“Kennedy!” Coach barks out.
Eamon whips his gaze their way and nods when Coach beckons him over. Lifting the bottom of his practice jersey, he wipes the sweat from his face before jogging across the field. Coach tosses him a bottle of water as he approaches, then introduces him to the other man. This isn’t any of my business, so I gather my belongings and head for the locker room to shower. Pulling my phone from the front pocket of my bag, I check to see if I have any missed calls or messages, smiling when I notice that I have a text from Layla.
Layla:I got called in to close tonight, so I won’t be home until late. Hope the scrimmage went well. Love you, guapo.
Disappointment seeps in knowing that I won’t get to see my lass tonight, but it’s probably for the better. I have a mountain of homework to catch up on, and if I go to Layla’s, the last thing I’ll be doing is homework.
Teagan:Sorry, Lovely. I’ll miss you. Let me know when you get home, yeah?Love you more, Cailín.
I stuff my phone back in my bag before shutting it in my locker and hitting the showers. If I hurry, I can maybe swing by to give her a quick kiss before her shift. That’s all the motivation I need to race through, washing my hair and body at lightning speed. Shutting the water off, I grab a towel and tie it around my waist. Realizing I left my clothes in my bag in my rush, I head for my locker to retrieve them.
“Teag, mate, c’mere till I tell ye,” Rowan appears on the other side of the door, making me jump.
“Bleeding Christ, man, you scared the life out of me! Give a bloke some sort of warning, will ya?”
“I will, yeah, but listen,” Ro says hurriedly. “That oul fella out there with Coach and Eam is a scout from Inter Miami! Overheard them talking about bringing our mate out for a week or so. Think he’ll sign with them if they offer?”
I pause to consider. Eamon is good enough, but I don’t think his heart is in it. Especially with Norah at his side. The lass would move wherever he goes, but would he be up for traveling? Leaving her for weeks at a time?
“Nah, I don’t think he will.”
“He’d be a fucking eejit to turn that down. He could be set for life there,” Rowan argues like he’s trying to win me over to his side.
“He won’t go because of Norah and you know it.”
“Ach, that’s rubbish. She’s not the type to hold him back.”
I’m a little shocked that he’s defending her, rather than putting the blame on the lass.
“Yeah, mate, I know. She’d follow him to the moon and back. That’s not what I’m saying. Eamon won’t want to travel regularly. He’s so gone for Norah I don’t think he could handle being away from her for a few days, let alone weeks.”
Rowan purses his lips as he takes in my words, then finally agrees. “Aye, as much as I hate to admit it, I think you’re right. Both of you are tied down tight by your mots.”
I grin at the thought of Layla tying me down. It doesn’t sound half bad,honestly.
“Better you lot than me though. I’m not giving up my life for a lass.”
Clapping a hand on his shoulder and squeezing, I say, “Rowan, one day you’re going to eat those words and I, personally, cannot wait to watch from the front row. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a Spanish rose I need to go kiss.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Layla
My nerves are frayed, which is ridiculous because this is just a practice run. All I’m doing is putting stage makeup on the Irish trio—transforming them into a black cat woman, denim cowgirl, and a red devil. No big deal. Except that I really want the department head to like my work enough to offer me a job. Not only would it be something I’d love, but the pay and benefits will be better as an official employee of UNCW than as a grocery store clerk. The position requires experience, and preferably a degree in theater, but having your best friend as one of the most beneficial members of the department holds a lot of weight.
Norah’s designs for the guys are brilliant, tailored perfectly to their personalities. Eamon is more mysterious—keeping out of the light, while Rowan is flashy and loud. Teagan may not appear so devilish to the outsideworld but behind closed doors? He’s deliciously wicked. And if I’m being honest, the idea of seeing him in his costume has me more than a little excited.
“You’re going to do great,” Norah assures me, gripping my shoulders and forcing eye contact. “Promise. Dr. Andrews is going to love your work.”
Blowing out a breath, I nod. “Okay. I can do this.”
“Hell yeah, you can. Now, who’s your first victim?”
That gets a laugh out of me as I contemplate which of the guys I want to work on first. I’m inclined to choose Teagan, but he’s more nervous than I am. He tossed and turned all night last night. Even after my attempts to distract him and tire him out with my body, he still remained restless. I would have slept like the dead if not for all of his movement.
At around four o’clock this morning, I gave up on sleep and rolled to face him. He was wide awake, staring at the ceiling.
“Hey, Papí,” I whispered, knowing that name would get his attention the quickest.
