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I nod lightly, keeping my eyes on his and trying not to let my surprise and disappointment show. “Ok.” I nod again and tap my gloves together. “We have some work to do then. But,” I point a glove at him, “intense drills that push boundaries aren’t a great place to start.”
He opens his mouth, I’m sure to protest, but I press my glove to it.
“Ah,” I say, and he bats my glove away. I smile, pressing it to my chest instead. “Coach, remember?”
A mix of emotions play out in his expression as he sighs. Frustration, annoyance, anger and… a flicker of defeat. But fuck no. Nope, we’re not having any of that.
“We’re going to continue this drill,” I say, and a little light finds its way back into his eyes. “But we’re slowing the pace and power, and building up slowly.”
“Ok.” He nods, and I smile.
“First, five-minute break.” I turn towards the edge of the ring, slipping through the ropes to grab my water bottle. “Since you came out guns blazing today.”
As I set my water bottle down after taking a drink, my eyes catch a notification on my phone. An email from someone named Anthony Harris. Who the fuck is that? I tap it, wondering if it might be something about the Dallas fight.
But my stomach drops as my eyes travel over the subject line.
Subject: Opportunity at Sterling Academy
Dear Luca,
I hope this email finds you well. My name is Anthony Harris, and I am the Dean of Browning Academy. We have yet to formally meet, however I have had the pleasure of hearing about your achievements during your time here at Browning, and in your teaching career thus far from your mother. In a recent conversation with her, she has mentioned your interest in working at Sterling Academy.
As you may know, Sterling Academy is located just outside of St. Louis and is a sister school to Browning. We highly value the exchange of talent and expertise between our institutions, and I believe your skills and dedication would be a great fit for Sterling. I wanted to personally invite you to apply for a position there.
This is a permanent, full-time Physical Education and Health teaching position for high school aged students, in a college prep environment.
I am more than happy to provide any additional information and support you through the application process. Sterling Academy offers a vibrant and nurturing environment, and I am confident that you will find it a rewarding place to advance your career.
Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions or need further assistance. I look forward to seeing your application and hopefully welcoming you to our extended educational community.
Warm regards,
Anthony Harris
Dean, Browning Academy
Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
SEVENTEEN
My eyes open to darkness as I’m woken by the smell of… cookies?
I turn my head to the empty spot in bed beside me, then hear the crash of a pan in the kitchen, followed by a muttered, “Shit.”
What the fuck…
With a groan I get out of bed and open the bedroom door, shielding my eyes against the harsh light from the kitchen. Luca is standing at the counter, headphones over his ears and in deep concentration as he pours batter into a pan.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I ask, stepping into the kitchen and rubbing my eyes.
He doesn’t answer, being so focused he doesn’t even see me enter the kitchen. He just continues to scrape the batter from the bowl while listening to his music that is clearly loud enough to block out every other sound.
I walk up behind him and pull his headphones off one ear, causing him to drop the bowl and jump, sending a spray of batter over the counter.
“Holy shit.” He stares at me with wide eyes, yanking his headphones down around his neck. “What the fuck?”
“Yeah,” I nod looking around at the messy kitchen, “what the fuck.”
