Page 17 of Penalty Kick

“I am just finishing getting ready,” he answered in English. She needed the practice in using the language conversationally. Their mother only spoke a few words, and he knew that even though she was taking English class in school, the best way to really grasp the language was to use it. “I have a fundraiser with the team.”

“Is that code for a date?”

A date? Where would she have gotten that idea?

“No, it is code for, I have a fundraiser with the team. It is to support the Unified team.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, a lilt to her voice that was almost teasing.

Checking himself out in the mirror again, he ran a hand down his abs. Part of him was nervous about putting it all on display tonight. It was one thing to be shirtless at the beach, or on the pitch after a game or training session, but in a bar? Then again, right about now he didn’t have room to talk. He had just tried to salsa dance his way down Las Vegas Boulevard completely naked. With total strangers. And that had ended up on Twitter. At least tonight he would only be half on display, and it would be for a good cause.

“I am positive. What’s this sudden interest in me having a date?”

“I just know how popular you are with the ladies,” she giggled.

“Do you now…”

“I have social media!” Maria giggled again, but the ‘duh’ in her tone couldn’t be missed.

I have social media. Her words rang out in his head, punching him in the gut at the same time. Did that mean she’d seen the videos? He had accounts on all the major outlets, but he rarely used them, posting just enough so that the team’s marketing department left him alone. Usually it was all team related stuff, pictures post win, or if they were doing an appearance somewhere. He didn’t feel the need to splash his personal life all over the Internet. Fans did that enough for him. In the last few weeks, even complete strangers had joined in on that pastime. It wouldn’t have been difficult for Maria to find, and for all he knew, any one of her friends could have forwarded it to her.

Stepping back from the mirror, Dash crashed down on his bed, regret washing over him. It was bad enough that he’d let his team and coaches down. But Maria? That was next level. Everything he did was so that she would have a better time growing up than he did. At twelve years younger than he was, she was too young to remember what life was like before. Their father had walked out shortly after her birth, leaving them with next to nothing. Not that they’d had very much when he was around; anything extra they did manage to scrape together, he’d spent on booze. Life was better without him—Dash knew that. He was happy Maria never had to experience all the things he had growing up. He wanted more for her. Their mother was the strongest woman he’d ever met, so he knew Maria had the best role model there was in her. But he also wanted her to have a sold male figure in her life to round it all out. Someone who she knew she could count on, no matter what.

Something that he was pretty sure he was failing at currently.

Turning back toward the mirror, he stared into his own eyes, giving himself the same tough look his coaches back in Argentina would have. The same kind of look Gunnar would give him. He was tired of feeling this way. Of letting guilt and failure rule his emotions. Yes, he fucked up, but that’s not who he was, and he needed to prove that to everyone. Himself included.

“Maria, I do not know what idea you have gotten in your head, but it is not like that,” he said, giving her one last indulgence on the subject. He needed to shift the focus of this conversation. “How is school?”

“It’s school.”

“Classes are going well? How are your grades?”

“Now you sound like Mom.”

Dash barked out a laugh. Maria had a point—that was exactly the kind of question their mother would ask. Although her tone probably would have had a little more stickler to it.

“Fair enough. How is your science project coming? It is due soon, yes?”

“Almost done. It is not due until the day before winter break, but my teacher said we could turn it in early for extra credit, so that’s my plan.”

"Solid plan.”

Smiling, Dash bit his lip from commenting more. He was dying to tell her all about his surprise but knew that she needed to focus on this science project. His mother agreed. Once that was complete and turned in, they planned on telling her—and Dash couldn’t wait. If ever there was a need for a video call, that was it. Because he wasn’t going to miss the look on his little sister’s face when he told her that he was flying her and their mom to visit him for a week over her break. While summer might be in full swing in Georgia, in Buenos Aires, it was winter. Meaning it was cold—at least by South American standards. It also meant a two-week school vacation—one of which the two most important women in his life were going to spend with him in Atlanta.

“When do I get to see you again?”

“Soon. I promise,” he answered, fighting not to give in.

“I don’t think I like the American schedule. It’s weird.”

“Depending on if the team makes the playoffs, we will be done sometime between October and the first week of December. So I will be home for Christmas. I agree, the schedule here is different, but my season lines up almost with your school schedule, going from March until December, so I think that works out well.”

“I guess.”

Her voice was flippant and full of teenager attitude, but he couldn’t help but smile. Their conversations always filled him with such joy. This one was no different. Bouncing around from topic to topic, never staying on one very long, there was always an ease to it. Maria knew that no matter what, she could talk to him about anything, and he knew that if she ever really needed to, she would. Until that day came, though, he was going to enjoy topic hopping with her.

Glancing over at his bedside table, he caught the time. A pang cut through him with the realization that he needed to end the conversation. But he needed to get to Bunz. The event would start soon, and he needed to get up to speed before the crowd poured in. Plus, Talia was waiting on him.