Big Shot | ✓

45 | the one

Football season was officially over.

After sleeping off the excitement and the jet lag for a week following the National Championship, I dragged myself to the football complex to start packing up things in my office. Guys were coming and going as they cleared their lockers out, and a general feeling of bittersweetness singed the air.

In the center of the lobby, proudly displayed behind glass, was the National Championship trophy, still all smudged with everyone's fingerprints from holding it up and embracing it. Reid got to keep his MVP trophy, which I was sure he put beside the family photo on his TV stand in his bedroom.

JJ was one of the guys on his way out as I lingered in the lobby, looking over the Championship trophy as if I could decipher which fingerprints were Reid's. Fingerprints he'd left on me just the same.

"Hey," JJ greeted me, breathing out a sigh as he adjusted his workout bag on his shoulder. I hadn't been face-to-face with JJ in weeks, and I couldn't help wondering what he did or didn't know about me and Reid. It certainly felt like he was looking at me differently, and I couldn't blame him.

"Hey," I echoed with a soft smile. "Got your locker all cleaned out?"

"Yeah, just about." He swung his bag back and forth for emphasis. "What about you? Going to see that lady that's been hanging around in your office?"

My heart stopped. "What lady?"

JJ shrugged. "Elijah escorted some lady upstairs a while ago, and she went into your office."

"Thanks, I'll see you later," I blurted out before bolting for the stairs. I went up them two at a time until I reached the second floor, slowing down to see if I could peer around the corner and get a glimpse through the glass door to see if my suspicions were correct. They were, and I groaned to myself, feeling a sick knot begin to twist itself up in my stomach.

I couldn't leave now, so I took a few breaths to attempt to steady myself before walking into my office. Mariah Roe was admiring the little glass tiger figurine I had on my desk - the same one I'd given Beth for Christmas.

"There you are," she greeted me with a thin smile.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out. "If I'd known you were here, I would have-"

"Don't worry, it's on me," she cut me off. "I was on my way home from LA and decided to stop here first. Elijah said you'd be coming in so I figured I'd just wait. Take a tour of the facilities and everything. The school has really done a good job with this place."

She realized I was still standing dumbfounded in the doorway and sidestepped out of the path to my desk. "I'm sorry, did you want to sit?" She gestured to my desk chair, and I gave her a rigid nod before doing as she suggested.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here." She sat down at the chair across from me, still holding the glass figurine and gently turning it over in her hands.

"I think I could make an educated guess." I sighed out. Something along the lines of becoming fodder for the sports version of Page Six with the guy I was supposed to be doing a legitimate set of articles and interviews on, followed by an eloquent way of saying I have no job or future with them. I braced myself for impact.

"I want to offer you a job on my team."

"Look, I'm so sorry, I..." It took me a moment to realize that what Mariah actually said was nowhere near my supposed educated guess. "Wait, you what?"

I was so flabbergasted that any professionalism I had was swallowed up.

If anything, it amused her as she gave me a tapered smile. "Since your work-study internship is officially over, I can now formally offer you a position as Associate Content Creator. I know you have a small handful of credits left until you graduate, but I figured you could spare some time in the spring to travel with us once football starts up again. Maybe be able to give some lucky girl at some other university the same opportunity you were given."