the hell I’m supposed to wear to this thing.” I groan in frustration.
Chuckling, Eamon leans against the door frame and folds his arms across his chest. “Honestly, you could probably dress casually. It’s not Broadway, so don’t get fancy. ”
“No,” I say quickly. “I’m meeting Layla there.”
Eamon’s brows rise higher. “Yeah? That changes things. Have you asked her what she’s wearing?”
“‘Course not. What are you going to wear?”
“I’m…” He pauses. “Well fuck. I don’t know. I hadn’t even thought about it.”
“See? This feels like an important event. It’s an important night for your mot, and it’s the first time Layla and I’ve gone to anything just the two of us.”
“So it’s a date?” he asks, smirking at me.
“No. Yes. I don’t know. She asked if I was going, and I told her I was if she’d be there. So we agreed to meet up. I’m not picking her up. And I’m paying her back for the ticket. She wasn’t going to let me, but I wasn’thaving that.”
Eamon nods in agreement. “I’ll ask Norah what the dress code is. Problem solved.”
