pinky promise - jamie tartt

‟ PROTECTING YOU „

˗ˏˋ 'ˎ˗

It wasn't a rare occurrence for so many people to be in the locker room, but it was nearly filled to bursting.

The team was getting ready for training, the coaches were going over plays, Tate was visiting because she wanted to, Rebecca had come down to ask Ted a question, and Keeley showed up simply because she couldn't find Tate or Rebecca in either of their offices and didn't want to be left out.

The only ones missing were Higgins and Roy, and Higgins was around the corner in his own office.

"Oi, Tate!" Keeley shouted from across the locker room, distracting Tate from her conversation with Jan Maas as she braided Dani's hair in the spare minutes they had before training started. "Have you signed up for Bantr yet?"

"I... uh—" She fumbled, wincing when she couldn't force a lie to her friend while the rest of the locker room watched. Even Dani spun to look at her, his hair falling out of the half-finished braid.

"You haven't!" Keeley shouted, clearly offended. Ted shook his head, tutting, as if disappointed, and that was even more damning than Keeley's gasp. "Why the fuck haven't you? You're hot and single and fucking amazing; you're exactly the type of person Bantr needs!"

Tate stayed quiet, face burning bright red.

"You're not single, are you?" Rebecca asked, amused grin on her face. When Tate didn't immediately deny the accusation, chaos erupted in the locker room. Shouts from the boys, from Keeley, demanding answers. Rebecca winced, mouthing an apology, and Tate scrunched her face in embarrassment.

"Okay, okay!" Tate shouted over them, waving her arms to get their attention. It didn't work, and she was pretty certain that she heard Bumbercatch telling Isaac that he owed him money for some bet she wasn't aware of.

"What's his name? How long have you been together? What's he like? Is the sex—"

"Christ," Tate winced, cutting off Keeley's excited, rapid fire questions. "Start simple, please. His name is Callum."

"Is he the guy you met at the club a few weeks ago?" Sam asked, recalling the last time he had seen her with someone from outside the team.

"You didn't tell us that Tate went home with a guy?" Isaac shouted at Sam, as if he were her brother just finding out about her first date. Except, her actual brother hadn't been so defensive.

"I am a grown adult capable of going home with someone if I wanted to, and also right here." She rolled her eyes at Isaac's unnecessary protectiveness. She wasn't offended, she knew it came from a place of love, but she wasn't going to let it stand.

"Mon cherie, I thought I taught you better than to let a one night stand become a relationship." Richard cut in, sounding genuinely devastated by the news. Rebecca muttered something that sounded awfully similar to 'for the love of god' in response to Richard's comment. Tate mumbled a mocking apology to Richard, hand pressed over her heart for dramatics. 

"Is he the guy who's place you were at the other day when I tried to pick you up for work?" Jamie asked, hands tugging at the bottom of his kit, brows knitted together. A few of the boys shot him confused looks, not having heard of the arrangement between Tate and Jamie; he drove her to and from the club in exchange for, well, nothing.

"We must meet this man to decide if he is good enough for you, mi amor." Dani decided, voice cheerful despite the implication that they would run Callum out if he didn't meet their standards.

"I don't—" Tate began, fumbling for an excuse to try and avoid introducing him to the team.

"Aw, come on, Tater Tot!" Ted shouted, sounding disappointed. "We want to meet this guy! You're a part of this team, and we care about those who care about you."