Page 8 of Offsides

“Do you really have to use his name?” Theo said, exasperated. “And I know they aren’t. But that’s not what this is about. Dana, this is my shot. Exclusive interview with Cowboy, and get him to agree to giving me unrestricted access to the Rising while they prep for the Fremont Cup, which they have a damn good shot at winning. If I can get that kind of coverage, then I’m a shoo-in for an SPA!” Theo retorted, wildly gesturing to the cabinet to her right.

The custom-built curio was currently home to an unprecedented thirteen Sports Press Awards, or SPA for short, more than any other female in their industry. But while Dana had already won three by the time she was thirty, two years younger than Theo was now, Theo had yet to win her first.

“You really think you can get him to agree to that? To giving you exclusive, unrestricted access to the team.”

“I do,” Theo answered, her confidence bubbling up in her. “I really, really do.”

Sports Down South was the number one sports talk show on air right now, and had been for the last five seasons running. They were syndicated in six markets outside of Atlanta, and as of last year they had a weekly podcast to supplement the Sunday morning TV program. Theo and her co-host, Matthew, had the recipe down for discussing everything athletics in the southeastern US. The only thing they didn’t have was that SPA. But Theo knew that if she could just get a story no one else could, that it would be theirs.

All she needed to do was convince Cowboy to let her in. To let her be the one who showed off the Atlanta Rising like no one else. Give them the media coverage they deserved. There was already talk about how the Rising had a real chance at winning the Fremont Cup, a knock-out style tournament held every year in Las Vegas. If they did, they’d be the first expansion team to ever win during their inaugural season. And Theo wanted to be there to capture all the behind-the-scenes action. In her mind, this tournament was theirs to lose. But with former players like Gunnar Gracin and Britt Callahan at the wheel, that wasn’t likely to happen.

Dana pushed back from her desk, relaxing into her chair. Theo heard the sigh escape from her boss, hoping it meant that she believed her.

“So what’s the plan?” Dana asked in her producer voice. “You get his buy-in, then what? What angle are you taking for this story? There’s got to be more to it than just following them around and recording their journey in this tournament.”

“There is; I’m just not one hundred percent on what it is yet. There’s a story there, I know it,” Theo told her boss. She could feel it down in her bones, the way only a reporter could. There was so much more to Cowboy and the Rising; she just needed the chance to find it. “Whether it’s heartfelt, inspiring, or scandalous, I don’t know. But I will find out. And when I do, Sports Down South will be the only one with the story.”

Theo raised her right arm, mimicking the motions of dropping a microphone. The smirk that was tugging at her mouth couldn’t be stopped—she had this. She knew she did. This dinner was just the start.

“If there is anyone who can find the story, it’s you,” Dana replied. "Tell me this. If what you do find is scandalous, or even just moderately unseemly, you’re sure you’re not going to have any problem reporting on it?”

Problem? Who does she think I am?

“Of course not. That’s my job. Have I ever had an issue before?”

“No, but you’ve also never spent weeks embedded with a team. Getting to know them personally, making friends. It’s different when you spend that much time with them. You can get attached.”

“Attached?” Theo scoffed. “I don’t get attached. You taught me better than that. Reporter first, woman second.”

Attached. Talk about an absurd idea. Getting attached to things was right up there with goofing off on the list of things Theo didn’t do. Her focus was on her career, nothing else. That was the only thing she was attached to. It didn’t matter how fun an idea seemed or how incredibly sexy the man she was going to interview. Her job came first. She’d learned the hard way a long time ago what taking your eyes off the prize could do. And she wasn’t about to make that mistake again.

Ever.

A devilish grin spread across Dana’s face as she once again leaned forward toward Theo. “That’s my girl.”

Chapter Four

A strange sensation vibrated through Cowboy as he sat in a large booth at Bunz. A sensation he couldn’t name. Nerves? Anticipation? Dread? Whatever it was, it had him on edge. And he did not like it one bit.

Taking a long gulp of his beer, he tried to relax, settling into the pleather of the seat. There was a hockey game on the floor-to-ceiling screen, but Cowboy couldn’t bring himself to concentrate on it long enough to know who was playing. He’d gone to dinner with a lot of pretty women over the years, but none of them had an effect on him like this. As much as he was telling himself that it was because of her job and how much he hated the idea of being interviewed, he knew that wasn’t the only reason.

“Don’t tell me that the great Cowboy Callahan has been stood up,” Devlin Decker, Bunz’s head waiter teased, leaning against the booth.

Cowboy snorted out a laugh, both at the assertion and at the model-esqe law student slash waiter who was currently staring him down. Dressed in standard Bunz waitstaff attire of just a pair of jeans—no shirt required—the tall, dark, and muscular waiter looked like he could just as easily be posing for a dorm room poster as waiting on Cowboy to respond to his taunt. Devlin was a good guy though and had taken to treating the Rising like they were part of the family every time they came in here, helping to solidify Bunz as the unofficial team hangout. Felicity’s longtime friend and mentor owning the place didn’t hurt either.

“Not even close,” he corrected. “I got here early, knowing full well I would need a beer. Or two.”

A shot probably wouldn’t hurt either…

He picked up his pint glass, chugging what was left. The glass made a loud thud against the wood table, causing Devlin to react.

“Your date that much of a dog?”

The exact opposite…

Cowboy started to answer but then stopped himself. Just how honest did he want to be here? Devlin was cool and all, but their relationship didn’t exactly delve deep. The guy knew Cowboy’s drink of choice and the particulars to his regular order, but that was about it. And other than some surface level mentions about class and studying for the bar exam, Devlin hadn’t shared much about himself either. Was now really the time to share that he enjoyed looking at Theo Kappas way more than he should? That was something he hadn’t told anyone—including Gunnar. Although maybe telling someone with less involvement in his life was a better idea than his best friend. Isn’t that why people poured their souls out to bartenders, because there would be little to no judgment from the stranger?

“How do I want to put this…”