overtime | clark & martin

forty-six.

"You and Connor are getting engaged."

Caitlin could only imagine the emotions that her face went through after hearing the words from Amy's mouth. Once the words have settled, Caitlin laughed loudly because there was no way Amy was serious about this.

Amy watches Caitlin, with no hint of amusement on her face, and Caitlin's laughter falters as she realizes this is not a joke.

"Why aren't you laughing?" Caitlin asks.

"Because I'm not joking," Amy says, "Look Jessica's star is growing. She's having a rookie season that may rival yours."

Caitlin shrugs, "I fail to see how that pertains to me getting engaged."

"With Jessica's star rising, what happened between the two of you is back in the media, so we need to do something to silence them and separate the two of you further."

"And I have to get engaged to do that?" Caitlin asks.

"Yes because as Jessica's star is growing she's being romantically tied to several women. Paige Bueckers, your teammate, Azzi Fudd, her teammate, Kate Martin."

"Jessica and Azzi?" Caitlin asks, "Do people really think that? Azzi would literally get overwhelmed by Jessica's personality. And Jessica and Paige are just friends. They're too similar and would literally bore each other to death. And Kate has a girlfriend-"

"I didn't say that for you to go and try and disprove all of Jessica's speculated relationships," Amy says.

"I don't have to disprove them because they're not real," Caitlin states, "I mean Kate literally has a girlfriend. Azzi is my teammate so I'd know if she was dating Jessica and Paige – well Jessica wouldn't date Paige she's already had her thirty-day free trial, and they didn't work out."

Amy stares at Caitlin. She always thought Caitlin to be mature beyond her years but whenever Jessica was brought up it was like she was reduced to a teenage girl.

"Caitlin, it doesn't matter what's going on in Jessica's love life. She is being romantically connected to you and that is a problem, so you and Connor are announcing your engagement. I'll leave it to the two of you to figure out the logistics, but it needs to happen by the end of the month, understood?"

Caitlin wants to say no, that she doesn't understand. She wants to say that she doesn't want to marry Connor and that she never has. She wants to say that there's no way that Jessica could love anyone other than her, but she finds that the words are wasted on Amy, so she does what she always does and remains silent.

"Very well," Caitlin says as she stands up.

"Where are you going?"

"To handle business, unless you want to tell me where I can and cannot go as well," Caitlin states sarcastically.

Amy doesn't say anything else, and Caitlin walks out of the room and to her car without another word.

•••

"I don't understand why I have to be there," Jackie states while they were stretching before the Seattle game.

"Because it's weird if it's just me," Jessica says, "With you there, there's this buffer that proves that I don't want Kate anymore."

"Buffer?" Jackie asks, "That implies that you are interested in me."

"I was once so technically it's not a lie," Jessica offers.

"Are you really not interested in Kate?" Jackie asks.

"We are just friends," Jessica states.

"Well, what if she wasn't with Claire?" Jackie asks.