I held my breath, still reeling from the offhand comment. He was very confident. I didn’t do well in interpersonal communication with overly confident people. “So.” My words dried up as he narrowed his piercing blue eyes in anticipation. “Erm.”
Silence.
I hated it already. Professor Halden had been too excited when I mentioned this idea, picking it over all the other ideas I had. He had been my mentor and my compass since the first day of college, and I damn well should have argued against it, but I had given in.
“So,” Patrick said. “You mentioned wanting to work on a project. I’m guessing it’s sports-related, all things considered.”
I swallowed. “Yes, it is.”
“I’m flattered,” he said. “But I have to warn you. I’m not exactly academically inclined.”
I inhaled slowly, frowning. “Right.”
“Seriously,” Patrick said. “I’d love to hear more, but be prepared, I’ll need a lot of help with things like, er, methodology and papers and…if I say statistics, will I sound stupid?”
My frown deepened.
Patrick lifted a corner of his mouth into a lazy, heart-wrenching smirk. “I’m happy to put my name on it if you get me, but I’m not sure how much more I can add.”
“You’re not supposed to be my research partner,” I said.
He cocked his head. “What am I supposed to be?”
“My subject,” I said.
“Whoa. It’s only our first date.”
I ignored him, but the heat washed over me nonetheless. “I’m sure I told you about my thesis. I’m supposed to shadow a study subject.”
“See, I’m sure you didn’t put it that way,” Patrick said.
Relief relaxed my shoulders a little. He wasn’t going to do it.
But Patrick let out a whistle and grinned. “That’s a goddamn relief. I was worried for a second.”
“So, you want to do it?” I asked.
He shrugged. “What do I have to do?”
“Erm, go on the way you do, basically,” I said.
“I don’t think that’s gonna be a challenge,” he told me.
We sat in brief silence as I wondered if there was anything off-putting I could pitch him and get out of this whole thing. Professor Halden really should have listened to my other pitches—specifically, the ones that didn’t involve following a Greek god of our university’s hockey team. “It would involve me observingyour routines. Basically, I would follow you to your drills, games, gym sessions, team meetings, and so on. It’s a big ask. I’d have a window into your personal life, too. And that’s not all. I’ll probably track some of your physiological responses, fit you with a pedometer, track your heart rate and blood pressure, have you do a drug test, and all sorts of things. It will definitely involve a lot of recorded conversations after practice or games. Plus, I’ll follow you to some lectures and social events. Obviously, it’s a huge intrusion.”Please tell me to go fuck myself.
“Cool,” Patrick said. “I’m not averse to being the center of attention.”
My heart sank. The more I spoke, the deeper I was stuck in this.
“Why me, though?” Patrick asked.
“Because…” I blurted, then stopped myself. “You have a reputation,” I said. “See, I’m researching how emotional regulation influences an athlete’s performance and mental state. And you’re, well, a hothead. Out there, I mean. You play it rough.”
“Really?” he thought about it, a glint of pride lighting up his eyes. “I didn’t realize that was my reputation. Cool.” He considered it for a moment longer. “So, we’ll be inseparable for a few weeks, huh?”
A chance, I thought. It was a bombshell with a potency I had completely ignored. Anyone could be observed for a week or two, and it wouldn’t be an intrusion. “Actually,” I said. “It’s a semester-long project.”
His eyes widened. “Holy shit, Shane, that’s ambitious.”
